Non pedaltrain users. Thoughts?

[TheoDog]

I am considering a Blackbird Pedalboards 12x24 tolex with case.

I have recently been just revamping a small DIY pedalboard that fits in a used ATA camera case.
I am pretty much a minimalist with effects, but I also know to always go bigger than you think you need.

I try to cram everything I need into my pedalboard case I need, including a mic and mic stand for my amp, string change kit, backup cables.

I am looking for some tips, tricks, suggestions from y'all.

If you upgraded to a nicer pedalboard, what did you wish you did different? What was the best part of the upgrade?
What do you do for grab n go?

What are some other companies to look at (not trying to bust the budget)? OSP pedalboards are also on the list to check out.

 

[tjontheroad]

http://templeboards.com/

 

[bschultzjames]

I owned a pedal train pt1, then a pt3. Loved them both. Only got rid of the pt3 because I came across a great trade offer.

You could always use a piece of plywood and cut it to your own dimensions. I did this for a while with a minimalist board after trading my pt3. Loved it. Only got rid of it because I was given a gigantic trailer trash board on a semi-permanent loan.

Pedal train pt3:

Random piece of wood I turned into a minimalist board:

And finally back up to a gigantic board (work In progress) :

 

[willatkinson]

I love my blackbird

 

[OHSOFUZZY]

I've been using a Pedal Pad similar to this one.
It's perfect for my needs. store cables underneath. power supply underneath too.
Little more flexibility in pedal layout....a little less in terms of cable management (only can route cables on the outside edges and center).
I linked the two hinged flaps together with some brackets, so it's easier to get underneath, and not need longer cables on the pedals near the center.
I had been using a pedaltrain board prior to that.....much happier now.
(nothing wrong with pedaltrain. good product)

 

[omahaaudio]

http://templeboards.com/

Thanks for the link, they look nice.

 

[TheoDog]

The Temples are really cool, but to get a hard case with it, it becomes a bit much. The Trailer Trash shop is also awesome, but again... expense.
Seems OSP and Blackbird are fitting a budget range with ATA-style cases that is otherwise un-tapped.
Also, I am not wanting to go "large". having a board that takes more space in the trunk/trailer than the amp is awkward to me. And one of my gigs calls for an amp the size of a Tweed Champ.

OSP is nice that there is a doghouse and a flat board.
http://www.ospcases.com/index.php/road-cases/pedal-board-cases/effects-pedal-board-case-24.html
Blackbird is cool that there is underneath storage for power, integrated jacks and a live in case option. and I love that western tolex.http://pedalboardshop.com/product/blackbird-1224hc-pedalboard-and-ata-case/

 

[analogsystem]

DIY boards are the most fun

 

[Lullabies]

I want to get a nicer board too. I am just using an old flight case now with carpet stapled to the bottom. Works well and is water tight and strong but I would like to get a board eventually that has the input and output and power supple in it as well as slots to put the cables. I want a neat board!

Let us know what you decide to get Theodog..... definitely interested in seeing the price ranges on custom boards in this thread.

 

[TheoDog]

Will do Lullabies.

I like my DIY. Since the case I got is deep and has a hinged top, I mounted backers to elevate the board I built so storage is underneath.

The board is probably not nearly as much a factor in my decision as the case.

Other factors, I use a wah and the trouble of a wah on an angled surface is worth considering. (I kinda want to drop the wah.. And that project might be on the way out anyway)
And of corse the storage I mentioned earlier. The weighted base of my small my stand could damage items... But I don't want to buy a nice pedalboard only to end up carrying more individual items.

 

[crambone]

bschultzjames: I assume you have a bunch of pedals underneath your board which are controlled by the loopers, right?

 

[bschultzjames]

bschultzjames: I assume you have a bunch of pedals underneath your board which are controlled by the loopers, right?

Hah, the looper on the right obviously isn't hooked up...just put it on there as a space filler.

The one lit up is actually controlling a bunch of stuff on the board. As I stated it's a work in progress and I'm about to rearrange everything again and add more pedals to be controlled by the 'filler' looper. My goal is to have one board that I use for all applications rather than a few little boards for different gigs. We'll see how it goes and how long I stick with that due to how freakin' heavy this thing is already.

 

[8len8]

I used a Stompin Ground board (with hard case) for years.

https://stompin-ground.com/products/sgpbs.htm

I recently upgraded to a PedalTrain so I could put my cables and PP2+ under the board to gain more room. Besides the room issue, the Stompin Ground board was fine. Great quality, simple, many sizes available, and you can buy several case sizes if you want to fit more in.

 

[lamf]

These http://fixpedalboards.com/

 

[ww89]

Well I have been using the same Stonecastle pedalcase "Stevie" for 6 years now. There is room enough for 8-9 pedals and a power supply. it is still alive after several years on the road.

 

[steam-powered]

Go to a local lumberyard or hardware store and find the scrap-wood pile and have them cut it to your exact dimensions. Buy a small can of paint, put on a few coats, and your all set.

Building your own custom-size board should only set you back about eight dollars.

 

[TheoDog]

Go to a local lumberyard or hardware store and find the scrap-wood pile and have them cut it to your exact dimensions. Buy a small can of paint, put on a few coats, and your all set.

Building your own custom-size board should only set you back about eight dollars.

As I said, the custom board is not a big deal. finding a fitting road case with recessed latches and such to go with it is a budget buster.

On idea i had was to just get the Blackbird 1224 empty road case and make a flat board to go inside it, but the tolex board they make is pretty nice and buying them together cuts the cost.
the case alone is $119 (which is about as low as you can get a manufactured ATA spec case of that size) and the board is $150 by itself (and seems worth it considering its features). but the 1224 board with case is $229. pretty much a bargain.

 

[srmd22]

Fix makes really great pedalboards, much different the pedaltrain. I just converted one and am in the process of converting another:

Waiting on a new volume pedal (or maybe a wah) for the right side space on this one. Also a tuner.

Actually a pretty great sounding rig right here:

You can't tell from my pics, but these have great cable mgt: there is a removable cover on the bottom of the board to run power supply and patch cords, and several holes in the back and on the bottom of the board to route stuff. These are all cabled up with motley assortment, but even so, you can see how neat the blue one looks. My cables are a bit of a mess, though, waiting on a Lava Tightrope kit to clean that up. The riser on the bigger-sized boards holds as big a PS as you would need (I'm putting a T-rex chameleon in the blue one, but it'll take most Voodoo Labs or Cioks, etc- this is a pretty small board, as you can see). The yellow one has no riser (although you can get an add on riser from Fix), but I just use a one spot-type deal for this one. Of course you can throw a Volto or an Adam right on top too. Also, these don't come with a case, so I just ordered one of these, which either will fit it:

The pedal boards are very reasonable, around the same as similar sized PT, I think - they were $100 for the yellow (type 00) and $75 for the blue (type 01). They have a smaller one, and a couple of bigger ones ranging up to $150. No case, but still a good deal, imo. You can get any of them in a billion colors, including matte or gloss black, so you don't need crazy colors like mine. They are quality aluminum with thick finishes, very nice.

I just realize I sound like a total shill - I have no affiliation, I just picked these up on a lark and just finished mounting the pedals and PS today, so I am kinda jazzed about them.

Oth, I can't figure out why they are not more popular here, they are just so well designed. They do sell a one-size-fits-all case, a sort of meh canvass thing - that is one downside, but the skb or gator soft mixer cases work great.

PS: the yellow board is a theme thing - long dopey story - need to get all yellow pedals - probably replace the LGW with SHB, need a yellow fuzz and trem, and I think I'll just leave the red looper - that is mostly for home use. Don't suppose anyone knows of a real good yellow tuner.

 

[thegrace_man]

Look at SIGCUSTOM He's a great guy to work with. He's currently building me a board right now. The guy even takes pedals as value towards a board! http://www.sigcustom.com

 

[thegrace_man]

Fix makes really great pedalboards, much different the pedaltrain. I just converted one and am in the process of converting another:

They make a good product. But running a voodoo lab power supply was a bit difficult. It fit in the enclosure, but was really tight. I also didn't like how the wiring could be seen.