Fulltone, Framptone and/or Bob Bradshaw, Pete Cornish: Opinions?.

[kmh364]

Anyone out there have experience with any of the above's products? I'm looking to put together a killer effects pedalboard for my guitar rig.
 
I haven't had great luck with effects before: most stompboxes usually have better tone than rack mount jobs, but are noisy and crap-up the sound when ganged (both bypassed and in-the-loop). Let's not even talk about pedal and/or patch cable failure and troubleshooting, LOL!Rack mount stuff is no longer in fashion and is hard to come by. I have an old Yamaha SPX-50D rack mount that has a great (albeit digital) distortion (amongst other effects), but the effects ganging is fixed within a given preset and can't be changed (only the parameters within the effects present within a preset can be changed and stored). Anything electronic (especially digital) is succeptable to bad power-induced damage, and a rack-mount is, of course, a single point of failure that will leave you high and dry at a gig without any effects. It is MIDI controlled which is another can of worms.
 
At any rate, I'm looking for killer tone, minimum noise, and minimum degradation of the original guitar and amp (bypassed and modded) sound. I've been looking at boutique supposedly hand-made effects, which are (naturally) two to three times (on avg.) the price of mass-market stuff (unless you;re talking Pete Cornish, UK pedalboard guru to the stars: David Gilmour, Jimmy Page, Pete Townshend, Brian May, et al...his stuff is DOUBLE the price of the boutique stuff!).  
 
Fulltone is hand-made in the U.S. of A., and they do have a custom shop as well. Framptone is by ex-Humble Pie and solo artist Peter Frampton, but his line is very limited at this early stage. He does have a nice buffered dual amp (A-B)switcher on offer currently. Pete Cornish (UK) has a line of stopmpboxes (mostly highly-modded mass-market item guts in a stout metal enclosure). His specialty is Custom Pedalboards. These can take a year or more to conceive and build, and the price is stratospheric (1GBP = $2USD doesn't help, LOL!)! In all fairness to Pete, he is the acknowledged pedalboard leader, at least by the Brit Guitar Gods, (although Bob Bradshaw at Custom Audio Electronics might beg to differ, LOL). A check of Harmony-Central.com shows some very satisfied (albeit very rich and/or very broke) Cornish customers. One guy has high praise for his $15k (!!!!) Cornish effects pedalboard. David Gilmour had a custom three (or four) piece ALL-TUBE pedal board for his Meltdown Concert(s) which can be seen/heard on the 2002 David Gilmour Live in Concert DVD. There is a write-up on Pete's website about this, but the price has to be other-worldly (you have to contact Pete for that info).  
 
I don't know if Bradshaw is much cheaper, but he is renowned and is local (at least compared to Cornish). CAE makes stompoxes as well, anybody try 'em? His racks were THE thing to have, especially in the late eighties/early nineties: Van Halen, Clapton, Yngwie, etc, all had/have his custom rack systems. One of my College Alum buddies from (Electrical) Engineering school got a job with Bradshaw hot-rodding Marshalls straight out of college, but that was a 1 1/2 decades ago, and I lost track of him since.
 
See, and you guys thought custom Alembic's are expensive, LOL! Since I am not a pro player with a contract, nor do I have a huge bank account, I highly doubt I'll be buying one of Pete Cornish's or Bob Bradshaws pedalboards and/or rack systems any time soon...unless that big overdue Lotto win happens, LOL!.  
 
Anybody have any advice? The last thing I want is some Sam's Ass or Garbage Center Korean-made crap. Those plastic Digitech (et al) multi-effect stompboxes are probably a mixture of all the WORST things both rack-mount multi-effectors and stompboxes have to offer combined! I've  thrown away all my old (better than today's junk) stompoxes years ago because they were noisy and crapped-up the sound. Short of a custom rack-of-the stars effects system, what's a lousy guitarist supposed to do? Suggestions?
 

[lbpesq]

Kevin:
 
Check out analog Mike's stuff at http://analogman.com/.  He has his own handmade boxes and also does mods.  I have his dynaRoss compressor - a modified MXR Dynacomp that is a vast improvement - gets rid of the waves or pulsing.  I also have a moded Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer (I sent him my re-issue and he modified it to the old specs and then some - I got the silver mod).  Very quick turn-around.  
 
If you are looking for a wah wah check out Goeffrey Teese's pedals at http://www.realmccoycustom.com/.
They are not cheap, but they are VERY good.  I have the RMC Picture wah and love it.
 
You should also go to the User Review section of http://harmony-central.com.  A GREAT resource for info on instruments and equipment.  Extensive reviews by people who actually own and use the stuff.
 
Bill, tgo

[beelee]

Hey Kevin,
 
Over the years I've read about the Cornish and Bradshaw pedalboard/rack systems,  some of the setups have stomp boxes mounted in the pedal board itself, combined with fx units in the rack  so any combination can be accessed, others have stomp boxes mounted in the rack along with the fx units all controlled from the pedalboard. these setups will big bucks for sure, just finding the seperate components you want it to be made of alone will cost you, plus if you plan on taking it to gigs, the size of the rack and pedal board is also something to consider ( transporting it, the size of the stage you'll be playing on etc.)
If its what you want and can afford it go for it.
 
There are some good rack units and multi-effect stomp boxes around, Line 6, TC Electronic, Lexicon, ART and Digitech and others, you just have to do some research and  try out some stuff at home, if you don't like it take it back and try something else, you can't always get a good feel in the store for some gear.
 
I have been using a ART SGX Nitro rack unit with either the ART X-15 or X-12 Midi foot controllers for many years without any problems, it is very user friendly and does more than I'll ever need, I also use a Bass Crybaby 105Q and Tubeworks Blue Tube pedal with the ART or just the 105Q, Bluetube and a Digitech Bass Whammy , they don't kill my tone and aren't noisey. The Nitro was discontinued but they still support all their gear ( I believe ART was started by former MXR employees ?)
I used to have/use an army of stompboxes but it killed my tone, so I went rack mount and never have been sorry I did, I also use a Lexicon MPX G2 and R1 foot controller in one of my rigs.
 
I put the rack unit in my amps FX loop and the 2  pedals in between my bass and amp, nice short signal chain.
 
I played with a guitarist that used a Line 6 POD, Rockman Midi controller,  and either a Mesa Triaxsis, and either a Mesa or Marshall stereo power amp ( I forget) into 2 Marshall 2-12 cabinets, he had an awesome sound,
I'll ask him the specifics, and let you know.
 
good luck in your search,
B.

[edwin]

I replaced a rig that had more real estate than the state of Rhode Island with a Lexicon G2 and R1 footpedal. Aside from the issue of being able to improvise with effects, I am completely happy. The only thing I am tempted to add is an Electro Harmonix Bass Microsynth.
 
the G2 with an EA iAmp 500 makes a very light and versatile rig.
 
Edwin

[kmh364]

Actually, I like the Yamaha rack unit (even though it's digital, the sound is surprisingly good), but it isn't versatile enough. I have a Tom Scholz original Rockman which used to be my effects (played through my Fender Silverface Twin). The tone is good, especially with chorus, delay and distortion all enabled at the same time, but it is extremely noisy, and it turned a tinny (but clean) stock amp into an even tinnier (is that a word?) dirty amp. Years ago I met Gary Pihl (Sammy Hagar, Boston) who turned me on to that Rockman amp stack monstrosity when he was VP at the now defunct Scholz R&D Co. It had every effect and tone imaginable, but it was a beast to haul, was very expensive, and it must have been a repairman's nightmare with all those mini rack components to go wrong. That new Line 6 stuff is a much more compact modern-day digital version of that old Scholz thing, but being an old-school tube guy, digital usually just doesn't float my boat soundwise...reliability/durability could be an issue also.
 
Believe you me, I'm not looking to have to hire a roadie, I also don't need every effect under the sun. I play classic rock and blues mostly. I just need your basic effects, but I don't want noise and crappy sound (especially bypassed). Reliability is a must. I used to like that day-glo colored ART SGT rack processor (was it digital, analog, or both?), but I can just see trying to get a 10-15yr. old rack mount effect fixed when it dies while playing out, LOL! No thanx, LOL!  
 
Thanx for the suggestions fellows. Handmade in America is definitely my speed, so I'll be looking into your suggestions along those lines.  
 
Hey, anybody gotta winning Lotto ticket they wanna donate to the cause? Pete Cornish and/or Bob Bradshaw are just DYING to add me to their endorsee's list, LOL!

[spose]

Hi,  
a guitar player I work with uses a Bradshaw system..he loves it and it works flawlessly. I think you're looking at over 3K for a Bradshaw system.  
 
Have you looked at the Voodoo Labs system?  
I think it's about 800 bucks..  
http://www.voodoolab.com/gcsystem.html
 
(Message edited by spose on February 18, 2005)

[David Houck]

If Kevin doesn't mind me hijacking his thread, and on a somewhat related note; batteries vrs. adaptors.  A couple of the guitar players I played with over the last several years would not use adaptors with their stomp boxes as they felt batteries gave them a better tone.  Of course invariably, as you might expect with nine battery powered stomp boxes in the chain, a battery would die in the middle of a show and the guitar player would be down on his knees plugging and unplugging cables trying to find which box died.  I always felt that the trade-off wasn't worth it.  There's something about having your signal die in the middle of your solo in front of a packed house that doesn't make the possible difference in tone worth it.  Of course, one of the guys I refer to did put fresh batteries in his boxes before every show.  As for the other guy, I always carried a fresh 9 volt in my bag just in case.  Anyway, I thought maybe some of you who used stomp boxes may have opinions about the difference in tone from stomp boxes running on batteries vrs. adaptors.

[kmh364]

Dave:
 
I don't mind you jacking my thread. Batteries are yet another endearing quality of stomp boxes. I've never been happy with all the crappy patch cords and batteries/power supplies involved with using multiple boxes. I suppose the same thing can be said for the batteries in Alembics as well. My new bass came delivered with a dead battery, so even fresh stuff fails. The batteries in my Charvel/Jacksons don't last either...without them you get no tone, so I am familiar with the drill. The things we must endure in the name of tone!  
 
There is something to be said for a Les Paul straight into a 5-knob Marshall Plexi. No flexibility and no effects, but what tone there is is great! Exhibit A: The Awesome, er, um , Allman Brothers Live at the Filmore East!!!
 
I've got my preferred clean and dirty tones via my two amps, now I need to add effects for cover tunes that won't destroy the tone I have.

[David Houck]

At love the Filmore East album!!

[lbpesq]

I use a dunlop DC Brick to power all the boxes on my pedal board  (Pedaltrain board - check it out). It powers up to seven 9 volt boxes and three 18 volt boxes.  (My old Ibanez AD-80 analog delay uses two batteries - 18 volts).  It comes with several different styles of plug, so it should fit just about everything.  I know some people claim to be able to tell the difference in tone between a fresh battery/wallwart vs. a partially depleted battery.  I can't, other than the sound goes to crap when the battery is dying.  But I don't worry about that now.  Just plug in the Brick and everything else powers on.
 
Bill, tgo

[lbpesq]

Sorry, accidental double posting.
 
Bill, tgo
 
(Message edited by lbpesq on February 18, 2005)

[kmh364]

As a Power Engineer, I can tell you that crap in = crap out. And crap is exactly what you get out of your AC Mains, especially during peak demand periods. Add the cheapo Korean-made wall-warts and you usually get pretty dirty (not exactly DC) power. Batteries are immune to this, but the voltage level is constantly degrading (electonics don't like that either). A power conditioner with an isolation transformer and huge storage caps (a la the now defunct Tice Power Block) goes a long way. You should hear how it lowers the noise floor of my Eden WT-550 Time Traveller tube/S.S. hybrid bass head. Unfortunately, the thing weighs a ton, was expensive new($1600 plus) and is expensive used (?). It's good for studio/home usage (it was designed for high-end Hi-Fi rigs), but not exactly the best thing for live gigs, although where there is a will...yada, yada.
 
Another Brothers Fan! You da man, Dave! I can get a GREAT Duane/Dickie tone out of that new Straub hot-rodded Plexi w/2X12 greenbacks. Just add a LP and some talent (I have the LP at least, LOL!), and presto, instant Awesome Bros tone in spades.

[David Houck]

Yes, I'm a big Allman Brothers fan.  And I currently have Elizbeth Reid in the set list.

[kmh364]

Greg Germino @ Germino Amplifiers is a big Brother's fan as well. He does Marshall Plex-style boutique amps very well. He's also quite an accomplished player. While I bought from his competition, his stuff is well worth the price if you're after Duane's Tone From Heaven. There's a link on his site for an in-depth spotlight review of his products and a whole bunch of video w/sound clips of Greg Germino and Website host Jason Barker jamming through these amps. Jason is an even more acomplished player than Greg, and that's saying alot. Ck it out:
 
http://www.steelbender.com/spotlightgermino.html

[David Houck]

Kevin; some pretty cool videos!