The Life of a Pedal Whore

Known Pedal Whores.
Mike Einziger from Incubus
The Edge from u2
Bug from 1908
Kevin from A promise Made.

These people suffer from a rare disease called GAS (gear acquisition syndrome). It can affect all musicians, but generally targets guitar players. Those who have this disease often find themselves on a quest for various pieces of guitar equipment, and in this instance, it is effect pedals.

Unfortunately, I also suffer from this disease. It causes me to always be on the lookout for old/rare/unique/fun effects for me to tinker around with. I find myself staying up late/getting up early, hoping to score a sweet buy it now on eBay, or perhaps find a great deal on a classified website. When I’m not lookin’ to purchase new FX, I’m researching them. I try to look up the history of old FX, gauge various values, or looking for sound clips to get a feel of a pedal.
It’s pathetic, I’m well aware.

Luckily, us pedal whores are gaining in numbers. Thanks to the Internet, there are now dozens of forums dedicated to guys like us. We gather to discuss effects we have purchased, what is on our GAS lists, pictures of gear, or to b.s. about any other effect related crap. The best part about the forums (to me) is the plethora of available information by brilliant players. Post a question, and within minutes, you will have 4 replies worth of answers.

My personal favorites:

www.harmonycentral.com
http://www.thegearpage.net/
http://www.geekchat.com/
http://www.musictoyz.com/
www.plexipalace.com

These forums have put me in contact with some amazing people over the years. Recently, I had the fortune of be-friending Tom Hughes, a former employee of Analogman (one of the largest boutique/hand made effect makers/modders), and fellow on-line forumite. Tom recently released his 1st book, titles Analog Man’s Guide to Vintage Effects. He took over two years in researching, collecting pictures, and interviewing people from all over the world, to create the most extensive history/database of effects pedals. He self-published the book, even though it may mean fewer sales; he feared that a publishing house editor may remove too much information he deemed vital. It’s about the art and the info.

I am now working through my second reading of the book, and it is one of the most informative gear books I have ever read. It breaks down the total history of guitar effects, and brings it all the way to the present, detailing the history of what seems to be each manufacturer. It has detailed color pictures of effects from the most popular brands, to some of the most obscure pieces I have seen. It even goes as far as breaking down what kinds of chips are used in different vintage effects, and the various sounds then produced. There is more detail in this book than all of the other ‘effects’ books that attempt to share the same market, combined.

Whether you are a rookie, hobbyist, or pro; if you are a fan of effects, I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s a great way to get into the world of FX.

For more information, please visit Tom Hughes website:
http://www.formusiciansonly.com/