Yes, love all these guys and that Shawn dude is pretty good too. By the way, I have your pedal on my board and it’s been crushing in my band rehearsals. Keep sharing your gifts dudes.
Great video my brother. I’m going through a major rethink of my paddleboard since I’m using it in a plane situation. In the end functionality is all that matters. It has to work in a real life plan situation. Thanks for sharing and I love your videos and channel.
New to the channel but been binge watching it! Learned so much, not only are you a great player but seem to be a good human. Thanks man! Gonna rebuild my board tonight lol
Being able to switch out pedals is SO important. Come on people. We’re always changing our minds and trying out new stuff. There’s gotta be some room for change.
It's like in the motorcycle community: you have the guys who love to clean and polish their bikes. And then you have the ones tearing up the road and tracks.
Man.....that's the exact point that a biker can understand. 💪🏽. I had a serious accident and can't ride anymore, so i flipped bike for guitar....very similar world....😅😅
Looks like an awesome build to me. People are jealous and feel like they need to put others down so it builds them up or so they think. I just contacted them yesterday about doing one for me. Can’t wait to have it done.
Thanks for putting my mind at ease. I thought there was something wrong with me because I'm always tweaking my board. Drives come on and off all the time. I thought it was evidence of my lack of professionalism...lol....now I only have 99 things to improve before I'm pro-level....lol.
Everything I’ve seen of theirs always looks good. I have one of their equalizer pedals with the “Tom Bukovac” mod. Dealing with them was straightforward and I will definitely go to them if I ever want a pro-level board built. Here’s the negative part; when I had my pedal modified I also ordered an XTS tee-shirt. Since it’s one of those real soft cotton shirts my wife stole it to sleep in so if I want to wear it I have to find it, steal it back and hide it.
My live board is tiny and I've chosen between right angle and straight jacks on a connection by connection basis just to get everything to fit in. I expect that board to remain unchanged for at least 18 months. It's based on a modeller and a few utility pedals. For the studio I have a big board and a set of cables I've made up to standard sizes that will change depending on the session. Quite often they'll end up in a line under the console, the board is only used because that's where the power supply is. The point being, there are a lot of ways to build a board that are a right way. I really like the way this guy talks about his preferred way.
Dude found your channel because you were one of the only early reviewers on the Jackson Hourglass. Ended up getting it. Never used compression much but love that pedal and use it a lot! Also, good afternoon 😄☕
I got the Buss pedal because of your recommendation. I absolutely love it. It’s great for stacking with a Nobles or a EP Boost. It’s fantastic 👍🏼 So thank you for that.
Dan's board looks fantastic to me. Practical and the pedal switching out capability is certainly a huge asset. Who cares how the cables look anyway...the audience won't see it at a live show and they definitely won't see it when he uses it in the studio. As much as I love XTS' work, I personally wouldn't pay to have my board set up and wired...I change the pedals on my board WAY too often. Great video!
I loved this video! It goes into my "saved" vids in the "Gear" folder. I wish pedal makers had one standard and put jacks at the top. The BUZZ pedal is on my wish list. It's funny because one day I was wishing I had a pedal that did what that does and like 2 days later on 5 Watt World. Tada!!! My constant pedals are my Arion Stereo Chorus and Ross Distortion I got with the (POS) Kramer Striker back in 1986-ish, all for $125!
Agree 100% - that was really useful … and I’m like you - I’ve got a couple slots that are constantly auditioning new pedals (of all shapes and with all matter of jack placements)
I just finally put a board together after using my floor. Got a Temple Duo 34. Was just learning to solder while doing my patch cables, I ended up doing a lot of troubleshooting and cussing, but now I love it. Just need a good midi controller now. I am really at a point to where I dont change much at all. I got a few drives that go into my HX Stomp, my Atlas comp is very first and also last in my drive pedal chain. Got a few choice pedals in the HX effects loop, then the HX outs to my interface where I can use my daw. I have everything, 10 times over lol Might switch drives out once in a while, but that would be it.
I have an original Tc Electronics chorus pedal that I loved in the 90's. I quit using it because it had a hard wired a/c plug. TC re-issued that pedal with a 9volt plug so I got one and now my Arion chorus is set for a Leslie type sound and the TC covers the chorus sounds. It was like reuniting with an old friend. I recently added the Keeley Halo delay pedal to my board. It is a beast of a pedal. I have a small rack with a Line 6 Modulation Pro, Yamaha SPX 90, and a Lexicon PCM 70. I go into a JHS colour box directly into the rack and the FX are set in series or parallel by a Voodoo Labs Rack control mixer. That gives you two XLR outputs direct to the interface.
All i want to say is that i had 3 pedalboards built for me by XTS and they've all worked incredibly well. They're all tanks, and i've never had any issues with them. One of them is my touring board, and i've used it on multiple tours without problems. Super reliable. I highly recommend them to anyone who wants something solid, reliable, and tour-ready.
As someone who has spent 30 some years as a "guitar into amp" kinda person who has just recently started exploring pedals and putting together my own boards, I will say that the only thing that I care about on the board is the bottom, not the top. There is nothing more frustrating than a mess of cables underneath when you're trying to put it on the floor or futzing around with the different power requirements of each pedal. The top? I can handle that. As long as the patch cables are out of the way of switches and buttons, it's fine.
I started following XTS's channel a cpuple months ago and I do remember watching the Dan Huff board episode. I have no clue why anyone on Earth would call it sloppy?!
I have watched many XTS videos, including recently the Dan Huff pedalboard build. I am interested in the sonic choices the pedalboard owner is going for. And to learn from these videos. Interesting to see Dan Huff going for a fairly simple board compared to his earlier equipment setups. If anyone can make it sound great, Dan can! I have played in a few bands and built a few pedalboards myself. I really respect the quality of what XTS builds and have been thinking about having them do a build for me. Thanks Justin for this video. And Eric is a pretty darn good guitar player!
XTS did my pedalboard, it rocks. Super quiet, and the interface they built for me, allows me to insert. They also built in a way that I can swap out pedals of the same style easily. I have already swapped out 3 pedals.
I have a pedalboard that has the pedals a bit close. I thought having a little further apart like the Dann Huff one was better, helps to not kick on a pedal when you don't mean to.
I've been using a Flint for ages. I've always liked it for the versatility it offers but never really been in love with it sound wise. I reckon' I might investigate the Hydra if you like it so much Justin. The smaller footprint is a bonus too.
And just an FYI ... Not that it matters a smidge ... But I've been using Herco Nylon Gold or Silvers since 1970 ... I use the shoulders, I NEVER use the point, and you can use the roughness to catch the string for some percussion, or just the shoulder to get a soft, delicate jazz feel. AND THEY NEVER BREAK! (But the rough will eventually wear off!). I've tried 5,000 other picks and always come back to the Hercos. As my daddy used to say, "That, and a quarter, will buy you a cup of coffee!"
I do just like you! Need the slack to change pedals! especially as there are top and side mounted jacks, which is a pain in the ass. And cables always break with too much stress near the Jack!
Just a heads up about the expression control of the boost. There’s a ton of misinformation about the expression jack being outside the signal path but it’s more than likely not. Unless they’re using digital microcontrollers it’s still running your signal out to the expression control and you can test this yourself if you’re curious because it would also act like an effects loop so you could use it as such and run out to a delay or reverb with a trs y cable. That being said you probably won’t notice much tonal loss since it’s a low impedance signal being driven by the boost. I believe (but am not 100% sure) the only expressible boost that would be using digital controls would be the Strymon compadre.
Thanks Justin. I saw that Huff board review and they do mention slack is left to facilitate changing pedals. The big question I have looking at most of their rigs is there are seldom any switchers....like a gig rig quartermaster...for the studio in particular, getting unused pedals out of the signal chain would seem to be a priority. Any perspective on that? Tx as always.
The big true bypass strips that we use to take pedals out of the signal chain kind of just fell out of fashion here in town. If you have a bunch of old overdrives (Mostortion, original Nobles) that have AWFUL buffers, then a TB strip is very useful. What seems to be more popular is using rehoused pedals with a TB switch so the weird sounding buffer is no longer an issue.
I change my board in ways small and big every few months, so I definitely don't need my cables cut and routed with surgical precision. A couple of months ago my board died in the middle of a song and I flipped it over and rerouted it and rejoined the song. That would be hard to do if everything was assembled with no slack or extra space.
Just discovered you, yeah! This is a cool discourse on how to be cool with being adaptable. Hilarious too! Man, you wrecked your board good, LOL! No OCD here, bruh, see ya round. Thanks
Check out a JHS emperors v2. As a long time vb-2w fan, it stands up against it well and has a great 70’s chorus to it. The walrus meraki is also a really fun dual analog delay with a wide stereo field phase and modulation set of controls.
A producer once told me “treat silence and space in the mix like its own instrument” - I think the same can be said when building a pedalboard. Leave space for the future and for other pedals to come in.
You should check out Pedal Jerk's Nashville Drive. Its an amazing pedal built off the Nobles platform with a better responding Spectrum control and a Body control. It sounds fantastic.
Hey Justin! What are your thoughts on volume pedal/Boost placement? I like my delays to respond to volume changes....especially when using a tape or an emulated tape delay. thoughts?
Even if a person commits to a pedalboard, it's better to have more slack to be able to remove pedals for service (sometimes older pedals benefit from a little contact cleaner on the input.)
Justin, haters are gonna hate. Anyone who knows or follows the XTS channel knows they are pros and guys like you, Uncle Larry and Guthrie Trapp wouldn’t use them if they did sloppy work. Thanks for this video!
Hey Justin... I have a Weber Mini Mass unit. Do you have any experience with these? I bought it 10 yrs ago, but never used it. I may dig it out and see what it does.
Great video. I wonder how many years the commenter has played professionally and how many boards he’s had to make work in that career. I bet he’s never been at a show where something has gone down and needed to be switched out. Slack in the cable is a GREAT thing when you have to swap or route around a pedal in a hurry. But, you said that already.
I'm curious about your course. What I've heard you say seems to make me think it's for intermediate or higher level players that just need some help with their songwriting creativity, or such. I'm more of a beginner, that should be an intermediate by now, but I am just not learning. I definitely need to come at it from a different direction but am not sure where to begin. I won't give up. I love guitars and dinking around but I'm just not sure I'll ever become a musician or that it will all ever make sense to me.
You have at least one thing going for you -- "I won't give up." When you say that you're "just not learning . . . " that's BS, you are learning but you think it's not good enough for some reason. I agree with you, it's hard to know where to begin, but if you like the sound of a guitar and you like guitar music, that's your ticket upward. Just see if you can *copy* any one thing you are hearing. And get with other people who play music, and play whatever you can play *with them*. I could suggest a place (or places) to start, but there's no one right place to start . . . except, put the guitar in your hands and listen to what you are doing. I tell my students -- "Make it pretty." Cheers . . . TC
@@TomCPlus1 yes I agree that I'm probably putting tighter expectations on myself than necessary. I am currently listening to an audio book that explains the learning process from the point-of-view of a neuro-scientist who learned music later in life. "Guitar Zero." It probably wouldn't help most but it is definitely making me look at things a bit more positively and I think I can use it to help set realistic goals to help myself advance.
Who gives a flip about the cable tie downs?!? I’m interested in the pedals themselves. Frankly, I’m a minimal pedal guy anyway. Lots of extra space on my board. I’m glad you made this video, thanks.
It's interesting to see a lot of Strymon Delay's and Verbs on different player's boards but seemingly never the same one. To each his own, right? I still think my TC Flashback and HOF can hold their own with the best of them but I've heard once you go Strymon it's tough to go back.
it just looks like it's unfinished... would not at all say that's sloppy. someone else said in the comments: it was for him to change out drives... and that makes complete sense. xts guys are cool.
What effect does running too many pedals have on tone? Or maybe you use all true bypass. But some pedals have been said to suck away tone from the amp.
Cable routing and tidiness is important for noise suppression and to prevent snagging a wire but it shouldn't be so trussed-up that it's not maintainable. Changing out a bad jumper that's tied down with 100 zip ties is frustrating.
I have never cared about the looks of my cabling. As long as it works and it's out of the way. It makes perfect sense to leave some slack in case something gets swapped, too. I swap constantly.
It’s funny. As an IT professional, I cringe when I see people set up these uber “clean” pedalboards and I just see a ton of zip ties and cables that are “perfect” length. All I see in that is an absolute nightmare. As you said, pedalboards are a fluid and often changing platform. We all know the answer to the question, “how many pedals do I need?”… Just one more. 😂 That said, I love how XTS accounts for this as you highlighted. 👍
This is why my wiring is always a bit messy. I change out pedals every five minutes (and thoroughly enjoy playing with different combinations) and it’s a pain to have to dig out fresh cables all the time when you change from side to top jacks, or different sized boxes etc. Much as I would like every board to look like a Brian Omillion Instagram special, it’s not practical for me.
OMG…, pedalboards! 😅 These things keep me busy. I might be a pedalboard addict. But I think I took it too far, because yes, it needs to be functional, but to give you a small example of my stupid little brain and how it works, here we go: I have my big board and it’s cool, I love it, it needs some work again, but I’m fine with it. EXCEPT…. that board is way too big and too heavy and for a guy like me (I have a prosthetic leg and a hernia) I don’t always feel the need to take it with me. So I decided to build a smaller, lightweight version of my big board. By itself not a crazy idea. I leave out the stuff I hardly ever use and I’ve been buying some mini pedals that are good enough to do the job. But the first choice I needed to make was “what gain pedals am I going to use?” So I ended up with a board that consisted of an Xotic BB Preamp (the old red one), into the old yellow Xotic AC Booster (I love its ‘throaty’ voice) and into the old white Xotic RC Booster (that’s on every board as an always on pedal). That’s the right side of the mini board. The left side consists of four TC Electronic mini pedals. Of course, a tuner. Then the mini spark (simple clean boost, does its job), then the Flashback mini delay (that’s my almost always on pedal that needs to emulate my Strymon Brigadier - just a very soft semi long delay with a bit of modulation, hardly audible unless you switch it off) and the last pedal is the mini HOF reverb. That one’s also always on. Thing is, it does what I wanted it to do. The sounds are pretty good and above all, it’s light as a feather! BUT I chose these pedals based on a vague ‘theme’. I’ve got plenty of other options and probably better options. In this case it was extra stupid, because I needed to buy two of the mini pedals (2nd hand). But I have so much lying around. Then again…., it’s just fun! Even with the simplest of boards, I feel proud when I build one and everything does what it needs to do. Anyway, thanks Justin. I enjoy your video very much (all of them!). And I’m sorry for the long comments again. I really try to keep them short and to the point. Hardly ever works. Thank you! 🧡🧡🧡
I play worship music every week at our church. I'm mainly the rhythm electric with occasional lead line. Do I need a compressor on my board? Would you run one?
He's said before a couple times that he doesn't usually run a compressor (though obviously different in this vid :) ). If he needs one, I think he keeps the yellow Diamond Comp in his bag (he's got a video on his go bag). A cheap version of the Diamond compressor is the Mooer yellow comp.
Rhythm and lead players can both benefit from a compressor pedal. They may end up using them differently however. It is in no way a necessary piece of gear though. If you find yourself playing strumming chords a lot as a rhythm player in your band, you may see a positive result in using a compressor pedal in a very reserved manner. Just take the very top of the peak of the transient off. It will help sustain your chords and make them a little fatter. I personally set mine up to try and feel it in my playing more than I hear it.
Thank you, This is what I’ve been preaching for years. I can’t stand these vanity boards, and players trying to look like they’re on a world tour or something. I mean with it so tidy, how do you troubleshoot a problem three minutes before the down beat?
It’s weird that videos like this always seem to attract a handful of comments that are all basically “my only pedal is plugging into an amp.” I don’t get why these folks are trolling around pedal and effects content if they find these gadgets somewhere between unimportant and contemptible.
You're absolutely right. Pedals are tools. Anyone that is even a little serious about guitar is gonna try different pedals out. You're board needs to be able to facilitate that. Yeah clean cable are cool..but badass tone is cooler
yep. though nowhere near a professional or at your level, sir, I do use my pedal board every day and I got tired of turning it over to dick around with the power supply so I just finally put the strymon Zuma power block on the top. anyways it looks cool all anodized blue n shit and now I can just plug things in and out of it and I don’t have so many pedals where the zuma is taking up space is that big a deal… agree with everything you said in this video!
I just imagined a funny moment where Dan Huff was really happy with his board and then he read UA-cam comments and said oh shoot I thought it was exactly what I wanted, now I see it's not!
Man - I may be an old dog (been playing for a LONG time), but I DO NOT understand this trend of having pedal boards built for you. Seriously; all those tight wires and cables - anyone who has that has never had something on their board break in the middle of a show and then had to tear their board apart to get back to the music. I like Wayne Krantz…… he sets his pedals up individually every show and carries them in a backpack.
Funny.....How did the greats of the 60s and 70s ever survive without all these shinny toys. Really: The late great Leslie West just walked out on stage with either his Gibson Melody Maker or Les Paul Junior and a cable. Plugged it into his Sunn Wall and MAGIC!!!! No disrespect intended. Just ironic. I can remember when there was only the original Fuzz Face (a different animal of today) and a VOX Clyde McCoy Wah Wah Pedal. Thats all!!! Ironic !!!!!
@@JustinOstrander I find it interesting that BOSS pedals are used, but none of their multi effects units (but for instance the L6 M9 seems to feature often, but not the M5). Also remember Justin recommended the current HX FX unit (also the HX stomp doesn't seem popular).
My pedal board never stays the same very long. lol. I can totally understand it. And I never understood the anal retentive nature of some folks and their boards.
I have never doubted the durability of an XTS built board but I have to agree that their work is not the cleanest. Even if you leave slack on cables there are ways to make it look clean. I almost went with them for a second pedalboard build but they also charge 2-3 times more than a smaller rig builder.
Check out Tory Slusher. The best guitarist in the world. Be warned, you might quit playing, and sell all of your gear after you hear her play. Unless you can duplicate yourself, and play with your duplicate, you won’t even get remotely close.
Those ugly bulletproof well thought/laid out boards by XTS will not look nice on social media. So what the point of having a custom built board if you cannot flex it on IG/Tiktok/etc etc
Man, if someone really thinks that’s not neat and tidy, don’t look inside your handwired tube amp… not all of them are military grade wiring like an old HIWATT 😂😂😂. PS, come spend a day in the N-ICU with me and I’ll show you orderly-disorder… and that with life support equipment for God’s sake 😅😂. As long as you know what you’re doing, and you can quickly identify things that you need, you’re all good. Nice looking board btw. It’s personally a little too much for me, but it will literally do everything you will ever need.
You, Tom, Guthrie, and Jedd. Legit channels. I watch every single post. Nice work Justin!
I watch you, Tom Guthrie, Jedd and Shawn Tubbs (who just shreds)!
Ooo huge fan of all those mentioned but do tell, who is Jedd and how did I miss him?
@@kylesamson8651Jedd Hughes- Jedd in the shed. Don’t miss this cat
Yes, love all these guys and that Shawn dude is pretty good too. By the way, I have your pedal on my board and it’s been crushing in my band rehearsals. Keep sharing your gifts dudes.
Great video my brother. I’m going through a major rethink of my paddleboard since I’m using it in a plane situation. In the end functionality is all that matters. It has to work in a real life plan situation. Thanks for sharing and I love your videos and channel.
New to the channel but been binge watching it! Learned so much, not only are you a great player but seem to be a good human. Thanks man! Gonna rebuild my board tonight lol
Being able to switch out pedals is SO important. Come on people. We’re always changing our minds and trying out new stuff. There’s gotta be some room for change.
right... I have all my pedals built into my desk on different layers to swap things around quickly it's fun like that
It's like in the motorcycle community: you have the guys who love to clean and polish their bikes. And then you have the ones tearing up the road and tracks.
Man.....that's the exact point that a biker can understand. 💪🏽.
I had a serious accident and can't ride anymore, so i flipped bike for guitar....very similar world....😅😅
Looks like an awesome build to me. People are jealous and feel like they need to put others down so it builds them up or so they think. I just contacted them yesterday about doing one for me. Can’t wait to have it done.
Thanks for putting my mind at ease. I thought there was something wrong with me because I'm always tweaking my board. Drives come on and off all the time. I thought it was evidence of my lack of professionalism...lol....now I only have 99 things to improve before I'm pro-level....lol.
Everything I’ve seen of theirs always looks good. I have one of their equalizer pedals with the “Tom Bukovac” mod. Dealing with them was straightforward and I will definitely go to them if I ever want a pro-level board built. Here’s the negative part; when I had my pedal modified I also ordered an XTS tee-shirt. Since it’s one of those real soft cotton shirts my wife stole it to sleep in so if I want to wear it I have to find it, steal it back and hide it.
My live board is tiny and I've chosen between right angle and straight jacks on a connection by connection basis just to get everything to fit in. I expect that board to remain unchanged for at least 18 months. It's based on a modeller and a few utility pedals.
For the studio I have a big board and a set of cables I've made up to standard sizes that will change depending on the session. Quite often they'll end up in a line under the console, the board is only used because that's where the power supply is.
The point being, there are a lot of ways to build a board that are a right way. I really like the way this guy talks about his preferred way.
Dude found your channel because you were one of the only early reviewers on the Jackson Hourglass. Ended up getting it. Never used compression much but love that pedal and use it a lot!
Also, good afternoon 😄☕
I got the Buss pedal because of your recommendation. I absolutely love it. It’s great for stacking with a Nobles or a EP Boost. It’s fantastic 👍🏼 So thank you for that.
Dan's board looks fantastic to me. Practical and the pedal switching out capability is certainly a huge asset. Who cares how the cables look anyway...the audience won't see it at a live show and they definitely won't see it when he uses it in the studio.
As much as I love XTS' work, I personally wouldn't pay to have my board set up and wired...I change the pedals on my board WAY too often.
Great video!
I loved this video! It goes into my "saved" vids in the "Gear" folder. I wish pedal makers had one standard and put jacks at the top. The BUZZ pedal is on my wish list. It's funny because one day I was wishing I had a pedal that did what that does and like 2 days later on 5 Watt World. Tada!!!
My constant pedals are my Arion Stereo Chorus and Ross Distortion I got with the (POS) Kramer Striker back in 1986-ish, all for $125!
Agree 100% - that was really useful … and I’m like you - I’ve got a couple slots that are constantly auditioning new pedals (of all shapes and with all matter of jack placements)
Excited for the courses!!
XTS peeps are some of the finest around. Love those guys and the amazing boards they build!!
Absolutely fantastic have a wonderful day Justin ❤😊
Hey Justin, Awesome video!👍 I am looking forward to your course!👍
I just finally put a board together after using my floor. Got a Temple Duo 34. Was just learning to solder while doing my patch cables, I ended up doing a lot of troubleshooting and cussing, but now I love it. Just need a good midi controller now.
I am really at a point to where I dont change much at all. I got a few drives that go into my HX Stomp, my Atlas comp is very first and also last in my drive pedal chain. Got a few choice pedals in the HX effects loop, then the HX outs to my interface where I can use my daw. I have everything, 10 times over lol Might switch drives out once in a while, but that would be it.
I have an original Tc Electronics chorus pedal that I loved in the 90's. I quit using it because it had a hard wired a/c plug. TC re-issued that pedal with a 9volt plug so I got one and now my Arion chorus is set for a Leslie type sound and the TC covers the chorus sounds. It was like reuniting with an old friend. I recently added the Keeley Halo delay pedal to my board. It is a beast of a pedal. I have a small rack with a Line 6 Modulation Pro, Yamaha SPX 90, and a Lexicon PCM 70. I go into a JHS colour box directly into the rack and the FX are set in series or parallel by a Voodoo Labs Rack control mixer. That gives you two XLR outputs direct to the interface.
TC SCF. Awesome pedal. Adds a beautiful sheen.
Have you ever heard it’s big brother, the rack TC 1210 Spatial Expander/Chorus/Flanger?
All i want to say is that i had 3 pedalboards built for me by XTS and they've all worked incredibly well. They're all tanks, and i've never had any issues with them. One of them is my touring board, and i've used it on multiple tours without problems. Super reliable. I highly recommend them to anyone who wants something solid, reliable, and tour-ready.
I have a couple of XTS pedals and they're great, the guys are awesome there!
As someone who has spent 30 some years as a "guitar into amp" kinda person who has just recently started exploring pedals and putting together my own boards, I will say that the only thing that I care about on the board is the bottom, not the top. There is nothing more frustrating than a mess of cables underneath when you're trying to put it on the floor or futzing around with the different power requirements of each pedal. The top? I can handle that. As long as the patch cables are out of the way of switches and buttons, it's fine.
Very sensible, need to have a bit of wiggle room to be able to swap in/out stuff without making an appointment with a tech. Great video Justin
I've only heard great things about XTS and I've admired quite a few of their boards on various rig rundowns and guitar channels. Cheers Justin!
Great rig builders. Even better guys.
Looking forward to the course.
I started following XTS's channel a cpuple months ago and I do remember watching the Dan Huff board episode. I have no clue why anyone on Earth would call it sloppy?!
I have watched many XTS videos, including recently the Dan Huff pedalboard build. I am interested in the sonic choices the pedalboard owner is going for. And to learn from these videos. Interesting to see Dan Huff going for a fairly simple board compared to his earlier equipment setups. If anyone can make it sound great, Dan can! I have played in a few bands and built a few pedalboards myself. I really respect the quality of what XTS builds and have been thinking about having them do a build for me. Thanks Justin for this video. And Eric is a pretty darn good guitar player!
XTS did my pedalboard, it rocks. Super quiet, and the interface they built for me, allows me to insert. They also built in a way that I can swap out pedals of the same style easily. I have already swapped out 3 pedals.
It blows my mind that anyone would criticize XTS. They’ve done work for me and it was stellar.
I have a pedalboard that has the pedals a bit close. I thought having a little further apart like the Dann Huff one was better, helps to not kick on a pedal when you don't mean to.
I've been using a Flint for ages. I've always liked it for the versatility it offers but never really been in love with it sound wise. I reckon' I might investigate the Hydra if you like it so much Justin. The smaller footprint is a bonus too.
And just an FYI ... Not that it matters a smidge ... But I've been using Herco Nylon Gold or Silvers since 1970 ... I use the shoulders, I NEVER use the point, and you can use the roughness to catch the string for some percussion, or just the shoulder to get a soft, delicate jazz feel. AND THEY NEVER BREAK! (But the rough will eventually wear off!). I've tried 5,000 other picks and always come back to the Hercos. As my daddy used to say, "That, and a quarter, will buy you a cup of coffee!"
I do just like you! Need the slack to change pedals! especially as there are top and side mounted jacks, which is a pain in the ass. And cables always break with too much stress near the Jack!
Just a heads up about the expression control of the boost. There’s a ton of misinformation about the expression jack being outside the signal path but it’s more than likely not. Unless they’re using digital microcontrollers it’s still running your signal out to the expression control and you can test this yourself if you’re curious because it would also act like an effects loop so you could use it as such and run out to a delay or reverb with a trs y cable. That being said you probably won’t notice much tonal loss since it’s a low impedance signal being driven by the boost.
I believe (but am not 100% sure) the only expressible boost that would be using digital controls would be the Strymon compadre.
You and Mr. Buk are the attic kings. Now, I gotta go swap some pedals on my board…..
Beautiful boards! 🤙🏻
Thanks Justin. I saw that Huff board review and they do mention slack is left to facilitate changing pedals. The big question I have looking at most of their rigs is there are seldom any switchers....like a gig rig quartermaster...for the studio in particular, getting unused pedals out of the signal chain would seem to be a priority. Any perspective on that? Tx as always.
The big true bypass strips that we use to take pedals out of the signal chain kind of just fell out of fashion here in town. If you have a bunch of old overdrives (Mostortion, original Nobles) that have AWFUL buffers, then a TB strip is very useful. What seems to be more popular is using rehoused pedals with a TB switch so the weird sounding buffer is no longer an issue.
The XTS guys stated in their video that Dan specifically wanted the board to have the flexibility to add/remove/swap pedals easily 👍🏾
Exactly. I always ask the same thing
I change my board in ways small and big every few months, so I definitely don't need my cables cut and routed with surgical precision. A couple of months ago my board died in the middle of a song and I flipped it over and rerouted it and rejoined the song. That would be hard to do if everything was assembled with no slack or extra space.
Just discovered you, yeah! This is a cool discourse on how to be cool with being adaptable. Hilarious too! Man, you wrecked your board good, LOL! No OCD here, bruh, see ya round. Thanks
Check out a JHS emperors v2. As a long time vb-2w fan, it stands up against it well and has a great 70’s chorus to it. The walrus meraki is also a really fun dual analog delay with a wide stereo field phase and modulation set of controls.
A producer once told me “treat silence and space in the mix like its own instrument” - I think the same can be said when building a pedalboard. Leave space for the future and for other pedals to come in.
In my experience, a little slack helps the cables last longer since there’s less strain on the cables
You should check out Pedal Jerk's Nashville Drive. Its an amazing pedal built off the Nobles platform with a better responding Spectrum control and a Body control. It sounds fantastic.
I’m old, and the Voodoo Vibe is the only constant in my pedal collection.
Hey Justin! What are your thoughts on volume pedal/Boost placement? I like my delays to respond to volume changes....especially when using a tape or an emulated tape delay. thoughts?
Even if a person commits to a pedalboard, it's better to have more slack to be able to remove pedals for service (sometimes older pedals benefit from a little contact cleaner on the input.)
Justin, haters are gonna hate. Anyone who knows or follows the XTS channel knows they are pros and guys like you, Uncle Larry and Guthrie Trapp wouldn’t use them if they did sloppy work. Thanks for this video!
Nailed it 🤌
Good explanation
Hey Justin... I have a Weber Mini Mass unit. Do you have any experience with these? I bought it 10 yrs ago, but never used it. I may dig it out and see what it does.
Great video.
I wonder how many years the commenter has played professionally and how many boards he’s had to make work in that career. I bet he’s never been at a show where something has gone down and needed to be switched out. Slack in the cable is a GREAT thing when you have to swap or route around a pedal in a hurry. But, you said that already.
I'm curious about your course. What I've heard you say seems to make me think it's for intermediate or higher level players that just need some help with their songwriting creativity, or such. I'm more of a beginner, that should be an intermediate by now, but I am just not learning. I definitely need to come at it from a different direction but am not sure where to begin. I won't give up. I love guitars and dinking around but I'm just not sure I'll ever become a musician or that it will all ever make sense to me.
You have at least one thing going for you -- "I won't give up." When you say that you're "just not learning . . . " that's BS, you are learning but you think it's not good enough for some reason. I agree with you, it's hard to know where to begin, but if you like the sound of a guitar and you like guitar music, that's your ticket upward. Just see if you can *copy* any one thing you are hearing. And get with other people who play music, and play whatever you can play *with them*. I could suggest a place (or places) to start, but there's no one right place to start . . . except, put the guitar in your hands and listen to what you are doing. I tell my students -- "Make it pretty." Cheers . . . TC
@@TomCPlus1 yes I agree that I'm probably putting tighter expectations on myself than necessary. I am currently listening to an audio book that explains the learning process from the point-of-view of a neuro-scientist who learned music later in life. "Guitar Zero." It probably wouldn't help most but it is definitely making me look at things a bit more positively and I think I can use it to help set realistic goals to help myself advance.
I want a pedal that makes me sound like I am plugged straight into my amp😂 just an empty box!
Who gives a flip about the cable tie downs?!? I’m interested in the pedals themselves. Frankly, I’m a minimal pedal guy anyway. Lots of extra space on my board. I’m glad you made this video, thanks.
It's interesting to see a lot of Strymon Delay's and Verbs on different player's boards but seemingly never the same one. To each his own, right? I still think my TC Flashback and HOF can hold their own with the best of them but I've heard once you go Strymon it's tough to go back.
it just looks like it's unfinished...
would not at all say that's sloppy. someone else said in the comments: it was for him to change out drives... and that makes complete sense.
xts guys are cool.
Sorry, not pedalboard related. Do you have a playlist with songs you played on? Thanks 😊
Apple Music made a playlist for me. I need to update it. Also, on my channel’s about page, there are links to my credits.
What effect does running too many pedals have on tone? Or maybe you use all true bypass. But some pedals have been said to suck away tone from the amp.
I feel the same way whenever I see those Instagram boards that look great but are not practically laid out for stage performance in dim lighting.
Would you please remind me where to purchase your course?
It’s not out yet. I’ll definitely let you all know
Two oxboxes very cool for someone 🤘🏽
Nice haircut. Great video. Hope you’re doing well.
Cable routing and tidiness is important for noise suppression and to prevent snagging a wire but it shouldn't be so trussed-up that it's not maintainable. Changing out a bad jumper that's tied down with 100 zip ties is frustrating.
If they're that fussy about cables maybe a great big rehousing is what they really want? Something like what Jam does with their multi effects.
I have never cared about the looks of my cabling. As long as it works and it's out of the way.
It makes perfect sense to leave some slack in case something gets swapped, too. I swap constantly.
Hangar queens are planes that some guys have. They look great and are never or rarely flown.
That board looks great to me.
It’s funny. As an IT professional, I cringe when I see people set up these uber “clean” pedalboards and I just see a ton of zip ties and cables that are “perfect” length. All I see in that is an absolute nightmare.
As you said, pedalboards are a fluid and often changing platform.
We all know the answer to the question, “how many pedals do I need?”… Just one more. 😂
That said, I love how XTS accounts for this as you highlighted. 👍
This is why my wiring is always a bit messy. I change out pedals every five minutes (and thoroughly enjoy playing with different combinations) and it’s a pain to have to dig out fresh cables all the time when you change from side to top jacks, or different sized boxes etc. Much as I would like every board to look like a Brian Omillion Instagram special, it’s not practical for me.
OMG…, pedalboards! 😅 These things keep me busy. I might be a pedalboard addict. But I think I took it too far, because yes, it needs to be functional, but to give you a small example of my stupid little brain and how it works, here we go: I have my big board and it’s cool, I love it, it needs some work again, but I’m fine with it. EXCEPT…. that board is way too big and too heavy and for a guy like me (I have a prosthetic leg and a hernia) I don’t always feel the need to take it with me. So I decided to build a smaller, lightweight version of my big board. By itself not a crazy idea. I leave out the stuff I hardly ever use and I’ve been buying some mini pedals that are good enough to do the job. But the first choice I needed to make was “what gain pedals am I going to use?” So I ended up with a board that consisted of an Xotic BB Preamp (the old red one), into the old yellow Xotic AC Booster (I love its ‘throaty’ voice) and into the old white Xotic RC Booster (that’s on every board as an always on pedal). That’s the right side of the mini board. The left side consists of four TC Electronic mini pedals. Of course, a tuner. Then the mini spark (simple clean boost, does its job), then the Flashback mini delay (that’s my almost always on pedal that needs to emulate my Strymon Brigadier - just a very soft semi long delay with a bit of modulation, hardly audible unless you switch it off) and the last pedal is the mini HOF reverb. That one’s also always on.
Thing is, it does what I wanted it to do. The sounds are pretty good and above all, it’s light as a feather! BUT I chose these pedals based on a vague ‘theme’. I’ve got plenty of other options and probably better options. In this case it was extra stupid, because I needed to buy two of the mini pedals (2nd hand). But I have so much lying around. Then again…., it’s just fun! Even with the simplest of boards, I feel proud when I build one and everything does what it needs to do.
Anyway, thanks Justin. I enjoy your video very much (all of them!). And I’m sorry for the long comments again. I really try to keep them short and to the point. Hardly ever works. Thank you! 🧡🧡🧡
I wouldn't complain. If you'd see my pedalboard you'd get it! Lol
I play worship music every week at our church. I'm mainly the rhythm electric with occasional lead line. Do I need a compressor on my board? Would you run one?
He's said before a couple times that he doesn't usually run a compressor (though obviously different in this vid :) ). If he needs one, I think he keeps the yellow Diamond Comp in his bag (he's got a video on his go bag). A cheap version of the Diamond compressor is the Mooer yellow comp.
Rhythm and lead players can both benefit from a compressor pedal. They may end up using them differently however. It is in no way a necessary piece of gear though. If you find yourself playing strumming chords a lot as a rhythm player in your band, you may see a positive result in using a compressor pedal in a very reserved manner. Just take the very top of the peak of the transient off. It will help sustain your chords and make them a little fatter. I personally set mine up to try and feel it in my playing more than I hear it.
I’m going to put one on my board for the first time in decades. I only really use it for slide or cleaner country playing.
On my board the average lifespan of a drive pedal is 1 month lol. Gotta have some cable slack!
Thank you, This is what I’ve been preaching for years. I can’t stand these vanity boards, and players trying to look like they’re on a world tour or something. I mean with it so tidy, how do you troubleshoot a problem three minutes before the down beat?
It’s weird that videos like this always seem to attract a handful of comments that are all basically “my only pedal is plugging into an amp.” I don’t get why these folks are trolling around pedal and effects content if they find these gadgets somewhere between unimportant and contemptible.
Because purism makes them feel good about the fact they just play in blues dive bars
My favorite guitar players are generally pedalless and never talk about pedalboard.
That's because they are GUITAR players. Me too. I just play guitar.
I’d rather it work and not look pretty than for it to look great and not work. Function over form any day.
The ONLY thing wrong with that pedalboard is, it isn’t Mine😊.
It’s freakin Beautiful !!!!
🎸🎛🎚🎶
You're absolutely right. Pedals are tools. Anyone that is even a little serious about guitar is gonna try different pedals out. You're board needs to be able to facilitate that. Yeah clean cable are cool..but badass tone is cooler
yep.
though nowhere near a professional or at your level, sir, I do use my pedal board every day and I got tired of turning it over to dick around with the power supply so I just finally put the strymon Zuma power block on the top. anyways it looks cool all anodized blue n shit and now I can just plug things in and out of it and I don’t have so many pedals where the zuma is taking up space is that big a deal…
agree with everything you said in this video!
I'm a bass player. If I show up with more than 2 pedals they kick me out.
I have 10 pedals and don't let anyone give me shit. My band uses those sounds, they need to be there
@@ileutur6863 I'm joking 😆
I just imagined a funny moment where Dan Huff was really happy with his board and then he read UA-cam comments and said oh shoot I thought it was exactly what I wanted, now I see it's not!
I have no issues with the pedalboard whatsoever.
I wish mine looked that “sloppy.” 😂
Is that you on Riley Green’s Worst Way?
Man - I may be an old dog (been playing for a LONG time), but I DO NOT understand this trend of having pedal boards built for you. Seriously; all those tight wires and cables - anyone who has that has never had something on their board break in the middle of a show and then had to tear their board apart to get back to the music. I like Wayne Krantz…… he sets his pedals up individually every show and carries them in a backpack.
Anyone seen Eric Johnson’s pedalboard?
Funny.....How did the greats of the 60s and 70s ever survive without all these shinny toys. Really: The late great Leslie West just walked out on stage
with either his Gibson Melody Maker or Les Paul Junior and a cable. Plugged it into his Sunn Wall and MAGIC!!!! No disrespect intended. Just ironic.
I can remember when there was only the original Fuzz Face (a different animal of today) and a VOX Clyde McCoy Wah Wah Pedal. Thats all!!! Ironic !!!!!
Roland GR55 has great effects and I save them as presets. Why is this voodoo in Nashville? Impure? Heresy?
I don’t even know what that is. 😂 I’ll look it up…
@@JustinOstrander I find it interesting that BOSS pedals are used, but none of their multi effects units (but for instance the L6 M9 seems to feature often, but not the M5). Also remember Justin recommended the current HX FX unit (also the HX stomp doesn't seem popular).
Im an habitual rearranger, these fancy builds would never work for me
as a non pro musician this is why I wouldn’t have a pro built board made for me as I almost completely rebuild my board every couple months
They stated early in the video that they left it "loose" so Dann could easily switch things around. Absolutely nothing to criticize here!
My pedal board never stays the same very long. lol. I can totally understand it.
And I never understood the anal retentive nature of some folks and their boards.
Real painters have messy tools and studio spaces, brilliant builders have messy shops, and on and on…
Y’all would have a heart attack if you saw my pedal board right now.
Summarizing: "pedalboard Barbies, you suck!"
Thanks again, Mr Ostrander!
I have never doubted the durability of an XTS built board but I have to agree that their work is not the cleanest. Even if you leave slack on cables there are ways to make it look clean. I almost went with them for a second pedalboard build but they also charge 2-3 times more than a smaller rig builder.
Check out Tory Slusher. The best guitarist in the world. Be warned, you might quit playing, and sell all of your gear after you hear her play. Unless you can duplicate yourself, and play with your duplicate, you won’t even get remotely close.
Those ugly bulletproof well thought/laid out boards by XTS will not look nice on social media. So what the point of having a custom built board if you cannot flex it on IG/Tiktok/etc etc
Man, if someone really thinks that’s not neat and tidy, don’t look inside your handwired tube amp… not all of them are military grade wiring like an old HIWATT 😂😂😂.
PS, come spend a day in the N-ICU with me and I’ll show you orderly-disorder… and that with life support equipment for God’s sake 😅😂. As long as you know what you’re doing, and you can quickly identify things that you need, you’re all good.
Nice looking board btw. It’s personally a little too much for me, but it will literally do everything you will ever need.