Iron Ether Appreciation Society

[Erithon]

That's the best looking one I've seen! Sweet!!

I think I prefer no.747 because I love that teal color, but this evening I noticed the orange of no.769 turns into a metallic red when viewed at an angle which is really cool. So maybe it's a tie?

What a stunner! Stunning collection too!

Thank you, my friend I should probably post a family photo, though mine aren't all on a single board like yours. It's fun seeing my old Nimbus SE and Oxide in your collection. Purpleburst is always a winner and that's still the prettiest Oxide I've encountered...

Could be wrong but I don't think I painted this one:



It looks more like spray paint and I don't think I ever did a masking pattern like that. It makes me think maybe it was one with just black text and clear coat (possibly one of the ones sent to beta testers) which somebody painted over. The blue looks similar to this Oxide that somebody repainted, so maybe they were done by the same person. I just kinda wish when people did this, that they would tell whomever they sell it to.

That makes a lot of sense because it's a very different style from, well, every other Iron Ether pedal I've seen haha. Maybe that person did disclose they had painted it, assuming they sold it? We can hope.

That Oxide is an abomination Some of the aesthetic ideas are cool: swirls & blue-fade-to-white. But the execution is poor (paint is too thick and therefore looks lumpy). And, most unacceptably, they obfuscated the name of the pedal and the name of the brand.

 

[Gorilla Monsoon]

Could be wrong but

Could be wrong but I don't think I painted this one:



It looks more like spray paint and I don't think I ever did a masking pattern like that. It makes me think maybe it was one with just black text and clear coat (possibly one of the ones sent to beta testers) which somebody painted over. The blue looks similar to this Oxide that somebody repainted, so maybe they were done by the same person. I just kinda wish when people did this, that they would tell whomever they sell it to.

I feel you. It’s one thing to augment a finish, it’s another thing to go full Tammy Faye…Never go full Tammy Faye.

 

[Admiral Chew]

Thank you, my friend I should probably post a family photo, though mine aren't all on a single board like yours. It's fun seeing my old Nimbus SE and Oxide in your collection. Purpleburst is always a winner and that's still the prettiest Oxide I've encountered...

You should definitely post a family photo. I’m preparing to rejig my big boards (particularly the European one as that was put together out of curiosity) but, in the interim, I thought it would be interesting to put brand-specific boards together. The IE board looks lovely because of the finishes. It sounds great too as a synth and weirdness board.

I’m glad you’re enjoying seeing your older pedals on a different board. The TB community has been great for increasing and resolving GAS and I always get a kick out of seeing something I used to own floating around too.

Agreed on the Oxide; I’ve had the opportunity to pick up top-jack units but have always passed on the basis that this one is perfect.

Here’s a larger photo of the IE board I put together. Signal chain is FMeron > SubT > DubT > FrantaBit > Oxide > Divaricator > XD (with expression control) > AP > Polytope > Nimbus SE, so reflecting my usual preference for pitch tracking, dirt, envelope, modulation (particularly reverb at the end).

 

[fivestringgecko]

Here’s a larger photo of the IE board I put together. Signal chain is FMeron > SubT > DubT > FrantaBit > Oxide > Divaricator > XD (with expression control) > AP > Polytope > Nimbus SE, so reflecting my usual preference for pitch tracking, dirt, envelope, modulation (particularly reverb at the end).

View attachment 5378347

Man, that's like a Greatest Hits of IE pedals, and I really like the look of that Rockboard as well. Makes for a super clean look. Might need to look into those.

5sg.

 

[labeledbass]

You should definitely post a family photo. I’m preparing to rejig my big boards (particularly the European one as that was put together out of curiosity) but, in the interim, I thought it would be interesting to put brand-specific boards together. The IE board looks lovely because of the finishes. It sounds great too as a synth and weirdness board.

I’m glad you’re enjoying seeing your older pedals on a different board. The TB community has been great for increasing and resolving GAS and I always get a kick out of seeing something I used to own floating around too.

Agreed on the Oxide; I’ve had the opportunity to pick up top-jack units but have always passed on the basis that this one is perfect.

Here’s a larger photo of the IE board I put together. Signal chain is FMeron > SubT > DubT > FrantaBit > Oxide > Divaricator > XD (with expression control) > AP > Polytope > Nimbus SE, so reflecting my usual preference for pitch tracking, dirt, envelope, modulation (particularly reverb at the end).

View attachment 5378347

With that much IE together, get some automated expression!

 

[Admiral Chew]

Man, that's like a Greatest Hits of IE pedals, and I really like the look of that Rockboard as well. Makes for a super clean look. Might need to look into those.

5sg.

I heartily recommend them. They can make for very clean boards. Here’s the back of my practice board, which has eighteen pedals, one controller and provides for outboard power and connectivity through a patchbay to a wah and an expression pedal (basically, there’s a lot going on but it’s still clean):

With that much IE together, get some automated expression!

Ideally, I’d have expression pedals for the AP and FMeron too. Plus a crew of people to operate it…

 

[Erithon]

You should definitely post a family photo.

Here it is. I had to take them off their boards and remove their Barefoot Buttons.

 

[never-enough]

Here it is. I had to take them off their boards and remove their Barefoot Buttons.

beautiful collection!!!

 

[Jakeman]

Here it is. I had to take them off their boards and remove their Barefoot Buttons.

That albino Franta is gorgeous.

 

[Taylor Livingston]

A little more minutia for anyone interested, because I never documented this online at the time: I made these knobs myself using a "cold casting" method. I created a silicone mold and then would mix resin and aluminum powder and pour it into the mold and let it set. Then I would paint the line black and spin each knob on a drill against some sandpaper to expose the aluminum. It was too much work and I don't think anybody particularly liked them. People would just ask me to send them the old knobs to replace them. Anyway, it was a fun craft to try out for a while, and I learned how to do something new.

 

[Diddywah]

A little more minutia for anyone interested, because I never documented this online at the time: I made these knobs myself using a "cold casting" method. I created a silicone mold and then would mix resin and aluminum powder and pour it into the mold and let it set. Then I would paint the line black and spin each knob on a drill against some sandpaper to expose the aluminum. It was too much work and I don't think anybody particularly liked them. People would just ask me to send them the old knobs to replace them. Anyway, it was a fun craft to try out for a while, and I learned how to do something new.

Wow, always like getting involved in processes. Being quite a nerd in woodworking...the customer is not always prepared to pay for the effort. But I enjoy the details and especially the process!

 

[labeledbass]

A little more minutia for anyone interested, because I never documented this online at the time: I made these knobs myself using a "cold casting" method. I created a silicone mold and then would mix resin and aluminum powder and pour it into the mold and let it set. Then I would paint the line black and spin each knob on a drill against some sandpaper to expose the aluminum. It was too much work and I don't think anybody particularly liked them. People would just ask me to send them the old knobs to replace them. Anyway, it was a fun craft to try out for a while, and I learned how to do something new.

Did you ever use glow in the dark powder? That would be a decent idea

 

[Erithon]

beautiful collection!!!

Thanks! Though part of me died inside at the word "collection." I really try to keep only pedals I use. That's why I've moved along stuff like an Arcing Prisms, three Subterraneae (now happily residing with @sloppy_phil, @darkhalf, and @fivestringgecko), a Subterrograph, two standard Nimbi, a painted Oxide, and others. If I were collecting I'd have kept some of those and I'd probably be gunning for a QF2, Dubterranea, Dubterrograph, Cygnet, and Mostly Elevators lol. And maybe even the Bubble Chamber, Geekk.Fuzz, and Cheese Grater if I wanted to drive myself insane. Of course, I do try to source the finest examples (in my judgment) of the pedals I keep. So maybe that's a form of collecting?

That albino Franta is gorgeous.

Thank you I had a painted FrantaBit (reddish-black), but I decided I preferred how the albino one contrasted with the colors of the others. I think the FrantaBit works especially well with just the clearcoat because it has that engraved horizontal line for detail. @darkhalf now has my old painted one. I really like how it's not pure black, but has splashes of red mixed in. Your all-black FrantaBit is also lovely because of its texturing. You might recall I tried to trade you for it once haha

Since you like the albino--I call such examples "unfinishes" lol--I also have a folder of these if you want to see a naked Divaricator, etc.

 

[Jakeman]

Loving the enclosure talk! Here’s my little group:

One of my big losses in the whole pedal thing was loaning an untrustworthy person my first Oxide. I have no idea what number it was, but it was in a clean, not textured copper enclosure with silver knobs. I miss that little guy.

 

[darkhalf]

Thanks! Though part of me died inside at the word "collection." I really try to keep only pedals I use. That's why I've moved along stuff like an Arcing Prisms, three Subterraneae (now happily residing with @sloppy_phil, @darkhalf, and @fivestringgecko), a Subterrograph, two standard Nimbi, a painted Oxide, and others. If I were collecting I'd have kept some of those and I'd probably be gunning for a QF2, Dubterranea, Dubterrograph, Cygnet, and Mostly Elevators lol. Of course, I do try to source the finest examples (in my judgment) of the pedals I keep. So maybe that's a form of collecting?


Thank you I had a painted FrantaBit (reddish-black), but I decided I preferred how the albino one contrasted with the colors of the others. I think the FrantaBit works especially well with just the clearcoat because it has that engraved horizontal line for detail. @darkhalf now has my old painted one. I really like how it's not pure black, but has splashes of red mixed in. Your all-black FrantaBit is also lovely because of its texturing. You might recall I tried to trade you for it once haha

Since you like the albino--I call such examples "unfinishes" lol--I also have a folder of these if you want to see a naked Divaricator, etc.

Yes sir always a pleasure to deal w/ @Erithon. killer pedals from an awesome TBer. and also Mr. @Taylor Livingston for creating such beautiful, Magical and Great sounding pedals. Its indeed a great tool to create music and always gives us musicians an inspiration to create new material, enjoy Tonequest and also to be better everyday. The frantabit and subterrean just like the others will surely stay in the board. . Cheers! -sorry for the large photo sirs. l

 

[darkhalf]

Loving the enclosure talk! Here’s my little group:

View attachment 5380437

One of my big losses in the whole pedal thing was loaning an untrustworthy person my first Oxide. I have no idea what number it was, but it was in a clean, not textured copper enclosure with silver knobs. I miss that little guy.

Sir thats a nice collection. killer polytope and frantabit as well.

 

[Erithon]

Good looking sets, both of you!

One of my big losses in the whole pedal thing was loaning an untrustworthy person my first Oxide. I have no idea what number it was, but it was in a clean, not textured copper enclosure with silver knobs. I miss that little guy.

It's cool you have both v1 and v2 of the XD and the Polytope.
Do you Oxides sound different?
I'm really sorry to here that. Did you loan it in person or over the internet? I've loaned and been loaned a number of pedals and it's always gone smoothly, but it just goes to show there's always someone looking to ruin it for others.

The frantabit and subterrean just like the others will surely stay in the board.

I recall that Nimbus came from me, too. After a while on TB, pedals get a bit incestuous

 

[Jakeman]

Good looking sets, both of you!

It's cool you have both v1 and v2 of the XD and the Polytope.
Do you Oxides sound different?
I'm really sorry to here that. Did you loan it in person or over the internet? I've loaned and been loaned a number of pedals and it's always gone smoothly, but it just goes to show there's always someone looking to ruin it for others.

I recall that Nimbus came from me, too. After a while on TB, pedals get a bit incestuous

The two silver Oxide’s that I have now sound the same - IE are one of the few builders that I obtain backups for. The copper one I mentioned sounded a bit different, but unfortunately I’m terrible at describing sounds. More aggressive, maybe? Wasn’t anyone on TB - a guitar player here in NOLA. Apparently a history there that I wasn’t wise to. So it goes.

 

[darkhalf]

Good looking sets, both of you!

It's cool you have both v1 and v2 of the XD and the Polytope.
Do you Oxides sound different?
I'm really sorry to here that. Did you loan it in person or over the internet? I've loaned and been loaned a number of pedals and it's always gone smoothly, but it just goes to show there's always someone looking to ruin it for others.

I recall that Nimbus came from me, too. After a while on TB, pedals get a bit incestuous

yes sir traded you that Frantabit albino and Nimbus SE purple burst. or maybe in another set of trades we both did? either way its always nice trading with you bro.

 

[fivestringgecko]

...three Subterraneae ([one] now happily residing with@fivestringgecko)

Yessir it is, thanks to you. As you knew, I'd been looking for one for quite a while. Still can't quite believe I also managed to track down a DubT at almost the same time, and one that was so clean to boot.

Yes sir always a pleasure to deal w/ @Erithon. killer pedals from an awesome TBer. and also Mr. @Taylor Livingston for creating such beautiful, Magical and Great sounding pedals.

+1

I didn't really understand Taylor's thing with IE pedals until I started combining them.

Not necessarily a family photo, but here's a board I recently built out for a meetup with a couple fellow bassists... It feels a bit over the top, but it sure makes for some interesting & engaging sounds/combinations. I think my fav by far is the expression pedal with the XeroD. Dang @Erithon, you weren't kidding when you clued me in to the true use for that one. ha ha

5sg.

Signal chain: PWNZOR > FM > SubT > DubT > Subsonic > Blumes > D2 > Plasma > Proton > Franta > XeroD/expression > Poly > RevC > Dark World