Why do effects connections go right to left?

[Vicktory]

OK, so I'm jammin along the other day and looking down at my pedals and something occurs to me I never noticed before... on effects, the "in" is on the right of the box and the "out" line on the left. Living in a world where pretty much everything else goes from left to right (books etc), this is one of the few things I know of that go right to left.

Does anybody know why this is? Is it simply so one minimizes the chances of stepping on the cord when standing directly in front of one's pedals? Is there some obscure historical reason why this is so?

 

[Tom CT]

I've thought about this too (and wondered why Mutron has the in/out reversed). I would think that the vast majority of guitarists are right-handed, so their guitar cord comes from the right side of their playing position. Hence, the first effect has the input conveniently placed on the right side. Otherwise, you cable would have to cross over between you and your effects. Any other theories? Tom

 

[StompBoxBlues]

I've thought about this too (and wondered why Mutron has the in/out reversed). I would think that the vast majority of guitarists are right-handed, so their guitar cord comes from the right side of their playing position. Hence, the first effect has the input conveniently placed on the right side. Otherwise, you cable would have to cross over between you and your effects. Any other theories? Tom

Nope..that's it...what you said.

I remember a couple of small effects I had in the 70's were opposite, and it is surprising how much of a pain (difference) it was having the cable cross in front of you. really gets in the way. And if you had 5 pedals in a row...even more so.

 

[dave s]

Mine are different from pedal to pedal. I'd prefer they all worked the same way, but they don't. Heck, one of my pedals isn't even marked with in/out designation ... I just have to guess!

Then factor in the pedals with the ins/outs on the BACK of the pedal! My pedal board is about as tidy as I can get it and it's still a mess!

But yes, in/out routing should be standardized in some way.

 

[iualum]

O.K., 2 ideas...

Again, because most of us are righties, while playing, it's easier(how much is open to debate, of course) to balance on the left leg while playing. The right foot is more free to do the stompin'.

Or maybe, once again because most of us favor the right side, maybe manufacturers thought that the right foot would be slightly more coordinated.

Anyway, those are my idea.

Or it could be a complete fluke. But once companies got on the bandwagon, it was just easier to coninue that way so that the jumpers wouldn't cross themselves.

 

[Leftee]

I can confirm the suckiness of this arrangement from the other side.

 

[cvansickle]

Okay, but turn the pedal over, take off the bottom plate, and look at it as if you were building it. NOW it's a left to right arrangement...

I believe pedals are (or should be) designed for the user's point of convenience, not the builder's.

 

[erksin]

Nope..that's it...what you said.

I remember a couple of small effects I had in the 70's were opposite, and it is surprising how much of a pain (difference) it was having the cable cross in front of you. really gets in the way. And if you had 5 pedals in a row...even more so.

Welcome to Leftyworld - where the black MIM Strats are plentiful (if you want to try the only one in the store)...

 

[onemind]

Luckily, I play in Hebrew so this arrangement works out quite nicely for me!

 

[waxnsteel]

Cause yer wah goes first, putting it on the right-hand where the (majority) righties can werk the wah. The rest of the pedals must fall neatly in line. I feel for the lefties, really I do. My dad was one, and whoah was he proud of it.

 

[drmathprog]

It's a right-handed world. Consider scissors, can openers, keyboards, faucets, etc. Conform or die.

 

[CocoTone]

Why do we drive on the right side of the road??? duh...
CT.

 

[erksin]

It's a right-handed world. Consider scissors, can openers, keyboards, faucets, etc. Conform or die.

Good thing Jimi, Albert King, and Sir Paul didn't heed your recommendation...

 

[Boogie92801]

my ad99 has the jacks on the back and the input is on the left! it makes it hard to wire it on the board.

 

[slowburn]

do europeans walk on the left side of sidewalks, stairwells, etc...?

 

[granite]

One of the reasons I like Kaden Pedals are that the IN/OUT jacks are on the top.

 

[Leftee]

The wah is the only thing I have a beef about. Wrong side of the board for me. Otherwise it's no biggie.

 

[drmathprog]

Being left-handed is like sledding up hill. And Jimi, Albert and Paul were forced to conform to some extent. Jimi and Paul played several righty guitars string upside-down for lefties. Albert played a normally string right handed guitar left-handed, with the low E string nearest the floor.

 

[erksin]

Being left-handed is like sledding up hill. And Jimi, Albert and Paul were forced to conform to some extent. Jimi and Paul played several righty guitars string upside-down for lefties. Albert played a normally string right handed guitar left-handed, with the low E string nearest the floor.

The last thing I'd call any of those guys is conformist...

'Sledding uphill'? I don't get it...

I do just fine in Rightyworld, thank you.

 

[Leftee]

I do pretty well myself.