The very best pedalboards of 2023

The world of guitar pedals is one in all limitless sonic prospects, and pedalboards are a vital device for exploring that world uninhibited. Whether or not you’re an avid collector of results pedals otherwise you’re simply getting began in your journey, putting in your gear on a devoted pedalboard is one of the best ways to maintain it organized, prepared to make use of, and protected against injury. Some pedalboards come as standalone modular items, whereas others are packaged as a whole package with a storage bag, energy provide, and different necessities. Figuring out the perfect pedalboard in your explicit wants comes all the way down to how a lot gear you’ll be utilizing at one time, whether or not you favor a quick-and-dirty setup or a custom-tailored person expertise, and the quantity of flexibility you’ll require as your rig evolves.

How we selected the perfect pedalboards

Sturdiness is a key issue we thought-about when compiling this checklist. Every choice is constructed from aluminum, offering a steady and light-weight framework for the pedals, that are comparatively fragile and heavy in nature. Many of the pedalboards on this checklist additionally embody a carrying bag or are appropriate with a individually bought case, which is a must have for shielding pedals from injury throughout storage and transport. Every of the alternatives on this checklist additionally makes use of both hook-and-loop fastening or thumb screws to maintain pedals securely fastened to the pedalboard floor.

The very best pedalboards: Opinions & Suggestions

A pedalboard is a artistic device, and as is true in most artistic pursuits, discovering the “finest” pedalboard is a extremely subjective expertise that relies on the artist’s wants. With such an unlimited array of results pedals obtainable in the marketplace—from essentially the most primary instruments like tuners and overdrive, to essentially the most intricate harmonizers, filters, and oscillators—a pedalboard can actually be as easy or as advanced as you need it to be. We constructed this checklist of pedalboards based mostly upon the number of artistic conditions and eventualities that customers are more likely to encounter when utilizing pedals, and every pedalboard on this checklist ought to carry out nicely whatever the instrument used.

Greatest total: Pedaltrain Traditional JR

Why it made the reduce: The Pedaltrain Traditional JR has a sturdy aluminum building and a reasonable capability that makes it becoming for a variety of results rigs.

Specs

• Pedal capability: 4 giant, ten common, or twelve mini
• Floor dimensions: 18 x 12.5 inches
• Complete weight: 6.46 kilos
• Bag included: Sure
• Fastening technique: Hook and loop

Execs

• Beneficiant capability
• Case and adhesive included
• Angled for simple entry
• Appropriate with energy provide mounts

Cons

• Giant and ponderous
• No energy provide included

Nashville-based music firm Pedaltrain is a frontrunner within the pedalboard business, with a reputation as recognizable as its minimalist hand-welded aluminum designs. The Traditional JR is a superb medium-sized providing from Pedaltrain that comes with both a delicate case or a tough case and sports activities 216 sq. inches of floor space in your pedals. As is typical for many pedalboards in the marketplace, the Traditional JR comes with a roll of user-installable hook-and-loop tape for custom-tailoring of your pedalboard to your particular wants.

The Traditional JR is appropriate with Pedaltrain’s separately-sold power-supply mounting bracket, which permits customers to cleanly set up an influence provide for his or her pedals beneath the board’s body. This pedalboard’s angled floor permits customers easy accessibility to all of their pedals’ switches and controls, which makes a world of distinction when making adjustments on the fly and marks a bonus over smaller designs. Nonetheless, this perk provides important bulk which may not be welcome if packing mild or organising in a small house, in order that’s one thing to contemplate if measurement is a priority.

Greatest small: Pedaltrain Nano+

Why it made the reduce: The Nano+ from Pedaltrain is compact, nevertheless it nonetheless has sufficient house to accommodate an average-sized pedal setup.

Specs

• Pedal capability: two giant, six common, or eight mini
• Floor dimensions: 18 x 5 inches
• Complete weight: 3.04 kilos
• Bag included: Sure
• Fastening technique: Hook and loop

Execs

• Sufficient room to suit a assorted pedal rig
• Consists of strengthened delicate case
• Versatile measurement and light-weight contruction

Cons

• Restricted house beneath
• Gained’t match longer pedals
• No energy provide included

The scrappy 18-inch-long Nano+ from Pedaltrain is a superb compromise for musicians who need portability from a pedalboard however aren’t eager on chopping out gear for the sake of saving house. Customers seeking to string collectively one in all every of the commonest results pedals—a tuner, distortion, modulation, delay, and reverb—will discover that the Nano+ is completely sized to incorporate one in all every of those necessities with room to spare. This mix of flexibility and “simply sufficient” capability make the Nano+ a good selection for an on a regular basis pedalboard that may simply transfer from the rehearsal studio to the stage with minimal fuss required.

Like all of Pedaltrain’s choices, the Nano+ is constructed from welded aluminum for light-weight sturdiness and it comes with 36 inches of adhesive-backed hook and loop for customizing your setup. The included fitted delicate case is constructed to endure the pains of journey, with heavy-duty zippers and additional reinforcement on stress factors. The Nano+ is an exceptionally skinny pedalboard that solely rises 1.4 inches off the bottom, in order with the V-Child 1 above, you’ll want a low-profile energy provide. It has two rails that may accommodate most typical pedals, however you’ll need to measurement as much as the three-rail Pedaltrain Metro 16 in case you’re utilizing a quantity pedal or different unit that’s over 5 inches lengthy.

Greatest with energy provide: Voodoo Lab Dingbat Medium Pedalboard

Why it made the reduce: The Dingbat Medium’s 297-square-inch face has sufficient actual property for essentially the most multi-faceted {of professional} pedal rigs, and it even comes with an influence provide.

Specs

• Pedal capability: 5 giant, 10 common, or 16 mini
• Floor dimensions: 22 x 13.5 inches
• Complete weight: 11.15 kilos
• Bag included: Sure
• Fastening technique: Hook and loop

Execs

• Consists of carrying bag
• Tidy cable administration
• Consists of energy provide

Cons

• Giant and ponderous
• Energy provide is heavy

Voodoo Lab has been within the pedal sport since 1986, they usually’re identified specifically for his or her Pedal Energy provides, a sturdy possibility for operating results rigs of each measurement. The corporate launched their line of Dingbat pedalboards in 2017, and their medium measurement is an exemplary mannequin of the perfect their design has to supply. The 297-square-inch Dingbat Medium is constructed from sturdy aircraft-grade aluminum and features a single Pedal Energy 2, which integrates seamlessly into the board’s underside. The design itself can accommodate as much as two Pedal Energy models to provide energy for as much as 16 pedals, making this a superb pedalboard to develop with whether or not you’re a hobbyist or a working musician.

The floor of the Dingbat Medium options plenty of punched-out holes for cable administration to help in maintaining issues visually tidy, and the included hook-and-loop and cable ties maintain the setup safe. Whereas this modern and irregular floor undoubtedly grants a substantial amount of flexibility for {custom} setups, it may be time-consuming to put in hook-and-loop onto this board when in comparison with less complicated bar designs. Potential customers also needs to understand that Voodoo Lab’s energy provides are fairly heavy, which is a testomony to their high quality however an vital factor to contemplate in case you’re happening the transfer.

Greatest modular: Temple Audio DUO 24

Why it made the reduce: Temple Audio’s pedalboard system grants customers entry to the flexibleness, management, and group required in essentially the most demanding working environments.

Specs

• Pedal capability: six giant, 12 common, or 24 mini
• Floor dimensions: 24.5 x 12.5 inches
• Complete weight: 4.6 kilos
• Bag included: No
• Fastening technique: Thumbscrew plates

Execs

• Extremely customizeable
• Safe fastening
• Visually tidy and straightforward to prepare
• Customized modules for limitless sound configurations

Cons

• All items bought individually
• Value of elements can add up
• Above-average person set up required
• No bag or fasteners included

In contrast to the opposite pedalboards on our checklist, the DUO 24 from Temple Audio is a standalone centerpiece for an expansive ecosystem of modular elements and a-la-carte items. Aimed toward delivering the tidiest and most space-efficient pedalboard expertise potential, Temple Audio’s pedalboards are a clean canvas able to be outfitted with user-selected elements together with a wide range of proprietary I/O modules resembling results loops and direct bins. As a result of extremely customizable and modular nature of this unit, it’s extra appropriate for adventurous customers with spare time and goals of a tidy, organized pedalboard.

The DUO 24 dumps hook-and-loop fastening in favor of an adhesive plate system for affixing customers’ pedals to the board’s floor utilizing thumbscrews. This facilitates faster place adjustments when swapping pedals on the fly, and it additionally limits visible litter on the board itself. Non-compulsory side-mounted modules grant customers entry to a number of choices, together with IEC mains energy, USB energy, and extra, making this a real dream for the musically-inclined tinkerer.

Whereas this can be a unbelievable possibility for giving your pedal rig a bespoke therapy, Temple Audio’s items are all bought individually and require person set up. For instance, the pedal mounting plates are available in three completely different sizes and are all bought individually; baggage and energy provides are additionally bought individually. That is the attraction of Temple Audio’s fashionable and extremely customizable system, however the mixture of additional monetary funding and required setup time might flip off some customers.

Greatest finances: Ghost Hearth V-Child 1

Why it made the reduce: The V-Child 1 from Ghost Hearth is an inexpensive mini pedalboard that’s sturdy and straightforward to maneuver round.

Specs:

• Pedal capability: two giant, 4 common, or six mini
• Floor dimensions: 13.7 x 5.5 inches
• Complete weight: 2.62 kilos
• Bag included: Sure
• Fastening technique: Hook and loop

Execs

• Consists of carrying bag and adhesive
• Very light-weight and moveable
• Nice for minimalist setups

Cons

• Restricted house beneath
• Comparatively small capability
• Gained’t match longer pedals
• No energy provide included

The V-Child 1 is an aluminum pedalboard from Ghost Hearth that gives simply sufficient house for 4 regular-sized pedals, making it an awesome selection for auxiliary setups or stripped-down configurations. It features a soft-handled carrying bag with an oxford-cloth end and a carrying strap, plus a beneficiant quantity of hook-and-loop and cable ties. With out the bag, the steel body of the pedalboard weighs simply over one pound, so it’s additionally a stellar possibility in case you’re flying or in any other case touring mild.

Measuring in at simply 1.9 inches excessive, the V-Child 1 has a slick low profile that may take up hardly any house whereas in use or in storage. In the event you’ll be utilizing an underside-mounted energy provide, keep in mind that this pedalboard’s low clearance can solely accommodate models lower than 1.37 inches thick, so that you’ll have to go together with a low-profile possibility just like the Truetone 1SPOT PRO CS6. Many energy provides include mounting gear like brackets and screws, however hook-and-loop could also be extra conducive to the quick-and-easy person expertise that this kind issue conjures up.

What to contemplate when shopping for the perfect pedalboards

There’s a lot to consider when shopping for the perfect pedalboards. Listed here are a number of the greatest issues to make earlier than clicking “add to cart”:

What measurement pedalboard do you want?

It’s a bit extra difficult than taking inventory and shopping for the largest mannequin. When unsure, context is vital. In the event you’re a minimalist and you’ve got a small assortment of pedals that you just’re not seeking to increase, a small pedalboard might be a good selection for you; nonetheless, in case you’re an avid collector and also you need to take a skeleton model of your setup to a rehearsal, you may additionally need a small pedalboard. Bigger pedalboards enable room to develop, however in addition they provide extra prospects for tinkering and experimenting with new sounds; nonetheless, they’re no enjoyable to move, they usually’re not often sensible for long-term touring except each pedal is completely crucial.

How a lot energy do you want?

Until you’re daisy-chaining a small variety of low-powered pedals, you’ll have to mount an influence provide someplace in your board. Most customers desire to mount energy provides under the pedalboard to keep away from stealing actual property from the pedals themselves, however not each board has house under to accommodate each energy provide. Shorter pedalboards will completely require a low-profile energy provide, whereas pedalboards that sit larger over the bottom can accommodate bulkier provides just like the Voodoo Lab Pedal Energy 2 Plus.

Is that this a semi-permanent setup, or do you want flexibility?

As a result of pedals require some measure of fastening to a pedalboard for correct safety, they are often considerably tough to maneuver round and maintain tidy. That is very true when utilizing cable ties. In the event you plan to make frequent adjustments to your pedal order and your setup total, take into account both maintaining all of your results collectively on a bigger board with cable administration, or choosing a modular pedalboard with out hook-and-loop.

FAQs

Ultimate ideas on the perfect pedalboards

As you’ll be able to see, pedalboards are available in all sizes and shapes, and it’s actually as much as the person to replenish a board nonetheless they see match. Everybody makes use of completely different pedals, and each musician has their very own artistic wants. Usually, smaller pedalboards are nice for taking to rehearsals, bringing on the highway, and storing a streamlined results setup. Bigger boards have a tendency to supply extra cable administration methods and accommodate bulkier gear, however this added capability comes at a price in portability. When all is claimed and completed, figuring out the perfect pedalboard in your wants begins with the gear you’re bringing to the desk and ends wherever you propose to comply with your creativity.