Wednesday, July 22, 2009

LYT Pedalboards – Good Value for Money


I thought about making my own pedalboard, but I don’t have a workshop, the tools I’d need or very good woodworking skills. I also don’t have the time so I went in search of low cost alternatives.

I ended up buying a LYT Pedalboard that I purchased via eBay for about $70. I use less than 10 pedals so I didn’t need a huge board so I went with the LYT 24 without the carry case. It arrived within two days and it was, as the name suggests, quite light. It is made from a pressed composite that is quite strong and painted in a flat gray color. The first step was to cut the enclosed Velcro to length and cover the board. My only complaint is the minimal amount of Velcro included – not enough to account for any errors or cover underneath the riser or the sides. I wanted everything covered in black Velcro so I went to Home Depot and purchased some more.

That minor gripe aside, I am very happy with the board. The riser is a nice touch (although it is fixed) and it is a great organizer – all my effects loop pedals are grouped on the riser. The board looks good and is quite strong. For bedroom use and playing out a couple of times a week it is a solid choice. If you are playing out a lot or touring I think any of the Pedaltrain models would be the way to go, but for what I need and the price, I give this two thumbs up.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Danelectro Mini Effects Pedals


I won an eBay auction last week landing five Danelectro modulation effects pedals for $56 including carrying case, cables and free shipping. Score!

The pedals are:

  • Milk Shake Chorus
  • Hash Browns Flanger
  • Pepperoni Phaser
  • Tuna Melt Tremolo
  • Chicken Salad Vibe

I’m especially interested to hear the Tuna Melt Tremolo as it is on some pro-player boards who could buy any tremolo they wanted. I’m also interested to put the Chicken Salad Vibe up against my $300 KR Products MegaVibe – can I hear a $290 difference in tone?

I will review each product individually in upcoming posts.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

King of Tone - Chris Duarte


Many people write Chris Duarte off as a Stevie Ray Vaughan clone – just like when Robin Trower was seen as a Hendrix clone early in his career. Wrong on both counts.

Duarte is really maturing as a guitar player and singer and I really like some of his more recent CDs. His tone is excellent – driven by a nice selection of analog effects pedals.

There is a great video up on YouTube where Duarte talks about his gear. Check it out at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmXUSfBIIsM&feature=PlayList&p=07ED3F6DA67A5E99&index=10


If you’d like to hear Chris is action check out these CDs:

  • Chris Duarte Group – Texas Sugar Strat Magic
  • Chris Duarte Group – Blue Velocity

You can also stream or download some live shows from here:

http://www.archive.org/details/ChrisDuarteGroup