First Time Pedalboard Size Advice:

Col Mustard said:
that huge array of pedals is worth thousands, when they were bought...
and it's worth hundreds now.
But yes, it's crazy. Too many f/x turns music into mush.
The signal path would turn my brain to mush.

I like to keep things as simple as possible, but I love to stomp pedals.
I never use any pedal all the time, except the TC Electronics "Body Rez"
pedal for my acoustic.

The construction of the "board" seems irrelevant to me, because I always make my
own out of a real board. Scrap lumber... I'll get a piece of plywood,
and arrange the pedals on it, and draw around them with a pencil.
If my first try doesn't work well it, I'll cut another one.

The velcro sticks to a real board very well, unless the stage is in
a very hot sunbeam... then the velcro glue can soften, and pedals
can slide oozily when you stomp them. EEEWWWW!

Funny, my latest boards have been designed to fit in an existing backpack.
So I choose which pedals I'll use based on which ones will fit on a board
that fits in that backpack. Logistics, you know. Also, keep it simple.

Painting the pedalboard "theatre black" is also my way.
So if the circular saw kicks a few chunks out of the plywood while I'm cutting,
it doesn't matter. The audience never sees the board, unless you are focused on it, and
not on them. Don't do that. Keep your head up, and for that you need a simple
board that's easy to use.

I'm fickle too, so I keep changing things around. I could never screw everything down
so neatly, because I'd just have to rip it up to change it in a couple weeks. I just
wrap the daisy chain cable with cable ties and tuck it down in. Works fine.
But I respect the care and attention to detail in the pedal board you are
making. That resonates with me too.

I don't use my TS-9 as a clean boost... I use it as an overdrive pedal.
I like mine a lot. Great sustain. Very rock an roll drive.

But I like the Boss Blues Driver better. I've used both, and they are both
very cool. But the stock Blues Driver has been my go-to overdrive for years
now, and I've never gotten tired of that tone.

I wish you well with this pedal project. It sounds like you've got everything arranged
the way you want it.
Click to expand...

Got it ready for Today's rehearsal...

20190601_133109.jpg 20190601_133203.jpg 20190601_133128.jpg
 
I would say, "Nice job," but its WAY too small.

What you need is a board that's bigger than a guitar case:

full


That's an old pic. Some pedals have been changed, but the board is the same.

Go big or go home!!!
 
LOL!
I've been wondering if that board was bigger than your guitar case.
Smitty, you have just made my day.

:)
 
Last edited:
Robert,
Take that one extra power supply plug that is exposed
under the board and wrap some tape around it.
Those things have the positive on the sleeve and it would
be very easy for it to ground out against something.
You don't want it to do that.
 
smitty_p said:
I would say, "Nice job," but its WAY too small.

What you need is a board that's bigger than a guitar case:

full


That's an old pic. Some pedals have been changed, but the board is the same.

Go big or go home!!!
Click to expand...

Geez! We play some fairly small stages. Mine is quite big enough I should say.

Everything gets turned on and stays on full time...there's no switching on and off.
 
Tony M. said:
Robert,
Take that one extra power supply plug that is exposed
under the board and wrap some tape around it.
Those things have the positive on the sleeve and it would
be very easy for it to ground out against something.
You don't want it to do that.
Click to expand...

Good eye. I put a rubber vacuum cap on it before rehearsal
 
FracStrat said:
@Robert Herndon .. I'm curious if you have tried your NS-2 set up as a sidechain trigger ..I use the NS-2 on all of my pedalboards with Everything in the Loop except for the Bad Horsie Wahs .. works like a charm !!
Click to expand...

I use an MXR noise gate, but I’m toying around with the idea of getting an NS-2 just to try the trigger setup.

Seems like a cool approach.
 
I did what Smitty advised, laid all my pedals out, took a measurement and had some wood lying around and away I went...Built it tilted up front and lower closer to me, sanded it down, put a few coats of paint on, lined the pedal side with some like indoor outdoor black carpet that would adhere to some velcro and wahlah, my pedals stay in place, all wires are underneath and hidden along with a power supply and its done...And its quite light as well....

Just the Swamp way of doing things cheaper and saved the $ on a board and bought more pedals:celebrate2:
 
FracStrat said:
That way truly gates everything on the board .. I even use a Compressor/Sustainer with it's own built in gate inside of the NS-2 Loop
Click to expand...

The way I am running it, nothing is cutting off my delay tails. When I tried the whole 4 cable method, it made the delay effect really weak. I did not like it....
 
I'm now running 350mA @ 9 volts per effect. I have 3 effects boards but stage space is the issue.
Were just a three piece band 2000-2008 We were a five piece band but every time the clubs we play
remodel the stage gets smaller.
 
67plexi said:
I'm now running 350mA @ 9 volts per effect. I have 3 effects boards but stage space is the issue.
Were just a three piece band 2000-2008 We were a five piece band but every time the clubs we play
remodel the stage gets smaller.
Click to expand...

My board is super compact

20190608_180931.jpg

Rehearsal studio pic
 
FracStrat said:
@Robert Herndon .. I'm curious if you have tried your NS-2 set up as a sidechain trigger ..I use the NS-2 on all of my pedalboards with Everything in the Loop except for the Bad Horsie Wahs .. works like a charm !!
Click to expand...
FracStrat said:
That way truly gates everything on the board .. I even use a Compressor/Sustainer with it's own built in gate inside of the NS-2 Loop
Click to expand...
I’ve, happily, done similarly for many years now...I used to just stick it up front if I was using amp dirt, unless I was running my old Laney AOR, then it was used to gate the preamp with the loop. The last 15 or so years(since I got back in to pedal dirt) it’s been set up with all of my dirtboxes in the loop most of the time. My delay, chorus, and reverb are seldom used, and quiet...so they go after the NS2...I like my phaser, and wah before it.
One of the most useful pedals that I’ve ever used. I have one that’s 30 years old, and another that’s a bit over 20 years old. Both still work as they should.
 
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