# Are You Happy With Your Rig? What Would You Change?



## keto (May 23, 2006)

I just finished rewiring my pedal board, for about the umpteenth time - pretty much in a constant state of flux. But, you know what? I think, other than 1 slot that might get rotated, I am pretty much 'there' for now. I just spent a couple hours jamming and I am !!!!!YESSS!!!!!! True test is tomorrow at band practice, but it should be good.

Just picked up the ISP Decimator GString, and the Radial ABY box. About 3/4 of my board is under 6 months old.


I run the ABY out into a Traynor YBA1 Tribute - I use Ch1 low for clean(ish) and the blend 1+2 input for when I need another gear. Mostly my dirt comes from pedals, obviously. The Traynor is a REALLY GOOD pedal platform, and the attenuator built in is great. I'm running it at 10W and think that will work for the band too, but if not I can turn it up.

The Tele, I did a thread on before but anyways a Blacktop Tele with the pups, wiring, tuners, knobs, bridge all changed out. I just changed out the bridge pup for a super high output Duncan TB-15 Alternative 8, the neck is a JSMoore custom wind. I LOVE the neck on the blacktop, flattish without being too flat, good sized frets, not too chunky in profile but bigger than the Squier stuff.

Please, no commentary on the playground in the background - my wife does daycare 


So, how about you? Got a rig your happy with? Or, what are you GASing for?


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

I'm quite happy with what I have but the ultimate for me would be the Godin LGXT









Specs[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif][SIZE=+2]*
*[/SIZE][/FONT]Mahogany neck
Ebony Fingerboard
16" fingerboard radius
25 1/2" Scale
1 11/16" nut width
Silver Leaf Maple body
Figured Maple Top (on Trans. colors)
Seymour Duncan Custom Humbuckers
5-Way switch
Guitar volume
Tone
Synth volume
Program up/down
3-Way
Magnetic Output
13-pin Synth Output
X-Bridge/Mix Output
Custom RMC Bridge with Pre-Amp EQ for: Acoustic Volume, Treble, Mid-Range and Bass controls


The Roland VG-99 Synth












And perhaps the Traynor YCV50B Amp although I'm happy with my present amp and with the VG-99 the amp is no longer important except for power.

​*Traynor*
Custom Valve 50 Watt in Black
YCV50B


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

Id be happy if I could just make better use of the stuff I already have.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

Diablo said:


> Id be happy if I could just make better use of the stuff I already have.



aye brother, me too


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Diablo said:


> Id be happy if I could just make better use of the stuff I already have.


Well, that too.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

I'M the other way around,very simple,old school, amp, reverb pedal, guitar, thats it. I really enjoy what other guitarists use but I dont have the time for a good set-up nor the patience to tweek the pedals. I had bought some
Boss pedals back in the 80's, Chorus,Flanger,Distortion,Compressor but never got into it like most guys do. Keto, by the way, thats a fine looking outfit you have there.


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## kat_ (Jan 11, 2007)

I'm happy with my main rig but my bandmate doesn't really like the sound I get with it so I'm using my backup amp for all of my band stuff. I suppose what I really ought to change is my band.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I'm thrilled with my rig at the moment, but I'm a typical guitar guy and I expect that to pass, LOL.

This is what I'm using at he moment.










into










What I'll change at some point is replacing the Boss pedals and the MXR.

For now, I'm enjoying the sound of the amp so much the pedals are a second priority.


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## TWRC (Apr 22, 2011)

I love my live rig, so much that I've been using it as my recording rig too. I've actually been thinking about getting a smaller Pedaltrain to move my Eventide TimeFactor and Space to. It would also give me an excuse to maybe buy a ModFactor; then I could fit more fuzz pedals onto my main Pedaltrain.  As for my amps, I'd love to find a 1-12" JCM 800 combo to go along with my AC30 and maybe an AC15 for those quieter days. As for my guitars, I'm currently obsessing over Candy Apple Red Fender offsets to complete my small collection. I currently have a CAR Jazzmaster and Bass VI, I would love to add a Mustang and Jaguar in CAR (with matching headstocks of course) to round out the family.


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## Fiveway (Mar 21, 2010)

Cool pony, bro.



Is it even possible to be _completely_ happy with your rig? Like, is that even a thing?


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Fiveway said:


> Cool pony, bro.


Pinky is the man.



Fiveway said:


> Is it even possible to be _completely_ happy with your rig? Like, is that even a thing?


Not really, but I have guitar, amp, and 90% pedal board just nailed right now.


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## nevernamed (Apr 14, 2013)

I like what I've got going on right now. Its been pretty much unchanged since September. I'm thinking of doing a BYOC wah drop in replacement on my wah pedal though.


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## Fiveway (Mar 21, 2010)

I guess I never answered the question:

I'm happy with my rig, because it makes a lot of nice noises. But it's far from perfect and I will continue to change it. I have a Traynor YCV50B but it doesn't get enough distortion for my taste. So I run a Vox Bulldog distortion through the clean channel for classic metal sounds and a MXR Fullbore metal for thrash tones. I run a Boss GT6 for effects only, no models. 

Thinking I might trade up to a YCS50 in the hope that I'd get more distortion and not have to use as many pedals. I really like the convenience of multi-effects pedals but they sure can be big. Not as big as huge pedal floorboard I guess. I might consider looking into the Pod HD line to replace the GT-6.

Seriously, it never ends. I'll be doing this until my damn fingers don't work anymore.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Am I happy with my rig? Yes.
What would I change? Everything.

:banana:


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## The Lullaby (Dec 8, 2010)

WWJTD? (Jag Tanna)


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## Petey D (Sep 8, 2011)

Fiveway said:


> Is it even possible to be _completely_ happy with your rig? Like, is that even a thing?


Ha ha! You said it best Brother!

I'm not unhappy with my rig. It basicly does what I need it to. I love my guitars, but I've been toying with the idea of swapping my Rat Rod for a more contemporary Les Paul or Les Paul Jr, and I've always wanted to go to TV Jones pick-ups in my Big Daddy.

As far as my amp and effects go, I'll probably never lust after another Wah pedal. I'm 100% happy with my SW-95. Short term if I could find an J8 foot controler for my JT50 That'd make me happier, but long term I know I'll got to an all tube 112 and I'll add at least an OCD and some type of Delay to the pedal chain.


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## OldGuitarPlayer (Feb 25, 2013)

Here is my setup.

Amp: Fender Deluxe 90 solid state amp.










Guitar: Squier Classic Vibe BSB










The only other part of my "rig" is a 1/4 to 1/4 shielded cable which I use to connect my electric guitar directly to the amp.










I am happy with this setup and have no reason to change anything.


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## Latiator (Jul 18, 2007)

Nice rig Keto! 
I run a relatively simple setup. Once I decide on the guitar i.e. Tele, Strat, Firebird, or Carvin, I trust my pedal setup fully; I send my signal through an Empress Distortion -> TC Electronics Modulator -> Line 6 DL-4 ('Green Pedal') -> Mesa Boogies 5:50 Express. I am very satisfied at this point. The only pedal I've thought about adding is a compressor pedal but I've been entertaining that addition for over a year!


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Thanks! It passed band practice with flying colours - much better tonal differentiation with that amp as opposed to the Trinity Triwatt I built a few months back. The Triwatt sounds better on its own, but doesn't have any headroom at all. I run the Traynor pretty clean, and my different drives and fuzzes sound....different, rather than blending in totally with the amps overdriven tone as is the case with the Triwatt.

Petey - if you want a cheaper alternative for the OCD, try the Mooer Hustle Drive. I tried it at 18v for the first time this weekend, and it sound (and records) really stellar. ly.


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## Latiator (Jul 18, 2007)

keto said:


> ...much better tonal differentiation with that amp as opposed to the Trinity Triwatt I built a few months back. The Triwatt sounds better on its own, but doesn't have any headroom at all. I run the Traynor pretty clean, and my different drives and fuzzes sound....different, rather than blending in totally with the amps overdriven tone as is the case with the Triwatt.


Intriguing setup to say the least. You blended your drives and fuzzes with the overdrive channel of your Triwatt? It sounds as though you'll have a much wider range of overdrive tones now that you're isolating them over the Traynor's clean channel.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

I like my rig pretty well, though I'm having some issues with my wah and am looking to replace it.

I currently run Either a HWY 1 Strat with Hot Noiseless pickups or a Tokai Love Rock with SD A2 pickups into my board and then to the amp, which is usually a '59 Bassman RI, but sometimes a Blues Deluxe or a YGM2. 

My board is: Dunlop 95Q>Sonic Research TT200>Wampler Plextortion>Carl Martin Plexitone>Ibanez FL9>MXR Stereo Chorus>TC Electronics Flashback x4

Other than my wah sound being a little *meh*, I'm pretty satisfied with this rig. It's really versatile, going from clean to raging distortion and everywhere in between and lots of modulation and swooshy options and a smattering of delays. I always get compliment on my "80's rock" sound, which is the chorus, a dotted-eight delay and either the high-gain side of the Plexitone (a misnomer, because I run it fairly low-gain, comparatively - roughly 9 o'clock on the pot), or the Plextortion (set to fairly high gain).

I'm looking at picking up an MXR CAE 404 wah to replace my 95Q. It seems like a good choice and really versatile, which I dig, but I've been using a switchless wah for so long now that I'm worried about ergonomics, though I'll be happy to have cocked wah sounds again!


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

hollowbody said:


> I like my rig pretty well, though I'm having some issues with my wah and am looking to replace it.
> 
> I currently run Either a HWY 1 Strat with Hot Noiseless pickups or a Tokai Love Rock with SD A2 pickups into my board and then to the amp, which is usually a '59 Bassman RI, but sometimes a Blues Deluxe or a YGM2.
> 
> ...


Funny you should mention "cocked wah" sounds.

I rarely touch my wah, but yesterday I was playing with the harmonic feedback thing that the 5E3 does so well and was using cocked wah sounds to enhance various frequencies.

Handy.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Latiator said:


> Intriguing setup to say the least. You blended your drives and fuzzes with the overdrive channel of your Triwatt? It sounds as though you'll have a much wider range of overdrive tones now that you're isolating them over the Traynor's clean channel.


Triwatt doesn't have 2 channels. It does have a pull boost that engages more gain stages.

Given that the topology of the amp is Hiwatt (essentially tone stack and preamp design are a clone), which I have owned and are capable of massive clean or clean-ish headroom, I was hoping for the same thing in the lower wattage Triwatt package. And I was sorta led to believe that it could, but it can't. It's still a fabulous sounding amp, with clear Hiwatt roots. Just not the headroom I was hoping for.


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

My current rig is tele or esquire -> Dunlop JH-1 wah -> Angry Troll boost -> Danelectro TOD v1 -> joyo tremolo -> Boss DD3 ->Zoom G3-> amp

the zoom has been tried before and after the effects boxes and I like it either way, depending on which fx I choose. When I use it to model amps it is at the end of the chain and into the Slave in of my Laney GH100TI. Sometimes it is in the loop and the pedal board will do into the front end of the amp, I think I like this best with the laney because I can use the noise gate in the loop without losing any tone or dynamics. When the amp is my Blackheart combo I don't bother with the zoom unless I really want reverb. Either way I'm happy.

I want to get an ISP decimator to run in the Laney's loop so I can free the zoom to run up front (but I might just get another zoom since the price is about the same), and I have a Peavey Valverb coming my way from sunny California if all goes as planned when I can paypal tonight. I'll use the valverb with the combo and be happy as I've ever been with my available tones. I also want some kind if Gibson just to have the full out humbucker sound, I think an SG is going to be a summer purchase.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I don't know that I'm happy OR unhappy with my rig, so much as curious enough to keep experimenting. I have bigger amps and plenty of smaller ones. I have the same effects in multi-FX floor form, rackmount form, single-pedal form, modular form, and I'm working on a smaller-scale version of the VFE Megapedal floor unit (mine is 7 stations with a few providing a couple of versions of the same category of effect). I have guitars with single coils, guitars with piezo bridges guitars with humbuckers, P90s, and assorted hybrids.

So it's not a "rig" so much as a buncha stuff that interests me. Some parts of it interest me all the time, some of it only sometimes. If I was to show up for a gig or open stage, I'm not sure what I'd bring. Choosing it would probably take longer than the stage time it was for.


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## neldom (Apr 29, 2009)

While I could in no way say I'm satisfied with my rig, I can safely say I've never been happier with my rig.

View attachment 2763


I recently acquired the X4 to replace my Timeline, which simplified things and as I'm not a delay-a-holic is really everything I need (for now).
Recently got the SP Compressor which works great as I'm trying to work on my chicken' pickin', really plays well with the G&L Tribute ASAT.
Recently got the Naga Viper, which yields some great low drive boost tones.

Also a few weeks back got me a Dr. Z Maz 18 2x12 Combo with a G12H30 and a Celestion Blue.
Definitely my favourite amp of anything I've ever owned, too bad I waited so long to finally grab one.
I still love my Rx Jr, but I think I would love it more if they had a Cut knob in the mix on that one too.

Still loving the Gibson 339 and the G&L Tribute ASAT (although I'm considering making it into a Bluesboy ie. Humbucker in the neck).
But I'm itching to get a Gibson Les Paul Jr., basically I want Blam's guitar.
Just need a simple P-90 Rock and Roll machine.

I really have no plans on being satisfied with my rig, but as long as I'm continually happier with what I acquire I guess I'm heading in the right direction.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

I'm happy with my rig. The only thing that's about to change is my PRS will lose it's 5-way and gain the push/pull 3-way.

Guitar-Head-Cab. No muss, no fuss, just awesome sounds.


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## BEACHBUM (Sep 21, 2010)

Having started out as a poor kid in the 60's with a Sears Silvertone guitar played through my Dads home stereo amp if this doesn't make me happy then nothing ever will.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Am I happy with what I have now?

Sure I am.
I love my stuff.

If I never got any new gear is that okay?--sure--as long as I don't lose what I have.


Those things said--would I like new gear?

Sure.

Right now my main goals gearwise are a fretless bass, a pedal board--possibly build one, some mics, and a mandolin--plus maybe a small tube amp and a second bass practice amp.


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## Merlin (Feb 23, 2009)

Depends on which rig and what type of gig we're talking about.

I have two different pedalboards - one is my surf rig, the other is the general purpose one.

I have a hollowbody electric with humbuckers, a tele with EMGs, a Godin SD with EMGs, and a Fender Marauder. They all do different things well - though the SD is probably about the single most versatile guitar I own.

Like others, my pedalboard seems to change as often as my socks.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Just a follow-up to my earlier post. I picked up that MXR CAE 404 wah and tried it with the band on Tuesday night. My god. Do I ever love this thing! 

First of all, my rig without the wah on sounds much better. I guess the 95Q was sucking a lot more tone than I realized. With the wah on, it's just beautiful, sounds just like I always wanted a wah to sound. I settled mostly on the yellow Fasel inductor, but will continue to experiment with the red one too. The addition of the 401 boost/line driver in the wah also means I'm sending a seriously solid signal through the rest of the rig and you can really hear the difference. No more wimpy wah sounds for me!

I'm realistic enough to know my satisfaction won't last long, but for right this second, I am 100% happy with my rig and the tones I'm getting from it.

Here's a pic I snapped:
View attachment 2788


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## skorpian34 (Apr 25, 2013)

Some cool setups in here 

I love my rig but +1 to who said about learning to use what you have better. I'm in that camp. My main setup is traynor custom valve 15w (YCV20WR) with JJ tubes, boss gt-10, ibanez rg350dx. What would I change ? My guitars. Then build a pedalboard then mod the pedals just to learn. Or 4-cable the gt-10 then reorder the fx so some go in front of the amp and others thru the loop. 

My biggest peeve are my guitars. There's issues with all 5. Attempting to learn Vai, Satch or Eddy chops is challenging as is, nevermind on a guitar with sideways neck twist throwing off the action or trem issues ! Going to fix them all then most likely sell to hopefully will help pay for a japanese jem or prestige. Even a japanese rg would do nicely. Let's not be picky, Kon'nichiwa !


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## benjoue (Mar 8, 2013)

This is a tricky question...

As a victim of G.A.S. the answer is NO. There's always a new pedal, guitar or amp that sounds so good in the demo. I am satisfied with my guitars and pedals, but I am always digging for that perfect tone.


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## Petey D (Sep 8, 2011)

keto said:


> Thanks! It passed band practice with flying colours - much better tonal differentiation with that amp as opposed to the Trinity Triwatt I built a few months back. The Triwatt sounds better on its own, but doesn't have any headroom at all. I run the Traynor pretty clean, and my different drives and fuzzes sound....different, rather than blending in totally with the amps overdriven tone as is the case with the Triwatt.
> 
> Petey - if you want a cheaper alternative for the OCD, try the Mooer Hustle Drive. I tried it at 18v for the first time this weekend, and it sound (and records) really stellar. ly.


Yeah man, I've heard good things about the hustle drive. I think I watched Gearmandude do a demo of it on youtube and was impressed by it. There are a few budget OCD clones I'll look at when the time comes. Mooer, Joyo, and Danelectro all come to mind. That's off in the future though, no point in running pedals through a modeling amp, although my JT50 did take the ZVEX Box of Metal I had a while back pretty well....

Anyway, thanks for the tip Keto.


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