Can you backtrack through the pictures of various pedalboards you’ve assembled over the years — I know you have them — and identify changes not only in the pedal selections, but also in the size of the board they’re sitting on?
Because I can.
I went back and looked. Since moving my pedals from the floor to an actual pedalboard almost 15 years ago, I’ve changed the size of said pedalboard no fewer than a dozen times.
From Pedaltrain 2 to Pedaltrain Nano and back again, I’ve vacillated to and fro on pedalboard size far more than I realized. For instance, just about the time I'd finally settled down with a nice Pedaltrain 1, I'd often find myself perusing a few gear sites and pondering a downsize to a Pedaltrain Jr.
But why all the changes? Good question. I’ve narrowed the list of reasons down to three.
First is my own fickle nature.
For years I've had a core group of about six pedals that's pretty well set at this point. Interestingly — and despite the fact that I've bought, sold and traded my way through more drive pedals than I can count — the same Paul Cochrane Timmy has been on every one of my board designs for more than twelve years, a fairly remarkable feat in today’s ever-changing landscape. But sometimes, either one-at-a-time or all at once, I find myself wanting new or different sounds and expanding my board as a result. Inevitably though, a few weeks after upsizing to integrate all new tones and textures I’ve added, I start to get this creeping feeling that’s something akin to guilt — and I know that a downsize of my overindulgence is imminent.
The second reason is innocent enough and has everything to do with changes in the pedals themselves; more specifically, changes in the size of new pedals. For instance, years ago when I swapped out my longtime go-to Dr. Scientist Radical Red Reverberator for an Eventide Space — it caused a bit of a space problem (pun somewhat intended) and forced an upsize. Conversely, when a couple of my favorite pedals — the Diamond Compressor and Sonic Research Turbo Tuner — got hit with a shrink ray, I had the opportunity to either downsize my board or some new pedals to the mix. (I often chose the latter. For results see: Reason 1)
Finally — and less often, though most unfortunate — are what I refer to as “life events” that forced me to reevaluate my pedalboard and downsize. This happened when my kids were born, when a car unexpectedly bit the dust and a few other times when I felt better about having money in the bank than I did about having an elaborate selection of pedals at my disposal.
Hopefully you can identify with one or two of these examples, but either way — here are four practical tips for whichever side of the upsize|down fence you’re on.
If You Want to Upsize
Buy a Bigger Board
There’s probably a time and a place for simplicity—what’s the fun in that? More isn’t just more, it’s better. And if I’ve learned anything about guitar players and their pedalboards, it’s that if there’s an open spot—it’s going to get filled sooner or later. We just can’t help ourselves sometimes. And with the golden age of effects that we currently live in, how could anyone (including our significant other(s) and/or bandmates) blame us? So buy a bigger board and see what happens. Venture on to the other steps below if you need some ideas on what to do with all that newfound real estate.
Add a Gadget
I’ve mentioned this before, but I tend to organize effects into three broad categories: workhorses, tools and gadgets. Workhorse pedals are the overdrives and delays you use all the time for a variety of purposes. Tools are things like volume pedals and noise gates that do the thankless tasks in your signal chain. And then there are Gadgets. They’re best used sparingly and for a specific sound — but boy are they fun. Think shimmer, over-the-top modulation, wobbly filters, synths and bitcrushers. These are the sounds you probably won’t (or shouldn’t) use on every song, but the ones you want nearby for that moment you do.
Get More of What You Love
Maybe you’re really into fuzz. Or reverb. Or phasers. Whatever it is, you could probably figure out a way to use another one. So get a new flavor. Or, hell — get two. Put that bigger pedalboard to use and load it up with the effects you like most. Care to indulge in more expansive reverb options? Have your eye on a gigantic pitch shifter? Or maybe you need something less sexy like a pedal switcher or a looper. Whatever it is, you’ve got the room — so go for it.
Pull Some Pedals Off the Shelf
I’ve tried and failed multiple times to be a pedal hoarder. As much as I’d like to have a stash of sweet effects that I could pick and choose from when the moment was right, I just can’t do it — but maybe you can. And maybe it’d be more fun to strap some of those extra pedals down on your board instead of leaving them to collect dust. Even if they’re cheap or not as robust as your mainstays, a pedal used is a pedal loved.
If You Want to Downsize
Cut The Fluff
This idea comes down to one question you that have to be really honest with yourself in answering: Could I live without it? The question is not, Do I want to get rid of it? Nor is it, Would it be difficult in some way if this wasn’t on my board? The question is: Do I absolutely have to have it? If the answer is no, then it's probably time to say farewell. It probably won’t be easy — difficult choices rarely are — but as someone who has employed this strategy quite successfully a couple of times in the past, know that it can be quite freeing. I promise. In fact, you may just discover that you’re not quite as reliant on that bulky volume pedal as you thought. Or, perhaps, that the subtle nuances you thought a quartet of drive pedals gave you just didn’t matter as much to anyone else in the room nearly as much as they did to you. Whatever it is, trim the fat and you’ll come out better for it on the other side.
Pro Tip: A good place to start is with your tuner. Clip-on tuners have come a long way, so ditching your pedal-based tuner might be an option.
Get Some Combo Pedals
This might seem obvious, but I’ve found that no matter the size — whether it’s a Pedaltrain Junior, Temple Solo 18 or even something smaller — the process of physically getting a smaller pedalboard and understanding exactly what you can (and cannot) fit onto it can be very illuminating. It might also help you process how to navigate the two previous suggestions I mentioned in this section. It’ll definitely help you prioritize what’s most important to your sound. It might also spur you to focus more on your playing. And look — I’m perfectly okay with the idea of using your guitar almost as a tertiary element and focusing more on the pedalboard as a primary instrument, but that doesn’t work all the time. Nor does it allow you to grow that much as a player, I don’t think. So if the notion of thinking less about which pedal you’re going to stomp on next and more about what you’re actually going to play on the guitar sounds appealing, a downsize might just be what you need.
Force Yourself Onto a Smaller Board
This might seem obvious, but I’ve found that no matter the size — whether it’s a Pedaltrain Junior, Temple Solo 18 or even something smaller — the process of physically getting a smaller pedalboard and understanding exactly what you can (and cannot) fit onto it can be very illuminating. It might also help you process how to navigate the two previous suggestions I mentioned in this section. It’ll definitely help you prioritize what’s most important to your sound. It might also spur you to focus more on your playing. And look — I’m perfectly okay with the idea of using your guitar almost as a tertiary element and focusing more on the pedalboard as a primary instrument, but that doesn’t work all the time. Nor does it allow you to grow that much as a player, I don’t think. So if the notion of thinking less about which pedal you’re going to stomp on next and more about what you’re actually going to play on the guitar sounds appealing, a downsize might just be what you need.
Consider the Other Elements
This may not work for every player, but if you’ve got multiple levels of gain staging on your board running into a clean amp — you might just have the wrong amp. Or you might just be using your pedals inefficiently and should consider some stacking options. Or you might need to make better use of the volume knob on your guitar. Similarly, if you’re running an always-on compressor into a low-gain drive that you need to fatten up your single coils — maybe you’re playing the wrong kind of guitar or should consider changing pickups. Or, finally, if you play multiple guitars and have specific pedals to match up with each of those guitars, maybe you should seek out a best-of-both-worlds solution, something more flexible for both. Essentially, look for solutions outside the pedalboard as a way to slim it down.
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Whichever way you’re headed — up or down — changing your board can be a lot of fun. Of course, there are other things to consider like patch cables, power supplies and exactly which pedalboard is right for you — but we’ll save that for another time. Good luck!
Note: An earlier version of this article was featured in Tone Report Weekly