Metropoulos Forum

Hello, all.

I have a few questions regarding pedals regarding specific pedals and setting up my pedal board. I’d like to ask about a couple specific pedals, then ask about setting up the board.

First off, I have a MXR Carbon Copy delay. I’ve had a couple guys tell me to pull it off my board and replace it with the Dunlop Echoplex delay. In your experience, is the Dunlop really better for early EVH? I don’t mind spending the cash if it’s really better, but I’ve never played one, and honestly the Carbon Copy is a pretty cool pedal.

Secondly, reverb. I realize the incredible reverb on the first album was Sunset Sound’s chamber, and not available in a pedal format. I’m currently using a Digitech Hardwire RV-7. It sounds OK, but certainly not even close to the luscious reverb heard on the record. I’ve had folks recommend the Hall of Fame and the Catalinbread Talisman instead. I know the Talisman is a copy of the EMT-140 plate reverb, but like I said, it’s not plate reverb on the record. Which reverb pedal do you all find to be the closest reverb in a pedal format?

Lastly, let’s talk about amps and the pedal board. My guitar room is full, so I really don’t have room for another 4x12 to run the wet/dry setup. For EVH, I have a Rockstah Mod 5 and a block letter Peavey 5150. Since the Mod 5 doesn’t have an effects loop, I’m just setting up my board to run straight into the amp. I play the Mod 5 probably 90% of the time, so that’s why I’m not bothering with the effects loop on the 5150.

My effects are currently in this order:

EVH Wah
MXR Phase 90
MXR Flanger
MXR 5150 Chorus
Digitech Luxe
ISP Deci-Mate G Micro
MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay
Digitech Hardwire Reverb

Does this order look OK to you guys? Do you think I should change the order somewhat? Should I consider using buffers?

Thanks,
Brad

I shall do my best to give my two cents.

The carbon copy is a great delay pedal and I think for everything you could want will serve you just fine, if you ran an echoplex preamp pedal into it you'd be even closer to where you want to get. The dunlop one is okay, but the clinch fx/catalinbread etc are really the actual circuit.

As far as your other question regarding reverb, I have personally never liked putting reverb in front of a distorted amp and Eddie didn't do that live until the wet dry rig, what I would suggest is having two delays instead, one set at about 100ms and another at 300ms with feedback to taste. Just leave the 100ms one on all the time and it will act a bit like reverb adding body to everything. The 300ms is for solos or tunes like Ain't Talking Bout Love.

I run a DD-500 currently and have really dug how flexible it is, while also being able to have to delays on in series or parallel, with 99 banks of sounds to get as weird as you want.

The only thing in your chain I've not done is a wah for VH stuff, I usually just cheat and use the phase 90 to get 75 percent of the way there.