Not so long ago there were no guitar effects pedals. If you wanted a different sound, switch guitars (or amps) or use your guitar’s tone and volume controls.
Nowadays you can’t think of it that crazy or there is a pedal for it. From simple boost pedals to full guitar synthesizers, it’s all for sale. Many guitarists rely entirely on the sound of their guitar effects pedals and it is not uncommon for guitarists to have 10 or more lying around on the floor. This poses an entirely new problem. Because how do you take all those pedals with you to your performance and how do you ensure that your precious pedals continue to do their job? In this article I explain what you should pay attention to. It is primarily aimed at guitarists looking for their first pedalboard.
What is a pedalboard and why would I need it?
A pedalboard is a shelf (often made of metal) on which you mount your effect pedals. Almost all pedalboards are made of lightweight aluminum. The pedals are fixed to the board and cannot be damaged during transport. In addition, it is useful that your pedals are permanently connected. If you have more than one guitar effect, it is actually wise to purchase a pedalboard. You don’t have to connect your pedals every time and they are protected when you want to transport them. Another advantage of a pedalboard is that it often slopes upwards, so that you can reach the pedals better with your feet. An advantage is also that you can attach your power supply under the board, so that it is not unprotected on the floor.
What should I pay attention to when purchasing a pedalboard?
All nice and nice, but what should you pay attention to when purchasing? In any case, it is important not to buy a board that exactly fits your current pedals. Always buy a pedalboard on the growth. Make a list of the pedals that you still plan to purchase and also consider whether you include a (midi) footswitch. With a foot switch you switch the pedals on or ‘the loop’. The advantage of this is that your guitar signal does not always pass through all the pedals before it reaches the amplifier.
Pedalboard planner
It is also important to position your pedals in such a way that you can easily reach them with your foot. At the moment there is a trend that the pedals are getting smaller and smaller. However, your feet will not decrease in size and if your pedals are too close together you run the risk of turning two on or off at the same time. A handy tool is to use the pedalboard planner from Pedaltrain.
Soft case or hard case?
If you take your pedals with you to gigs, a case is an absolute must. All pedalboards on our site are delivered including a case. There are two different types of cases, there are soft cases and hard cases. The soft cases offer slightly less protection, if something heavy falls on your suitcase, for example, there is a chance that your pedals will be damaged. A hard case offers more protection, but is also more expensive. With many pedalboards from Pedaltrain you can even choose between a soft or a hard case.
Which brand pedalboard should I choose?
Pedalboards zijn er in alle prijscategorieën en de keuze voor een bepaald merk is mede afhankelijk van het bedrag dat je er aan wilt/kunt besteden. In het lagere prijssegment vinden wij met name Rockboard een goed aanbod hebben. De pedalboards zijn degelijk gebouwd, je hebt veel keuze in het formaat en rockboard levert veel accessoires die je meteen of later aan je board kunt toevoegen.
The pedalboards from Pedaltrain are in the slightly higher price range. There is also a lot of choice here. With all boards you can choose between a case or a bag and the pedalboards are extremely solid and can take a beating. These are boards that are sold the most with us at the moment (end of March 2023).
In a higher price range are the boards from Temple Audio and Voodoo Lab. Temple Audio’s boards look very nice, you can choose from different colors, and they have a separate system with which you attach your pedals. It works with plates that you stick under your effects pedals and then attach to your board. You don’t have to use this system, you can also just stick velcro on your board. Furthermore, Temple Audio (just like Rockboard) also has so-called Mods that make it easier to connect your effects to your guitar/amp. In addition to power supplies, Voodoo Lab also makes pedalboards. They are of super quality and the power supplies from Voodoo Lab fit seamlessly.
Finally, you can also choose to have a custom pedalboard made. We work together with Moonspinner Gear on this. In principle, everything is negotiable and you get exactly the format and layout that you want.
How do I mount my guitar pedals on a pedalboard?
Have you made a choice for a pedalboard, then the next question comes, how do you attach your guitar pedals? There are multiple systems for doing this. The most commonly used is Velcro, also known as hook-and-loop tape. You stick one part of the Velcro (velcro) on your board and the other part on your pedal. You get this tape with almost all boards. In addition, there is a stronger version that is usually sold under the name dual lock, including by 3M.
Pedal fasteners from Smart Track
In addition to Velcro, there are also other methods for attaching your pedals. Boarding the Smart Track from Aclam Guitars work with pedal fasteners for example. These are small clips with a screw that you use to clamp the pedals. The advantage of this is that you don’t have to stick anything on your pedal (and on your board). If you ever want to say goodbye to a guitar pedal, you can easily remove it again and you don’t have to remove any tape.
Other methods of attaching your pedals
A very cheap solution is to use tie wraps. These can be bought in any do-it-yourself store and you can easily attach your pedals to the board. In addition, there are also so-called stomp traps for sale. You stick the Velcro to the bottom of the stomp trap and attach it to the board. Then you put your pedal in the stomp kick.
What order of effects should I follow?
Before you start connecting your pedals, it is wise to experiment for a while with the order of your guitar effects. Experimenting will help you discover which order works best for you. If you have a programmable pedal switcher, you can even program the order of the pedals and you can start connecting right away.
How do I connect my guitar effects?
Guitar pedals have inputs and outputs for the audio signal and a connection for a power supply to power the pedal. Some pedals also have a connector for an expression pedal and/or MIDI connectors. The audio signal goes from right to left, so the input is on the right and the output is on the left. Connection of guitar pedals is quite simple, you connect the output of one pedal to the input of the other pedal. This creates a long row of pedals through which your guitar signal passes.
Use custom patch cables
You can connect guitar pedals with so-called patch cables. These are cables with so-called TS (Tip Sleeve) Jack plugs. If you have pedals with a stereo input or output, you often need cables with a TRS Jack (Tip Ring Sleeve). Consult the manual of your pedal for this. Patch cables come in all shapes and sizes. By far the best is to make cables to measure. This ensures that not too much cable gets between your pedals. Often, too much cable causes a loss of highs in your signal.
Do I use a (multi) power supply or a battery?
After connecting the audio signal from your pedals, it’s time to think about how you’re going to power your pedals. There are roughly two possibilities. First of all, you can opt for a 9 volt battery. This does not work with all pedals, consult the manual of your pedal. Note that the battery powers your pedal once connected with patch cables. So the battery runs out, even if you don’t use your guitar pedal. A tip in this case is to always remove the patch cables from the pedal when you are not using them. You can also connect a power plug to the power input of the pedal. This will turn off the pedal’s battery.
Fuzz pedals like batteries
With most pedals it makes no difference to the sound whether a good external adapter or a battery is used, although some tone purists may have a different opinion on this. With fuzz pedals it often makes a difference. Certainly if a battery becomes a bit empty, its voltage will also drop and that creates a different sound. Nowadays, however, there are also power supplies that mimic this operation, where you can often even indicate the age of the battery.
Adapter with daisy chain or multi power supply?
Option two is to purchase an adapter or multi-power supply and this may or may not be combined with a daisy chain. If you are still looking for good power supply for your effect pedals, read this article. Daisy chaining means you can connect multiple pedals to the same output. You use a special daisy chain cable where the plugs are looped through.
>> overview adapters >> overview multi power supplies >> overview daisy chain cables
How do I connect my effects to a power supply?
The vast majority of pedals work on 9 Volt and have a so-called center negative connection. This means that the outside of the plug is the plus and the inside is the minus. Very occasionally a pedal uses a different terminal or voltage other than 9 volts. Usually it is then 12 or 18 volts. With pedals it is also important that they receive the right amount of power. Current is expressed in milliamperes (mA). It doesn’t hurt to give your pedals more power than they need. The pedal draws the current it needs from the power supply and will not draw more than it needs. However, it can be harmful to connect a different voltage. If there is 9 volts on the pedal, always connect 9 volts!
Attaching your power supply to your pedalboard
If you have opted for a multi-power supply, it is wise to attach it to your board as well. All brands offer so-called mounting kits for this. There are universal ones that are often cheaper and suitable for a wide variety of power supplies. In addition, there are specific mounting kits with which you can only mount power supplies of a certain brand/type. The easiest way is to attach the power supply to the bottom of your board. Make sure to position the power supply so that the power cords are long enough to reach all the pedals. Furthermore, some pedals are sensitive to the magnetic field of a power supply. Always test whether this is the case before mounting the power supply.