Do I need a pedalboard?

HAL9000

Ok, I really only play at jam nights and maybe a handful of gigs each year.

Pedals include a wah, overdrive, phaser, and a tuner - all powered by a T Rex fuel tank Jnr. It's been suggested that I 'need' a pedalboard. TBH it doesn't bother me either way, but I can see the attraction of not having to connect and disconnect everything every time I play although, let's face it, it only takes a few seconds. I guess, also, that there's less chance of things going wrong if everything is permanently connected.

There's no plans to buy any more pedals. 

What say you?

brojangles

I've got only a few more pedals (tuner, comp, OD, chorus, delay, reverb), and I've only today invested in a pedalboard, the reason being that I got sick of plugging and unplugging them all every time. 

Phil_aka_Pip

Yes. Setup/breakdown time reduced + a pleasant afternoons work to construct.

PS use a bigger board than you need - you may have no plans NOW to buy more pedals ... I didn't, and then digitech issued the freqout and now I have to find board-room for it

edit don't put the wah on the board, IME they're always noisy and mine didn't like the wall-wart psu I was powering it with, so I left it off the board and powered it with a battery. tbh I don't miss it most of the time as I have little use for it and I don't mind an extra pedal at the side of the board when there is a use for it.

Grunfeld

HAL9000 said:

There's no plans to buy any more pedals. 

What say you?

I resisted a proper pedal board for a stupidly long time.
Initially made one on the cheap from Ikea (Gorn), then got a Pedaltrain -- just a Metro which is very tidy.
The proper board is so much better.

Lestratcaster

Even if you don't use many pedals (I don't, for a start) it still speeds up set-up/break-down time and keeps things nice and tidy.

I only use the basics, a tuner, noise suppressor and an overdrive pedal, plus wireless receiver and footswitch. Set up is real quick with a cable out the last pedal (the noise suppressor) and then two power adaptors to be plugged in (Fuel-Tank Jnr and my Wireless). After that I'm good to go!

ESBlonde

I have a carrier bag with three spare pedals and a daisy chain PSU which is quick and easy for jams/rehersals, no board there. But I have a proper board for gigging makes things easier and more likely to function from the off.

If you DIY skills allow it, make a simple board.

John_P

It’s a handy way to store them and makes for a quicker setup so I’d always use one - even with just a few pedals.  

Oddly i did a dep gig a couple of weeks ago on bass and the guitarist had a Pedaltrain 2 sized board with a bunch of pedals but he had them in a bag and placed them on the board without Velcro during the setup and took them off at the end of the night.    I’ve never seen that before.  

Slimbert

A decent small board will cost £30 ish 2nd hand. Velcro will cost you less than £5 delivered.

You'll wonder why you never did it before!

HAL9000

So what does a pedalboard give me that a piece of wood, plastic, or metal, and some Velcro doesn't?

DesVegas

Yes. Get one

Roland

Phil_aka_Pip said:

Yes. Setup/breakdown time reduced

Reason 1. Changeover time eats into your playing time.
Reason 2. Pedals stay where you put them, not tumbling across the playing area because you caught the cable with your foot.

HAL9000 said:

So what does a pedalboard give me that a piece of wood, plastic, or metal, and some Velcro doesn't?

In my book convenience is the key factor. I made a board for our singer from a piece of plywood, with a B&Q cupboard handle on either side. It drops into one of those cheap aluminium cases. My own is built into a plywood box with lift-off lid. We each drop our boards onto the floor and connect in and out cables, and in his case a main supply. It takes 30 seconds.

My pedal board holds more than pedals. There’s a tin of plectrums, a tin of spare fuses, a spare top E string, and space for my capo, beer glass and Johnson’s baby powder.

If you’ve got the tools and the skills them I’d say make your own. It’s not necessarily cheaper, but it will be fitted to your needs.

Gassage

ESBlonde said:

I have a carrier bag with three spare pedals and a daisy chain PSU which is quick and easy for jams/rehersals, no board there. But I have a proper board for gigging makes things easier and more likely to function from the off.

If you DIY skills allow it, make a simple board.

Can you confirm if it's a 'bag for life' and if so, how the warranty conditions apply to pedals?

punchesjudy

You don't need one nope, but I'd suggest getting one. I use a small board, tuner, fuzz, od, delay and the convenience of just having it all set up ready is just great. 

meltedbuzzbox

If you want to dive in there is a shelf/board thing that can be had from Ikea for sod all.
Add some Velcro and it's a pedal board

TTBZ

Don't need one but it's nice to have plus it looks nice which is the most important part of any pedal-based purchase. 

Lebarque

Yes, they're fun.

Fuengi

Build one when you have time, they are stupid money for what they are. 

I built a hardwood board in a spare afternoon for £8. The Pedaltrain equivalent was about £120. 

ellangus

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gorilla-Universal-Guitar-Effect-Organizer/dp/B014AOXUP8

Slimbert

This even comes with a rather sexual carry bag and some slightly fascist self adhesive hook and loop stuff!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B01EY088FA/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510874311&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=pedalboard&dpPl=1&dpID=51GmAnlL8jL&ref=plSrch

Seriously, dude...whats stopping you?!!

ESBlonde

Gassage said:

ESBlonde said:

I have a carrier bag with three spare pedals and a daisy chain PSU which is quick and easy for jams/rehersals, no board there. But I have a proper board for gigging makes things easier and more likely to function from the off.

If you DIY skills allow it, make a simple board.

Can you confirm if it's a 'bag for life' and if so, how the warranty conditions apply to pedals?

The bag is proper reliced, one 'andle torn and everyfing. If you send me your favourite Harrods carrier bag I'll relic  it for you.

You're welcome.

Sassafras

Apart from the convenience, tidiness and practicality of a proper board, I also like the fact it has a lid that keeps dirt and dust off the pedals when not in use.