There are so many stompboxes
and effects on the market, and they
do everything from making slight
changes to your tone to making
your guitar sound like a completely
different instrument. Like a lot
of players, I go through phases
of using effects to create ethereal
delays, swimming reverbs, lush cho-
ruses, funky envelope filters, and
pulsing modulations. New sounds
can inspire new music, and that’s
a good thing. However, nothing is
more vital to having good tone than
being in tune.
Of all the pedals on a board,
the most important pedal to
me is the tuner: You can have
a high-dollar boutique ampli-
fier, the most expensive guitar in
existence, and a mound of all the
best effects—but if you’re out of
tune, you are not going to sound
good. When you shop for a tuner,
there are a few things to consider.
One of the first things I do when
I try a new tuner is listen for how
it affects my tone. Even when a
tuner is off, it can muffle some
of the highs. I need a tuner to be
as transparent as possible. I have
spent a lot of time finding guitars
and amps that sound great to my
ear, so the last thing I want is a
tuner that alters my tone. I gener-
ally look for tuners that have a
true bypass switch, which helps
make the pedal more transparent.
I also make sure the tuner’s needle
or strobe does not behave errati-
cally. The Korg Blackout is my
favorite tuner because it is tonally
transparent, built with rugged
metal jacks and switches, and has
a large, easy-to-read display. Since
the tuner is the only pedal in my
signal chain, I can easily switch
between using my Line 6 G50
wireless and a cable. The G50 has
a great feature that emulates the
sound of using a cable, as well.
Having a streamlined pedalboard
allows the tone of my guitar
and amplifier to shine through
without encountering any tone-
diminishing roadblocks.
Recently, I’ve been using a
Mesa/Boogie Electra Dyne combo
loaded with two 12" Black Shadow
speakers. Most of the time, I
leave the Electra Dyne set on the
I’ve always really liked guitar- ists who can plug straight into
the front of an amp and play great
music. Chuck Berry changed the
course of electric guitar and was
a major influence on the Rolling
Stones, the Beatles, and Jimi
Hendrix—and he did it without a
single pedal. Brian Setzer can cover
swing, rockabilly, and big-band jazz
armed with only a guitar, an amp,
and a Roland Space Echo. AC/DC’s
Back In Black is one of the top-selling records of all time, and Angus
Young doesn’t use any effects at all.
There’s nothing wrong with
using effects, but there is something
wrong if you can’t sound good
without them. Effects can create
a mirage that leads you to believe
you’re playing in a more polished
manner than you actually are, so
it’s good to be sure you can play
well with a basic guitar rig. There
are also several logistical advantages
to having a downsized guitar rig.
“Of all the pedals
on a board, the most
important pedal to
me is the tuner: You
can have a high-dollar
boutique amplifier,
the most expensive
guitar in existence,
and a mound of all
the best effects—but
if you’re out of tune,
you are not going to
sound good.”
Less gear means you can locate
and troubleshoot a problem more
quickly, and it also means there are
fewer links in the chain that can
break. Another added bonus of
having fewer pieces of equipment is
that your set-up and teardown time
is greatly reduced.
A Mesa/Boogie Electra Dyne combo and a Mesa/Boogie TransAtlantic
head that can quickly be plugged into the combo speakers for tonal options or to function as a spare amp.
Fewer pedals equals purer tone with my Pedaltrain Nano pedalboard,
which sports an Electra Dyne footswitch, a Korg Blackout tuner, and a
Line 6 G50 wireless receiver.
is a multi-instrumentalist
who has worked with
Big & Rich, Sebastian
Bach, 112, Jake Owen,
Montgomery Gentry,
Larry the Cable Guy,
and many others. He also has his
own project called Ten Finger
Orchestra, and can be reached at
tenfingerorchestra@yahoo.com.
Low channel and use my guitar’s
volume knob to blend between
rhythm and lead sounds. The great
thing about using your volume
knob is that you don’t have to run
back to your pedalboard to step on
a boost pedal for a solo.
Onstage, I keep a Mesa/Boogie
TransAtlantic as a spare head on top
of the Electra Dyne in case there is
a power surge that blows the fuse in
my combo. Also, the TransAtlantic
is great for getting a wide vari-
ety of tonal options that suit the
occasional nights when I play for
several acts. Besides being a nice
backup rig, this two-amp setup also
expands my tonal palette. I simply
re-patch the instrument, footswitch
and speaker cables from the Electra
Dyne to the TransAtlantic, and I’m
all set to go in a matter of seconds.
I encourage you to take only an
amp, a guitar, a couple of cords,
and a tuner to your next show or
rehearsal. If simple guitar rigs work
for Chuck, Brian, and Angus, they
can work for you, too.
Drop me an email if there
are any topics you’d like to see
me cover in upcoming columns.
Meanwhile, play on.
