What Are GOOD/PRO Country Guitar Effects Pedals

Strat · Guest

Hello,

I have been in search of the perfect guitar rig. I am sooooo tired of looking. I would like to get the all in one unit. I want something that will change the key of my guitar along with clean reverb and nice delay and distortion. I currently use many Boss effects. I saw a LEXICON MPX G2 Guitar Effects Processor and wondered how that would sound. I have found no Music stores in my area to even try one. Most are geared to the Grung sound, especially on the pre-sets. I don't mind paying a lot for a unit as long as I am happy. Any Idea's ? Any sites where I can view different guitarists stage units ? I know Brad Paisly has his specs on his site.
HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLP !

ME Cool

Country Dually Showman · Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2003 3:54 am Post subject:

Digitech RP7 With a Telecaster and a nice tube amp.

McGillman · Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2003 7:13 am Post subject:

The Nashville Power Tele has Tele Tex-Mex pickups right where you expect them, plus a Strat Tex-Mex pickup in the middle just like a strat. The Fishman bridge has a piezo on each saddle. If you use a stereo cable into 2 amps you get very close to accoustic sound. This is as close to an all around guitar as I know of, and I love mine. About $750 US. A modeling guitar may do it for you too, like a Line 6.

I don't have much experience with modeling amps but it sounds like that may be what you are looking at. One of the Fendertalk members recommends the Tech 21 (something) 60. I prefer tube amps.

Zoom pedals can be programmed for endless sounds, and there is plenty of web support to help dial in just about any sound you can think of. I have a 505 but the 707 my friend uses is a lot better.

allmorg42 · Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:44 pm Post subject: Tube Screamer

Ibanez Tube Screamer TS-808 Reissue, this is great for distortion, expensive and just a single effect but I think it's worth it(I have one). Brad Paisley uses one, or was it the TS-9? Either way you would probably be good I've heard they are very similar.

PValenti · Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 6:07 pm Post subject:

I too have been in search of the perfect country guitar tone. I took some advice and pages from my heros of course. But in the end it's what sounds best to YOU on YOUR rig with YOUR guitar and...well...YOU!

SO much of your sound comes from you. However I have found the best combination to be going with the cleanest pickups that I can find that still have a nice bite to them. I always use Seymour Duncan pickups. I have an Ibanez S470DXQM (HSH) with an SH-5 Custom, SH-2n Jazz, and an APS-2 Alnico II Pro and I tap the Jazz (neck) and wire the bridge (Custom) pickup for split/series/parallel. Then I've got a Warmouth custom Tele that I built myself that's basically wired up like a Fender American Nashville Telecaster (also with Seymour Duncan noise cancelling stk's).

My biggest choice though was in the amplifier department. I had money to buy anything that I wanted. So boutique stuff was looking really good. But I made a trip to the music store and took my options for a test-drive and my decision was made. I tried Matchless stuff (DC-30 combo and HC-30 head/2x12 cab) and liked it very much. But I was totally blown away when I plugged into the Dr. Z amps! I fell in love with the tone, shimmering, clear, clean crisp, percussive, smooth, just BEAUTIFUL tones! I tried the Galaxie, Z-28 MAZ 38 and MAZ 18 Jr. and then I plugged into a Stangray head ($1750) and my decision was made final!

I also bought a 2x12 open-back cabinet loaded with Celestion Alnico Blues ($680) and an AirBrake ($330 - which is just a power-soak that plugs in-between the amp head and cabinet so you can get that full-volume tone at a managible volume level).

I already owned a Boss GT-8...but found that I wanted to put some effects into the effects loop (like delay, chorus, etc...) and some effects (like distortion, boost, etc...) sounded better going in through the front (hi) input. So I retired the GT-8 and purchased a bunch of pedals.

Here's what I settled on-

For clean boost I got a Z-Vex Super Hard On ($200)
For distortion I purchased a Robert Keeley Modded (true bypass)TS-808 ($250)
For compression I purchased a Robert Keeley (4-knob) Compressor ($250)
For Chorus a Boss CH-1 Super Chorus ($90)
For Delay a Line DL4 Delay Modeler ($250)

I also purchased a VOX v847 Wah Wah pedal ($100), an Ernie Ball 6166 mono volume pedal ($130) and a Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner pedal ($100).

I put all of this together on an SKB PS-55 Pedalboard ($300). When I traded this stuff for my GT-8 I lost programmability and presets. However I was only really using 3 different presets. So I have to step on a couple of switches instead of just one. But the difference in sound is IMMEASURABLE! (and possibly too is the ineptitude of my spelling!)

I also built the Tele at the same time as I put all of this together. All-in-all I love BOTH guitars through this setup. I use the Ibanez for the more rock-roots country stuff so that I can get the sound of the humbuckers and occassionally I hit a harmonic and dive the tremelo...not country? sue me! lol

I use the Tele for all the traditional chicken-pickin' stuff and anything that I need to tune down for (because of the fixed bridge). Between the two guitars and with this new rig of mine I can't forsee ever needing some sort of sound and not being able to get it. The Dr. Z stuff is simply break-taking for country, blues or jazz stuff and it does as well on rock too. I can use the Super Hard On to push the amp just over the edge and between that and the amp I rarely need to go for the tube screamer. I do however now spend a LOT more time kneeling at my pedals now!

In conclusion...I went from a $1700 guitar rig to a $7700 guitar rig and although I already had pretty good guitar tone (I got compliments on my tone all the time) I improved my guitar tone incredibly and now my sound is quite literally as good as Brad Paisley, Brent Mason and all the guitarists I look up to. I just can't wait to take this new rig into the studio now!

Guitgator · Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 8:28 pm Post subject:

Personally I'd stay away from all-in-one units for live guitar. You don't need much more than a quality combo amp...Fender or a Palomino (Crate) would be a good choice. Maybe a Keeley Compressor and a TS-9. Paisely uses as TS-9 with a Keeley "baked" mod (basically more gain added) but most of his sound comes from cranking his tube amps. Maybe a delay pedal...preferrably analog.

PValenti · Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 5:42 am Post subject:

Actually Paisley has a full rack setup with a VooDoo Labs switching system (so that all pedals go IN the rack instead of on the floor). Here is a link that will allow you to SEE exactly what he's using from amps, to guitars, to effects, and accessories. Certainly a LOT more than an amp cranked and a tube screamer! lol

www . bradpaisley . com / site.php?content=gear_main Sorry about the link...evidently to prevent spam and creativity newbies aren't allowed to post links. So copy it and take out the spaces...ehh!

Guitgator · Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 7:11 am Post subject:

true...and I've seen that link. The thing is that Paisley uses all that stuff basically because he can and he has endorsements out the yin-yang. It's a tad overkill for the average guitarist who's gigging in clubs. The OP was basically talking about simplifying his setup. I can't think of one guitarist here in Nashville that uses rack gear at gigs in the clubs...touring is another matter.

skoal!

PValenti · Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:40 am Post subject:

Yeah I get what your saying. However my point was that he uses quite a lot of stuff to get his sound. The best possible rig for a club gig is a pedal board and some basic stomp boxes (not just ANY boxes though...the right ones) and a decent TUBE combo amp.

I always choose to use a Clean Boost, a Distortion, a Compressor, an analog delay, a chorus, and a good volume pedal.

Having had the Boss GT-8 in my arsenal for quite a while I can say confidently that a multi-effect pedal is NOT the way to go. The reason is simple. Distortion, Compression, and any effect that actually boosts the guitar signal need to be routed inline between the guitar and amp, where-as time-based effects (reverb, delay, chorus, tremelo, etc...) need to be routed through the amps effects loop. Routing the signal otherwise will do strange and undesirable things to your tone.