more... Artists • Gear • Effects • Pedalboard • March 2012 • Dream Theater • James Valentine • Joe Satriani • Keith Urban • Kenny Wayne Shepherd • Ler Lalonde • Mars Volta • Nels Cline • Omar Rodriguez Lopez • Primus • Walter Becker
Photo by Chris Kies
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Signal Chain: MXR CAE wah > Boss TU-3 > Switcher Loop 1: Dunlop Uni-Vibe > Switcher Loop 2: MXR CAE wahcircuit mounted inside board > Switcher Loop 3: Chicago Iron Tycobrahe Octavia (modern) > Switcher Loop 4: MXRBlue Box Fuzz > Switcher Loop 5: Analog Man King of Tone (newest version) > Switcher Loop 6: Ibanez Hand-WiredTS808 Tube Screamer > Switcher Loop 7: Analog Man Bi-Chorus > Switcher Loop 8: BK Butler Tube Driver (newmodel with Bias knob) > JAM Pedals Delay Llama. Photo by Michael Helweg
1) Normal Overdrive mode (OD mode): This is the standard King Of Tone sound, - a touch drive available than a tube screamer. Can get much louder than a tube screamer. 2) CLEAN mode: This mode has less distortion, it can be used for clean boosts or clearer, louder sounds.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd’sboard—recently rebuilt bycustom builder Helweg CustomPedalboards—is packed with allthe bluesy goodness any StevieandJimi-inspired player could askfor. But the heart of his tone liesin the combination of a recentissueAnalog Man King of Toneand stock Ibanez TS-808HWTube Screamer. “It’s basicallythe sound of the amps and thisKing of Tone pedal and the TubeScreamer,” explains Shepherd.“Everything else is just for one ortwo songs here or there.”
Photo by Chris Kies
The King of Tone—whichhe called “one of the greatestoverdrive pedals ever built”—has its low (red) and high (yellow)gain sides set similarly,but the real magic happenswhen you combine the two.“It’s over-the-top awesome,” heenthused. Shepherd adds in theTS-808HW for even thickertones. “When you use the twotogether, it’s got everything toit,” he told us. “It’s got the fatlow end, and the nice, sparkly,high ends, and it’s got a reallynice midrange capability. I don’treally know of a better combinationto be honest with you.”
Analogman King Of Tone Pedal
Beyond this combination,which he says comprises 90 percentof his tone, Shepherd usesthe Dunlop Uni-Vibe for therhythm tone on “Blue On Black”and Hendrix songs, Electro-Harmonix POG 2 (with theKing of Tone) for “Your Blues,”and the Analog Man Bi-Chorus(one side set slow for Leslie tones,the other slightly faster) for theband’s slow version of “VoodooChile Blues.” Shepherd, who hasan original Tycobrahe Octavia forstudio use, uses the Chicago IronOctavia reissue for Hendrix songsas well, and calls it, “as accurateof a reissue as anything I’ve everseen.” He gets his favorite tonesby rolling off the tone slightly,stacking on a Tube Screamer, andhitting his Strat’s neck pickup.
Shepherd’s board actuallycontains two of his preferredDunlop CAE Cry Baby wahs—one on the board, and one circuitset to a specific pot settingand mounted under the boardfor the song “Show Me the WayBack Home.” Shepherd prefersthe CAE wah for its sweep andvocal qualities, and tends to stayon the yellow setting withoutthe built-in overdrive.
Analogman King Of Tone V4 Manual
The board is rounded outwith a recent issue BK ButlerTube Driver, a JAM Pedals DelayLlama+ modified with an on/offinstead of hold switch and taptempo, and a Boss TU-3, whichhe also uses as a mute switchwhen switching guitars.Michael Helweg wiredShepherd’s board with twoVoodoo Lab switchers and aVoodoo Lab Commander setwith loop presets for controllinghis pedal combinations.
Analogman King Of Tone Manual
Watch the Rig Rundown: