“LESS NERD, MORE ENGLISH.”

A commonly heard phrase around the Towle household/friend groups when I’m around certain people.  The friend who stole the phrase from Better Off Ted’s Veronica Palmer says it to make fun of his wife and I as we talk photo and design.  (Make fun might be too strong a statement… perhaps, “gently tease” would be better.)  He also says it when my soon-to-be-doctor scientist friend and I talk guitar gear.  Or, when my tattooed PR/marketing director friend and I talk AC/DC riffs. Or when he here’s me talk about my unapoligized love for Star Trek.  So, really, I guess it’s just this one guy that says it to me a lot.

Regardless, I’m apparently a “nerd.”  I’m pretty sure Angie would agree.

So, at this moment you have a choice to make:
1.  Read on expecting “nerd-speak” about guitars, effects, and little details that most people won’t care about unless they play guitar.
2.  Click HERE and look at ridiculously adorable pictures of my son.
3.  Delete this blog from your RSS reader and never look at it ever again.

If you choose option 3, let’s at least stay Facebook friends.  I have a running joke with our Lead Pastor that I have more friends that him and would like to not have to retract it.

Side note:  I have come to realize that I’m one of the few people in this world who’s hobbies and occupation overlap.  I was at a conference a few weeks ago when a worship pastor from New York said to a group of worship leaders, “As a music pastor or worship leader, your call isn’t to play rock n’ roll.  It’s to help lead people to new connections with GOD, to bring to the front the sacrifice that Jesus gave for us, and to usher in the Holy Spirit in worship.  Rock n’ Roll is just the icing on the cake!”  That floored me.  It’s totally true!  Then a few days later Angie looked at me after hearing me make arrangements with a counselor to have a lunch appointment to catch up and said, “You seriously have the best job ever!  I mean you get to say things like “let’s have lunch” whenever you want to and then you get to play rock music!  That’s pretty great!”

It is pretty great. And the part that makes it so worth the while, the headaches, the stress, the acceptance of my inner nerd… none of it’s about me.  It’s about the ONE who is greater and who gifts each of us.  Mine has just happened to be embodied by a nerdlike obsession with music and art.

So, on to the moments of nerd.

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This is my effect rig.

(click image for a larger view)

My buddy Ben, another worship pastor in the area, and I have been talking gear for the last few weeks and he just sent me an email asking a question that I thought this post might help clarify his question.  But, if you’re an enthusiast that just surfs the web for guitar focused blogs, this might just be for you.  (So, if you’re name isn’t Ben and you’re still reading… kudos to you!)

Pedals I use in order of chain:

IN: Morley AB/Y splits Guitar or Organ to effects.
BOSS GT-8 acts as brain/hub for ins, multiple effects (to be listed in chain order), and outs.
1.  Modeled Boss Auto Wah
2.  Slow Gear Auto Swell
Out to 3.  Gibson ED-1 Compressor
4.  CryBaby 535Q Wah
5.  Ibanez TS-9 Tubscreamer
6.  Line6 DL4 Delay (set with tap dotted 1/8, 4Headed Mutli-Heda Delay, Reverse, Tap & Looper)
7.  Line6 MM4 Modeler (set with Uni-Vibe, Roto, Triple Chorus, Tremelo)
8.  A/B Channel Select
9.  Modeled RAT distortion
10a. Modeled Boss DD7 Delay (preset to 310ms)
10b. Tap tempo for 8a.
11.  Chorus
12.  Boss Reverb on/off
13.  15Db Solo boost (click switch at top of Expression Pedal)
OUT:  Morley AB/Y splits to AMP (Fender Twin Reverb or Direct in to board)

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Ben, since I’ve seen your rig, now you’ve seen mine.  Only seems fair.  You need to come over and rock it.

Everyone else, thanks for tuning in (sorry… I realized the PUN after I typed it, but I’m leaving it there).

+PJT