Gig Rig JDZ & Pedal Board

  
Updated “Gig Rig” all starts with a custom hand made Flamenco Cedar Blanca made by Jorge de Zofia of Palm Beach FL. I use D’Addarío EJ45 or EJ45C and EJ25C.  It’s outfitted with a L.R. Baggs Dual Souce Pickup System (Element & Mic) to a Line 6 Relay 30.  Then it’s all Eq’ed in the Grace Designs FELIX preamp.  (At times I also use the DPA 4099 G mic) on all my guitars. In the effects loop I have a Strymon Big Sky, to a DigiTech Jam Man Solo XT with a FS3X foot switch, to a BBE Sonic Stomp back to Felix. The pedals are mounted to the Pedaltrain Fly board.  I use the Bose L1 Compact or QSC TouchMix 8 and QSC K10’s. 

Pursuit of perfection in nylon guitar sound and tone is a passion.

  
A few folks who read my blog and follow me hear or on FB have asked what I use and like.  When you demand the best out of your instrument and gear you try so many things and it can be a long never ending journey.  For me it’s taken some years.  I would like to say I’ve found what works for me and let’s me play what I hear and feel.  My Luithier & guitar of choice is the Jorge De Zofia Cedar Top Blanca.  I like her more than other guitars I own.  This is for live use.  I hope to be getting a Negra soon (hint hint Jorge) from there if you play loud or need to be amplified there is only one choice.  I really like my DPA 4099g and Grace Felix Preamp. I have to thank a few folks before I can even mention the system.  Thank you  Al Marconi, Jason McGuire for telling me about the LR Baggs Dual Source Elemnt and mic.  Gerald Rohm who has been so kind. He’s a mechanical genius who has invented a fantastic tool for getting saddles perfectly flat to work wonderfully with pickups.  He also designed a fantastic cable for use with the system that takes a TRS Jack and then splits the cable to two TS jacks.   It’s the best sounding cable I’ve ever used.  I use the D’Addario EJ25B and EJ45C strings.  Thank you Yannaki Arrizza for getting me to try new stings😎.  Finally everything usually goes to my QSC TouchMix8 and QSC K10’s or Bose L1S and ToneMatch mixer.  Thanks to Arturo Romay, Taz Sellers, John Gilliat  for sharing techniques on amplification and how to use this gear and sound great.  There’s no way I would have the sound I do with out the help and people above who have a passion and desire for perfection, who have shared what they know.  Thank you Victor 

   
    
 

A few recent updates on gear (Strings & Pedalboard)

Recently with some travel gigs I’ve wondered if I could strip down my pedal-board and get something very small to fit on the pedal train-nano pedalboard I’ve been able to do so coming in from my guitar cable I go into a TC electronics poly tune then the TC electronic spark then the Neunaber Wet stereo reverb then the Digitech jam man solo XT out to my Bose tone match mixer.

I’ve also come across a new string that I’m really enjoying on my DeVoe Negra and my JD Z Blanca they are the D’Addario Pro Arté Composite Core EJ 205B strings they are silverplated wound on a copper core, and black treble strings. I think they feel great they look great especially the black trebles with the cedar top guitars. The strings are very smooth and the tone is very warm with the base being very snappy and bright with a quick response. Thanks goes to my friend Yannakie Arrizzia for sending me a set of D’Addarío EJ49 That set made me want to try the D’Addarío EJ25B.

Zofia Pedalboard to use with K&K Trinity Pickup System

This is my pedalboard to primarily use with my Zofia Cedar Blanca equipped with a K&K Trinity Pickup. The pedals are mounted on a PedalTrain JR board, I’m using a Decibel 11 HC Power supply to power all pedals except the BBE Acoustimax. I also have jacks and parts from The Pedalboard Shop. So from the guitar out jack the cable comes into a input jack TRS supplied from (The Pedal Shop) to the K&K Trinity System 2 Channel Preamp, to BBE Acoustimax. On the BBE I use the effects loop to run 1, TC Electronics Spark, 2, Neunaber Wet Stereo Reverb, 3, DigiTech Jam Man Stereo (in that order) then DigiTech back to BBE to close the effects loop. I also use from the BBE tuner out a TC Electronic PolyTune mini. I will be adding a wireless system and a compressor soon as well as the Beat Buddy when it finally ships.

Live Setup Update

For most of my playing where I don’t have to go too loud I will be using my JDZ Blanca with K&K Trinity Pickups, to the K&K Trinity Preamp, BBE Acoustimax (use the effects loop to connect to), TC Electronic Spark, NT Neunaber WET Reverb, DigiTech Stereo Looper out to Bose Tone Match Mixer and Bose L1S System. That’s it

Pedal Board for use with K&K Trinity Pickups

Pedal Board Mini Completed,
K&K Trinity System 2 Chanel Preamp using AC power (not 9v battery), TC Electronic Spark, NT Neunaber Technology Wet Stereo Reverb, Digitech Jam Man Stereo and out to the Bose Tone Match and L1S, System is getting smaller.

K&K Trinity and Trinity Preamp System Set Up for Zofia Blanca

Just reset the gain and eq settings in my K&K Trinity Preamp. I have the pickup at 80% gain 85% treble flat mid cut 8:00 and bass flat mic at 50% gain treble flat, mid cut 9:00, bass 10:00. Into my Bose L1S with Tone Match preset 80Hz Highpass all eq on Bose is flat and no Q. No compression and just 35 hall reverb. I wish some one would make a two channel guitar preamp that has two 5 band eq with sweepable mids on both a Highpass filter, phantom power on 1 mic Chanel, phase, effects loop, aux in 1/8 for iPod (battery or 48v) phantom power and small engulf to clip on to a guitar strap. Headway EB2 came so close but only really one channel can be eq. I know you can assign it to both but I like to eq the bass on pickups differently than the mic or sensor in guitar. I’m very happy with my Zofia Cedar Blanca and working with Jorge was an absolute pleasure, if your in the area next Sunday I will playing this guitar at Unionville Winery in Ringos NJ as they release Foxy Lady.

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2014 Zofia Cedar Blanca

Best guitar I’ve had the privilege to own or play, I like it more than my two DeVoe’s much more responsive, tight tone but not constricted I can play sad melancholy to roaring expression with no bass muddies or treble harshness. The mids are fantastic.