Tone Merchants & Rack Systems LTD

While a dozen pedals plus an audio controller is far from the most we’ve ever put on a board, it can still make for a large footprint if a traditional flat surface is used. The two-tier, angled design of the Friedman Tour Pro series of pedalboards provides for a convenient layout without the need for additional pedal lifts. However, if more real estate is desired and a bit of extra height is not a concern, vertical expansion is always an option! Here we took a compact Tour Pro 1524 board and modified it with a Mag-Latch Hinged Bridge from FIX Accessories. They’re sturdy, lightweight, and seamlessly compatible with the Friedman boards. With this layout, the “set-it-and-forget-it” group of pedals like EQ, compressor, synth, and drives that are patched into the Musicom EFX-ME Controller - and don’t require real-time access - stay safely nestled under the bridge. The Wampler Terraform, Boss DD-500 delay, and Universal Audio Golden Reverb “post” effects are arranged on the upper tier to provide easy proximity to preset and tap tempo footswitches, while the in-line, front-end pedals (Friedman Wah & Buxom Boost, Digitech Drop) get VIP front row seats. Interfacing is handled via the Friedman Buffer Bay 6, and a pair of Friedman Power Grid 10s deliver clean, quiet power throughout. Contact us at [email protected] to design a rig to fit your needs!

Recently, we posted a pedalboard from 2023 that we did for a certain mystery client who could probably be identified by his initials. Did you guess who? Well, you now have another chance because that same person needed a pair of revised versions for 2025, and here’s the result. This time around, the Boss DD-3 delay from 2023 was swapped out for an MXR Joshua while the 5150 Chorus was sent back down to the minor leagues. However, the EVH Flanger, Phase 90, and Wah, as well as the Earthquaker Afterneath were kept in service. Newly added Rockman X100 & Sub Octave Bass Fuzz pedals by MXR, plus a Digitech Whammy rounded out the updated roster. We mounted everything on a modified Friedman Tour Pro 1529 with dual Power Grid 10 power supplies and a Buffer Bay 6 to handle all audio and function switching connections. Sometimes all a pro needs is a clean, straightforward, and bulletproof design so they can concentrate on the job at hand: delivering a rock show!

What guitar player of a certain age doesn’t long for the good old days? And by that of course we mean the 1980s! A time of guitar solos in pop songs, loud amps, and 4x12 cabinets - actually onstage (gasp)! Now get offa’ my lawn, but first, check out this “Throwback Rack” we were contacted to design in January 2023! The client wanted an 80s-style stereo rig that incorporated a few drool-worthy rack-mounted pieces of yesteryear in a preamp/parallel effects/power amp configuration. Housed in a 16-space Encore shock-mount enclosure, the front-end consists of a Synergy Syn 2 loaded with Friedman BE-BB and Soldano SLO modules, and a Myasnikov Fish Head single channel preamp. An RJM Effect Gizmo selects which is active and also sends line-level signals to the inputs of an Eventide H3500, TC Electronics 2290, and Lexicon PCM70, which in turn route to a Rane SM26 mixer. From there, the left and right outputs pass in series through a Yamaha SPX90II before coming to rest at the massive (sonically and literally) VHT 2150 power amp. Guitar straight in - no pedals! A single 6-pin XLR cable supplies phantom power to, and carries MIDI commands from, the RJM Mastermind GT. Not only did this rig test flawlessly with zero noise, it was also a stark reminder of how positively stunning these classic rack effects sound. There’s a reason they used to be in every pro’s rack at one point and are heard on countless albums you grew up with. Yes, modern processor-based effects are smaller and more powerful, but the three-dimensionality, warmth, and imaging from some of these legacy units canNOT be denied, and the experience of playing them loud, through actual cabinets is truly exhilarating.