Stanton Edward is a guitarist and producer who has worked with several artists including The Wallflowers, KS Rhoads, Missy Higgins and more. When Stanton isn’t on tour he enjoys being back home working on music in Nashville, TN.

What kind of pedalboard is this, and what is your signal path?

This is a Pedaltrain 2 that has been customized by XTS (Xact Tone Solutions) in Nashville. I had them flatten out the top and put in a custom interface that allows me to send isolated lines to 2 amps. They also put in a phase reversal switch on one of the outputs in case I run into a phase issue between the two amps. Another cool option they included for me was an insert that will allow me to pop in extra pedals after my drive section in case I pick up something cool on the road and want to throw it on my board without ripping up cables and pedals.

My signal path is constantly changing – I typically setup a new board and amp configuration for each different gig I play to really capture the vibe and feel of the artist. Lately I’ve been touring with The Wallflowers and my signal path is as follows:

Ernie Ball Volume Pedal (with custom XTS buffer to retain high-end) > Throbak Overdrive Boost > Durham Electronics Sex Drive > Another Sex Drive setup as a solo boost > Original 1984 Rat > Stymon Lex > Modded EH Memory Boy > Strymon Flint > 90′s EH Memory Man > Dual Outs to Fender Deluxe Reverb & Vox AC-30

Can you share a bit on how you have been using your Strymon Lex?

What a great pedal. When I was looking for a leslie pedal the main factor I’d consider is the quality of the “low” speed. This is where a lot of pedals miss the mark. I’ve played through a ton of real leslie cabs and to me, the Lex sounds closer to the real thing than anything else out there. I’ve also got to brag on the Flint. I’m a tremolo and reverb nut. I typically play through old Gibson & Fender combos in the studio but can’t always bring them to a gig. I threw a Flint on my board about a year ago and I find myself using it more and more, even when I’m playing my vintage amps in the studio.

You recently did a cover of The Beatles “Tomorrow Never Knows.” How has John Lennon and The Beatles influences you as a musician?

I mean, it’s John Lennon… What can I say that hasn’t been said a million times before? What an unbelievable creative individual he was. The Beatles are my “desert island” band for sure. There’s just so much variety. I’ve always loved their weirder, more experimental stuff and “Tomorrow Never Knows” is no exception. I love George Harrison’s playing on that track and I was really trying to capture that cutting lead tone on the solos. The main thing I take away from listening to The Beatles’ records is that they wouldn’t get in a hurry to churn something out. So much that happens on their tracks is so deliberate, creative and thoughtful while still retaining a raw, exciting feel. I try to keep a healthy balance of those two elements when I play. To me, great music is 50% brains and 50% guts.

Nashville is known for it’s great music scene. Can you share a bit about your musical adventures in Nashville? And for a newbie in Nashville where is the first place they should go for an evening of music?

Simple. Watch Mike Henderson on Monday nights at The Bluebird Cafe. I’ve been going to see him since I moved to town 11 years ago. Mike will show you that playing guitar is ALL in your hands, not your gear. His touch on the guitar is beyond words.

Do you have any bits of advice you could give for a band going into the recording studio for the first time?

All of my favorite artists strike a healthy balance of playing from their brain and playing from their guts. To me, that’s what it’s all about. Take the time before going into the studio to really practice and hone your skills. One thing I really hate to hear from guitar players is the classic line “I don’t practice because I want to play from the heart in the moment”. To me, this is such a misguided approach. You want to get your hands in a place where they’re ready for anything your brain can throw at them in the moment. Doing this will give you the freedom to explore new areas in a live situation and will get you out of the rut of playing your tired old “go-to” riffs and licks.

Listen to your favorite players, steal riffs and techniques from them and incorporate them into your playing. Learn the fretboard. Can’t stress that enough. Practice your scales & modes. Take the time to learn chords in every inversion up and down the neck. It makes such a difference and will really free up your playing. You’ll be amazed how that preparation will pay off when you’re in the moment in a live show or session.

Probably most importantly is to remember that as soon as you think you’ve learned everything there is to know about the guitar you’ll immediately stop getting better. Chet Atkins would steal riffs and learn new things from fellow guitar players right up until he passed. That inquisitive spirit is what made him one the best players to ever touch the instrument.

What current projects are you working on?

I’m currently playing shows with The Wallflowers and working on records with Ivan Howard (The Rosebuds), ElenOwen, KS Rhoads and Sylvie Lewis – I also compose for film / tv and enjoy sound design and recording strange instruments.

 
And for a bonus Stanton has included a video a fan took of The Wallflowers playing at Riverfest in Little Rock – Stanton is using the Flint Trem & Reverb on the verses.

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Guitarist Pete Thorn can be found doing a myriad of things. He has been guitar sideman for Chris Cornell, Don Henley, Melissa Etheridge and many more. He also has his own solo album Guitar Nerd. You can check out a bunch of great gear demos on Pete’s youtube page. Or if you are looking for some tips, be sure to check out his articles over at Premier Guitar. Let’s get to know a bit more about his pedalboard!

What type of pedalboard is this?

The board is made by Trailer Trash, and I use it for touring and for recording. It’s big enough to do everything I could possibly want, but small enough that I can still carry it around myself— fits nicely in the trunk of my car!

What is your signal path?

My guitar either feeds an AKG wireless, then the pedalboard, or is plugged into the board using Providence cable. The signal runs into a Mission volume pedal and Vertex Axis wah, then hits the Musicomlab MKIII switcher. The switcher feeds a TC Polytune mini. The loops in the switcher have 8 pedals (1 per loop). They are:

• Loop 1 – Suhr Koji Compressor
• Loop 2 – Boss MO-2 multi overtone
• Loop 3 – Strymon Mobius (pre-path)
• Loop 4 – MXR Phase 90
• Loop 5 – Secret EFX Secret 1 overdrive
• Loop 6 – Suhr Koko Boost
• Loop 7 – Crazy Tube Circuits Starlight Fuzz
• Loop 8 – Analog Man King Of Tone

The output of the switcher feeds a 1/4 inch jack on the left side of the board. Under the board is an RJM Y-Not midi A/B box, and the input and A/B outs also show up on the left side of the board. I patch the output of the switcher into the input of the A/B box. Output A feeds a D.I. This is for acoustic. Output B goes to the input of my main Suhr PT100 amp (my signature Suhr 100 watt amp). The amp effects send goes to the “post fx input”, also on the left side of my board. From there, the signal goes:

• Strymon Mobius (post path)
• Eventide H9#1 (used mainly for pitch)
• Strymon Timeline Delay
• Eventide H9#2 (used mainly for reverb)

The outputs of the 2nd H9 feed the effect return of the main PT100 amp and also a 2nd PT100, for stereo. I come out of the amps into 2 Suhr 2-12″ cabs with Celestion Creamback H speakers. That’s it!

What things did you need to take into consideration when building your 2014 pedalboard?

Size. I wanted it to be small enough to carry myself! But yet, I wanted to be able to do virtually everything I did with my previous rig—which consisted of a 12 space rack, 3 speaker cabs, etc etc! I need it super-reliable and road worthy. And of course NO tone suck, and as little noise as possible. On my last tour, we had to run about 35 feet of cable between the board for every run—the amps were back by my tech, but I was up on a riser. So, 35 feet from switcher out to the amp input, then 35 foot runs to and from the effects loops of the 2 heads. That’s a lot of unbalanced cable! It was quiet and sounded great, virtually like I was plugged right into the amp with a short cable. That’s because Dave Friedman did the board right, and John Suhr makes the best effect loops on earth. Buffered, quiet, tight, solid. Quality.

You tour with many artists, what is the pedal decisions like when you start touring with an artist? Does the artist provide any feedback on those decisions?

Not usually. I usually know what to do. “Black Hole Sun”…. I need a rotary pedal! “Like A Stone”- I need a whammy. That sort of thing. That’s why you get hired—you know what to do.

Please tell us about your new solo release “The Groomed Noodler.”

I recorded that track as a way to help the Suhr guys show off their new SL67 plexi-type amp. I wanted it to be just a raw, in your face kinda tune, to really show off the amp. It sounded really cool, so I decided I’d throw it up on iTunes, and also offer it through Jamtrackcentral.com as a lesson. You can get it from them as a package with full tab, a version with no lead guitar, etc. I’m glad people dig it.

How is touring solo different than touring as “guitar sideman”? Do you do anything different with your pedalboard?

Not really—the board is so versatile. I can use it easily in different configurations, in mono, or stereo, for example. I can also quickly patch everything so all the effects are in front of an amp—useful if I had to use a rental amp like a Twin or AC30, and there was no effects loop. I designed it to be adaptable to different situations.

Any advice to other musicians on what to consider when building a touring pedalboard?

I recommend collecting all the pedals first, laying them all out—look at what you have, and measure. Then you know how big of a board you’ll need. I like the Trailer Trash boards because it’s easy to run power supplies and cables underneath. It saves space and makes for a clean setup. You can also put jacks/patch points on the side of the board. I recommend that, because you can do it like I did—put some patches there, so you can re-route things easily and re-configure how you use your board, if need be. On my first tour with the board, with Melissa Etheridge, the out of the switcher fed the input of the post FX path, and the out of the last post FX (then a Line 6 M9) fed the RJM A/B box. The A out went to a Him Kelley amp set clean. The B out went to a Suhr SL68 set crunchy. So I used all FX in front, and A/B’d 2 amps, old school. Now, I use the post FX (the time based stuff) in the loop of the PT amps and am running in stereo, and the A/B is used for switching between acoustic and electric. Easy, and painless, to configure the board both ways, because of the patching on the side. So I recommend that sort of setup.

Also—I recommend consulting someone who knows this stuff really well, when building a board. There’s so many snafus you can hit, with ground loops, power issues, etc. Dave Friedman really knows his stuff, so he keeps my boards running smooth and quiet. That experience is invaluable. I can hit the stage with peace of mind, knowing my rig is tight. Good luck guys, happy rocking!

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Mike Longworth is a serious player who is a veteran of the L.A. rock scene. He’s the guitarist in the punk rock band Mest, and has performed and toured with Jessica Sanchez, Colton Dixon, Candace Glover, Kree Harrison, and Angie Miller—all winners and runners up of American Idol. He was a member of the band Prong for many years, and has even written a song on the band’s 2012 album Carved Into Stone.

What kind of pedalboard is this, and what is your signal path?

The board and case were custom made by me. Since I use an effects loop, I have two paths going. The first path goes into the front of the amp and is the OB.1, and various tremolos, flange, and distortions. The second path is the Mobius and Timeline, and they go through the effects loop. I have it all wired into a single router that sends it out to the amp. It makes setup time very quick. And it keeps everything very neat.

You have called your pedalboard “clean and quiet”. Can you expand on that?

I keep both paths in separate true bypass loops so they keep the signal quiet while I’m not using them. It also lets me select presets before I need them. When I’m ready for a group of effects I can just hit one button on the loop pedal and engage my effects. It keeps me from having to step on multiple pedals at the same time. I also send MIDI from the Timeline into a Voodoo Lab Control Switcher, and that changes the channel on my amp all with one button.

Can you elaborate a little more on building your own pedalboard?

It mainly started as a project. I’ve always been tempted to have an actual board filled with my favorite pedals, rather than one multi-effects unit (which I still use occasionally). It was about a 6 month process going through all my pedals. Space is limited, so I didn’t want everything on there. Once I got them all in order, I wanted the whole thing to be super quiet, so I added the true bypass loops. I had contacted a few places about wiring it up and the cost was quite high. I know how to solder and I know what cables to use, so I went for it. It worked! Maybe I should build boards?

Mest recently released the new album Not What you Expected! Can you share how your pedals played a part in this album?

I don’t usually use pedals while recording. I need to recreate those sounds live though and that’s where the pedals come in. For this record, I needed certain delays, choruses, trem, and on the song “Radio” I needed to make the guitar sound like it was coming through an AM radio. I actually was able to do all of this with the help of the Timeline and Mobius.

Mest and Kisses For Kings are more hard/punk, but you also play with Jessica Sanchez. Can you share how your pedals differ between the two genres?

I really don’t change much to be honest. My current board is pretty versatile in my opinion. It’s always evolving, but where I have it now, I can get pretty much any effect and sound I want. Because I use several multi-effects units, it saves some room and keeps me from tap dancing too much. For Mest, I let my amp do most of the work as far as clean and dirty. For Jessica Sanchez, I like to go into a cleaner sound as my main, and the OB.1 and other distortions act as a dirtier sound if I need them.

Do you have any advice for musicians getting into the punk scene nowadays, has much changed since back in the day?

The punk scene hasn’t changed much in my opinion. Besides the bands who broke into the mainstream in the early 2000′s, I still see the underground scene staying alive. There are now many different sub- genres of punk, but it’s still there surviving in the underground. The best advice I can give is to just play and don’t get discouraged by what people are saying is a dead music industry. There are always going to be bands playing live and fans going to see them. That is never going to end.

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We recently heard from pedalboard builder Mike Vegas of Nice Rack Canada, and he gave us the story behind a challenging job to create a board for a Jazz & Chamber Orchestra guitarist, Rob Piltch. We thought the board turned … Continue reading →

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Chris Wrate is a guitarist, songwriter and musical director that works with Ariana Grande, David Foster, Randy Jackson, Daniel Powter, Cher Lloyd, and Charice, among others. Chris originates from southeastern Wisconsin, where he got his first live experiences sitting in … Continue reading →

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Andy Othling is a guitarist from Albuquerque, New Mexico who writes and records his own music under the name Lowercase Noises and plays with bands Archabald and Future of Forestry. He runs a YouTube channel and a site called Reverb … Continue reading →

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Killian Gavin grew up listening to The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac. From a young age he never wanted to do anything other than play in a band. His mum had him in piano lessons as a child, … Continue reading →

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Blake Stranathan is a guitarist, producer, and writer currently working with Lana Del Rey. After being a finalist on MTV’s Making His Band at the age of 20, Blake has gone on to work with artists such as Mary J. … Continue reading →

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Madi Diaz is charismatic, fun, and a very talented songwriter/musician. Her new album Phantom is available now. If she is touring in your area, we highly recommend paying her a visit! We recently talked with Madi, and she gives us … Continue reading →

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Nicholas Semrad keeps busy playing as much music as possible. Which sounds great to us. Nicholas tours with Lauryn Hill, performs and records with Cory Henry & the Funk Apostles, and finds time to jam with “The Lesson” at Brooklyn … Continue reading →

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Jason Glover emailed us a picture of his pedalboard and I think you might agree that is a looker! I had to know a little bit more about it and asked if he’d be willing to do a Pedalboard Feature … Continue reading →

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Looking for someone that enjoys talking gear? Dave Depper is your person. He said so himself here :) Now with Death Cab For Cutie, Dave has stayed busy playing and recording with a slew of great artists. He also has … Continue reading →

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Photo by @sparklejensen Between touring with two bands, recording, and running his studio (Twin Hill Studio), Walter Hill keeps himself surrounded by music. Find out about all the musical endeavors that are keeping Walter busy, plus the ins and outs … Continue reading →

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Multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Jesse Quin has some interesting and unexpected things to say as he talks about his approach to playing his various instruments, how he finds inspiration when songwriting, what he’s listening to and working on these days, and … Continue reading →

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London-based guitarist Ross Chapman has played with numerous artists including Professor Green, Ella Henderson, Labrinth, and Hailee Steinfeld, to name a few. Ross recently sat down with MusicPsych to discuss his current musical project, his guitars, his new pedalboard configuration, and … Continue reading →

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When Montreal-based guitarist Mike Gavrailoff isn’t on stage or in the studio with any of the numerous artists he plays with (or working on his own project, Texas Dirty), he is also a music writer who frequently sits down with his favorite … Continue reading →

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Before Billy Norris could even get out of school to start the often long, arduous search for a job, he landed an amazing gig with Gavin DeGraw. Billy’s responsibilities with Gavin DeGraw have continued to grow for the last 8+ years. Learn more below and get a nice look at Billy Norris’s pedalboard.

What kind of pedalboard is this, and what is your signal path?
This is the same Pedaltrain PT-Pro that I’ve been using for the last eight years. It’s yet to fail me and holds up like a tank. The signal path is:

Peterson StroboStomp 2, JHS Pulp ‘N’ Peel, Boss OC-3, JHS SuperBolt, Jetter Red Shift, Jetter Gold Standard, Fulltone Full-Drive 2, Ernie Ball VP JR, Strymon Mobius, Eventide TimeFactor, Strymon BigSky, Category 5 A/B/Y switcher. Separately, there is a Morningstar Engineering MC6 MIDI controller that runs into the TimeFactor, thru to the BigSky, and thru to the Mobius. There is a separate Boss TU-3 that is used for my acoustic line, and sent to an Avalon U5.

You are not only playing guitar with Gavin DeGraw—you are also his musical director. Can you tell us what you do as a musical director?
As Gavin’s musical director, I’m responsible for anything and everything that has to do with the actual performance of his songs. I conceptualize our live shows, write arrangements, manage and edit our playback rig, rehearse the band, and interface with the record label and management to make sure that we are always representing his music and vision the way he wants it done. Gavin gives me a lot of creative freedom within the context of our shows, and trusts that I will always be bringing new ideas to him. As an artist, he’s extremely talented, but he doesn’t always know the technical terms for what it is he wants to hear, or how he wants something to sound. It’s my job to act almost as his translator, and manifest his ideas into something we can put in front of a crowd. It’s an exciting challenge, and it keeps me very engaged.

How did you decide to pursue being a musical director?
I didn’t really decide to pursue it, per se—it kind of pursued me. I’ve been working with Gavin since the end of 2008, and after a few years on the road with him, I kind of naturally fell into that role. I have a formal musical education (from Manhattan School of Music in NYC, with a jazz background), so that has kind of helped prepare me for some of the unexpected challenges we’ve faced. For example, last year, we did a month-long festival residency in Europe with a full symphony orchestra accompanying us, and we had to work with the orchestral arrangers to find the right way to represent his music in that setting. Fun stuff!

You are in the studio right now working on some new Gavin DeGraw tunes. Can you give us a little insight in how your recording process works?
We actually just finished the new record! It’s called Something Worth Saving and will be released on RCA Records on September 9th. As far as my role goes, I was involved fairly early on in the process, tracking and engineering demos for a few of the songs (one of which was actually the title track of the record). After Gavin writes and produces the majority of the songs, I will usually come in to the studio to add some little things here and there. Guitar overdubs usually happen fairly late in the game, and it’s all about finding the little spots to add some color or texture that may not be there already. It sounds so played out to say this, but less really IS more in the studio.

You play some massive venues. What are some things that you do to make sure your shows are flawless?
Honestly, I have very little to do with it. We have a fantastic crew that really takes care of every little thing for us. My tech, Darrin Gagliarducci, is a gentleman and a scholar. He stays one step ahead of any problems that could arise, and he listens to my mix on a set of in-ears so he can hear if something’s amiss even if he has his back turned. Our FOH guy, Mitch Vanhoose, is an audio wizard as well, so between the two of them, I rarely have anything to worry about, whether we’re playing for 200 people, or playing at Fenway Park.

Thursday vibes with #billyjoel and #gavindegraw in Philly.

A photo posted by billy_norris (@billy_norris) on Aug 13, 2015 at 2:34pm PDT

How do you utilize your Strymon gear in the studio and on stage with Gavin DeGraw?
My BigSky is one of those pedals that I never ever turn off. I have a setting for a short plate reverb that is one of my always-on settings. Situationally, I’ll use some of the more colorful ambient verbs for effect, but that pedal is a workhorse. I’ve also used it in the studio as a buss reverb return for vocals and instruments sent from my DAW (I work in Logic). There are some reverbs in there (particularly the Cloud algorithm) that I’ve literally never heard in ANY plugin or hardware device before. That’s incredibly useful to me. Also, I use the Mobius primarily for storing time-synced tremolo, and that incredible Leslie emulation. The stuff just can’t be beat.

Follow Billy Norris at:
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Website
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You can never laugh enough – at least that’s how we feel over at Strymon headquarters. So it was great when Linda Taylor reached out to us about her use of Strymon pedals on one of our favorite, truly funny shows. Linda, who shares some more insight below, has spent a lot of time expressing humor in her music as a part of Whose Line is it Anyway?. When not in a cyclone of laughs, Linda works with many artists like Tracy Chapman, Maia Sharp, Sheila E., Carlos Rios, Edwin McCain, Thelma Houston, just to name a few. Keep reading to find out about Linda’s pedalboard and more.

What kind of pedalboard is this, and what is your signal path?

The picture is of what I would consider my “main” pedalboard. It changes all the time, but there are a few pedals that don’t get switched out.

The signal path starts at the Brad Sarno Steel Guitar Black Box, which is a tube buffer with variable impedance. The Peterson strobe tuner is connected via the Black Box (which has a tuner out). I hear a difference when the tuner is in the signal chain, so I keep it out (this is true on all my boards regardless of buffer – I always use a “tuner out” on the buffer).

From the Black Box, the signal goes into the Loop-Master 3-way bypass switcher. Out A goes to the Cry Baby Wah, B goes to the MXR Phase 90, and I leave C open for any pedal I want to drop into the chain, in this case the Origin Cali76. It’s convenient, especially at sessions, to have this C port so I can drop anything in. Otherwise I’m patching in pedals after the delays.

I’m rarely called for anything that doesn’t require a pristine clean sound. As a result, I get my OD and gain sounds from pedals. From the Loop-Master, the signal goes into the Sarno Earth Drive, to the Bogner Wessex, to the Rockbox Boiling Point. The Earth Drive and the Wessex get changed out and switched frequently, sometimes I’ll drop an Analog Man King Of Tone in there, it depends on the gig. The Boiling Point rarely gets changed out, and when I do, I usually regret it.

From the Boiling Point the signal goes into the Vertex Boost. I’m primarily using the Boost for its expression port, which connects to the Ernie Ball Volume Pedal. I always keep the Volume Pedal out of the chain, so the Vertex is great for that. It’s a terrific boost as well, but I tend to only use it with single coils.

From there the signal goes into the Demeter Tremulator, my favorite trem, and from there into the Strymon TimeLine and out to the El Capistan.

The El Cap functions as my general, “rhythm” delay and “solo” delay, while the TimeLine functions as more effected, long delays; more ambient sounds. Truthfully, I can probably do all delay duties with just the TimeLine, but the El Cap has a special “something.” I love this pedal.

I also have the Strymon BigSky, which I’m using mostly in the studio, so it’s not pictured on this board. The Midi clock on both the TimeLine and BigSky are essential, so I just keep a MIDI cable handy in the studio. Live, I’m just a tapping away!

You have what I would consider a very unique job working with Whose Line is it Anyway?, an improv show. I’d love to hear more about how you prepare for and handle the improv nature of the music on the show?

I’ve been on Whose Line for about 17 years, maybe 18. Laura Hall and I count it by the age of her youngest daughter, so I’d have to check:>) It’s a very bizarre gig on a number of levels. There really isn’t much preparation we can do because we don’t know what is going to happen, although after so many years of not knowing what is going to happen, we are pretty familiar with what they like. So Laura and I get together before each round of shooting and go through iTunes and jam on a bunch of styles. I spend a lot of time programming drums that will work for a variety of genres (on Whose Line, we are pretty broad with our descriptions). We like to think about “orchestration” ahead of time: Should I be on bass, or banging faux timpani, or playing guitar, or what if they call “Broadway Musical” … that kind of thing. We are really trying to bring as much production and polish to the live music as possible. The key thing for us is reference – we must quickly convey the essence of whatever style we’re playing to Wayne and Jeff and Brad or whomever is singing. If it’s “jazz,” I’m gonna dink dink dink on a ride cymbal, if it’s “Prince,” I’m gonna start with the little 6/9 funk chord, that kind of thing. Immediate Reference!

You also play with many musicians and recently were recording with a new artist. Can you share how the TimeLine Ice setting played a part in these recordings?

Boy, the TimeLine saved me on a recent session. The artist wanted guitar, but wanted it to be not quite guitar sounding, more ambient, drone-y, ephemeral, you know, not guitar. So I was just leaning on the Timeline all day long…think I went through every single factory preset. I kept coming back to the “Ice” preset, the way that sound sort of evolves and spins and sprinkles, boy I was a hero with that one. The artist REALLY liked it, so I think it made it to several tracks on the album….hey, if it ain’t broke…. I was tapping in and manually setting tempo all day, but from now on, I’ll just have them send me MIDI clock and run a cable, which is now what I do in my own studio. So much faster and accurate!

What is your go-to guitar and why?

Whatever the song needs, I don’t play favorites. Of course if there are several guitar parts I will always incorporate a single-coil track, a humbucker, then maybe my ’72 Thinline, or something unexpected like the $25 Decca my mother bought me when I was eight years old. I don’t want the mix engineer to have to work that hard, especially when I’m the mix engineer. So the guitar parts and the sounds should all stand on their own nicely. Live, it’s the same thing, whatever the gig needs. More and more I have a Strat and a 335 with me.

You have also played in many TV show house bands. Can you share a tip for someone that is looking to try to get their foot in the TV show door?

Oh, I guess the thing to remember is a TV show is very much like a casual – the music isn’t the point. It’s a cool punctuation, an accent, but it is not the point. Remembering that little mantra has saved me an ulcer or two…maybe I should stitch it on a pillow. Reading helps, but it’s all about being quick. It’s not what can you do, it’s what can you do NOW. Flexibility, open mindedness, preparation, be ready for anything. Maybe it’s like being a pinch-hitter. You sit there waiting, waiting, waiting, then when the camera swings your way you have to hit a home run. How’s that for mixing metaphors?

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Kryz Reid of Third Eye Blind joins us to talk about his pedalboard and more. Third Eye Blind has been busy with their recently released album Dopamine, and were just in the studio working on their soon to be released We Are Drugs EP.

What kind of pedalboard is this, and what is your signal path?

This is my “A” rig pedalboard which runs a rack of effects via MIDI. The brain of the board is an RJM Music Mastermind GT. I’m not a fan of running long cabling for audio, so all my effects and audio cabling sit right beside my amps. The pedalboard controls an RJM Music Effect Gizmo which brings different effects into the signal path depending on the patch enabled. The signal path is:

Guitar -> Custom A/B Box ->Rack Mount Cry Baby Wah -> RJM Effects Gizmo (Digitech Whammy DT -> Keeley Compressor Pro -> Bondi Effects Sick As -> Bondi Effects Del Mar -> Way Huge Swollen Pickle -> Strymon Deco -> RJM Mini Effect Gizmo -> Pepper Pedals Jalapeño -> JHS Morning Glory -> Pepper Pedals Shishito -> Walrus Audio Iron Horse -> JHS Colour Box -> JHS Pollinator -> Strymon Mobius -> Strymon TimeLine -> Strymon BigSky.

The custom A/B box splits to my “B” board which is a fly version of the “A” rig, and to a TC Electronics Ditto. I control my whammy and wah through Mission Engineering custom expression pedals.

Pictured below is my “B” board, which is a fly version of my “A” rig. I use it in the studio, and this photo is from a studio we were recording in Brooklyn, NY earlier this year. The guitar beside the board is my number one Les Paul, BB-8.

You joined Third Eye Blind in 2010. How did that relationship start?

I played in a band in Los Angeles with our drummer Brad. I met him through our mutual friend Soren Gray, a San Francisco singer-songwriter I’d met in Dublin. I used to fly over from Dublin and sleep on Soren’s floor and we’d hang out and make music. Brad was the drummer in Soren’s band. He called me up in January 2010 and gave me first dibs on the Third Eye gig. My first reaction was: Wow! Awesome, I get to play with Brad all the time. I’d never actually heard any Third Eye Blind music at that time. They weren’t big in Ireland, or at least they had never popped up on my radar at all.

Please tell us about the new Third Eye Blind album and some highlights of recording the new album.

The album Dopamine was recorded all over the shop. We started with demos in San Francisco in Stephan’s studio. We were touring constantly, so we’d work different studios into our touring schedule. We recorded in Oklahoma, SF, Los Angeles, London, all over. There were a bunch of highlights for me, from writing songs on tour in Hawaii to recording one-take live sessions in Los Angeles with Jason Lader.

For those that are working their way up to a large venue, could you share what it is like to play venues like Jones Beach Theater or Irvine Meadows that have capacities of 15,000+?

I’m not sure what I could share in terms of how to get there, but the experience of playing any venue for me really boils down to the connection we feel as a band on stage. It’s like swimming, you know? Once you can swim, you can swim. It doesn’t matter if you’re in six feet of water or sixty. That’s kinda what’s it’s like for us on stage. Come see Third Eye in a 150-capacity club, or in front of 15,000 people, we play every show like that.

What are some reasons that Jimi Hendrix has been a huge influence on your guitar playing?

Well, I came to Jimi like I’m sure a lot of people did, through Prince. Prince is the entire reason I ever got into playing guitar. So for me, Jimi was like the prequel. I learned everything from Prince, and seeing Jimi just opened my eyes the same way I’m guessing Jimi opened Prince’s eyes. It’s gonna sound odd, but when I first listened to Jimi, Page, Frusciante–I felt I could do that. With Prince, it was always like a bizarre magic trick.

Watching guitar players play is something otherworldly to me. It’s funny, I used to never work out any guitar solos or other guitarists parts in songs ya know? Like I didn’t want to know how the magic trick worked. Ever since Prince died I feel the cloak has lifted on that. That’s why you’ll hear me playing part of the Purple Rain solo in “Something in You” live now.

What guitars are you touring with? Why did you choose those?

My guitar boat consists of a bunch of Les Pauls, a doubleneck SG, and a Telecaster. All my guitars are named after Star Wars characters. My number one Les Paul is a ’58 Reissue R8 called BB-8. Number two is a ’79 The Paul called Vader which I bought in Dublin actually. I have another The Paul called Anakin which is a ’78. I’ve a Traditional, an R0, a doubleneck SG (named Tatooine) and a ’66 Custom Telecaster which is Stephan’s. I bring a vault of about eight guitars because we use a bunch of different tunings live. My backstage jam/warm-up guitar is a ’68 Fender Custom Shop RI…called Death Star.

Bonus picture of Kryz Reid’s amplifier. It is a custom shop Fender Tone-Master from ’91 that Kryz had Simone Legno of Tokidoki do custom artwork on and then had it wrapped by Fender’s custom shop tolex guy.

The post Pedalboard Feature: Kryz Reid of Third Eye Blind appeared first on Strymon.

LeoLeo is a duo of talented long-time friends, Vanessa Wheeler (songs/guitars/vocals) and Sarah Hope (drums/electronics/production). Their music ranges from dreamy soundscapes to fast-paced rock songs. As someone who has had the opportunity to see them perform live, I can tell you that in addition to great songs, powerful arrangements, and infectious musical energy onstage, another thing that really stands out is the guitar work. There is a richness and subtlety to Vanessa Wheeler’s guitar playing and her live guitar tones that is uncommon. In the article below, Vanessa tells us about her pedalboard and more, plus we get to see a brand new video from LeoLeo!

A photo posted by Leo*Leo (@leoleoband) on Oct 6, 2016 at 7:55pm PDT

What kind of pedalboard is this, and what is your signal path?

This is a Pedal Train “Fly” in white which I don’t think they make any more. It’s my main board for everything; and I can carry it onto a plane if I need to. I plan on building a smaller non-MIDI board, but for most live applications, I would love MIDI to be included in everything because I have to do the job of singer and guitarist, and that gets very cumbersome sans MIDI. My signal path is as follows:

Fox Pedals Kingdom > Wren and Cuff Suppa Phat Phuk > Earthquaker Devices Cloven Hoof > Earthquaker Devices Organizer > Chase Bliss Audio Warped Vinyl MKII > Eventide H9 MAX > Strymon BigSky > One Control Crocodile Tail Loop MIDI capable switcher

The Kingdom and Phat Phuk are ODs, but the Kingdom is a very tweakable, transparent OD, where the Phat Phuk adds character and some nastiness to the signal. The Phat Phuk is actually more of a boost that adds girth and sizzle and bark to your tone, should you desire that!

The Cloven Hoof is, to my ears, a very transparent sounding fuzz that lets you hear the pitch of what you’re playing, is detailed with chords (pretty necessary for me), and can still get totally crazy if you need it too.

The Organizer is an octave pedal with a lot of character. It’s noisy and has these great artifacts in the signal. It has a lot of little weird fairy sounds, too. As a solo player, I use it to fatten up my signal when I need a little extra bass, and also for giving life to sections that need something extra special.

The Warped Vinyl is another one of those “character” pedals. It’s so completely versatile that I haven’t even delved into its depths. I use it to create movement and to change timbres from section to section.

The Eventide H9 Max I mostly use for delay and other modulation sounds. It’s compact and massively versatile. Delay and reverb are essential for me, and so is MIDI.

I had a blueSky and loved it, but I wanted the massive bank of features and MIDI capabilities with the BigSky! It’s integral to my sound, and allows me to really shape each section of a song with the reverb. I particularly love the Magneto settings and pre-delay. Who knew you could create so much movement with a reverb pedal!

What are your main guitars and amps, and what do you like about them?

I tend to use my Bilt S.S. Zaftig (Galaxy Rose) and my heavily modded Fender Offset Special (Porpoise) the most with my Vox AC10C1. The Bilt just sounds killer when I need something loud and rocking, but can get detailed very nicely as well; it’s super light, and has these great Curtis Novak, unpotted humbucking lipstick pickups in them.

The Offset Special is also extremely lightweight, and has these custom Lollar Thunderbird pickups in them; well rounded, single-coil sound but without the hum. I like this guitar for when I need to fill up a lot of space as it’s really well balanced across the frequency spectrum. Also, the pickups have a nice creamy breakup and sustain nicely.

In regards to amps, my AC15C1 sounds killer but it’s generally loud for my live needs so I use it for recording and my daily indulgences.

I’m frequently trying out guitars and have really warmed to this new Fender Japan hollow body Mustang for some funkier and more single coil sounds; it’s been pairing really nicely with my Quilter 101 head and Benson Amps 10” Jensen cab; really great for detailed, intimate gigs.

You use a lot of different electric guitar techniques on stage, including fingerstyle, really dynamic and rhythmically precise picking, and straight-up digging in and rocking. Also, there’s a complexity to the music, with interesting chords, movement, and melodies. How did you learn all that? What is your music education background?

I taught myself to play guitar initially, and then took classical guitar lessons. I was always naturally inclined towards songwriting, but I didn’t know anyone to play with, so I tried to fill out the sound as best I could with the variety of techniques you mentioned. I’ve never sought out anyone to emulate with my playing, but I grew up with a lot of Brazilian music, jazz, and more complex pop from bands like Steely Dan. I became really interested in hand percussion when my cousin visited my family from Brazil (he dabbled in it); some of that snuck into my playing as well. That’s sort of the beginning of my musical background, but it became more informed by classical voice-leading, and generally much freer, after my time in music school. I can’t say I always use it, but I try to create cohesiveness when I can. I generally have a very visceral connection to playing guitar; the way the instrument vibrates with whatever chords and vocal part I’m playing is very seductive to me, and I particularly enjoy fitting my voice within a chord to feel the whole thing vibrate. This is why, in part, my music is generally slow moving; the physical vibrations and emotional narrative of my songs are often working together.

A photo posted by Leo*Leo (@leoleoband) on May 9, 2016 at 11:40am PDT

Are there any guitarists (or other musicians) that have really inspired you and/or informed what you do on the guitar?

My mother taught me to play and still hears music in a way that baffles me. Aside from her, I don’t listen to very many guitarists, but Egberto Gismonti is really the only exception. I do, however, really admire Jeff Beck’s playing.

You seem to be a pretty prolific songwriter. Have you ever gone through a dry spell when you were not writing as much as you wanted to? If so, how did you get back in the creative groove?

My education has really helped me to get through the blocks in my songwriting. Honestly, having those small techniques has helped me quite a bit. Other than that, some techniques that have proven helpful are not playing or writing for two weeks straight (it’s painful), playing somewhere you don’t usually spend time in, and setting boundaries for the song/composition to reign yourself in. I also think it’s essential to keep a notebook or some kind of log of your musical ideas/lyrics before you lose them forever!

LeoLeo has an EP coming out soon. Can you tell us about it?

Our upcoming EP, Side Two, is compilation of songs and “reimaginings” of cover songs we recorded and mixed while living in different cities/states. As such, the songs allowed us to explore more electronic sounds, and I was able to exercise my composition muscles, which I loved! My bandmate Sarah mixed a number of the songs on the EP as well!

And the first single that will be released from the EP is “Iowa,” right? I’m excited to be able to link to the debut of the video for that single!

Yes! The video’s concept was co-imagined by the directer, Spencer Balliet, and myself. It is essentially about how we sell ourselves things and/or ideas that we don’t need, and there is a sort of reveal at the end.

Where can we go to keep up with you and LeoLeo online?

Our Instagram page is the one I use most. It’s definitely more of an insider look into the nerd world of Vanessa. Sarah handles our Twitter and that’s mostly her world. Our Facebook is primarily announcement driven with more updates about upcoming shows, features we’ll be on, music releases, etc. You can buy our music anywhere, but Bandcamp has a deal where you can get our entire released discography for a discounted price.

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