“My ’board is sort of a hybrid now. I’m getting closer to a single mono sound, so let’s discuss how I do that…” Steve Morse reveals what’s on his pedalboard and the secrets behind his wet/dry rig

Steve Morse plays his blue signature Ernie Ball Music Man onstage with the Dixie Dregs, 2024.

“My ’board is sort of a hybrid now. I used to run basically no effects on the front end between the guitar and the amp and only a little delay into the second wet amp, leaving the dry amp to stay the same. But now I have a little more on the front end in case the balance isn’t right between the wet and dry. I’m getting closer to a single mono sound, so let’s discuss how I do that.

“My guitar goes right into a TC Electronic Polytune [3], which goes into my Keeley Compressor [C2], the silver two-knob. From there, we go to a small board that I keep on top of my amp, and I do that to filter out noise. So, up there, I’ve got a Voodoo Lab Digital Power Supply, a TC Electronic Hall of Fame Reverb and a TC Electronic Flashback Delay, which leads into my GigRig Wetter Box, which has a variety of tones. I control it with a pedal at my feet.

“So, we go back to my main ’board and have the dry portion, two more TC Electronic Flashback Delays with different TonePrints. Both Flashback Delays go into two separate Ernie Ball [6165 500K Stereo] Volume/Pan pedals, one for short delay and one for long. 

“Having both allows me to change the output’s impedance and let the single output circle travel back to the wet amp and into the effects loop, making it a slave.”

(Image credit: Courtesy of Steve Morse)

(Image credit: Courtesy of Steve Morse)

If I had to choose only one pedal for a full show...

“I’d want to use one pedal with a controller – the TC Electronic Flashback Delay going through the effects loop. I’d need that control to go along with my most crucial pedal to get the infinite sounds I’m used to.”