I think it was around 2017 or so when I discovered the Pedals and Effects YouTube channel, where Juan Alderete and Nick Reinhart discuss (mostly) guitar effects. I became obsessed with the possibilities of modern effects and boutique pedal designers. I began a journey of exploration and acquisition. This has brought me a great deal of joy, and a heightened sense of musical accomplishment and compositional/performance potential.
As such, I can’t resist looking at other players pedal boards, and it just occurred to me that I should share the photos I have taken of them!
First up is the Residents’ guitarist from 2023 at the Ottobar in Baltimore. He used a Fractal system.
The next two are Marc Ribot’s board, from two different venues. He has a “nutty professor” vibe when he walks on stage, with a sheaf of crumpled papers under one arm.
These make me squirm a little.
And while we are on the subject of Marc Ribot, below is a photo of Ceramic Dog drummer Ches Smith’s Count to Five by Montreal Assembly. It took me a while to track one of these down, and I love this pedal.
Next, we have Kurt Rosenwinkle’s very clean and simple set up, featuring a Fractal FM-9 and a Pog.
Wayne Krantz also has a clean, efficient pedal board. He usually takes a shoe off to operate it, and I can relate.
Probably the most elaborate signal chain belongs to Norwood Fisher, formerly of Fishbone. I didn’t see him use much of this (and you can tell my proximity from this photo).
Below is Steve Vai’s rack system from the Inviolate tour. I met Kenzal at that show, and they got backstage and took this photo. Up front, he had a Fractal foot controller, a volume pedal, a Whammy and a wah pedal.
