Tone Merchants & Rack Systems LTD

After doing the DIY thing for a while, the owner of this Friedman Tour Pro 1590 pedalboard started thinking it might be time for a makeover. The first photo in the sequence shows its original state when it reached our doorstep. A thorough cleaning and fresh layout later, she was ready for her closeup. This was a moderately simple setup. However, even the straightforward projects require some forethought to ensure a streamlined, organized layout that’s easy on the feet, as well as attention to any potential grounding issues due to the “pre/post” routing. For power, the client already had a Friedman Power Grid 10 and Strymon Zuma. Since those two are completely compatible, we elected to pair them up to cover all of our power requirements. The Voodoo Lab PX8 Plus was the perfect choice for this job. It’s an extremely versatile, fully MIDI-capable pedal switcher that doesn’t get nearly enough love. Not only does it handle up to 8 pedals and can be set up as an instant-access loop strip or for preset combinations, it also has a very narrow footprint, freeing up ample space behind it for vertical placement of the JHS Bonsai, and Friedman Buxom Boost, Golden Pearl, and Smallbox pedals. Access to their input jacks are through the “windows”. Pretty cool! Additionally, a Voodoo Lab Control Switcher was employed for external amplifier switching functions and controlled via MIDI. The post path includes a Neunaber Wet reverb, an EQ, a Strymon Mobius and Timeline, and an E.W.S. Subtle Volume Control. All connections to the amplifier are taken via the underside-mounted Friedman Buffer Bay 6 equipped with a custom isolated cable to keep everything quiet and ground-loop free!

Here’s a fun touring board we did in November 2024 for the amazing Covet guitarist and solo artist Yvette Young. Her unique fingerstyle approach is built around colorful alternate tunings, ambient washes of sound, and a deft, modern technique. Her pedal roster is a carefully curated selection of delays and spatial effects in conjunction with traditional Whammy, octave and boosts that she expertly utilizes to create pillowy soundscapes and tight, arpeggiated grooves. Yvette had been using this large Mono board. Ideal for her needs not only because of the ample surface area for all the pedals she wanted to incorporate, but its one-piece aluminum construction provided a strong, lightweight platform. Perfect for travel. The “vented” design of the Mono board is also well-suited for dressing cables from underneath and hiding them below pedals, keeping the topside view neat and clean. We also were able to strategically route and secure underside cabling, keeping them hidden when viewing from above. A Cioks DC7 coupled with a single Cioks 8 Expander easily covered all of our power needs. The Cioks is one of our favorite off-the-shelf power supplies lately because of its ultra-low profile, high-current capabilities, selectable voltages, expandability, and failproof RCA connections. Finally, an Isoformer Duo from Axegtr provides the outputs to 1 or 2 amps. If you’re not familiar with Yvette’s music and artistry, do yourself a favor and check her out now!

Occasionally, a client will bring by or send in a pile of loose pedals, a power supply, the mounting platform they want with only one instruction: “Make it go!” Prerequisites, preferences? “Nope!” Layout, pedal order, etc?? “Don’t care. Do whatever makes sense..”. While this project was relatively simple - 6 effects plus the in-line Boss TU-3 tuner - the client wanted everything on a Pedal Train Classic Jr. We’ve done countless jobs on Pedal Trains, and the thing that we - as well as most players - love about them (lightweight, open-frame design), is the very thing that makes them a bit more challenging than other platforms: not as much surface area for mounting pedals or dressing and concealing cables. However, by strategically routing and anchoring cables, a clean, secure layout is always possible. Also, by running all power cabling underneath the frame, we can maintain an uncluttered and sparse topside view. We’re a true custom shop and not confined to only ONE style of board layout. Whether it be Pedal Train, Dingbat, Temple, Schmidt Array, traditional flat boards, our own Friedman Tour Pros, or any of the countless others out there, we will build something ergonomic, bulletproof, quiet, and tailored to the needs of the client. No templates here - every job is unique and designed from the ground up, from the simplest backpack-sized travel board, to complex multi-amp, rack-mounted backline switching systems. Hit us up!

Deftones guitarist Steph Carpenter has a penchant for dreaming up elaborate scenarios for his rigs. So
naturally, when he reached out earlier this year with an idea for a “hybrid” setup that would provide access to sounds from both the digital modeling domain, coupled with 100 watt tube amps - all self-contained in a single rolling enclosure - we were intrigued to say the least. Steph wanted to combine some of his primary recording tools from recent years (the Fractal Axe FX II, Line 6
Helix, and various pedals) with a pair of Bogner Uberschalls in a fully MIDI-programmable pre/post configuration. And yes, he needed two of everything! Front-end pedals (Xotic SP Comp, Pigtronics Gatekeeper, Buzz Wazacraft Fuzz, a coupla’ Z-Vex boxes, and an Eventide H9) are connected to a Voodoo Lab Hex switcher, which in turn is patched into the loop
of the Radial JX44. The outputs of the Helix and Fractal sum into an RJM Micro Line Mixer, which then
feeds left and right signals in series through the “post
effects” (Strymon pedals, plus a
TC Electronics 2290P) before hitting the returns of the
Uberschalls. A pair of Friedman Power Grid 10 power supplies (mounted underneath the “upside-down” sliding shelves - space-saving pro tip!) deliver clean, quiet
power throughout the rack. Separate balanced FOH feeds from the Helix and the Bogners (provided via a pair of Rivera Mini Rockrecs) are located on the custom-made rear panel. Additionally, Neutrik Powercons were used for all high voltage interconnections, and the 50-
foot custom snake (with heavy-duty shielded cable for
120 VAC) joins everything together. Before a job of this magnitude can begin, thoughtful
planning has to be done in order to insure that all of these different components will “play nice” together. Thus, we started by designing and building proprietary
power distribution and isolated audio interfaces. As always, all of this is done by hand, in-house. From the very first test run, this beast was completely quiet. No hums, buzzes, ground loops - nothing. Dead silent. However,
once the guitar’s volume was turned up, it was LOUD,
crushing, and awesome! Exactly like Deftones!