Update

First entry in a while, I've been really busy at school doing lots of work. I'm learning a lot this semester and growing as a musician. For most of this semester, my focus has been on jazz. I'm not really a jazz player yet, but i think studying it has improved my ear and technique. I've improved my "rig" as well. I finally have a job so i can make money and get some things i need to put a good setup together. That was one of my main goals this semester. So i'll talk about my new setup just a bit. 

1. Ernie Ball VP junior Volume Pedal-Ever since i started listening to Jimmy Herring i've always wanted to be able to do some volume swell technique. Playing a strat, i was able to get the volume swell down with my pinky pretty well. It works well for single notes and longer, sustained chords. But i always wanted a way that i could be more articulate with the volume control and play some more complicated things in a swell. Well, the answer to that problem was a volume pedal. Now i can do some really interesting swell technique combining the use of my pinky and the pedal. 

2. MXR Carbon Copy analog delay pedal- This is a great and subtle effect for playing some chords or lead. The actual delay effect of this pedal is excellent because it doesnt change the tone of my guitar at all. I can get anything from slap-back echo to the U2 like delay that they are so famous for. I've also had a bit of fun trying to do the Pink Floyd delay settings from the song "Run Like Hell". There is also Modulation switch. This switch is the reason why i gravitated toward the Carbon Copy. It can emulate the old "tape echo" sound that i'm really into. Its this swirling effect where you hear the note move around a bit after you play it. Again, this is a subtle effect, but can be really effective. 

3. Boss TU-2 Tuner Pedal- this probably isnt the most interesting pedal, but it has really helped me out. I can use the pedal to tune my guitar or bass quickly in a live situation. I had a gig a few weeks ago, and having this pedal made me feel very confident about staying in tune the whole time. For some reason, when i play live, i usually think that i'm constantly horribly out of tune. Even though that's usually not the case. So having this pedal on my board can help me relax on stage. 

4. Maxon OD-9 Overdrive- I've had this pedal for a long time and i love the tone i get from it. Its a great lead tone that really screams. For a long time this was my only pedal. I'm happy with it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a traditional overdrive sound. 

So, that's my current setup. Its fairly simple and gets the job done. I've only got the chance to use it live once, but i was very satisfied with my sound. I'm also happy with how easy it is to use all my pedals. Of course these pedals are used in combination with my Fender Stevie Ray Vaughan strat that is my only guitar. Ive been looking to add another guitar to my setup as well. Something that offers a different option. I've thought about so many different guitars, that if i wrote them all i think this blog would be 50 pages long. I change my mind every day about what guitar i want next, so its good to know that i still love my No. 1. 

I'll be writing another entry very soon...

Thanks for reading,

-MD