A pedalboard is an essential tool for a gigging guitarist. Choosing one that does what you need and looks good too can be difficult.
Most standard pedals are happy with 9 volts and can be powered via a daisy chain, but a power supply offers a lower-maintenance solution. This guide will help you choose the best one for your board.
Power
Having a dedicated power supply for your pedalboard is crucial to get the best tone out of your effects. Not only does it ensure that each pedal gets the exact current it needs to function, but it also reduces noise in your signal chain. It’s a much better option than using a daisy-chain style power supply, which can cause unwanted voltage variations and may not provide enough current to run some high-current pedals.
A great option for powering your pedalboard is the Fuel Tank Junior. This small, lightweight unit features five isolated 9V DC outputs with up to 120mA each and includes all necessary cables. It’s the perfect choice for low-current pedals like a tuner, wah or octave pedal.
Another option is the Mission Engineering 529i. This unit can power up to two low-current pedals and two higher-current pedals at the same time, giving you a lot of headroom for your overdrives. It has a handy LED indicator that lets you know how much headroom you have left, and the internal battery lasts for up to four hours on a single charge.
If you want to expand your sound with more complex effects, a large pedalboard is the way to go. These boards typically have two or more rows that can fit up to 12 standard-sized pedals. They’re also great for those who love stacking overdrives and having an arsenal of boosts, distortions and fuzzes at their disposal. They’re also capable of accommodating larger pedals such as multi-effects units and loop switchers.
A smaller pedalboard is a good option for beginners or those who just need to keep their rig simple and portable. These boards usually have a single row and can fit up to four standard-sized pedals. They’re lightweight and take up minimal floor space on crowded stages or rooms.
Some guitarists prefer to use a coupler to connect their pedals together, though this isn’t a great solution for pedals that will be stepped on or used continuously since the jacks are never perfectly aligned and the weight of your foot can put stress on them. Moreover, it’s not as convenient as simply plugging a single cable from one pedal to the next.
Cables
Pedalboards can be purchased ready to go from various manufacturers or they can be DIY’ed. Building your own can be cheaper but you’ll have to invest some time into making it work and look good too.
The first thing you’ll need to decide is how you are going to power your pedals. Many people like to use a multi-output port power supply and then daisy chain them together. This can save space on the board but it is important to make sure that you have a power source with enough outputs for all of your pedals, as some may require more current than others. It’s also important to remember that voltage is different from current and you should never feed a pedal more voltage than it is rated for, as this can damage the pedal.
Another option for powering your pedals is using patch cables. These are basically super-shortened, jack-to-jack instrument cables that allow you to connect a pedal’s output directly into the input of a neighbouring pedal. This can save space on the board and help to preserve your signal as longer cables can introduce unwanted distortion and noise into the signal.
You can buy pre-made patch cables or you can do it yourself by purchasing some high quality cable and some special couplers, like these. These are small plastic pieces that snap into place on the end of a patch cable and have a straight or right angle connection for connecting to pedals. The straight ones are ideal for connecting pedals that have the same jack height while the right-angle couplers can be used to connect pedals with a slight difference in jack height.
Lastly, if you plan on taking your pedalboard to gigs you’ll need a case for it. Most pedalboards come with a soft lightweight case that will be fine for local gigs but if you’re flying or driving to your gigs a hardcase is probably a better option. Some manufacturers also sell their own cases that are designed specifically for the boards they produce, which can be a great option for keeping your pedals safe and secure on the road.
Pedal Order
There are no set rules for the order of pedals on a 6 pedal pedalboard. Most guitarists however will tend to place the more dynamic pedals (compressors, wahs, envelope filters and distortion) at the start of their chain and envelopment and modulation pedals at the end. This helps to control the overall volume of the pedal chain and also makes it easier to stomp on each effect individually without disturbing the rest.
The other common choice is to have a switcher as the first pedal on the board. This allows you to select different effects with just one press, which is a big help in a live environment when you’re under pressure. The switcher itself also serves as a great launching point for your set, letting you get to your most used sounds with ease and saving you time.
With the number of stompboxes available, the world of possibilities for pedal combinations is virtually limitless. However, with a bit of experimentation, you should be able to find an order that works for your particular style of music.
Most pedalboards will come with some kind of case, and if you gig heavily you’ll probably want to invest in a good road case for the best protection. If you aren’t going to be hauling your pedalboard around on planes or vans a soft case will be fine, but double-check that it has the right amount of protection and is light enough for you to carry.
You’ll probably need to buy some patch cables to connect your pedals, and this is a good time to consider the length of each cable as well as what kind of jack you want. You’ll need the shortest patch cables for connecting to your guitar, and longer ones for linking up your pedals.
It’s also a good idea to have some spare patch cables in case you accidentally damage one or break it. You’ll be glad you did when it comes to fixing a broken connection! Finally, you’ll need a power supply. The number of pedals you have and the order that they’re in will determine how much power you’ll need, so check the recommended wattage for each individual pedal to avoid overloading.
Pedal Combinations
The biggest benefit of a pedal board is that it makes powering your pedals much easier. Instead of fumbling around with all your cables and pedals, you can simply plug them all in once and be ready to go. This will save you a lot of time both when setting up and tearing down your pedalboard for gigs or practicing.
In addition, a pedalboard is the perfect way to keep all your pedals organized. If you have a pedal chain that runs long, it can be difficult to keep track of the order. With a pedalboard, you can easily find the pedals you need, and they will be in the exact same place every time.
One of the best things about a pedalboard is that you can combine different pedals to create unique effects. This can add a whole new dimension to your sound and can make playing more fun. For example, a tremolo pedal works well with many other pedals, and it can help tame the noise from more potent distortion pedals. A tremolo can be added after drives, octave pedals, pitch effects, compressors or even after time-based effects like delay and reverb.
Another great option is to add a noise gate to your pedalboard. This is a great way to stop your pedals from making any unwanted sounds, and it can be particularly useful for metal or hard rock guitarists who want to avoid the nasty feedback loops that can often occur. There are lots of options available, including the BOSS NS-2 and the Keeley KC-100.
Having your pedals in the right order will also have a huge impact on your tone. For example, adding an overdrive pedal like a morning glory into a tube screamer can produce a completely different sound than just running the two pedals in parallel. Similarly, a compression pedal can be very effective when placed before octave and pitch pedals.
Having your pedals in the correct order will also prevent any issues with daisy-chaining, which can cause hum and buzzes in some pedals when the ground polarities are not matched up. Using isolated power supplies on your pedalboard can eliminate this issue as they will provide you with individual positive and negative outlets for each pedal.