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Minimal Shoegaze Setups?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 12:17 pm
by chutneyfarmer
Anyone here use any simple setups for shoegaze type stuff? Like most shoegaze players I normally use a fairly large pedalboard. My "normal" board is....

Guitar > Memory Boy > Boss Line Select w/Digiverb in a loop > GGG Red Llama Clone > Snowflake > Earthbound Supercollider > Boss RV 3 > Holy Stain (for reverb & trem only) > Line 6 DL4 > Amp


However, I put together a small board the other day consisting of some pedals I had lying around and surprisingly it's been really inspiring to use! I've managed to get a lot of sounds I had been looking for for a while now.

The "mini" board is

Guitar > Devi Ever Shoegazer > Devi Ever Ruby > Super Memory Man w/Hazarai

At first I found the Shoegazer a little too over the top, but then I discovered the joys of turning down the volume on the guitar! The TP side gets a lovely crunchy overdrive and I can still kick on the SM side for some fuzzy goodness. The Ruby gets used as my main dirt. It has a nice trebly sound that seems to work well with the SMMH doing nice washes underneath. I hadn't really spent much time at all with the SMMH before this week to be honest but there really is a wealth of lovely lush delays in there. Perfect for shoegaze!

Any other ideas for similar enough minimal setups???

Re: Minimal Shoegaze Setups?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 12:23 pm
by hclapp219
Guitar -> M9 -> Amp

Guitar -> Rat -> RV3 -> Amp

Re: Minimal Shoegaze Setups?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 12:24 pm
by dan_abnormal
My "minimal" shoegazer setup would actually be as follows:

Fender Jazzmaster > ProCo RAT "Whiteface" > Boss DC-2 > Ernie Ball VP Jr. > Strymon El Capistan > Neunaber WET Reverb > Roland Jazz Chorus JC-50

Simple yet effective. Very Slowdive-oriented, I reckon.

Unfortunately, I do not often go the "minimal" way... :lol:

Re: Minimal Shoegaze Setups?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 12:27 pm
by bob the r0bot
I've been able to get some good sounds with just
jazzmaster -> russian muff -> electric mistress ->vox

Re: Minimal Shoegaze Setups?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 12:28 pm
by chutneyfarmer
dan_abnormal wrote:My "minimal" shoegazer setup would actually be as follows:

Fender Jazzmaster > ProCo RAT "Whiteface" > Boss DC-2 > Ernie Ball VP Jr. > Strymon El Capistan > Neunaber WET Reverb > Roland Jazz Chorus JC-50

Simple yet effective. Very Slowdive-oriented, I reckon.

Unfortunately, I do not often go the "minimal" way... :lol:


Wow, that sounds like a pretty nice setup alright! Bet the Boss DC-2 sounds lovely in there too.

Re: Minimal Shoegaze Setups?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 12:54 pm
by dan_abnormal
chutneyfarmer wrote:Bet the Boss DC-2 sounds lovely in there too.


Yes. Not your typical "everyday" chorus. Definitely best in stereo (just like the PN-2 in pan mode).

Re: Minimal Shoegaze Setups?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 1:00 pm
by the Life Aquatic
right now my chain is guitar > boss rc-20 > alesis midiverb >ab/y/ > tiny terror/valve junior
thats doing good for me right now

Re: Minimal Shoegaze Setups?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 1:17 pm
by futuresailors
Jazzy>FX500>amp :P

Re: Minimal Shoegaze Setups?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 2:33 pm
by theavondon
OFFSET>RAT>VERB>JAZZ CHORUS

HURR DURR SGAZE

Re: Minimal Shoegaze Setups?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 2:37 pm
by bob the r0bot
theavondon wrote:OFFSET>RAT>VERB>JAZZ CHORUS

HURR DURR SGAZE

SHURRRGAAZZZZZZEEEEEEEEE

Re: Minimal Shoegaze Setups?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 2:39 pm
by Achtane
My current setup is Verellen Big Spider - Chk Chk Boom - Devi Ever Ruiner (with toggle for Dark Boost/Ruiner)
In the Chk Chk Boom is an Arc Flash into an Earthquaker Disaster Transport Jr.

The Arc Flash tames the shrill highs of the Big Spider while also making it sound a bit less...precise, but I also use it to cover the lighter OD/Fuzz territory when the Spider is off. With the feedback loop, you can get fancy delay swells and oscillation without having to adjust the delay itself, and also get your weird noises when the Arc Flash is in clipping mode. The Ruiner (which I leave on DB mode) after that lowers the pitch of said weird noises so they don't make your ears bleed. But of course if you want that, hey, it's there at the press of a switch. I like the DB more than the Ruiner, but you can use the latter for extra weird/synthy toans.

Right now I use the delay as a kind of reverb. The tone dial is SUPER handy.

Re: Minimal Shoegaze Setups?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 2:41 pm
by Achtane
bob the r0bot wrote:
theavondon wrote:OFFSET>RAT>VERB>JAZZ CHORUS

HURR DURR SGAZE

SHURRRGAAZZZZZZEEEEEEEEE


BRO ITS NOT THE GAIZ UNLESS YER PLAYING SIMPLE PROGRESSIONS THROUGH FIVE DISTORTIONS AND A REVERB

FIVE REVERBS AND A DISTORTION AND YOU HAS THE AMBIENTS

Re: Minimal Shoegaze Setups?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 3:25 pm
by theavondon
I actually know a guy that decently gazes with no pedals at all, just extensive abuse of the tremelo arm of his guitar.

Re: Minimal Shoegaze Setups?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 3:40 pm
by dubkitty
for "minimal" i would use:

guitar*->Distortion+ OR Tone Reaper->Sound Shank (i.e. Buzzaround) OR Algal Bloom->EB volume pedal->TC SCF chorus/flange->RV-3. if you force me to choose one buzz box, you KNOW i'm going to pick the D+. if i get a little less minimal i'd add a tremolo box and a dedicated delay line that i can also loop with.

* Les Paul, Stratocaster w/floating tremolo, and/or Gretsch Pro Jet w/Dynas/Bigsby

Re: Minimal Shoegaze Setups?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 4:25 pm
by chutneyfarmer
theavondon wrote:I actually know a guy that decently gazes with no pedals at all, just extensive abuse of the tremelo arm of his guitar.


Was actually playing like that today. Left my washy SMMH delays off and just used the arm. Some nice sounds to be had alright, but as soon as ya turn on the delays it just starts to sound so much more lush. I'd say a nice tuning with some strings tuned to the same note would help a lot if you weren't using any reverb or delay though.