RIGBUILDING101
YOUTH GUITAR RIG
BY DOUG DOPPLER
Welcome to Rig Building 101. As much as I enjoy reviewing gear, I love using it to build entire rigs for guitar and bass! In this issue we’ ll be putting together some basic rigs using great gear that is perfect for youth worship teams. For the Rig Building 201 feature in the next issue, we’ ll be adding all sorts of bells and whistles to these rigs, so stay tuned for more gear!
THE GEAR
Considering how many churches have youth worship teams, we were surprised by how little content there is for youth worship teams in terms of what gear to buy and how to put it together. All the pieces of gear in these rigs were chosen because they were a great fit for youth worship.
As you’ ll see in the Rig Building 201, I have zero in dumbing it down for you, or suggesting gear that I wouldn’ t use myself.
GUITAR RIG
The signal chain for this rig is as follows:
1 GRETSCH G5422TG $ 949.99 I am a huge fan of Gretsch’ s centerblock series.
1
They look great, they play great, and they have that classic Gretsch sound for less than $ 1,000. As the name implies, these instruments feature hollow body construction on the wings wrapped around a block of wood that runs down the center of the guitar. This construction maximizes sustain, while minimizing the howling feedback you can get at higher volumes using a traditional hollow body.
2 AUDIO-TECHNICA SYSTEM 10 STOMBOX WIRELESS $ 349.95 I’ ve been using one of these for a couple of years, and it has never failed – not once! It is easy to use, sounds great, and the transmitter runs on a pair of AA bateries.
3 PETERSON STROBOSTOMP CLASSIC $ 199.00 In the world of tuners, you get what you pay for. This is the tuner on every pedal board I own, and is also the tuner of choice for many if not most of the top guitar techs in the business. Being in tune is non negotiable – you are or you aren’ t, so spend your money wisely!
4 PLANET WAVES 30’ CIRCUIT BREAKER CABLE $ 39.99 These cables sound great, and the mute function is hugely convenient – so long as you don’ t forget to un-mute a cable. With cables longer than 20’ you start to lose high end unless you use a buffer, which we will be in Rig Building 201.
5 ORANGE CRUSH 35RT $ 259.00 The two foot switchable channels on this amp are great for worship. The clean channel sounds great on its own or with pedals, while the dirty channel delivers classic Orange crunch. The built-in speaker simulator allows you to capture the essence of the amp without having to use a mic. When you use this output it also bypasses the speaker, which is perfect for silent stages. In the video you’ ll get a chance to hear how lush the Boss delay sounds in the FX Loop.
6 ORANGE FS-1 FOOTSWITCH $ 35.99 The Crush 35RT does not ship with a footswitch, but the FS-1 is well worth the investment.
7 PLANET WAVES 25’ CLASSIC SERIES SPEAKER CABLE $ 21.99 Since footswitch cables aren’ t part of your signal chain, high quality speaker cables like this one allow you to save a bit of money without sacrificing quality. Just remember that in virtually every other instance, instrument and speaker cables are not interchangeable.
8 BOSS DD-500 DELAY $ 299.99 The latest offering in Boss’ ever popular line of delays, this pedal rocks. The DD-500 has a ton of great sounds and features built-in tap tempo, presets, MIDI in and out, and a jack that allows you to control a number of features via external footswitches like the Boss FS-6.
9 PLANET WAVES INSTRUMENT CABLE KIT $ 69.99 Because you probably don’ t want to place the DD-500 on top of your amp, making cables that are the exact length you’ ll need to get from and to the FX Loop is a good idea. Unlike the Pedalboard Cable Kit, the Instrument Cable Kit comes with a combination of straight and angled jacks as well as more cable. Either kit is well suited for connecting the System 10 Wireless to the StroboStomp Classic tuner.
10 BOSS FS-6 $ 59.00 When connected via a balanced ¼” cable, this dual footswitch allows you to control functions
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
52 Jan � Feb 2017 WorshipMusician. com