New pedalboard and Gigrig G2 review!

spacecadet

OK, so this has been something I've worked on for around a year. Extensive research, testing, buying, selling, experimenting with pedal order and lots of headaches! All for a pedalboard! Here is the story behind my pride and joy.

I basically decided that I couldn't make my mind up on dirty amp channels. I knew the clean sound I wanted and already had that with a few amps I have but could never quite get the sound/ sounds in my head. I finally found the pedals that gave me those tones so just use the amp as a pedal platform now which it is very good at.

Around a year ago I did a gig with a shit hot touring/ session player. Chatting to him about gear I mention I was looking into a pedal switching system. I was looking at the Voodoo Lab stuff as well as RJM. Musicom Lab was also on the radar. He told me about the Gigrig stuff and couldn't say enough good stuff about the gear as well as Dan so I checked it out. It was perfect. It did everything I wanted and nothing I didn't AND it was cheaper by far. I managed to pick up a used Pro14 with midi at a good price. This also welcomed me to the world of the Generator power supply which I have mentioned a few times on here as being the best out there. After patching in the Pro14 I was a true Gigrig convert. It was awesome. No more tap dancing and I was able to do a few things I couldn't easily do before with the press of one button.

Fast forward a few months and the G2 is announced. Although the Pro14 was fantastic, it was massive! G2 did all the Pro14 did and lots lots more a well as being less than half the size. I ordered one the same day. Now it's here and patched in, I can only sum this thing up in one word. Spectacular!

The G2 an incredible piece of kit. 10 loops, 2 outs, 4 switch relays, midi, tuner out, volume insert, 30 presets and pre/ post gain levels. I'm not sure you would need any more than that. When I say this is transparent, I have done an a/b going through the G2 bypassed and then into the amp. No difference. Zero. It's almost eerie! Something else you can do with this is remove the back panel and rack up your stuff using the main switcher as a controller. There will be an add on expansion kit coming at some point. You can also move the volume insert in the chain. Basically if you are using an FX loop and use this as the send/ return interface, you can choose which pedals are in the loop and which are in the front. Nothing else does this! Its also built like a tank.

Programming wise, it's a piece of piss. When you have everything plugged in, you press a button for the loop (pedal) you want on and thats it. If you have a pedal that sounds great dimed but that messes your other patch levels up, you can turn it down with the post gain. Also if you need a little more juice from your guitar, the pre gain works as a great clean boost.

So what are the cons? Literally the only thing I had a problem with was the inputs. I had to buy new jack plugs because the angled ones I had wouldn't fit. You will be fine with George L's, Lava etc but I had all Switchcraft plugs.

Apologies for the long post but I know a few of you have been looking at one of these. All I can say is get one! Any of you looking into a switching system need to check this out. Made here in the UK, top quality, super helpful advice and it comes with the Generator free!
Enough writing, here is the rig I have been working on. Enjoy.

http://i1001.photobucket.com/albums/af135/roscoe2911/23618BAB-B777-4F41-8213-89217B2F6F92-9549-000007DBE1457152_zps632b79a4.jpg
http://i1001.photobucket.com/albums/af135/roscoe2911/C219D02B-BD95-466D-B904-0B3FCAE22552-9549-000007DBD62947FB_zps355bbee8.jpg
And one of the full rig!
http://i1001.photobucket.com/albums/af135/roscoe2911/FDC85051-AA21-4BA4-B786-77216BA828A3-9549-000007DBF9E50BC4_zpsf532a8fc.jpg

not_the_dj

That looks fantastic. 

 I remember seeing the Guthrie Govan rig rundown (from the Steve Wilson tour) IIRC that had a GigRig switcher. 

Looks like a great switching solution. 

John_P

Very nice!!    The gigrig gear looks very nice and many times I've toyed with swapping the G system for one - some very nice pedals on there as well

digitalscream

spacecadet said:

Basically if you are using an FX loop and use this as the send/ return interface, you can choose which pedals are in the loop and which are in the front. Nothing else does this! 

OK, question - can a given pedal be in the loop on one patch, but in front on another?

EDIT: HOLY FUCKBALLS!!!!!! £750?????????? I can't possibly justify that, even though I'd really like one in my life...

octatonic

Thanks for the review.

I'll be ordering one from the next batch.

SidNewton

Damn, there's some nice pedals on that board. Must have cost an arm and a leg to put it together.

spacecadet

Cheers guys. Yes there are some great pedals on there. Typically I'm already looking at swapping a couple out. Not because they're not working but because after a few gig's with this thing over a couple of bands I have found my core sounds so the stuff that isn't needed will go and I'll put something else on. Probably something auto wah ish.

@digitalscream I agree it's a lot of money. I could have stuck with the Pro14 and got myself a nice guitar. The way I looked at it is that my playing/ singing/ performance live was suffering because I was tap dancing around a pedal board. I have moved things around to make it more tap dancing friendly but it was still a nightmare. After realising that I was basically using a set combination of pedals for the sounds I use, the switching thing made sense. What I would recommend is picking up a used Pro8 or Pro14. They are cheap enough now the G2 is out. I just watched a Pro14 finish on eBay for about £300! I would would bet you are ordering a G2 before too long.

Drew_TNBD

Looks good, but I had a giant setup based around a Musicom Labs one once, and turned out I hated it.

digitalscream

spacecadet said: @digitalscream I agree it's a lot of money. I could have stuck with the Pro14 and got myself a nice guitar. The way I looked at it is that my playing/ singing/ performance live was suffering because I was tap dancing around a pedal board. I have moved things around to make it more tap dancing friendly but it was still a nightmare. After realising that I was basically using a set combination of pedals for the sounds I use, the switching thing made sense. What I would recommend is picking up a used Pro8 or Pro14. They are cheap enough now the G2 is out. I just watched a Pro14 finish on eBay for about £300! I would would bet you are ordering a G2 before too long.

Yeah...my problem is that the tone changes in my new band mean a lot of complex changes (and I only have 8 pedals on my board), which I'm pretty rubbish at. I'm actually tempted to go for something like a GSP1101 in 4CM instead, to be honest; I've already got a couple of MIDI controllers which would do the job. It would also be significantly cheaper (bear in mind that the G2 is the same price as my entire board as things stand).

Still, it's interesting to consider for the future

spacecadet

@digitalscream, if you are using sigle pedals, the changes can be as complex as you want. Thats the beauty of this thing as well as it's predecessor. You can turn any or all of the pedals on or off with one switch whilst simultaneously changing amp channels and even something like the favourite switch on a Strymon pedal etc etc. It truly is a thing to behold. Costing up a similar system using RJM (which is also fantastic gear by the way) you would be spending around £1.6k! Thats just to do the switching. All of a sudden this thing looks cheap and it can do more. I can justify the cost because I'm gigging a lot, have a real need for it and I'm a geek.

@Drew_fx this sort of thing isn't for everyone. I will say though, I looked into the Musicom Lab stuff and this is a different world. You can do so much more. Horses for courses and all that. ;-)

Kebabkid

Looks superb!!
All the best with it and cheers for the pics and write up

benmurray85

until recently i was singing and playing in an arctic monkeys tribute band and i copmpletely agree on the whole "tap dancing detracting from singing aspect"

in the end i manged to make do by using a boss LS2 but i wouldve killed for one of the gigrig setups. such a simple layout as well. i love the stlye of them. daniel seems like a pretty decent chap as well

enjoy your new setup