My 1st Pedalboard Failure In Years
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- Опубліковано 24 вер 2024
- Today the Rig Doctor works with Rhett Shull to revive his pedalboard after a catastrophic fail on stage in London in front of 10,000 people. We came to find out that TSA gave his rig a thorough "strip search" before arriving in London, leaving pedals unplugged and removed from the pedalboard, breaking the signal in many places unbeknown to Rhett. Now we have only a few hours to get the pedalboard up and running before Rhett heads out on tour with Jessy Wilson & Gary Clark Jr.
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PERSONNEL:
Videographer(s) - Mason Mejia, Andrew Harris, Rhett Shull
Editors(s) - Victor San Pedro, Andrew Harris, Mason Marangella
MUSIC:
“Tim Time” by Tim Marco
#diypedalboard #pedalboard #pedalboardtips
Howdy folks! Uncle Mason here - the Rig Dr. In this episode we're working with Rhett Shull to get his pedalboard up and running after a brutal manhandling by TSA en route to London, England. The board is partially disassembled, and Rhett only has a few hours before he leaves on tour with Jessy Wilson, where he'll be opening up for Gary Clark Jr. Let's see if we can get this rig up and running! Please be sure to like, subscribe, and leave a comment below! All products used in the video are linked in description. XOXO ~Rig Doc
uncle mason, i understand that musicians want you to build their boards. but they have to have basic troubleshooting skills, it is inexcusable that rhett couldn't find the unplugged cables and be up and running in london. shoot, i carry a multimeter in my gigbag, so i can check continuity, which is faster than going by sound. i also carry a soldering iron (the quick gun type, i only use it in emergencies) and some george l's just so i can make an emergency cable quickly if i need to. i am always amazed how many musicians are unprepared for minor emergencies on the road. i do have a question though. i have a pedal that takes 12 VAC 1000mA. what kind of power supply could i use to run that plus 12 other 9 VDC pedals, most very low draw. i can't find a power supply that covers my needs. currently i am running a separate walwart to just pedal alone. it would be nice to have it all integrated.
@@rohadtanyad8908 Try the Cioks AC Rider. I'm using it to power a mesa VTWIN 12vac, a Boss MS3 9vdc, Mooer radar 12 vdc and a line6 G30 wieless receiver. It has 1 ac outlet and 4 dc. Should have no problem daisy chaining the low draw pedals. Check their website.
@@roychan2160 i have looked at those, the ac says 800mA, i need a 1000.
@@rohadtanyad8908It's ok because the effect doesn't need the maximum ma. You can check with Cioks if not sure. My mesa says need 1000ma to but its working fine with the Cioks with no noise and its a very high gain tube pre amp.
@@roychan2160 mine is the epicenter audio valveboy, which is similar to the mesa pedal. in fact i believe it was made by the same guy. they used to sell them at the mesa store. i will give it a try.
When I was touring with Carrie Underwood, my pedalboards were constantly getting ganked by TSA. For the most part, all I had to do was make sure everything was plugged back in. It still pissed me off but it was usually salvageable. It was almost always a quarter-inch plug or two that wasn't quite seated. I can already see 2 quarter inch plugs out on Rhett's board and the obvious DC plug. Of course, Rhett has been moving things around on there so I'm not implying that he didn't try and sort that. He's a pro player and was pressed for time on stage. Good for him plugging straight into the amp and KILLING IT anyways!!!
not gonna lie I was in full panic mode on stage and didn't think to check for something that simple. Lesson learned.
@@RhettShull Well I saw that footage Rhett. You handled it like a champ!!! I've had that happen more times than I can count in the 10 plus years I toured. I also learned or I guess realized that TSA, for the most part, won't take your board apart. 3M Dual Lock is crazy solid stuff but it will let go. I learned that the hard way when I dropped my own ATA cased board face down from a luggage cart in London. It only dropped about 3 feet and still, anything that had weight came loose.
@@RhettShull and you sounded incredible straight into the amp! shows that you are a solid player!
Well said! Rhett is the MAN!!! So are you Shawn!!! Best of the best you and Rhett!
Is he pursuing a claim against the TSA? This is an insane overstep, even for them. They caused noticeable damage to his board and pedals. To me it’s worth reporting. Especially if it stops some asshat from doing it to the next board.
Joshua Boitnott I’m just not sure how you prove it before and after that resulted in their handling
Vertex Effects maybe the videos you guys have both posted will suffice?
Gear failures bite. I'm not much of a "pedal guy", a good clean tone and couple of drive tones I'm good to go. A friend of mine was in a house band, a famous New Orleans singers guitarist. He took a happy hour gig at a resort doing a single with midi backing tracks in his off hours. It was tight and sounded great. Trying to be "thrifty" he needed another 8 feet of power cord so he bought one of those $2.00 6 foot Dollar General store extension cords. It wasn't quite long enough so he routed it in front of his wah pedal and around his floor pedal board so he wouldn't "step on it". During his gig the wah scooted forward, that tight extension cord was between the rocker treadle of his wah and the top of the wah. It came time for his show stopper Hendrix song, he stepped full weight on his wah pedal, there was a POP then Sparks, he said it sounded like his whole system SCREAMED then went silent. I still don't understand how, but the hot side of 110 volts went thru his wah, killed his Casio midi guitar, killed his pedals, killed his mixer, and his sequencer and computer. His p.a. was ok, everything from the input to his guitar was hopelessly fried. THAT is the definition of "catastrophic failure". Lesson learned: don't go "cheap".
Yikes, that would be a total nightmare!
My feeling is the music industry should petition congress for a system for anyone transporting electronic devices that could be disassembled to have a specific screening process with TSA. My feeling is the traveler and the tsa should inspect together at which time the tsa puts a approval and DO NOT DISTURB tag so that from there on out nothing is messed with legally from that point on. I believe the officers or inspectors should be educated in electronics so that they have an idea of what they're inspecting. I'm not sure if NAMM would be the body that could represent or not??
I'll say it again - Phil X for the spokesperson of the Musician's Lobby! I don't think it's a big enough interest group to warrant any significant change, but I'm hopeful!
@@VertexEffectsInc Phil X for sure. Add some comedy, music, cinematography, and social media distribution and maybe it would get some attention. I'll have to ask my EE friend , but he would put a prototype circuit design together then go meet with manufacturers in asia. I'm wondering if other industries have the same problems?
@@30smsuperstrat It can't be unique to us...
I would love an episode devoted to how to travel and negotiate TSA! Great channel. Thanks for all the time and effort you put into it.
Yea, good idea - it'd be interesting if we could get in touch with someone at TSA.
Vertex Effects omg yes
Grizelda Tezendra 🤞
I feel so bad for you Rhett. It goes-to-show, that what happened on 911 "Changed Everything Forever" - Really Sad that when we travel, you must be Strip Searched & have your Personal effects Turned inside-out. Ruins the Experience for me. I used to Travel frequently. Glad you got it all worked out.
Thanks for watching Michael! You're right - it's a double edged sword. I'm glad for the safety, but there needs to be some middle ground. Not sure what that looks like but musicians are not getting a fair shake on this one.
It's amazing that TSA can tear apart something, even your luggage, without concern for damage. They pull apart your luggage and tell you to repack it. Same here, rip it apart, break stuff .. here ya go. Zero accountability.
Very true
Moral of the story:
1. Keep a diagram of your signal path in your guitar case, suitcase, phone, whatever!
and/or
2. Label your signal wires and unplug them before flying, then plug them back in before the gig
or, and sadly so,
3. Have a "fly rig" with just the absolute essential pedals that can fit in a carry on bag.
Glad you guys were able to figure it all out without too much hassle
Yes me too! Crisis avoided!
4) check your inputs and outputs to make sure they’re plugged in
Mason, you have a ton of patience. I am really happy you make these videos. I learn a ton from them. Thank you!!!
I’m so glad that you’re learning from this! That was the whole reason I started this thing ! Thank you so much!
We as a community need to make sure the TSA never does this again.
Lead the charge I will sign the petition
Is there any way to make TSA pay for the damage that they caused? I'd be interested in finding that out and making whichever person did this pay for it out of his own pocket.
As annoyed as I would be with TSA, I’m impressed they actually plugged, or routed, everything correctly after taking things off haha
Straight into the amp!! What an disaster !!
Hahah, sounds worse than it is!
So… I wonder how long it’s gonna take for the musicians of the world to rise up in a class action lawsuit against these TSA monsters.
Whenever that happens, signed me up! 😡
Musicians Lobby - I nominate Phil X as the spokesperson!
Man, I love seeing these boards, but in all seriousness, this is one of the main reasons I wouldn't want somebody else to build my pedalboard. Building it by myself means that I'll know exactly what to check every time I trouble shoot, and I'll know where my common problems are and exactly how to solve them- whether I'm in front of 20 people or 200 people or 2000 people.
I hear ya - hopefully some of this stuff will come in handy!
So while the unskilled TSA workers have to treat every piece of luggage as a bomb, they're also required to diffuse these potential bombs with no protection, then lock it back up dismantled and return it to the owner without any documentation of intervention? This is ignorance empowered with blind authority.
you thin that is bad? the tsa searched my suitcase, i had a factory sealed protein powder in it, because i had no idea about the availability in the country i was going to. the tsa opened the protein and emptied it into my suitcase. of course, after they search it, you can't touch it anymore, i found this out on the other side of the world. i arrived with all my clothes ruined and the protein powder spilled. of course the airline didn't pay because they didn't do it, they said i had to file a complaint when i got back to the u.s. 4 weeks later. interestingly the tsa can not be held accountable, if your luggage arrives, anything broken or missing is just too bad.
Megalodonald it’s upsetting
@@rohadtanyad8908 that's fcked up!
@@MrDonc78 no kidding. i was able to wash some of my clothes and save them, but most of it was done in, as the protein powder messed it up in the wash even more. if they have to check a factory closed products in your checkin luggage, why can't they just close it back up? they don't care. this is what happened with rhett's board. it appears they completely disassembled it, but they tried to put it back together somewhat.
@@rohadtanyad8908 man there's nothing scarier then being powerless in the face of injustice! The TSA reminds me of the Costco clerks in the movie "Idiocracy" lol
Another great and insightful video, thank you. I’ve seen Rhett’s fail video, not what you want to happen at work. Feel better brother.
Luckily we got this fixed up!
Rule #1 never let anyone near your Strymons. And certainly don’t let anyone touch them.
Hahaha
I always learn something new from your videos. I in the middle of rebuilding my pedal board now and keep thinking I should go visit you since I have a show in Oakland tomorrow with another band
Sweet! Thanks for watching! Kill it tomorrow in Oak Town!
A few things:
1: I know it is less space effective, but I think having a single tier layout will create less problems when traveling through security. If they can see everything and know there’s nothing hiding under pedals, they won’t rip it apart.
2: I always leave a nice note (typed in bold) explaining the value of the gear and the importance that it remains functional, and request that the officer handles it with care.
Riley Tech single layer FTW
I just don’t know if it would work for Rhett’s purpose, I think it would make it too large to travel without becoming overweight if we had to extend the board by that much, and then get a complementary case
Vertex Effects yeah, makes sense. Maybe put the new hinged strymon bridge in so TSA doesn’t have to disassemble anything to see inside. It looked like Rhett’s was bent, so he might have to replace it anyway.
Great video, Mason! Everything made perfect sense and I always appreciate how thorough you are, especially with labelling. I swap pedals too much to justify a pro build like this, but hope to get one someday.
You can always label them based on loop # instead of an actual pedal name, as long as you plan for the largest possible pedal going in any particular space/loop.
My confidence in Mason’s wiring is high! Glad to see that even the bent plug still worked!
Also, if I ever get to gig out of country or if I ever have to fly with gear it’s gonna be the HX Stomp not my $3000 rig! T.S.A. Thoughtless Stupid Asses
I sincerely hope that Rhett can get compensated for damages. He’s a cool dude and doesn’t deserve to be treated like trash!
Well...Best of luck all. 💪🏼❤️🤘
Thanks for watching! Yea, that's a totally understandable alternative. It's hard out there for a guitar picker!
I think a lot of musicians would like to know what recourse is possible against TSA.
It’s an interesting consideration that I should investigate
Its the govt, so basically none. Or you can file a complaint and it’ll just get piled up somewhere. Source: I used to work for a govt contractor and they never took the blame for anything.
The cynical side of me says none. The Feds (GOP & Dems) are *never* going to abolish TSA and DHS because of the power consolidation it gives them. JMO.
So if the bent cable worked than all he needed to do to get it working was to plug in the Vertex boost?. Seems pretty simple. Isn't that the first thing you check, If all the cables are plugged in properly.
Sometimes it’s not so obvious to tell how much specially when part of the connections are covered by the riser teams can look like they are in place when in fact they aren’t, I think Rhett check all of the connections into the switcher but didn’t consider that the other pedals would have been disheveled. In the context of the gig, sometimes it’s hard to think clearly when you’re panicking in the heat of a gig, especially when you don’t have any visual underneath the bridge of pedals. Hopefully there is some value for you in some of the other suggestions toward the second half of the video.
@@VertexEffectsInc Ya, I totally hear you. When your stressing at a gig and your trying to troubleshoot things on the fly it can get hectic and you forget to check the small things. I definitely know from experience. I should have thought about that.
@@chrishepburn1503 all good! Thank for watching!
That’s some customer service right there!
We aim to please
TSA says all my cables & batteries have to be disconnected,even the battery in my EMG Strat. To show that it’s not a bomb in disguise going thru the X-ray machine. So now my pedal board is a GT 100.
interesting
Yep , it happened in Houston & JFK NY. Plus they swabbed my belt & underwear line for explosive residue. I have a pedal train mid size board. It can fit in the over head. My guitar they stored in the flight attendants closet. I’m also Pre TSA approved. I’m a licensed locksmith,alarm & safe & vault technician. Had a gig at the SIR studio for an artist show case. Made it with in the hr to set up & play.
Two deep thoughts: 1) This is why god invented the Helix. 2) Why does Rhett need someone else to lead him through plugging and unplugging pedal board cables?
Just saw Living color where Vernons Helix failed, luckily he has alot of other options but never put all your eggs in one basket.
Reality is - anything can fail - this was exacerbated by mishandling at TSA. If a Helix fails you can just bypass pedals - the whole thing is done. Had Rhett had more time I’d presume he’d of got something working.
I think this is a great way for musicians to see what they have to deal with in longer travel situations. If anything, to show how much the TSA does not care about musicians domestically or internationally. Great way to show troubleshooting to the less experienced. Cheers! 👍🏻
Barry Provost thanks for watching! Glad you got something out of it!
I agree about the Helix. Steve Sterlacci is currently on tour in Europe and is using Helix and has a Helix Stomp for backup. Just seems a no brainier, but to each his own.
God what a nightmare - great advice and a methodical approach from you sir! I'm sure Rhett could have figured out the same himself, but sometimes you just need the calm voice of the head surgeon who knows his sh*t.
Another great video :)
Thanks for watching Mat! I'm sure with time he could have, but with so little time on the clock, I think having someone guide him through was the best way to expedite prior to heading out on tour.
Good troubleshooting tips. I think the even better advice is to test things fully if it has to go through any hands you don't personally know. To be fair, the folks at TSA can't be expected to know what every thing people want to bring with them is or how it works.
I don't think there was a choice here - the first amps seen after deplaning.
Thanks a lot for the hints Mason!! You've been informative as usually. I'm baffled that the TSA treated Rhett´s pedalboard like TRASH when it´s his bread and butter!! They should be sued!!
levinjapan it was a bummer! Thanks for watching!
All I honestly care about after the first minute is whether or not TSA had to pay for any damages and total inconvenience for poor Rhett. Idiots.
Have they ever paid? I am seriously curious.
@@VertexEffectsInc Probably not haha
This really is bad. Is there a way you can have your gear inspected by the TSA while you’re there to make sure they don’t break it?
Not that I’m aware of
@@VertexEffectsInc Which begs the question, how many millions of dollars of valuable electronics do they destroy each year with impunity? Everyone recognises the importance of security. Surely there's a way this can be achieved without this sort of vandalism? A Strymon is a bloody inefficient, not to mention improbable, way to blow up a plane.
kombi k innumerable
I had a small pedal failure during outdoor show. Quickest remedy was to plug directly into the amp and finish the show. Generally as a rule I carry a small multi effects unit, power source, and extra cables as backup items but decided against the idea for this performance 8-(
Locally I think that's a viable option, for quick fly in dates, that's tricky - don't know if they would have been able to do that in Rhett's scenario if flying commercially with the pedalboard and case already - I hear you though!
This is one reason I’m considering an Axefx3. In a Shock mount rack case, plus no dismantling nor 20-30 cable connections to fail. It’s a crime what we tolerate for the illusion of safety or security.
Those can be cool too!
again...great video. Glad you got Rhett fixed up.
Mike Martin thankful for watching Mike! Me too!
I told you the TSA always finds a way!!! Lol.
Great job though for getting Rhett taken care of on the fly! 🙌
I'm glad it wasn't too serious, definitely relieved that only one cable really needed to be replaced and the rest was just unplugged, about as good as you can hope for.
Vertex Effects I didn’t mean to make that sound harsh if it did. But you put passion into your work and it shows. So honestly in my opinion you shouldn’t feel guilty for Tsa’s mistake. I know you do. But you got it taken care of and helped Rhett on the fly like that. If I were your client I’d be nothing but impressed. Also. Please keep pumping out videos. You have no idea how much I actually take away from these and implement into my own rig building. 🙏
Honestly, when I started the video, I started the outline not knowing what the root cause was, I was ready to except it it could’ve been something that had to do with workmanship on our end, there are so many variables it’s hard to know before you really get into it.
I would strongly suggest a secondary board for international stuff, this is case in point why larger acts keep stashes of cloned rigs or pared down setups on the continent to avoid these goings on. The flagrant disregard the TSA places on personal belongings in the nearly two decades since the shoe bomber and the obvious additional cost means I'd have a travel board much like Mick from TPS's Schmidt Array or a simple 1 layer design with neat flight case. The routing on Rhett's board was simply too Byzantine to survive such meddling. Of course you'd sacrifice a great deal, but it would mitigate the impact of such bad luck. This is country rock, right? The actual bases covered by the board are sensible to begin with.
We already started talking about a consolidated Ricky, just the basics, using perhaps a Line 6 HX Stomp and a few analog drives. Rhett’s become quite a soldering expert over the last year, so he may be able to take this on completely independently of me.
Subscribed from Rett's video 2018. Man, you're realy awesome! :)
Alexey Anelikov thanks for watching!!!!
I’ve had this problem but luckily I checked right before the gig and had time to check one by one... As for flying, I rely on my mono case and gig bag (carry on) and keep it tidy and organized so its an easy quick check from TSA. Any questions they have, they always ask me since I’m right in front of them while they check my stuff.
I can’t speak to the restrictions, each flight is different, each airline is different, hard to say whether this could be consolidated to fit in that size case, maybe a future consideration?
This was some A+ advice.
So glad it was helpful
Interesting...and good advice on working backwards to find an issue if it isn't obvious at first glance.
Thanks for watching John!
Upsetting what TSA did...I get why but at the same time maybe take more time to handle someone else’s property with better care? As well as making sure the inputs are all plugged in properly?
Chris Giannola Music they fucking suck.
I think it's because there is no recourse - perhaps also a pressure that TSA puts on its employees to rush through inspections with quotas or time limits. I'm sure that i's a multi-layer issue.
Hey Mason, the Strymon bridge looks bent too. Rhett's board may have had some abuse to cause that bend. Love how the bridge keeps this board nice and compact. Your videos rock! Thank's again for posting all this great pedalboard information.
The bend would only be a mechanical issue, not an electrical one.
TSA touching things they shouldn't? What a suprise
Hahaha, yea that’s no surprise
He should sue TSA.
BluesLicks101 hahaha...good luck
This wouldn’t even be a problem if the TSA wasn’t comprised of a bunch of bumbling buffoons...
This wasn't an example of their best work!
Hi Mason - loving your Rig Doctor videos - really informative and helpful stuff. Rig question here - I have an EHX Stereo Memory Man w/ Hazarai that I love and always put at the end of my board chains, but I seem to have a problem most of the time where it makes a high pitched squealing tone when bypassed. I've tried it with a Pedal Power 2+, Pedal Power Mondo, and a new CIOKS supply, with no difference. As soon as I engage the pedal, even with the blend all the way down, the noise is gone. What could be the problem? Thanks for any insights.
So glad you dig it! What happens if you put a buffer before it or turn another pedal on before it? Try the same thing after it as well and tell me what happens. Maybe some sort of oscillation when the input impedance isn't low enough or some sensitivity on the output? Let me know.
@@VertexEffectsInc Thanks for the response - it doesn't seem to matter what's before it or after, as I've run it into another board and tried a buffer before it in the chain, with no difference. However, I did notice that it seems to mostly do it when going DI into my preamps in my studio room, and not elsewhere when plugged into an amp. Could it be something about the electricity in the room?
Even though I love the mojo of stomp boxes, I think if I was touring I would just have a couple of helix or gt1000 boards and call it a day. TSA sucks.
A lot of guys are definitely doing exactly that!
GuitarGodgt Nita Strauss uses a Boss GT1000. Saw her use it in a interview from Premier Guitar & at a Alice Cooper concert 2 weeks ago.
@@michaelmattson3515 Yeah saw that rig rundown as well. Her tones sounded good so I guess it proves my point.
This is what happens when you don’t have a plan B lol
that's because you don't need one.
Haha
How do plan for the interference of shit-for-brains, government hired idiots who are given free range to fuck around with things they have no clue about? That is like planning for being shit on by a pterodactyl
hahaha
@@markwilding3828 so Rhett was shat on by a pterodactyl and when he couldn’t see he never thought to wipe the shit from his eyes by your standard
I wonder if the pedal board was a carry on, because I would've lost it if I saw one of those TSA Idiots prying around on my board.
That would certainly reduce a TSA inspection, unless it sent off a red flag when you were going to security checkpoints
This happened to me once on stage. No sound and I had to miss the pedalboard out and go straight to the amp. Sorted it out during the break. Turned out my Neunaber Immerse Reverb which is not in a loop of a The switcher had it’s killdry switch turned on. How that happened I have no idea. I check it every time before a gig now.
It’s in fortunate inevitability of being a professional musician, sometimes the solution is simpler than others, but it’s always upsetting when it’s at the hands of somebody else he has no idea the impact on the line, by that meaning TSA
That’s why I’m so glad I only use 5 pedals. Way too many things can go wrong with a setup like that.
The TSA think is a issue - no matter how well built the rig is, a person that doesn’t care can wreck havoc on anything
At least they didn't feel the need to visually inspect the inside of those strymons.
Vertex Effects I completely agree. And it’s unfortunate that TSA handles valuable gear in the manner that they do. I was just pointing out that when an effects board is that involved the chances of being able to fix the problem right before a gig is extremely low. Great build though!
Excellent video.mason!!
Glad you dig it Robbie! Thanks for watching!
Great video. Felt bad for Rhett and his pedals. I carry the tech 21 Fly Rig as a backup. Very light weight and flexible to get through a gig. I would be upset they chipped my gear.
Yes sir! We’re already thinking about workarounds for the future in terms of a travel rig that pairs down to the basics for international stuff.
Man I hate flying. I had Air Canada crack my pedaltrain 2 flightcase. They just don’t give a shit.
Yea, seen some of those vids of Jared James Nichols' guitar getting thrown around - it was a harsh reminder of how even obvious stuff like guitars are traveled.
Mason, recommendations for a pedal with a power jack thats too loose inside the barrel to make consistent contact? Have a good power cable, but you have to rotate it around while plugged in to get the power on. Not reliable!
Yes!!!! I've had the same problem on a pedal!
Cleaning can be one thing - DeOxit will get rid of any dirt in there, be sure to spray both the plug and the jack separately and work it through. Secondly, are you sure you have 2.1mm barrel power jack? What's the pedal in question?
I assume its a 2.1? Its an older Dr. Scientist Reverberator. I could ask Ryan himself, the maker.
TACTICAL DAIRYMAN I’d be surprised if it wasn’t 2.1mm. It’s possible that the center pin is damaged or broken as well but that’s an easy fix if it’s needed
Ill investigate further, thanks Mason!
Good stuff TIO....important lesson I learned here which was great advice! Start backwards one pedal at a time and check all connections. Recently we were the next band up so I pulled my board out to get it ready to just carry it up and set up. Well I turned it on to check it really quick AND NOTHING!!! It powered up but NO SOUND I checked everything and panicked as the stage was on their last song!! Thought battery died in wah since I use battery to not use up a power source...nope still no sound...ANYWAY RIGHT AS THE STAGE WAS FINISHING UP, our bassist (OF ALL PEOPLE) said try changing the channel on your wireless....YEP THAT WAS IT!!! Major panic moment TIO!! Keep the great vids coming!! Hey, you should do a little bio on yourself man like what you did before boards...Electrician, Engineer, OJT...let us know
Thanks Primo! You rock! Thanks for the comment! Haha, that would be fun! I used to teach Kindergarten - seriously...
Vertex Effects uhhh WTF!! Kindergarten teacher To Rockin with the Stars!! can’t make that shit up!! Awesome man
@@dbltap3332 it was 2007, during the recession, fresh out of college - modding pedals out of my room by night, teaching young minds by day in Richmond, CA. Was a great job - I loved it, did it as a part of an AmeriCorps program instead of going into the Peace Corps. Did it for a few years until I had enough work to do Vertex full time. I'll have to post some old class pictures some time ;)
Vertex Effects now THAT is good stuff man. I thought Elec. Engineer, Electrician, R/D...never would have thought teacher man...I get the same response when I tell people I’m a Flight Nurse! They see this 51 year old Grandpa not a badass!! Bwaahaaa that’s awesome man....pictures would be cool. Alright Cabron....keep putting out great videos man...
I'm curious to your thoughts of starting with a broad search first then moving into a meticulous step-by-step method of troubleshooting.
For example: taking the grouping of the 3 strymon and hooking that up as normal and seeing if those 3 work first. If yes, then move on to the next section of effects. If no, then move into the method that you illustrate here. It seems like you could diagnose more of the board faster since theoratically you wouldn't have to test every single healthy connection. Like quickly skimming over hay with a metal detector until it beeps, then pulling out the tweezers and magnifying glass.
This is a very good question, but depending on the issue some of the problems on a particular rig can be a compounding effect, for example noise. There can certainly be nuanced ways of approaching a particular problem, however because I’m trying to recommend a good general best practice, I think the best way is to start at the end and work backwards - that way every stone is turned, and ultimately, even if it takes a little longer, you have a high probability of exposing the problem.
@@VertexEffectsInc I totally agree with that. If people will only learn one method, it might as well be the most thorough one. Cheers! Thanks for the vids.
gee! What a drag, after spending so much effort to get the board together in the first place...another reason to go modeling for travel gigs :)
I had a similar thing happening to me, it sucks
You should check out my video "Small Rig, Big Tones" video, sorta does a hybrid of this that might be a direction Rhett goes for Int'l stuff in future.
That sucks that they did that to him. I'm curious about how they bent it like that. I've accidentally stepped on my son's patch cables and they never bent like that.
My guess is the tried to detach the Strymon bridge from that cable and bent it upwards thinking it would pull up easily.
Wayne Krantz had that happen to him a bunch of times and he just gave up and now he carries all of his pedals in a backpack and puts them on the floor at the gig. Probably not a good solution for Rhett's pedalboard, given the sheer size of it.
I remember - I built those boards for Wayne!
So awesome!
@@juanfichtl2011 yea man! Wayne's a bro!
Its good advice to start at the end and work backwards, but its also good advice to just check everything is plugged in first. From the sounds of it the only thing that defnitely happened in transit is those two patch leads came out. If the bent jack still worked, then you cant really say how long its been bent unless it was brand new.
Thanks for watching!
Can guitarists traveling abroad expect to be treated like this? If so, wouldn't leaving the board at home and using something like a Tech21 Fly Rig and call it a day? When time is a constraint or as pedalboards get more complicated, the FlyRig looks like a favorable solution.
I think having stuff that's super simple can be warranted with TSA being so aggressive with musicians' gear - FlyRig is one way, I was also thinking an HX Stomp with analog drives hybrid might be workable - minimal moving parts - easy to put together fast if something went wrong.
Bloody TSA barbarians! I hate when neanderthals handle my gear. The damage they did: *IT AIN'T RIGHT!* 😦
Again I wish there was a standard by which musicians could lay out their gear in such a way where it wasn’t going to be dealt with unfairly. I don’t know if the lack of transparency is because those that would violate these rules would find workarounds to undermine the system, but I’m all for a standardization around how electronic equipment like this can be traveled with without having to disassemble it while traveling .
@@VertexEffectsInc I'd be pissed if they dinged up my new synth or my mint guitar multi-effects unit. Pissed!
@@sd_design yes indeed!
I’ve only flown once with my board, but before the flight I disconnected all the patch and power cables in an attempt to dissuade the TSA from vandalizing my pedals. From what I could tell, everything seemed to be in order when I picked the board up from baggage claim. It was only a minor inconvenience to plug everything in again. Has anyone else experimented with this? I’ve only done it once, so I’m not sure how successful it’d be on a consistent basis.
I have a friend who tours Europe every year and ended up buying small gear over there and putting it in storage, so that he saves himself the hassle of going through the airlines. He uses a couple of AC30's and a small board that stays over there. I think he leaves one guitar there as well and brings one with him on the flight. Traveling can be a huge hassle when dealing with the airlines unless you charter your own jet.
It seemed like they wanted access under the bridge, but in doing some really damaged cables, not just unplugged them - I wonder whether they dedicate a certain amount of time to each incoming piece of equipment and do whatever they can in 3-5 minutes regardless of how easy it is to comb through. I think Cory Wong has the trick where he puts his rig in a suitcase so it's less conspicuous - he said he's never been inspected his entire career. Scott Henderson does this as well.
How many ins and outs are on that board ?
One input, one output - check out this video on the rig build: ua-cam.com/video/tKDRhMdjZQ8/v-deo.html
The board was in a protective road case right?
Michael Mattson yes, Pelican Air Case
Be glad you don’t play a modular synth.
this is why I now use an FX8
what happens if there's a software meltdown?
@@VertexEffectsInc "off and back on again"
Even if it’s a bug? I know or some Kemper nightmares like this I’m sure it’s not exclusive to them
@@VertexEffectsInc i have no idea haha I use a helix as my main rig and it's yet to bug out on me
Thank you for all of the suggestions and tips! I also appreciate the parts listing that helps narrow items I need to keep gear running. I have a question though, why the two different versions of Dual Lock?
Chris Dore one for the base, one for the pedals - they each have different densities which provide a better hold.
the pedal board gets the 250 and the pedals the 400. this gives you a 650 total number, which is very strong. if you use the 400 on both sides, that gives you 800, and it may be too difficult to peel separate, the adhesive will let go first. this is my guess, i am sure uncle mason will clarify. i think he found 500 not strong enough, 650 just right and 800 too strong. i am curious if i guessed right, or if he has a different reasoning, but i am sure he has a good reason.
I find it it’s actually more difficult to move if you mismatch them. When you have the same loop pattern you can get some lateral movement because all of the loops are arranged in the same plane. I always put 250 (SJ3550) on the pedals, 500 (SJ3551) on the surface, but that doesn’t really matter, you could reverse it just the same.
@@VertexEffectsInc Thank you!
@@rohadtanyad8908 Thank you for helping me better understand this!
Please share on how to hold down a whah pedal to a pedal board, i tried taking the screws off and Velcro but that did not work that well either. Awesome videos thanks for taking the time to make these.
shane R You can check out some of our other videos where we physically bolt the pedal through the board, or you can use 3M Dual Lock - linked in description
Mission engineering also sells an acrylic plate riser that should fit to make it sit flat. Check them out
Jacob White or just remove the feet and screw back in the bottom plate
Looks like they bent his riser too. Good grief! Small carry-on board or else!
yeah I actually just noticed that yesterday, it looks like the riser was bent at some point during travel.
@@RhettShull sounds like we need to have uncle Tim at Fix Pedalboards send a new top?
that's a relief!
Glad we got it worked out for him!
@@VertexEffectsInc yeah! and i've watched how horrible it is when Rhett can't do anything about it during their show. bad TSA. HAHA
I really wish TSA would respect our gear when travelling. I think damages to pedals and cables are just unacceptable. And there's nothing we can do about it...
Yes indeed, well you can make a claim, but who knows where that goes?
Just for clarification, is the BigSky the last pedal in the entire chain, or is it the Boost, (which theoretically should be after the switcher before going back to the Mobius)?
Yes, BigSky is last. Boost is either after the output of the switcher or after the mobius. I don’t recall.
After studying the footage, ever since it came out, the connections made at 8:11 was the giveaway, so clear indication that the Boost, which would have been the Nitrous Oxide Boost😂😂, is directly after the switcher before going back to the Mobius. If the Boost were after the Mobius, then the output signal would come from the Timeline, and not the Mobius. However in that case, the cable going to the Skylark was plugged into the Output of the Mobius, so the Boost is clearly located between the Mobius return and the switcher.
Mason, not a troubleshooting question but a pedalboard question. I use about 4 pedals, and traveling with my board is in my future, what can I do to make flight travel less stressful so I don't find my board messed up like Rhett's.
With that few pedals, there’s not a whole lot that can go wrong. Sometimes, it’s luck of the draw, but I think there’s something to be said about flying internationally and having a rig that’s consolidated for that purpose, perhaps - using multi effects like the Line 6 HX stomp in combination with other analog pedals.
@@VertexEffectsInc that would be the big board! I have a MS3 which I use in other projects/when I need digital verbs and delay. But I get what you're saying, consolidate
@@theGIGINIband did you see our MS-3 build? "Small Rig, Big Tones" - check that one out!
@@VertexEffectsInc on I did thats why I pickef obe up
Hey Mason, quick question. I have a pedal that is fried from being plugged into an 18v power supply instead of a 9V. Is a simple replacement of the board mount DC power jack all that should be needed in most instances like this? Would there be other components needing to be replaced?
The DC jack is fine, it's likely a resistor that blew, sometimes a zener as well, depends on the protection (if any) is built into the pedal for an over voltage. What's the pedal?
@@VertexEffectsInc Thanks for the quick response! It's an Aguilar Agro distortion pedal. I've got some detailed pics of the guts here: www.talkbass.com/threads/help-from-pedal-fixers-please.1407906/
@@rwgroesbeck yea, man, I don't have a schematic so I can't say, my guess from the layout is R101 is probably connected to the DC jack there as the resistor, not sure what's what without buzzing it out or having a schematic. Have you asked Aguilar about it?
@@VertexEffectsInc I have, they are happy to do a repair (for a cost) but they are keeping the schematic under locks, which I can understand. I got the pedal for next to nothing and really just wanted to experiment a bit with getting into PCB work, but this is definitely been above my expertise! Thanks!
Good day rig doctor. Where should i connect my passive volume pedal if im going to place it in between drives and delays/reverbs with my loop switcher? Thank you
You'll either have to 1) occupy a loop or 2) use a dedicated volume loop that many of these switcher have or some of them have "bridge" sections that a volume pedal can go between loops without having to occupy a loop.
Freakin love it!
TSA are some cool cats!
if you had put the flip up style bridge on it like the kind daniel steinhardt put on andy timmons pedal board he would have easily noticed the boost was unplugged. not hatin just sayin
There are downsides to the hinge, no telling what TSA would have done with that much access - it was an option for Rhett when we built his rig, but he preferred to have it locked down (by the way only four set screws need to be released in order to dismount the bridge, so maybe 30 seconds to completely undo the bridge if needed). I think the big thing was 1) panic on stage with a non-working rig, and 2) TSA did him "DIRTY" - whether it was one style bridge or another - it would have been chaos. Checking one of those boards like Daniel's would be a nightmare - they're incredibly heavy, and if you can't carry on, no way those platforms would make it in luggage and if it breaks, your pedalboard is done - you'd have to put it in a case if you wanted to protect it, and it would be well over the weight limit of 50 lbs (+/- a few pounds depending on the carrier).
@@VertexEffectsInc the whole reason daniel built that board for him was to make it easier for checking it at airports, he has been all over the world since then and hasnt had a problem. with proper bracing and metals there should be plenty of support. Im not saying your board or your work isnt high quality, im just saying i think its important to be able to have access to your pedals under the bridge, because you may only have 2 seconds, and it may be mid song
the doctor
🔥
Quick troubleshooting process ever. Where's the Mobius located in the chain, before the switcher, or after it, with the rest of the Strymons (due to it having the send/return)?
We were lucky that the problem identified itself in short order - I was concerned that if it were something major that it would have been a big deal since he was leaving with Jessy momentarily following our trouble shooting session! The Tone Godz were with us!
I'm sure they are. I think it comes down to, once a pedalboard is complete, memorizing the signal flow, or writing it out. Possibly keeping it cool in the moment, or before the event, re-check the board every so often.
@@TotalEvo7 Mobius is before the ES-5, and after the ES-5 using the Pre/Post that way he can assign mod effects before or after drives depending on the effect. It's controlled via MIDI through the ES-5.
One more question, the send on the Mobius goes into the switcher, and then it comes into the return, right?
TotalEvo7 Möbius send goes into the ES5 input. ES5 output goes into the Möbius return.
I would love to see you build a pro pedalboard on a pallet
kezman0the0axeman hahah, but why? Why go through the trouble of making it nice and then using a pallet?
You have a Kemper, right Rhett? Just duplicate your rig as close as possible and only take your Kemper as a fly rig! Yes, it’s not your studio rig, but you won’t need to worry about TSA destroying your board 👍🏼
It may be a solution, I know the amps are already back lined - maybe just a simple fly rig might be the middle ground ?
Good point Mason. And Rhett already proved to us that he can kill with only an amp!
I’m a Kemper user and love the portability of what it offers, and for what I do, I only need my few profiles of my favorite amps and basic gainstaging with a few wet effects. Also, I think it sounds 🔥🔥
Vertex Effects also, great tips on this video if this does happen to you 👍🏼
@@zeejonesy they're great if you can't have a real tube amp OR if you're playing the same set every night and you're not the focus of the music. But man, amps really have THE TONE!
Vertex Effects can’t argue with you there. It’s only a substitute for the real thing when it comes down to it. I’m just a penny pincher, and love that I can get a near identical offshoot of my dream rig. Maybe one day I can afford the real deal!
I don't know...I still think this is Mason's fault. If he wouldn't have made the boost pedal then Rhett couldn't have bought one. Then it wouldn't be on his board to get disconnected in the first place. So the root cause of the failure is Mason's building & selling the Boost. Problem solved!
Jon Vecellio what about all the unplugged send/returns on the ES-5? What if Rhett choose a RJM instead of a Boss switcher? What if Rhett were never born? It can all be traced back to the Vertex Boost 😂
Vertex Effects - EXACTLY😂🤣😂
Why does TSA even need to disassemble the board like this?
I'm sure there is a safety reason, but seems like this is a recurring issue - wish there was some lobby for musicians to advocate for better treatment of equipment whilst in transit.
Vertex Effects no safety reason. They need to justify their jobs. A quick flashlight scan (if their cray machine was broken) would suffice. These guys just wanna fuck with stuff to prove their importance.
This is why I use a helix.
Yea i agree, i dont own one yet, I sort of have a similar rig to Rhett but instead of strymons i have the HX effects, but if I was doing real high-profile gigs and tours I would go Helix all the way and leave the mothership home
The helix is not a bad option especially if it’s a single date, I know that Rhett and I have already started talking about a smaller more consolidated Pedalboard that he would take her flight d The helix is not a bad option especially if it’s a single date, I know that Rhett and I have already started talking about a smaller more consolidated Pedalboard that he would take for fly dates.
@@VertexEffectsInc cannot wait for that build n video!!!
Honestly this was totally Rhett’s fault, he said he saw it the day before but “didn’t have time to fix cause he was tired.”
I’m sure jet leg takes it’s toll after a certain amount of time, none of us are immune
So embarrassing that Rhett Shull didn't check patch cables first
In the heat of battle it can be hard to think straight.
Some type of small headphone amp that you can plug into the pedalboard at the end and connect that to headphones would be handy. Something like those VOX headphone amps. Then you can check your pedal board before you get to the gig. They are cheap too.
Thanks for watching and the suggestion!
New pedals , are released. 2020 ...now is 2021 October. Many good, new pedals, in the markets. Will spent.great gears.
Huh?
6:12 The upper level of the pedalboard seems to be bent in the tuner area...
good catch - I think Rhett mentioned it somewhere down the line.
@@VertexEffectsInc Really? lol, I didn't notice, I was actually watching the video in that part when I detected it. How the crap did they manage to do such a crime? I would be very pissed at that. Anyway, I wish I could afford a pedalboard like that... great job you did there. I'm just starting my pedal journey, I kind of was digital till now... but I'm starting to buy some pedals now and you and Rhett have been helping me understand the intricacies of the pedal world better. so... thank you guys for your videos.
Do you have a schematic of every pedalboard you've built?
Sam uelson yes almost always!
This guy is half-passed genius. Listen closely, my friends
Thanks for watching
Hey Mason,
I am kinda handy but I'm not certain I know EXACTLY what order to put my pedals in. Do you offer a consulting service where I could send you the contents of my son's pedal board and his amp(s) set up. Then you could advise on optimum pedal placement in the chain and possible additions that could help my pedal board sound the best it can possibly be.
Yes www.therigdr.com
@@VertexEffectsInc Got it!
His worst nightmare is going directly into his amp? Lol
It is if you have to re-create ambient sounds for the signature licks on the record
Holy cow
Thanks for watching Will!
Thank you so very much rig doctor I subscribed does vertex effects do any channel Sponsorship please rig doctor I love your work
Thank you sir! Thanks for watching! No sponsorships at this time.
TSA are ganstas!
Airport Mafia