A question from Dad

[Willybomb]

I was sorting out my three pedalboards for a trip away (I was going to take the big board with some favorite builds to a mates), and when Dad saw the pile, he asked:

"How many pedals do you need son?"
"All of them Dad, all of them."

[Manc]

I hear you
There's tons of drives and phasers out there that have to be built!

Live, I stick to my "rule of 5" - which in the pub environment is a lot.
Recently I finished a programmable pedal midi switcher, only to realise afterwards that the real estate required by this monster (hammond 1444-22) renders it practically unusable... But it looks cool!

[jtaormina]

I started with 3 for band practice and live. As time went on the band started moving to songs that required more of me. I'm at 8 including a looper that helps me harness some amount of control. But I will agree above 5 I started confusing myself while actually playing. BUT things like two delays with different setting is a must. I had one only for a long time and I kept forgetting to change it until a song had already started and it became a frustration to the group when I screwed them up from it.

[TNblueshawk]

He sounds like my wife 

Tell him I'm a terrible home hack and have never been in a band and have 60+ pedals 

I'm not sure if that will help or scare him.

[EBRAddict]

He sounds like my wife 

Tell him I'm a terrible home hack and have never been in a band and have 60+ pedals 

Your situation sounds extremely familiar.

[AntKnee]

My wife never really noticed all the pedals, but when I started building more pedalboards, she began to ask about it. Let that be a lesson to the rest of you!

[Muadzin]

With women its easy, just rebound the question towards her shoe collection. With men there is no easy answer. David Gilmour got by for most of his time in Pink Floyd with just a wah, a fuzz and a delay. Tom Morello gets the weirdest sounds with just 6 pedals. The blokes from AC/DC have nothing. I don't think there is anything wrong with having next to nothing in the pedal department, nor is there anything wrong with having a shitload of pedals. Some musicians find musical freedom by limiting themselves, others through using an endless sonic pallet that pedals give them. None is better then the other. At least we, because we like to build our own pedals, do not spend a shitload of money on them as others do who just buy all those expensive boutique stuff.

I'd also like to add that everybody has something that they go overboard with and spend lavish time and money on them. Be it shoes, cars, sports, other pursuits. Show me a person who has none and you'll show me a sad, boring individual.

[jimilee]

Well, why you need one like that, don't you have one like that? In a cover band situation, I use whatever the song calls for, lugging necessary pedals is a huge pain after a while. I know they're all necessary, but if you go from gig to gig just looking at some of them, but never use them, the new wears off. In an original situation, I use chorus, delay, overdrive and compression. Ironically, no phaser.

[George]

Come on guys we all know that apart from playing with our pedals, building something nice* or just making it yourself instead of buying it, makes you feel satisfaction and gives you a sence of accomplisment.
In case you are experienced enough to experiment with new designs the joy of creating completelny new staff is even greater. At least this is what I am experiencing with all my DIY urges**.

*by nice i mean everyhting that makes you like it - even if its veeeery neat and clean or just a rats nest that makes you wonder how it can operate in this condition 
** and when I say urges i mean ....f**k that man i know sometimes i am saving money but why I get in all this trouble and experience so much strangle in order to make something quite inexpensive/or simple most of the time.

At the end it is rewarding and i have to say that most of the things i learnt by experimenting,breaking and finally building my cab,guitars,pedals,etches,cables and so on, helped me a lot in my life, basically i dont give up 

Better sound is just an excuse 

[BrianS]

I started doing this just to see if I could and I believe I bought 2 kits in Nov 2014. Then I found GuitarPCB, then Madbean (with all the different vendors) and then the group buys. I have built over 60 pedals and have 10 or so in various stages of build and that's not counting the store bought ones I have. From what I hear Meth is the most addictive drug out there (if it isn't pardon my ignorance).  I consider the addiction rate for this hobby right up there, LOL.

My wife is cool with it I guess but when she sees another completed one I get the same question, i.e., why do you need so many?  My answer, it keeps me out of the bars LOL. I guess I am obsessed but I am sure there 100's out there that have built more than me.

But the sense of accomplishment when that pedal fires up the first time is just awesome.