Things to consider before ordering

How to know which size you need

The dimension choices represent the overall sizes of boards. The actual surface area will be 1″ less width and length. It’s a good idea to lay out a piece of cardboard in the size you are thinking of and arrange your pedals to make sure they will fit. Some guys like their board to be as compact as possible, while others like to space out the pedals a bit more. Be sure to take into account the size of your foot and the size of your cables, since both can impact the spacing of the pedals. After you’ve done this, I would suggest adding 1-2″ to the length and width of what you think you need. Then you are less likely to get into trouble with the size should you swap out a pedal or two (as we tend to do!).

When determining the size of your board, you should also consider how heavy it will be. The bigger the board, the heavier it will be — but mostly because it will have more pedals and possibly multiple power supplies. If you are transporting a large board like this, you will probably want to find a hard case for it. With a heavy ATA case with a heavy pedalboard together, you could have a difficult time transporting the board (without resorting to a hand truck, of course). Some guys (like me) will go out of their way to keep their boards small enough that transportation is more of a simple grab-and-go procedure.

Coordinating frame and stripe Tolex

I may be the only one that would notice this, but it should be considered. When picking stripes for your board, I would suggest using the same type of Tolex for both the frame and racing stripes (i.e., Levant frame + Levant stripes, or Elephant Hyde frame + Elephant Hyde stripes). This way the grain patterns are the same, and you will have two colors that look like they belong together.

Handles

There’s no doubt that chrome handles look cool, but on a tight board I worry about them possibly getting in the way of the jacks of a pedal placed near them. So keep your pedal placement and board space in mind when considering handles.

Deciphering terms

Use this diagram to understand what I mean when I use specific terms. This is especially important on the order form, as you will need to know where you want elements to be located on the board.