Pedalboard dead in the middle of a gig... what's your backup plan?

[Chadley]

Step 1: Bypass Pedalboard
Step 2: Crank Amp until beautiful creamy overdrive occurs
Step 3: Rock out
Step 4: Realize after your best gig ever that you don't really need all those pedals after all

All joking aside, that can be a major drag on a gig. The thing I do is constantly make sure that my pedalboard is neatly wired and in working order. I have had several issues over the years but I was able to figure it out pretty quickly.

 

[somedude]

Imagine you are relying on your pedalboard for most or all of your tones (dirt, delay, phasers, "stackings" etc). Then, in a middle of a gig you start having problems, to the point of not getting any sound. You see it's not the amp by plugging in straight.

This is why I don't gig with pedals. After a couple of bad experiences I found it easier/more fun to just plug in and play.

Although I have started using a wah lately and I do plan on gigging with it once I find a new band. I'll probably stick to batteries... just one less thing to go wrong.

 

[NetStar]

I run each pedal out of its own true bypass loop. I know it seems a little overkill, but four years ago I bought two Loop-Master's and ran one pedal out of each loop, and I've never had a problem because the loops make it easy to isolate the problem; a pedal or cable can go completely out, and you can hardwire it out of your circuit in a second and keep on playing. It's helped me multiple times.

Anything else, long cable, guitar, amp, I just try to bring a backup in my car.

What if a switch on your looper goes?


If my M13 went down during a song in my last band, I'd have been pretty screwed.

 

[Fatso Forgottso]

Since my band closes with an extended improvisation anyways, we'd just skip straight to that.

 

[HurricaneJesus]

I've got a load a patch cables in my backpack so what I'll do is yank my sunface off the board and finish the set with just that then troubleshoot on my break. Worst case scenario? I just finish the gig with my sunface. What if my sunface breaks? Never happen.

 

[Steve73]

If my pedalboard goes down, it's no big deal for me with the amp I use. With my Mesa Lonestar Special, a lot of time I am just using the amp anyway with no pedals. Pedals in my setup are just for niche sounds like octave fuzz, phaser, etc. I would miss my delay but not a biggie.

 

[monty]

I'd hate for it to happen, but the only thing you can do until break is go straight into the amp.
I do make sure that I have a OD ready to go at all times though. That is the min. I need.

 

[FLYING V 83]

Boss GT-3

 

[Trandy]

I always bring a spare pedalboard...PT Mini....with just the basics to get me through the gig.

 

[pixelchemist]

M13

 

[Stormbringer]

I forgot to mention that I usually bring a Digitech RP50 as backup - with some patches previously programmed for general sounds I use, i.e., high gain dist, rotovibe, flangers, etc. - but I have never used it. it's there, though, so I can recommend that approach others have indicated.

 

[TubeStack]

Learn to plug straight in, crank the amp, and finish the gig like a man.

 

[Slideman]

A Boss BCB-60 Pedalboard loaded with drive, distortion, modulation, and delay. The board is reliable, can run off any 9v power supply, has a built in effects loop and all the pedals are Boss....can't kill em.

 

[strat56]

Digitech RP500. Easy to carry, quick to set up if needed.

 

[Bobby D]

plug straight into my Savage Macht 12x, turn it up, and RAWK

 

[apoyando]

Make sure I'm still in tune..and play straight into that 3 Monkeys..turn up turn down

 

[foxracer]

Learn to plug straight in, crank the amp, and finish the gig like a man.

Exactly. Board crapped out on me (turned out to be a bizarro infinite loop issue with my beloved Memory Man that I've never been able to replicate) towards the end of a gig in a crap dive bar. Unplugged the board, went direct into the AC15, turned it up and experienced some blissful rockandroll freedom. Of course, had this not been towards the end of the gig or in a dive it might not have been quite as blissful.

 

[voorhiessa]

Bad Monkey, $40.

If you board dies, this can get OD tones.
If your amp dies, you can use this to go straight to the board.

Of course, neither are ideal, but the Bad Monkey COULD get you through (with decent tone).

Option B would be a MFX unit, something like a Digitech RP355. Amp modeling, built in DI, and ability to use as pedalboard (as oppose to just presets) for around $150

 

[dk123123dk]

This is one of the major pluses of a modeling rig. Digitech, Line 6, Boss, etc.

No worries about your board crapping out on you. They are cheap and small enough to carry a backup with the exact same tones saved.

Granted the tones aren't as good as the stand alone pedals in a best case scenario, but they are good enough to inspire me to create music. And with the multitude of options and features not avail to a traditional rig, they may inspire you in ways analog pedals could not.


dk

 

[voorhiessa]

come to think of it, this happened to me once. Granted, it was just one pedal (chorus), but the battery died just before and I found some no-name power supply to use. Mid-song, I stomp it, it engaged, but after 3 seconds I smell smoke and see a trail rising from the pedal.