Endlessly cycling FX

Travisthedog

Gets really boring after a while. I seem to go through phases of relative contentment with my pedals and sound and then something happens and it's all gone. I then start circling the classifieds, watching PGS demos and before you know my gear is on the classifieds and I'm trading and flogging gear that not 2 gigs ago I was perfectly happy with. I feel I'm entering one of those stages again which is worrying as I've been relatively happy for a good while now. It mostly centres around drive and distortion and my belief that I need about 20 different stages of gain when playing live - when of course I kno I don't and the volume knob can do what I want on most of guitars It's bullshit - anyone else have this problem?

allicio

Yep! All the bloody time! Talk about a revolving door!!

ThorpyFX

Travisthedog said:

Gets really boring after a while. I seem to go through phases of relative contentment with my pedals and sound and then something happens and it's all gone. I then start circling the classifieds, watching PGS demos and before you know my gear is on the classifieds and I'm trading and flogging gear that not 2 gigs ago I was perfectly happy with. I feel I'm entering one of those stages again which is worrying as I've been relatively happy for a good while now. It mostly centres around drive and distortion and my belief that I need about 20 different stages of gain when playing live - when of course I kno I don't and the volume knob can do what I want on most of guitars It's bullshit - anyone else have this problem?

EVERYONE who likes fx pedals has this problem (at least i hope so or I'm in the minority) on another entirely unrelated note, head to my classified listings, I'm sure i can help you sate you desire for dirt:

noisepolluter

Travisthedog said:

Gets really boring after a while. I seem to go through phases of relative contentment with my pedals and sound and then something happens and it's all gone. I then start circling the classifieds, watching PGS demos and before you know my gear is on the classifieds and I'm trading and flogging gear that not 2 gigs ago I was perfectly happy with. I feel I'm entering one of those stages again which is worrying as I've been relatively happy for a good while now. It mostly centres around drive and distortion and my belief that I need about 20 different stages of gain when playing live - when of course I kno I don't and the volume knob can do what I want on most of guitars It's bullshit - anyone else have this problem?

I think for me, gear angst is often a symptom of being a bit stressed about some other unrelated thing. 

noisepolluter

noisepolluter said:

Travisthedog said:

Gets really boring after a while. I seem to go through phases of relative contentment with my pedals and sound and then something happens and it's all gone. I then start circling the classifieds, watching PGS demos and before you know my gear is on the classifieds and I'm trading and flogging gear that not 2 gigs ago I was perfectly happy with. I feel I'm entering one of those stages again which is worrying as I've been relatively happy for a good while now. It mostly centres around drive and distortion and my belief that I need about 20 different stages of gain when playing live - when of course I kno I don't and the volume knob can do what I want on most of guitars It's bullshit - anyone else have this problem?

I think for me, gear angst is often a symptom of being a bit stressed about some other unrelated thing. I tend not to sell gear now, as I know fairly soon it'll be back in favour. 

Grunfeld

noisepolluter said:I think for me, gear angst is often a symptom of being a bit stressed about some other unrelated thing. 

Ah that boutique flange-o-fuzz-screamer.... tell me about your mother....

steamabacus

Sounds like a bad case of GD.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2wrw7uO4QI&list=PL154F3490A9330475&index=5

Gassage

@travisthedog

I refer my learned hound to the post I made a few minutes ago regarding my 6th TC Stereo Chorus/Flanger.

Le prosecution repose ton valise.

Cirrus

Yeah, I've been there lots of times. Actually my pedalboard hasn't changed for around 18 months, which I've enjoyed. But I've just got a new amp, am recording a new album and I'm not totally sure what kind of sounds I'll need on the road to recreate it. So maybe chaos is looming...

ThePrettyDamned

Gassage;367915" said:

@travisthedog



I refer my learned hound to the post I made a few minutes ago regarding my 6th TC Stereo Chorus/Flanger.



Le prosecution repose ton valise.

Out of your frankly drool inducing collection of gear, that's probably the thing I'd enjoy the most behind your hiwatt.

So... Justified I think.

longi

I've stopped selling my gear on now and I'm just collecting for the fun of it, I just love gear and the differences in sound. I'm having a whale of a time doing it this way, I've never had more fun with pedals and mfx.

smudge_lad

I'm exactly the same mate, and it's always drive/dirt/distortion that I feel the need for as well! I've got a JVM410h so there's 12 channels of dirt, and my board consists of no less than 4 OD pedals - some of these have dual channels!

I've then got about another 6-10 dirt pedals of my board! And like you, I feel like I need as many different level of drive as possible whenI play live, when in reality, nobody else gives a shit!

I always tell myself "that's enough, no more OD pedals" but I just can't seem to resist! Just taken delivery today of another two fro Thorpy, and got another one winging it's way to me next week!

I've never been a fan of the volume knob stuff, mostly cos I worry about turning it down too much and end up not being heard!

I've just sold a couple of pedals that were "keepers" as well, but that only ever seems to last a few months too!

monquixote

I'm guilty of this and as @noisepoluter mentions it tends to coincide with times when I'm stressed. 

I don't like keeping stuff that I'm not using so I'm actually interested to discover what happens when I fill my board with unbeatable pedals. 

I wish I could get into using my volume control, but I've never really managed it and as a result i've got a bit silly about the number of dirt pedals on my board. It's 4 at the moment, but I really need to trim it back down to 3. 

I'm currently messing about with delay pedals which is stupid really as I don't really use them all that much, but I suspect that might end when I get an El Cap. 

I suspect that I'm going to start kidding myself that I need some modulation pedals once I'm done with delay.

ThorpyFX

monquixote said:

I suspect that I'm going to start kidding myself that I need some modulation pedals once I'm done with delay.

i solved this by selling my modulations and delays and buying an Eventide H9, the price was covered by the purge and i haven't desired either a separate delay or modulation since (save for the ones i have built for myself). the H9 covers ALL the bases. 

Wazmeister

@travisthedog

I can really empathise mate...

Sometimes I feel like filling my bigger board with more and more.... Other times, I just want a Nano and a couple of pedals !

Currently, I'm involved in the Bearfoot Eurotourbox and I  must admit, my 56 Strat, Dr Z Monza, and Bearfoot RBB1 can do the lot...

All the sounds I love and need, via my guitar pots...

Do I stop buying ?!!??? Do I heck...

richardhomer

noisepolluter;367904" said:

I think for me, gear angst is often a symptom of being a bit stressed about some other unrelated thing. 

I think this is spot on.

Having made a life-style choice to change careers, I'm far more relaxed and cheerful.

And I'm really happy with my gear too...

Hopefully 'gear angst' - and that is a brilliant phrase btw - is a thing of the past....

jellyroll

Mmmm.....shiny metal boxes........ ^:)^

not_the_dj

I (think) I'm out of my drive pedal phase....I was swaping and changing every gig for a while, but I'm settled now. I've been sorted with modulation for a while, but delay and reverb pedals still tempt me!

tone1

Don't resist it, as the Devil makes work for idle hands! I think everyone has an obsession or if they don't then the Geetar is a good place to start.

stonevibe

I've had my some of my drive pedals for over 20 years (RAT & Marshall Guv'nor) just I'll buy new ones like my Klon and my KOT clone as stuff has moved on.

Same with my wah pedal a Mayer 9090A I've owned for about 16-17 years.

Though I do buy a lot of pedals and sell them if I feel I won't use them or want to raise funds for something else. I tend to keep a good horde of stomp boxes at all time though.

mike_l

I have settled on modulation (mostly) and delay (mostly).

Dirt is another story entirely (currently 18, at least 1 more on the way....)

And a DSL with plenty of gain on tap........