Pedalboards - Any Suggestions?

M

macki

New member
Well I didn't think I would need one but I seem to have acquired more pedals than I initially thought (isn't that always the case :0) ). Anyways I was thinking of getting a board. It seems that its kinda cut and dry wrt a pedalboard (a board is a board is a board) - but is there any bad or good things about a particular type or are they all pretty much the same?

I am will have six pedals - Empress Trem, Empress Delay, Wahzoo, Boss Tuner and Blackstar OD.

Thanks
 
Re: Pedalboards - Any Suggestions?

I'm a big fan of the Pedaltrain stuff. Light weight, durable, lots of cable management possibilities, several different sizes, etc.
 
Re: Pedalboards - Any Suggestions?

I looked around a lot and settled on a New York City pedal board. A tad pricey, but I really like it.....
 
Re: Pedalboards - Any Suggestions?

It all depends on what you want...

For example I HAVE to have the wah on the board...if you are gonna have pedals hanging off the board then why get a board?!

Also, I hate boards that are at an angle...partly because my wah is on it and a wah is at an angle and then if you put it on an angled board you are really killing your foot and ankle to work the wah...not good.

So, I want a flat board BUT...I want as compact as possible so no line of pedals 10 feet long so I have to have a second level to my board...

All that led me to a NYC Pedalboard board...well made, the design I like, removeable lid means the bottom of the case IS the board and under the riser I have room for a power supply.

Now, the board is all up to you, everybody is different...

I will stand behind NYC boards as they have been good to me and the quality is great.

Past that I suggest a Voodoo Labs Pedal Power II+ for a power supply...it's $180 or so but worth every penny.

George L's cables...they are great and then use 3M Velcro or Dual Lock and NOTHING ELSE to put the pedals on the board...done and done!

Do a search and you'll find a ton of great info but if you are un sure what type of board to start with just go try a bunch and look at some!
 
Re: Pedalboards - Any Suggestions?

Ditto on everything TGWIF said. NYC Pedalboard, Voodoo PPII, George L's.

But mostly, lay out every pedal you plan to use, plus consider future additions, measure that rectangle, then buy that size.
 
Re: Pedalboards - Any Suggestions?

I love my pedaltrain, but I've yet to find a truly effective method for attaching my pedals as the velcro tends to not stick to the board itself as well as I'd like.
 
Re: Pedalboards - Any Suggestions?

CapoFirstFret said:
I love my pedaltrain, but I've yet to find a truly effective method for attaching my pedals as the velcro tends to not stick to the board itself as well as I'd like.
Click to expand...

My next board is gonna be plywood, drilled holes, and zip ties.
 
Re: Pedalboards - Any Suggestions?

Pedaltrain is very good. It's tough, light weight, and they give you velcro/zip ties along with the board to fix all your pedals in place. I've been using one for about four years with no real problems . . . although their hard case is supposed to be a lot tougher than the soft case that I have.

EDIT - By the way, nice choice on those empress pedals. I have the empress trem too, and am very happy with it. How's the delay?
 
Re: Pedalboards - Any Suggestions?

I've been putting a lot of attention into my boards lately and though I don't have one, I think the Pedaltrains are the best available. What really bothers me about the typical piece of flat wood board is all the cabling; there's nowhere to hide the patch cables and power supply cords so you can end up with a mess of wires running all over the board making it look like a road map. The Pedaltrain allows you run all those wires underneath the board leaving a nice clean look. It's angled so you don't need a riser though they are available and the power supply can be mounted underneath too. For the wah or volume pedals theres an extension you can get that attaches on the side and fits in the pouch of the soft case.

And othe than Lyte Pedalboards, they are the lightest I've seen. I have one board that weighs 20# or more; empty!!!


These do look promising: http://www.trailertrashpedalboards.com/main_scroll.htm
 
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Re: Pedalboards - Any Suggestions?

Dude, go the cheap route like I did.

1 cheap wooden board from a dresser $1 at goodwill
a few square feet of carpet $5 for carpet outless plus
velcro brand velcro $5 at lowes

Looks fine too. :D
 
Re: Pedalboards - Any Suggestions?

I recently purchased a board from Lyt Pedal Boards, the 32" with Lyt Case.

The board is very big. Wide and deep. The riser is a perfect fit for my amp's foot controllers and I can fit 2 power supplies and extra accesories under the riser. The case is very heavy duty and very big. Excellent quailty throughout. Highly recommended.

Here's a pic of it in the early phases of development.
 
Re: Pedalboards - Any Suggestions?

Board: Pedaltrain
Cables: Stomping grounds
P/S: Voodoo Labs

End result:

63049_425681113343_507708343_5047095_2490825_n.jpg
 
Re: Pedalboards - Any Suggestions?

I have no experience with Lyt or NYC.

But I used to have an EHX pedal bag and an SKB powered pedal board. The EHX was not fully rigid (it was a bag) and was just OK for me. The SKB was also just OK but I never liked how the powersupply connected in on the side (it was prone to getting stomped on, having the nut unscrew and the cable would get pulled out). It was too hard to get it into and out of the carrying bag and the pedals never stayed on well. Both are gone now.

I have two pedal trains and like them both a lot more. They're much easier to set up with the racks and easier to move around. They're metal rails as compared to a single surface which lets you run cables underneath. One has the hard case and one has the bag. I am using a One Spot with one and a 6 spot power supply with the other (not Voodoo)

Both pedal trains are separate from the case/bag. The bag is roomy enough and opens completely so it's easier to get your board in and out. The case flips open and you drop the board in.

If I had one suggestion to make...It would be nice to have the board be the bottom of the case. Then you'd have only the lid lying around when you're using it. I have seen ones where the tops are hard to secure because of really small hinges so I can see why some makers may have gotten away from that design.

My band mate uses a Behringer powered board which is really cheap like most of their stuff but I doubt it will hold up to his abuse. I think it was about $100 at the local store.
 
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