Stomp boxes behind me...I like it

[Big John Studd]

Recently I have been placing my stomp boxes behind me next to my amplifier. Since I am often the lead singer this means they are basically out of reach once the song begins. I kind of like it this way. I do have to turn around and stomp on one or two and/or bend down to adjust a knob before a song from time to time, but then that's it...no stomping on things during the song, when I take a guitar break, etc. I think it's improved my onstage presence/behavior. Anybody else do this? I don't have twenty different pedals going mind you...it's usually a tuner, compressor, dirt box or two, modulation of some flavor (used sparingly), and delay (also used sparingly).

[bigmuff113]

I can't do that

[Mad Kiwi]

How do you kick it in to boost for a drive setion or solo section...

Are you a strictly "No Grunge" guy i.e soft / loud ala Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins etc....

[Big John Studd]

Originally Posted by Mad Kiwi

How do you kick it in to boost for a drive setion or solo section...

Are you a strictly "No Grunge" guy i.e soft / loud ala Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins etc....

Good point. No, I don't find myself in situations where I have to switch from (for example) a clean chorusy sound to a heavily overdriven sound during a song. I usually have another guitar player so one of us has one tone/effect going and the other a different tone/effect. I have been relying on the volume knob on by Tele to pump up the volume when necessary. Mostly I play classic rock, country, Motown, and rhythm and blues covers.

[cousinpaul]

I don't put 'em behind me, but do set my pedals so I don't have to mess with anything during a song but the guitar's volume and tone knobs. My approach is kind of like all those sixties guys who plugged straight in and played the amp; the difference being, with a pedal, I can do it at any volume level.

[Magnawolf]

I have my pedals above me on the ceiling actually.

[bigmuff113]

Originally Posted by Magnawolf

I have my pedals above me on the ceiling actually.

Win

[Big John Studd]

Originally Posted by cousinpaul

I don't put 'em behind me, but do set my pedals so I don't have to mess with anything during a song but the guitar's volume and tone knobs.

This is what I have been trying to do too. Previously I just left the guitar volume wide open. I am getting good results dialing the volume knob up and down during a song, but the tone knob on my Telecaster has always seemed fairly useless.

[bossking7]

Originally Posted by bigmuff113

I can't do that

Me neither.

[soul-o]

I totally get it, the part about stage presence. The pedals being behind you forces you out of your zone defense guitarist box. For a while, Townshend's boost pedal was by Keith Moon's drums and he'd have to get over there for a solo (at least until he got all tangled up in his cable and smashed everything up).

[RockerDuck]

I sing and play be pretty hard for me. I liked Kirk Cobain's approach the best. He just duct taped a pedal on the floor on each side of his mic stand.

[Larry F]

I do this. I have a Pedal Train with Voodoo Lab power, Zendrive2, and Carbon Copy leaning against the side of the cab. I can go from clean to dirt with the volume on my guitar. Both guitars I use, though, have a lot of tonal options. My Epi Dot has a Varitone and coil splitter switch. My Tele has a 5 position switch for 4 treble bleed caps (this really works well for me) and a blend pot. I have a little residual effect from my neurologically-induced paralysis 6 years ago, and standing on one leg while moving the other to a pedal is guaranteed to tip me over, I'm afraid.

Now, I'm playing blues more or less with my own "sound." There are many other situations, where I would imagine someone wanting to punch a pedal in on the fly.

[losergeek]

I do this for bass, but any situations where I'm playing guitar I'm also singing and using the pedals for boost, so I need them at my feet for quick changes.

[nic'o'caster]

So basically you loose the opportunity to tap dance all night long ;)

[Gringo13]

I play and sing and actually like having my pedals out of the way. I guess there's something to be said for having the options for effects at your feet for intra-song work, but for my style, if I can't do my boosting with my guitar knob and pick attacking, then I don't do it. I know it's different for different music and playing styles.

I use tweed amps, so can do a lot with my guitar volume and pick attack. When I used a DRRI, I was sorta addicted to my pedals and had to have them in front of me. To be fair, I still sometimes have a volume pedal at my feet, but it's usually next to my amp. I can step on it for quick master adjustments in-between songs or even during a song if need be. I just like the old school "clean" look of no (or very few) pedals at my feet.

[brookdalebill]

I can't remember the last time I used my pedals.
Granted, my amp, a Roland Cube 80XL does almost all
the stuff I use pedals for anyway.
I used pedals more in the "show band" days.

[jonhart]

I had to play with my pedals behind me at church before. Everyone kept giving me this weird look. I'll never do that again, even if I have to play without my pedals.