Two examples of how to save space on a pedalboard – both at the front end – that I’m really surprised aren’t made (better) for guitar players, even in these days of trying to compact pedalboard space.
1 Combination wah and volume rocker pedal
Boards with two separate full-size rockers (one volume, one expression) are bigger than many of the venues I play. Nor do I need both to be operational simultaneously.
I have a vintage Italian Jen Mister Cry Baby Super which is a great-sounding wah and also has volume, switchable by pressing the pedal forward. But on the down side : it was centre-positive; it had no light to indicate anything was on; and the volume doesn’t go all the way to full at the front and only to about 30% at the back because the amount of pot track used for wah is less than needed for volume.
Very few others make a more modern and more effective such pedal. Hotone’s VOW is pretty good and is miniature so it occupies less pedalboard real estate too.
2 Combination wireless and tuner
I don’t use (germanium) fuzzes so I have no issues with putting wireless/buffer first and wah second in my chain. And I definitely want wah before my drives.
Only two such combinations exist – Intellitouch’s Freedom One, which is cheap, not durable (plastic) and has both latency and high-end rolloff issues; and Shure’s GLXD6, which is expensive, especially in Europe.
The Freedom One can work (with reduced operating time) on rechargeable batteries, whilst the more expensive Shure’s transmitter pack battery is a rechargeable type. But neither product offers the obvious – the ability to recharge the transmitter’s battery from the base (through the jack) when it’s not in use. Duh.
There is a real opportunity for a mid-price entrant here.
I’ve just seen Hotone’s new Wally+ looper, which is both tiny and yet offers over 5 hours of looper time (!), including 11 storable loops which you can prepare before and access during a gig. If it’s possible to pack such power into such a tiny space, then it must be possible to deliver better combination pedals as described above.
How about it folks?