Mini pedals for a smaller board
When it comes to pedalboards a small board will generally carry the weight of mini pedals. Newbies might take a pedal (or three) and simply put it on the floor in front of themselves. Trust me, it is just a faze. Eventually every guitarist gets a pedalboard. That is when size matters. My first pedalboard was very small but slanted just right for my liking. However, it eventually became overcrowded. Why? Because once you have the pedal fever there is no cure.
My first pedalboard was the exactly like the one above. I used it with mini pedals so I was able to fit more, but I thought I was going to be like Zakk Wylde and just need a few. But then I got the fever. I wanted different sounds on my board. You can’t see it well but this board has an angle to it. Many guitarists start out with buying a cheep flat board like the one below.
Why would someone be comfortable with this? The pedals are flat out. You cannot see them at a gig if the lights are low and if you or someone at the gig spills a drink on them it’s all over. Eventually I aimed my sights at something lighter in weight and larger then needed. A 12×24 Blackbird Pedalboard. These boards have it all, but a forever board is not inexpensive. Keep in mind, you do get what you pay for. These boards have a large enough gig bag or metal carrying case for pedals to stay on the board while transporting. In and out jacks and Velcro covering on the board and strips for your pedals make up the rest.
The Blackbird Pedalboard above is what I use. 12×24. It is large enough to place a power plant under and has an extension hole in front of the two jacks for cord access. It is also slanted for easy visuals of all your pedals. Sure, some musicians go crazy and have boards so huge and in such a disarray that to us the sound becomes very mechanical. But this is about a board not sound.
Anyway, this article might be a bit bias because I own the Blackbird Pedalboard. But there is a reason for that. You see, I set out on a journey not long ago to find the ultimate pedalboard. While “Ultimate” is a matter of choice, I do believe the one above is a great choice!
Many, if not all, pedalboards are made by hand and custom ones are usually made by the musician themselves. The “custom” ones are usually very heavy in weight and eventually discarded.
Starting off small is a good way to start. Get a board that has a comfortable angle so you can read what’s on you board and grow from there. We will touch on Power Plants in the next article.