Pedalboard without Velcro

[ped]

Hi folks

I’m thinking about making a pedalboard now that I have a regular band practice. 

I remember seeing a pedalboard that used blocks to hold the pedals rather than Velcro which I think looks great - can anyone remember who made it? I think the board had a power distributor built into it too. 

Cheers

ped

[ped]

I found the GUITTO GPB-01 Pedalboard which looks great - and the right size/shape. It wasn’t that which I saw originally though so any other types appreciated 

[jimbobothy]

…. Ped it was the brand Aclam you were probably thinking of 👍🏼
https://www.aclamguitars.com/

Edited July 5, 2021 by jimbobothy

[ped]

1 minute ago, jimbobothy said:

…. Ped it was the brand Aclam you were probably thinking of 👍🏼
https://www.aclamguitars.com/

That's the one!! 

Looks great - anyone tried one? Is the Joyo any good?

[tayste_2000]

Warwick Rockboard also do one which will give you a smaller pedal footprint.

 

https://shop.warwick.de/en/rockboard-by-warwick/quickmount/22910/rockboard-quickmount-type-a-pedal-mounting-plate-for-standard-single-pedals

[ped]

1 minute ago, tayste_2000 said:

Warwick Rockboard also do one which will give you a smaller pedal footprint.

 

https://shop.warwick.de/en/rockboard-by-warwick/quickmount/22910/rockboard-quickmount-type-a-pedal-mounting-plate-for-standard-single-pedals

Thanks, that's an interesting take on the 'problem'

[Quatschmacher]

On 05/07/2021 at 12:23, ped said:

That's the one!! 

Looks great - anyone tried one? Is the Joyo any good?

I have one and like it. It uses more space than Velcro as the fasteners take up room but I don’t like Velcro on pedals so was willing to compromise. Have still been toying with getting a bigger custom size Aclam board but want to wait until I have a better idea of what pedals I’ll definitely keep. 

[danweb22]

These ones are rather good too

 

https://www.templeaudio.com/

[baldwinbass]

Holeyboard - minimalist aesthetic, adjustable width and uses cable ties (or Velcro).

Worth a look, but rarer in UK, I use one of the early wooden ones. 

[Kev]

Temple Audio is what you’re looking for.

 

I moved back to Velcro though.  The pads are an absolute nightmare to remove from pedals once stuck.  The boards aren’t very sturdy feeling either.  

[NancyJohnson]

Thread resurrection!

 

Generally I skip the adverts that You Tube push up, but I sat through a whole one for the Aclam Smart Track board.  I'll admit that despite only running two stomps (a dUg and a Geddy 2112DI) I was intrigued with the Aclam.  Never owned a Pedaltrain, but I did have a Temple Board; I hate that there's a necessity to stick anything onto pedals that cost a small fortune.

 

Question is, do I really want/need another board just to carry two pedals, a PSU and a couple of ABY boxes?  Answers on a postcard.

 

 

[ped]

I'd definitely get one of these if I was making a board. Also hate velcro and it wouldn't work anyway on two of my favourite pedals (Danelectro Cool Cat and Mutron) - Cool Cat has rubber underneath and weighs loads, and the Mutron has tall rubber feet that I don't want to remove and also weighs a ton.

[BassAdder60]

I didn’t like using Velcro and went over to 3M dual lock but that can be tough pulling pedals off !

 

Gone back to 2” wide velcro and this holds my Ampeg SCR-Di ( removed rubber feet screws ) and my Ampeg Opto Compressor ( rubber feet removed ) … liking the simplicity of the Velcro and it works fine 

[Marvin_]

On 21/03/2022 at 08:39, NancyJohnson said:

Thread resurrection!

 

Generally I skip the adverts that You Tube push up, but I sat through a whole one for the Aclam Smart Track board.  I'll admit that despite only running two stomps (a dUg and a Geddy 2112DI) I was intrigued with the Aclam.  Never owned a Pedaltrain, but I did have a Temple Board; I hate that there's a necessity to stick anything onto pedals that cost a small fortune.

 

Question is, do I really want/need another board just to carry two pedals, a PSU and a couple of ABY boxes?  Answers on a postcard.

 

I do like the Aclam, but having owned one for a year or so, there are a few issues I think:

• Top-loading only track type means you can't run any cables through the board, only around the back/sides which would probably lead to a few issues
• The blocks take up a surprising amount of room, and prevent cables from being run in the slots they're using. This is particularly annoying at the ends, where 2cm of board is wasted by the blocks (especially if your pedals use top mounted jacks)
• You can multi-tier the boards, but not in the clever ways I've seen other boards have - I have the Wahcter (IIRC) which is an upper tier above, but I had to get creative to get more depth and a second tier.
• Weight - it's very well made, but despite being aluminium, there's a hell of a lot of it. Even empty the board (admittedly mine is very large, but it's a home only board) weighs a lot, but pedal capacity isn't as good as some multi-tiered competitors, especially if you're using a switcher.
• The blocks can only clamp on the sides of a pedal which may not always be convenient (not much way around that given the rails either), and they're not as good at clamping pedals that aren't square (like my Dunlop volume/expression pedal)
• The board is just the start, the accessories are really pricy. Unless you plan on putting the power supply on top of the board, you have to pay extra for even a rudimentary mounting solution, which may not fit under the smaller/shallower boards.

I'd say if gigging, it shines where you have a relatively small/simple board, that fits in one of their bags, especially if you change pedals around a reasonable amount. The quality is excellent as is their CS, the fact it is customisable is great, but it is very expensive to do so and the boards can get unwieldy. In hindsight, I'd have probably gone with the Holeyboard or similar and used cable ties, if I'd known it existed at the time, or for the amount I ended up spending, one of those fancy case-style boards with the hinged/raisable upper tier (Schmidt?). Although the modular/customisable nature at least means you can start with one thing and build up/down as necessary. The fact you can buy all the component parts separately is a good thing and to be applauded.

 

 

Edited March 23, 2022 by Marvin_

[ped]

Thanks for that. A few of my pedals aren't square so this makes it a problem. I did see that they offer a solution via some pivoting holders but even so I think the wasted space would annoy me. Nice board by the way

[Marvin_]

23 minutes ago, ped said:

Thanks for that. A few of my pedals aren't square so this makes it a problem. I did see that they offer a solution via some pivoting holders but even so I think the wasted space would annoy me. Nice board by the way

 

Thanks, it's a constantly evolving pit of expense, but I think it's getting there. Slightly shamefully, the Whammy was the first pedal I bought, not the tuner... It is a combined guitar/bass board. Underneath are a couple of Harley Benton isolated AC power supplies, a Rockboard patchbay (used the power supply holders to attach it - there are rails on each side of the board) and three Orchid micro DI boxes (only using two though ATM) attached in a similar way.

 

I think it would depend on how 'not square' they are. The Dunlop was OK, but it you had a Fuzz Face, that would be more of an issue. As you say they do a rotatable version, which is pricey and isn't quite as secure in my view (I use them for the Dunlop) due to the plastic underside, rather than rubber, but still plenty of grip overall. I think the solution is sturdier than velcro (didn't mention that above), and the pedals are locked into place much more securely. I could turn my board upside down and shake it and none of the pedals would move (although a load of dust would fall out). Still think a cable-tie solution is probably win-win (although thinking about it, might damage the paint over time, and some shapes (Fuzz Face again...) might not clamp well. Other pedals might be a bit busy on top to allow for it).

Edited March 23, 2022 by Marvin_