Setting Up Your Pedalboard
With so many components involved, building or setting up a new pedalboard can be a daunting task, but we’re here to help! These are some of the primary questions you’ll want to ask yourself to ensure an easy to use board.
How big of a board do I need?
When considering the size of your new board, you’ll not only want to accommodate the pedals you already have, but be able to take on any “new additions” which is almost always the case! I always recommend going a little bigger than needed and arrange accordingly. You should also account for the type of power supply you’ll be using, which brings us to our next question.
How do I power this thing?
There are a few good options here, depending on the number of pedals and budget we’re working with. The easiest (and most cost effective) is the daisy chain approach. This is where you’d have one cable that strings from pedal to pedal and is powered off of one adapter.
But more widely used are the “box” style power supplies. These are great when working with pedals that have different voltage requirements (9v/12v/18v/ect). It also lends to a cleaner looking board. Some even offer a sag feature which allows you to manually set the voltage that the pedal receives. A very cool feature to get the most out of certain pedals like Overdrives.
Do I really need multiple levels?
Depending on the sizes of your different pedals, you may want to consider extra tiers on your pedalboard. It allows you to maximize your space and can really help with the “reach” if it’s something you use a lot. Some companies offer angled tiers for even easier access. And the space underneath is great for hiding cables, or even your power box for a nice neat look.
What kind of cables should I use?
Ahhh….the age old question. There are a few different schools of thought when it comes to cables, but in my experience it comes down to player preference. There will be slight variations in tone, so it’s a matter of how your ear perceives it.
Basically, you want the highest quality you can afford. If “Monster” or “Planet Waves” cables are within reach, they offer great options like gold plated ends, and thicker gauge cable.
Solder-less cables are all the rage too, and many vendors offer “Pedalboard Kits” for this reason. They sound great, and you only use as much cable as you need, so you get a super pro look to your board.
Do the pedals go in a certain order?
YES!!! It really does matter. And if you think about it logically, there are certain effects you want before others. For instance, if you use only delay and overdrive, you want the overdriven signal delayed and not the delayed signal overdriven, hence the overdrive would be first and the delay last. Here’s a good order to get you going:
Tuner > Wah > Compressor > OD or Distortion > EQ > Pitch FX > Modulation > Echo/Delay
We at MusiciansBuy are always committed to your satisfaction. We invite you to call one of our Guitar Specialists at 1-877-778-7845 to help you assemble everything you’ll need for a fun, easy to use pedalboard.