EdwardMarlowe

It's impressive how pedal amps have come on. I've several times seen a couple of musicak acts who play a cabaret night I frequent using what I realised to be pedal amps; I'd never have known, but the speed of change between them and the acts before and after.... takes longer for the stage management to pick up after one of the burlesque girls. Those little feet seem a neat idea. Obviously won't work with every pedal without adaptation, but a much more elegant solution than velcro, which I've always avoided for my pedals. I've also considered a large foam sheet, same dize as the pedalboard, with holes cut for each pedal, but not sure that's workable. I like the idea of having them all screwed down in place.

I've been picking up pedals here and there since I started playing back in the 90s. Never sold a pedal. Still have my early run Sovtek EH Big Muff Pi, in mint condition, in the original wooden box - last I looked those are selling for a surprising amount. I'll probably not use it again, but I'm wary of the idea of parting with it in case I regret it. Probably the only thing I've ever bought, guitar wise, that's now worth more than I paid, even allowing for inflation! I also have a DOD Phasor [sic] and a Crybaby - likely never use those again, but.... I suppose pedals - especially cheap used ones - are a cheaper habit than always chasing a new amp or guitar. And easier to store! These days, the effects I want to use are a decent overdrive (classic OD, not "distortion"), a clean boost, tremolo, echo, and a reverb for the option if there's none in the amp. After a long time of looking, I've decided to build my own boards - one for effects that can be used with any amp, then a separate one for an "amp" board - reverb, Joyo American Sound, Mooer Baby Bomb - that can be plugged into a speaker or, if ever needed, a PA. Thinking of also putting a headphone amp pedal on there so I can either manually switch between a headphone amp and the Mooer power amp pedal, or *maybe* adding an A/B box so they can all stay hooked up and I can flip between that way. Don't know if that approach might be worth looking at when grouping your pedals? Separate boards for bass and guitar, of course. (I'm not a bass effects guy; I do have a Boss BF3, though, which can be used for either bass of guitar if ever I fancy).

Thanks, that's helpful. I've looked at the Boss - Setzer is very much the kind of sound I'm after - though like the Sun studios pedal it's a bit pricey unless I ever gigged it (unlikely now). Might have a look out see what crops up used, though. Seems to be a short delay pedal is what I need.

Oh.... and I also have a Joyo American Sound. Bought it originally thinking to use it as a headphone amp , but then bought a Harley Benton headphone amp to go with it. I also recently fell in with a Mooer Baby Bomb poweramp pedal. I'm thinking of putting together a couple of dedicated pedal boards, one for only the FX I want with an amp (drive/boost / trem / echo), and one as an "amp" board - reverb, American Sound, baby bomb. So I have the option of using either, or, or linking them together. (The next trick will be to find a case for storage. Been looking for that, but most of the options appear designed only to accommodate an integrated board or a proprietary one. Artec make a hardcase that comes with a traditional plywood board, but the board is too big for me I think (I'd have space for every pedal I own on it!). Still hunting for just a case... What I have in mind is using Harley Benton Mounties - these - means permanent holes in the board, but plywood isn't expensive, and these are more secure than velcro, without having to stick velcro to my pedals.

Heh, I relate to your last comment. I think of myself as "not really an FX guy" now - I never use my fuzz, phaser or wah, but of course I'm keeping them in a box, "just in case" I ever end up "needing them".... The pedals I feel the need of now are simply: slapback echo, reverb (if not in the amp, though I'm increasingly thinking a standalone pedal is a better option anyhow), tremolo, a decent drive (instead of a two-channel amp) and *maybe* a clean boost. Inevitably, I have a whole bunch of drive pedals. I do have the Golden Horsey, though I'm toying with the idea of buying one of the model that has all the different variations in it for the board - as well as, inevitably, the Behringer Centaur Overdrive because I like its boldness in being so blunt about what it is. Oh.... and the Mosky pedal with all the different variations on the Tubescreamer in it as well. Then *maybe* a Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face, which I really only want because of the cool shape.... Amusingly, I found this selling on ebay: It's a Klon Klone, made by the guy who designed and built the original Klons. Inevitably, it's about £450 a pop....

If you're still looking.... Depending on budget, Gordon Smith would be my first port of call. Classic T from £199. I've idly specced out what I'd like (including things like glass body metallic finish and so on) - comes to about £1500, or £1700 with stainless steel frets. About half what you'd pay for the same thing from Fender. https://www.gordonsmithguitars.com/shop/guitars/classic-t/ Feline Tabby - https://felineguitars.com/pages/feline-tabby-models - though a definite break away from the traditional look owing to headstock. Would appeal perhaps if you fancied a Suhr style take on a classic. Another option might be the JHS Vintage Proshop https://www.jhs.co.uk/collections/vintage-proshop - They take the standard Vintage bits and build a guitar to your spec. They seem to start around £600 if you just want a few cosmetic tweaks, like a finish they don't have in the regular range (of course it'll get a lot more attention than a regular line model), and prices go upwards as you add your own choice of replacement hardware (to the standard Wilkinson), pickups and such. They do offer relicing if that's your thing, though inevitably it also pops the price up due to labour. I've not handled one of their outputs, but everyone I've spoken to who has worked with them rates them very highly indeed. The necks bodies and such are the regular imported items to begin with, but my understanding is all the work done from there is in the UK - https://www.jhs.co.uk/collections/vintage-proshop

He died in 2008, but he was still playing until shortly before that I believe. Great artist. Supported the Clash on a US tour back in the day when they were on the way up and he was not doing as well. Joe Strummer's doing, Joe was a big fan.

Anything pointy. I like Firebirds BUT Explorers, Vs, all the rest: ugly AF. Those uber-figured fancy maple tops like you get on a LP Supreme: UGLY AF. I think the ugliest guitar it would be possible to make would be a Reverse V with an AAAA+ Quilted maple top. With a Floyd Rose and HSH pickups. I feel quite ill at even the thought of it... Oh.... I DO like the Gretsch Billy Bo. I'd love eventually to get a guitar body that shape with a Telecaster bridge and a Filtertron in the neck, bolt on Telecaster neck... CAR, or metalflake red... that would be a cool guitar.

Ain't that the truth! I don't think the pound has topped USD1.31 in nearly a decade now. Long gone are the glory days of US2.20 to the pound. Back in 2008, I was buying things online from the US I could have bought in a shop here, but getting them for half the London price, even after including shipping and import. Not a chance of that now.

If this is right, https://www.mooreguitars.com/dating-fender-american-models , they had a Z on the start of US serial numbers from 2000-2009. I suppose they started with just numbers, then an A, then... and so on. No idea what they do post 2009, it's been a very long time since I could think of even looking at the US guitars financially.

It does look odd, though googling for photos of Fender serial numbers turns up these images: My best guess is what we're seeing is the difference between the template that appears on every guitar and that individual guitar's number added in. Not sure whether Fender maybe do that by design - is a fake likely to look all the same font all matching? A sort of double bluff to throw off the counterfeiters...

Probably a decent boost pedal that can be adjusted between getting a great crunchy drive out of the amp all the way down to a clean volume boost, as needed.

How do you find the flatwounds differ? I was thinking of trying some (the Harley Benton version, because jinkies are flatwounds ever way more expensive....) on an electric after I bought a Brandoni P bass a few years ago that came with them, and finding I very much liked those.

Interesting idea. New to me, but I like it. My pick journey started with cheap, flexible nylon Jim Dunlops. In my first few weeks playing I had a couple of those in .6 (neon orange) before settling on the .46 (neon yellow). A few months later, I discovered Tortex picks, very much enjoying the way they hold their shape rather than bend. Over time, I moved to a .6, through .9, then eventually to a preferred 1mm. Still have a few of those, though more often I nowadays opt for the 1.14. The reason I made *that* switch was a lot more arbitrary than your friend's drop-test - I just prefer the purple colour they are. I'd probably have gone *down* from the 1.14 to 1mm if that's what I'd been using, for the purple colour had they been the other way round. Sometimes I use those Dava picks with the flexible middle (great for acoustic).... there are days when a change of pick can be a fillip to how I feel about playing as much as a different guitar, pedal, or whatever. That I've never questioned, as it's a lot cheaper!

This just in.... the head plus 1x12" is gonig to win. It'll probably be the Summer before I'm ready to order (this is set as a reward for myself when I get our spare room cleared out and turned into a proper home office, which will also then be where I'll have my guitars kept; also need to sell a few bits to fun this and other new stuff), but I fell in with an ebay deal on one of those Mooer Baby Bomb 30w pedal preamps, which would combine nicely with the Joyo American Sound as a preamp - the idea being if I want a louder sound or ever play out of the house again, I can take the pedals and a speaker box rather than cart a heftier amp about. (Also allows for the 15watt head at home with the same speaker if ever I move to a house where that's an option).