Why are pedal boards normally right to left?

roberty

I always thought it was because wah traditionally goes first and most people are right footed. I am bloody useless with my right foot

Fiddlesticks_

It’s because there’s less capacitance in the signal chain when it runs from right to left so you get better tone

bertie

I am the master of the "simultaneous two footed wah" 

MentalSharps

Rocky1991 said:

The lead comments make total sense, no more sunday drinks for me!

It was a useful question for some of us, keep boozing!

Trude

The wah thing is interesting

I’m right handed, but left footed for wah. For me it makes more sense to plant the foot that’s carrying the most weight (ie underneath the guitar body). Also, the guitar rests against the top of my right thigh, which would add to the feeling of restriction if I used my right foot.
Same thing for hitting stomp boxes - I can easily balance on my right foot and let my left foot float in midair whilst going between pedals. Much harder for me to do that the other way around.

Whenever I’ve had a MFX with integrated expression pedal I’ve always had to move to the right when using it!

Mind you, I’m a weird hybrid of left and right handedness for different things, so I realise I’m a bit weird like that…

Alterlifeson

Musicwolf said:

Physical connections Right to Left for the reasons stated above about trailing leads.  Virtual pedal boards (i.e. using HX Edit) and synth modules are Left to Right because that's the way we read in the West.  No dispensation for Left Handers as they are an abomination in the sight of god.

Fired up my POD Go for the first time in a while the other day and spent the first 5 minutes trying to get my head around this. Just forgot that it was all backwards to what I was used to.

TimmyO

Trude said:

The wah thing is interesting

I’m right handed, but left footed for wah. For me it makes more sense to plant the foot that’s carrying the most weight (ie underneath the guitar body). Also, the guitar rests against the top of my right thigh, which would add to the feeling of restriction if I used my right foot.
Same thing for hitting stomp boxes - I can easily balance on my right foot and let my left foot float in midair whilst going between pedals. Much harder for me to do that the other way around.

Whenever I’ve had a MFX with integrated expression pedal I’ve always had to move to the right when using it!

Mind you, I’m a weird hybrid of left and right handedness for different things, so I realise I’m a bit weird like that…

I think that probably is less.common - I suspect most "righties" are used to planting the left foot when kicking a ball or investigated an odd object on the ground with a curious toe 

Bidley

Trude said:

The wah thing is interesting

I’m right handed, but left footed for wah. For me it makes more sense to plant the foot that’s carrying the most weight (ie underneath the guitar body). Also, the guitar rests against the top of my right thigh, which would add to the feeling of restriction if I used my right foot.
Same thing for hitting stomp boxes - I can easily balance on my right foot and let my left foot float in midair whilst going between pedals. Much harder for me to do that the other way around.

Whenever I’ve had a MFX with integrated expression pedal I’ve always had to move to the right when using it!

Mind you, I’m a weird hybrid of left and right handedness for different things, so I realise I’m a bit weird like that…

I started a thread not long ago because I think exactly the same, and for the same reasoning. I have real trouble using a wah with my right foot, because it moves my guitar around with it!

bertie

TimmyO said:

- I suspect most "righties" are used to planting the left foot when kicking a ball or investigated an odd object on the ground with a curious toe 

yep,  and for long/triple jump and "take of leg" for hurdles  -    left foot stays planted,  right foot does all stomp/wah-ing

Trude

bertie said:

TimmyO said:

- I suspect most "righties" are used to planting the left foot when kicking a ball or investigated an odd object on the ground with a curious toe 

yep,  and for long/triple jump and "take of leg" for hurdles  -    left foot stays planted,  right foot does all stomp/wah-ing

That's an odd one too. I kick right footed, but I'd also jump from my right for long jump etc.

..but then I'm also right handed with cutlery, but left handed for spaghetti (ie the fork stays in my left hand when pasta-twizzling). I think I read that Jimi was right handed for writing (ie a mirror image of me). He wahed with his left foot but I've never seen a photo of him eating spaghetti.

ICBM

Trude said:

I think I read that Jimi was right handed for writing

If so, probably because he was forced to be... a torture that was inflicted on generations of left-handers until worryingly recently.

EricTheWeary

Didn’t Hendrix break his ankle in the army? I feel this is a long shot but IIRC he was medically discharged so maybe he had better use of one foot rather than the other for wah or wanted to put his body weight on his good leg? 

[I am waiting to eat and trying not to snack so I might be slightly delirious at this point] 

Trude

ICBM said:

Trude said:

I think I read that Jimi was right handed for writing

If so, probably because he was forced to be... a torture that was inflicted on generations of left-handers until worryingly recently.

Actually no, he was partially left, partially right and partially ambidextrous:
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/feb/25/jimi-hendrix-ambidexterity-virtuosity

HAL9000

ICBM said:

Trude said:

I think I read that Jimi was right handed for writing

If so, probably because he was forced to be... a torture that was inflicted on generations of left-handers until worryingly recently.

Indeed. One of my early memories is of one of my grandparents rapping my knuckles for using my left hand! I also recall at school dinners being told to hold my knife and fork the ‘correct’ way round. As an adult I’m ambidextrous when it comes to cutlery, tools, etc but generally have a slight preference for right-handedness. I’ve often wondered if things would be different if I’d been allowed to develop my own ‘handed-ness’.

skullfunkerry

Bidley said:

Trude said:

The wah thing is interesting

I’m right handed, but left footed for wah. For me it makes more sense to plant the foot that’s carrying the most weight (ie underneath the guitar body). Also, the guitar rests against the top of my right thigh, which would add to the feeling of restriction if I used my right foot.
Same thing for hitting stomp boxes - I can easily balance on my right foot and let my left foot float in midair whilst going between pedals. Much harder for me to do that the other way around.

Whenever I’ve had a MFX with integrated expression pedal I’ve always had to move to the right when using it!

Mind you, I’m a weird hybrid of left and right handedness for different things, so I realise I’m a bit weird like that…

I started a thread not long ago because I think exactly the same, and for the same reasoning. I have real trouble using a wah with my right foot, because it moves my guitar around with it!

I'm right handed, but I always use my left foot for wah as well. I've never thought about it being because the guitar's moving as I move the pedal, but I just find that I've got better control over the movement of my left foot and ankle.
I don't skateboard or snowboard, but if I did I'd be riding "goofy" (leading with my left foot) too.

Trude

skullfunkerry said:

Bidley said:

Trude said:

The wah thing is interesting

I’m right handed, but left footed for wah. For me it makes more sense to plant the foot that’s carrying the most weight (ie underneath the guitar body). Also, the guitar rests against the top of my right thigh, which would add to the feeling of restriction if I used my right foot.
Same thing for hitting stomp boxes - I can easily balance on my right foot and let my left foot float in midair whilst going between pedals. Much harder for me to do that the other way around.

Whenever I’ve had a MFX with integrated expression pedal I’ve always had to move to the right when using it!

Mind you, I’m a weird hybrid of left and right handedness for different things, so I realise I’m a bit weird like that…

I started a thread not long ago because I think exactly the same, and for the same reasoning. I have real trouble using a wah with my right foot, because it moves my guitar around with it!

I'm right handed, but I always use my left foot for wah as well. I've never thought about it being because the guitar's moving as I move the pedal, but I just find that I've got better control over the movement of my left foot and ankle.
I don't skateboard or snowboard, but if I did I'd be riding "goofy" (leading with my left foot) too.

Ah yes, I'm left foot forward with skateboards too. How about you, @Bidley ?

Bidley

When I used to skate I was left foot forward as well!

prowla

Two reasons:

1. Most folks play right-handed, so the cable comes out at the right-handed end of the guitar.

2. Most pedals have input on right, output on left (which is likely because of 1 anyway).

Also:

3. Some languages write right to left or vertically, so there's no universal rule.

4. We're OK with cars having driver on left, some on right, and some (few) in the middle.

5. When you walk down a country lane you should be on the opposite side of the road (to face the oncoming traffic).

6. We don't have to be so regimented in our thinking.

7. My pedalboard has inputs and outputs on the right and two banks of pedals.

skullfunkerry

Bidley said:

When I used to skate I was left foot forward as well!

We've got the beginnings of a scientific study here!

stickyfiddle

prowla said:

Two reasons:

1. Most folks play right-handed, so the cable comes out at the right-handed end of the guitar.

2. Most pedals have input on right, output on left (which is likely because of 1 anyway).

Also:

3. Some languages write right to left or vertically, so there's no universal rule.

4. We're OK with cars having driver on left, some on right, and some (few) in the middle.

5. When you walk down a country lane you should be on the opposite side of the road (to face the oncoming traffic).

6. We don't have to be so regimented in our thinking.

7. My pedalboard has inputs and outputs on the right and two banks of pedals.

All cars have the accelerator on the right though. Left foot braking takes practice