What I'd Do If I Had to Start My Pedalboard Again

One question I was asked this week:

What would you do if you were starting your pedalboard again?

I see a lot of people rebuilding their boards. But they often miss the mark, as they get stuck in old habits, making the same old mistakes.

They don’t seem to realize how much their approach and methods could improve with a bit of time and effort.

If I were starting from scratch, I’d certainly do a few (a lot of) things differently.

I thought about this a lot this week.

I even rebuilt one of the pedalboards I use for a local band I play in.

Let me walk you through the changes I’ve made between my first pedalboard and now.

First things first. Here’s what I wouldn’t do:

Rely on daisy chain power.

It worked when I was starting out. But I didn’t realize the difference isolated power makes. My old daisy chain setup created so much noise that it nearly drove me crazy.

You know what the worse thing is?

I didn’t even know why.

Only years later, I discovered that isolated power is the way to go if you want to keep your board quiet and free from hum.

Daisy chains? Let’s leave them left behind.

And now, let’s move on to what I would do.

For starters, it’s a simple fix.

I’d use 3M Dual Lock tape to stick my pedals down. You don’t need much of it to keep things secure, and it’s a lot easier to work with than regular Velcro. That pedal will stay where you put it.

Next, I’d make my own patch cables. My favorite are Evidence Audio ones.

Custom cables just have that perfect fit. Plus, you know exactly what quality you’re working with, which makes a huge difference in sound.

And while we’re talking about cables:

Every single one would get tested before I plug it into the board. No more hoping for the best and dealing with issues mid-set.

Why didn’t I learn to test cables sooner!

Then comes the pedal order. The age-old question.

There will be no guessing here.

I’d take the time to test drive pedals together, especially when stacking overdrives. Finding the right order can transform your tone, and it’s worth experimenting before committing them to the board.

Lastly, and this is an important one.

No more buying based on hype or brand names.

Instead, I’d focus on the sound and the way each pedal makes me feel. Too often, I’d get something popular only to realize it didn’t suit my style at all.

Stop listening to YouTube videos or websites (me included) and go out and test your pedals in a real store.

(I’m half kidding. I love YouTube videos, and I watch every pedal channel out there. But, honestly, nothing will beat doing your own testing)

These are just a few insights that came to mind. But they took me years to learn.

If I had known this starting out? It would have saved me a ton of frustration.

But there’s one more thing. The missing ingredient:

Make sure your pedalboard has purpose.

Because there’s something to be said for a pedalboard that’s well thought out.

When you know your pedals, understand your signal chain, and have everything tested and in place, you get a level of confidence that really shows in your playing.

And every time you step on that board, you know you’ve crafted your sound with intention.

So, here’s my thinking:

If you can design your board like this…

And you can make choices based on experience rather than impulse…

And you can trust in the setup you’ve built…

Your pedalboard will become more than just a setup. It’ll be your own awesome sound. That YOU refined and dialed in.

Happy playing,