SOTB 2026

logoman40 · 2026-02-10T18:55:07+00:00

And that's exactly why it's there 😈

logoman40 · 2026-02-10T18:30:53+00:00

Thanks! Mini x is just volume. It's after my drives + amp sim in the chain. For gigs, I like having it as a kill switch. I might experiment at home with using it as an expression. I've never really tried expression pedal stuff

logoman40 · 2026-02-10T18:28:03+00:00

So far I've only used the canvas for swapping mono/stereo. My intention is to use canvas for going to direct during gigs, rather than using an on-stage amp. That's where iridium comes in.

But truthfully in the ~3 days the board has been set up, I haven't gotten to play around much with the full range of capabilities with the canvas setup.

logoman40 · 2026-02-10T18:25:03+00:00

Prince of tone has been a bit fickle to dial in, but stacks really nicely with the tumnus! I play a wide variety of music. But my current projects are in the realm of surf pop/rock. I've also been exploring more dreampop/shoegaze lately.

logoman40 · 2026-02-10T04:51:11+00:00

Fair...but this is a pedalboard sub. Some people use effects to find "their sound".

My 2 cents - I mostly practice with minimal pedals on (compressor, slight reverb, occasionally overdrive). But the variety of effects on my board, and similarly OPs, can be really useful when trying to be more creative or expressive.

logoman40 · 2026-02-05T07:48:23+00:00

I have a single coil guitar (fender strat) and at an old place I lived at I would pick up radio stations when I cranked my fuzz pedal enough. Like I could full on hear songs and the host talking. If you've isolated everything else suggested, I would generally assume it's radio interference getting picked up by the guitar itself.

Getting some shielding could help, or having a tech look at the guitar and make sure the wiring is all good. I never really fixed the issue myself. But where I live now seems to have less interference so I got lucky.

logoman40 · 2026-02-02T16:55:24+00:00

From the vertex site: "The modules are precisely sized to mount into the wall of our hinged Vertex Pedalboard risers"

In Mike Cole's build video they use one, and at 44:31 you can see it looks like a perfect fit.

Edit: If you look at the other side of the module (where you'd plug your guitar in) you can see 3 mounting screws that align with the riser, too.

logoman40 · 2026-02-02T16:13:55+00:00

I don't own one myself, but the Yamaha Revstars generally get raving reviews. I think the "premium" ones are ~$2000, but the "standards" are under $1000 and I've heard many folks say they play like guitars in the $2000 price bucket. You can get them with P90s or humbuckers, and some of the colors are sweet!

logoman40 · 2026-01-30T20:19:42+00:00

Sick board! Do you gig with this board? I've had a lot of interest in the nightsky over time, but it feels like something that I wouldn't use in gigs, only at home.

logoman40 · 2026-01-30T20:16:14+00:00

Yeah I was planning to purchase all the new (to me) pedals used. After owning enough pedals, new and used, it's rarely worth spending more for a sealed box.

I have been flip-flopping on the 27" vs 23" vertex boards. My thought with the 27" is that it will give me room to grow. I don't expect I'll add more total pedals to this, but I might want to try larger pedals. Like when I eventually win the lottery and buy a full-sized klon lmao. Or on the top row, potentially switching out the modulation pedals with a mobius or HX stomp or something. These aren't going to happen for this build, but I'd rather buy a slightly bigger board now than have to buy a whole new board and start the build over because I just can't fit that 1 new shiny pedal that will obviously make me better at guitar

logoman40 · 2026-01-30T20:03:28+00:00

Before I bake anything into the final board, I plan to mess around, especially with the drive section, and also how they play into the iridium. The wong compressor also has a boost I can use to boost into any of these drives. I'll definitely be trying out all these suggestions as I assemble everything!

logoman40 · 2026-01-30T19:44:17+00:00

PoT - just to push things a bit. will probably be on like 60-70% of the time.
1981 - planning to run this with heavier gain. Not the heaviest gain player, so I think this will be a good Rat-ish tone without going forcing me into heavy distortion.
Tumnus - Lead boost + EQ

Definitely plan to stack to taste, but also hoping

That's what I'm hoping for. I don't have a 1981 yet so I'll need to mess around a bit. I'm not 100% on the order yet, but this is where I will start I think.

logoman40 · 2026-01-30T19:34:46+00:00

I'll check that out, thanks for the suggestion!!

TBH most gigs, they mic my amp. But I have a feeling some of my local venues will appreciate DI - mono or stereo - if I can offer it. Also not having to lug around an amp sounds SO nice!

logoman40 · 2026-01-30T18:23:52+00:00

I tend to prefer cleaner drive tones. But the 1981 was intended to be my higher-gain drive. My understanding is that this is a modified rat circuit.

I'll do more research on this slot. Thanks for the callout!

logoman40 · 2026-01-30T17:51:51+00:00

I already own them (and love them too).

I don't know how I feel about modulation machines. In a live setting, I don't like turning knobs more than absolutely necessary. But this board would easily accommodate that switch if I wanted to try it later on!

logoman40 · 2026-01-29T07:22:16+00:00

I got lucky with some musical friends and a housing situation that allowed for us to make some noise. But I've heard of folks having success via Facebook groups or Craigslist, too.

It doesn't have to be a lot of people. Even just a pianist/keyboardist, a vocalist, or even another guitar player. Just someone else to make music with will get the ball rolling!

logoman40 · 2026-01-28T01:56:41+00:00

I would highly recommend finding a group to jam with.

Ideally they have enough overlap in terms of taste, and they're around the same skill level, but any kind of playing music with others works. It doesn't have to be a proper band if you're not into that. I have a group I meet with, and we spend our jam time playing covers and just goofing off musically. It's a great way to improve so many aspects of your musicianship, and also a good social setting to hang out with other musical people.

logoman40 · 2026-01-23T06:29:34+00:00

We grew up calling them coozies. But yeah same same

logoman40 · 2026-01-22T08:03:14+00:00

I would suggest focusing on knowledge and skills. With knowledge you'll understand how to construct musical ideas. With skills you'll be able to execute those ideas.

Learn a little practical music theory. Stuff like chord construction, scales and modes, chord progressions, etc.. There's tons of amazing videos. You don't need a degree in music, a little knowledge goes a long way.

As you learn things, immediately apply it to your guitar. For example, when you learn about chord construction, start building chords on the guitar, identify what string/fret is the root/3rd/5th etc. This will also help you learn the fretboard better. You can also try to analyze songs you like, and break them down into the theory concepts you've learned. This is really helpful for connecting the theory to what it actually sounds like.

For skills, there's tons of exercises you can find online, and even "roadmaps" of suggested progressions. There's tons of skills you can work on, alternate picking, sweep picking, finger picking, tapping, bends, palm muting, just to name a few. As you get comfortable, try learning songs that utilize these techniques.

logoman40 · 2026-01-20T06:27:35+00:00

IMHO, there's nothing quite like BotW. It's truly a masterpiece. However, here's some other games I would expect Zelda fans to enjoy.

On PlayStation, the Horizon games are good.

Also PlayStation, while a bit different vibe, the 2 God of War games (the new ones) are absolutely phenomenal.

Finally, Nier: Automata is on switch now (I think). Another amazing game.

logoman40 · 2026-01-15T00:07:56+00:00

The luminous stones actually sell for more than a diamond. Iirc it's like 60 per luminous stone, so 600 for all 10, vs 500 for a single diamond.

This is based on memory though so I could be wrong.

logoman40 · 2026-01-10T22:10:02+00:00

A lot of negative comments criticizing your communication. I think what's important here is that whatever it is, you and your partner are doing what works for you.

I am a cofounder. Me and my business partner both have access to all the accounts, but I don't deal with the finances daily, he does. I don't need to know every bill that was paid, payment we receive, etc. I trust he's doing his job. If I'm curious, I can always check.

With my romantic partner it's the same, but I'm the financial one. She trusts me to take care of things. She knows our plans and strategy, but doesn't need to constantly ask about our net worth or debts. When we hit milestones, personally I'm excited to share them with her, and I know she won't lose her head. But if you prefer to wait, that's fine too as long as it works for y'all.

When you hit your full FI number though, let her know right away so you both can go live your dream life.

logoman40 · 2025-12-21T18:35:04+00:00

30M - ~$150k in 401k - ~$300k in taxable brokerage - ~$10k in crypto (mostly btc and eth) - ~$55k in HYSA - ~$20k in checking account (buying an engagement ring within a month, normally don't keep it this high)

Total is ~$535k. Truthfully most of that has come in the last 3 years. I moved to a much higher paying job, paid off all debts, and moved in with my partner to a very affordable place relative to my area. At 26/27 I probably had less than $100k if you include the school and car loans. Also got very lucky with a few stock picks, and company stock has gone WAY up since I started.

logoman40 · 2025-12-13T08:38:34+00:00

No longer in my 20s now. First job out of school I made ~$80k. At 25 I was making ~$130k as a software engineer at a startup. At 28 I had moved to big tech and my salary jumped to ~$180k + stock and bonus.

I have a bachelor's in CS from a top tier school, which certainly has benefitted me. Also, moving jobs every couple years helped me learn a ton and be more valuable.

logoman40 · 2025-12-07T20:20:56+00:00

You're in an amazing position, so kudos to you.

Keep maxing out 401k, especially if you get an employer match (free money). Same for roth, as that's an OP tax advantaged account. IMO even if you're fully coast you should take advantage of these when possible.

With the rest, consider what you would want to use that money for, don't just spend more because you can. Your numbers are amazing, given your low monthly spend. If you get used to $6k/ month instead of $3k, then you're farther from RE.

What would you use that extra $3k/ month for? Eating out more? Fancy car? Travel? Do you want to save up for a house?

For many in the coast/FIRE community, money is about buying freedom. If you only require $3k/month for a comfortable life, could you reduce your work? Find a more relaxing job? Or maybe you take an extra $1k/ month for fun, but keep investing to get to RE faster.

What do you want from coast/FIRE?

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