8 Best Guitar Pedalboards For Your Effects Pedals

As a guitarist, you’re pedals are your most treasured possessions after your guitar and maybe amp. In this guide, we look at the best pedalboards to house all your guitar pedals, from small one-rack boards to ones that can fit as many as sixteen.

Product Guide: Best Pedalboards

Ghost Fire

Its 4-rail raised platform fits up to 10 standard-size pedals. The depth lets you fit larger pedals, such as volume, expression, and wah pedals.

It’s an aluminum alloy build, making it lightweight (3.3lb). So tough in fact, that it can withstand 80kg of weight, which is pretty impressive.

Another nice feature is its flexible folding legs on the front, so you can pack it away easily and use it as an angled board.

Additionally, the carry bag it comes with is decent quality – heavy-duty and padded, providing a little extra protection (plus, it doesn’t look like your standard black laptop bag, not a good look).

This bag can also be inserted into the pull rod of a luggage suitcase, making it convenient to carry around if you’re traveling with a suitcase (on tour, yay!).

Overall, this pedalboard is really versatile, thanks to its angled format. It’s also relatively low cost, so it’s an excellent option if you don’t want to shell out a packet.

What we like:

• Won’t cost you an arm and a leg.
• Convenient foldaway legs, so you get to keep the advantages of having an angled pedalboard, with easy portability thanks to the bag.
• Aluminum alloy, lightweight but sturdy.
• ‘Ghostfire’ brand is pretty cool.

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Gator Cases G-Tour

If you’re looking for a pedalboard that will give your pedals the ultimate protection while on the road, then the G-Tour is for you.

The exterior is made of a thick plywood frame and aluminum valance, the interior is a thick pro grade shock-absorbing EVA foam. With this level of protection, there’s no risk anything on the inside is going to get damaged.

There is also plenty of storage space for cables and accessories in the lower portion of the case too.

Despite all this heavy-duty protective material, the G-Tour is still pretty easy to transport thanks to its retractable rubber grip tow handles and in-line wheels.

There’s also a safety lock system to protect your stompboxes while you’re on the road.

The pedalboard inside is removable from the protective case and measures 24” X 11”. The pedals attach using a 3M Dual Lock tape, which is similar to Velcro, but slightly stronger.

Overall, the G-Tour suits the serious touring musician who needs to protect their effects units while on the road.

It’s not the cheapest pedalboard by a long shot, but if you plan on touring a lot, then it’s worth it.

What we like:

• Sturdy aluminum and plywood case; EVA foam interior will protect your pedals from most damage while traveling to and from gigs.
• Everything about the G-Tour screams convenience, it comes with wheels, safety locks, and an extendable pulling handle so that you can transport it easily.

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Mr.Power Pedalboard

This inexpensive, no-frills pedalboard is designed for those only needing a very basic pedalboard, or entry-level guitarists. Made with an aluminum alloy so lightweight yet sturdy.

They make three versions of it. The small version is 15” wide, comprising a single rail for a single row of pedals. The medium and large sizes (16” and 18.5” wide, respectively) each have two rails and can fit two rows of pedals.

There’s no space underneath to fit a power supply like there is with higher-end models (it’s flat, not angled).

What we like:

• No-frills pedalboard.
• Great for beginners.
• Affordable.

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Donner DB-3

Alloy aluminum frame with perforated slots to keep your patch leads organized. Extra security thanks to its adhesive-backed Velcro system that allows your pedals to be secured in place with ease.

Lightweight (2.8 lb) and comes with a convenient canvas carry bag to transport your gear from gig to gig.

This board is flat, so if you use two rows of pedals, you may risk accidentally stomping those in front when going for the back row.

Overall, it’s a great option if you’ve got regular-sized effects units and you’re shopping on a budget. However, if you use loads of stompboxes, the DB-3 may be slightly too small.

What we like:

• Price – One of the most affordable boards.
• Organized – The perforations and velcro system will help you secure your pedals and hide away patch leads without any hassle.

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ENO Ex Stompbox

Another lightweight aluminum alloy board, measuring 21” by 7”. Once again, the Ex Stompbox is flat rather than angled and features convenient cutaway space to organize all your cables.

The carry bag is slightly better though, and it comes with a more generous amount of velcro adhesive and cable ties to organize your pedal with. It is slightly heavier though, weighing in at 4.74lb, so you may want to consider that before you make a purchase.

Another one that’s perfect for beginners who only use a few inexpensive effects units, as it doesn’t offer as much protection as say, the G-Tour board mentioned earlier.

What we like:

• Price – The Ex is pretty inexpensive compared to most pedalboards out there.
• Lightweight – Aluminium frame means it’s lighter than most products out there, so you won’t break your back trying to cart it around.

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Voodoo Lab Dingbat with Pedal Power 2 PLUS

This is a good combo if you want a power supply and board, as it includes a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 PLUS power supply, which can supply eight effect pedals.

The handy voltage doubler cables even allow the power unit to supply 18V or 24V pedals and there’s room for mounting an additional supply unit below the pedalboard, for extra power if needed (giving you a total of 16 pedals).

This dingbat pedalboard is made from lightweight, aircraft-grade aluminum and measures 22 x 13.5 inches (559x343mm).

Additionally, the Dingbat comes with a protective, padded gig bag that features backpack straps for convenient, hands-free transportation.

Like the G-Tour, the cost of this will put a lot of hobbyists off. But if you’re in the market for a first-rate board and power supply, look no further.

What we like:

• Holds two power supplies – The Dingbat can hold two of Voodoo Lab’s power supply packs, which can supply 16 pedals.
• Quality frame – Well built and hides away all those wires.

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Boss BCB-60

The Boss BCB-60 is a lightweight, resin-based pedalboard and locking carry case, designed to withstand touring and regular use.

The best aspect of this board is its padded interior that can be customized to fit compact, large and expression pedals. The BCB-60 comes with three pre-cut foam inserts to hold standard shaped pedals, plus a spare insert that can be cut to fit pretty much any effects pedal – so no matter what you use, your gear will always be protected.

There’s also a built-in 1,000mA AC adaptor that can power up to 7 devices; complete with extension cables, and a 1 Year Free Extended Warranty – so you won’t need to worry if any of this equipment breaks.

Overall, the BCB-60 is most suitable for Boss worshippers but is versatile and protective enough to be used with other types of pedals too. Just bear in mind the board itself is quite small.

What we like:

• Protective – This pedalboard is built into the carry case itself, so it’s convenient to set up and pack away, while also durable and hardwearing.
• Warranty – The BCB-60 has a year’s warranty, so you won’t need to worry if anything breaks.

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SKB 8-port

The best aspect of this pedalboard is that it includes a neatly incorporated 9V power supply, which can power eight pedals at once. From an aesthetic position, the built-in output jacks also look tidy, and you can’t see the power supply itself.

Another cool feature here is that the SKB pedalboard is made from eco-friendly rubber-modified styrene, which is lightweight and durable. The pedal space itself is 19” x 12” and uses a hook and loop surface to secure up to 8 standard-sized effects units.

For the price, you also get a nylon carry bag with an extra, exterior pocket and adjustable shoulder strap so that you can carry everything around with you.

Overall, this board suits guitarists looking for a bargain-powered pedalboard. But remember the power supply won’t work with 18V effects units, so if you use one, you’ll have to buy an extra power supply.

What we like:

• Price – Very affordable considering you get a power supply, board, and carry bag included
• Neat – The power supply features built-in output jacks, so no messy wires are running to and from your effects units.

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Pedalboards Explained

A pedalboard is a platform, usually made from a hardwearing material, that lets you store your effects pedals in the order you see fit.

They are made from plastic, wood, or metal and may include a built-in power supply; often, however, you need to buy an external power supply (which for various reasons is often better).

So why are they useful?

• They’re essentially a tool rack for your effects pedals, so you’ll never need to worry that they aren’t in the correct order before you set up for a gig
• If your pedals are already set up just how you like them, you’re less likely to mess up putting a power supply in the jack or connecting patch leads
• Keeps your effects units anchored to the ground so they can’t move when you press them with your feet. So you won’t need to worry about them slipping out of reach while playing.
• Allows all your pedals to be maneuvered in one package, so you won’t accidentally leave one at home – or worse, leave one at the gig venue.
• One power supply will save you money purchasing batteries or several power supplies
• Provides a protective shell for your effects units, so you can rest assured that no harm will come to them when you’re on tour, going to the local jam, or en route from a mate’s house at 3 in the morning after a session 🙂

Buying Guide – Key Considerations

Pedalboard Sizes

Pedalboards come in different sizes:

• Small (approx. 16” x 7”)
• Medium (approx. 24” x 10”)
• Large (approx. 30” x 15”)

Pedalboard Rails

Most boards are not one solid piece of material, rather they have rails (horizontal slats) – usually two or three though you can get massive five railers!

Rails let you run cables underneath the board, with neatens things up a bit – plus avoids you inadvertently getting your foot caught up in wire.

The more rails there are, the more pedals you can fit:

• Small-size pedalboards have 1 to 2 rails and can usually fit 1 to 5 standard-size pedals.
• Medium size pedalboards (3-4 rails) tend to fit anywhere from 6 to 10 standard-size pedals.
• Large pedalboards (4-5 rails) can usually fit 10 or more standard-size pedals.

Larger size pedals like volume, expression or wah pedals can be twice as wide or tall, so factor that in if you use (or plan to use) any of these oversize pedals.

Powered vs. Non-Powered Boards

All the boards we include in this round up are non-powered, which means they don’t have power built-in.

Sure, most have a slot for a power supply, but that’s different from powered boards that have power built-in.

Most of the boards we’ve included do not have a power supply included, that’s something you need to buy separately. We’ve written about power supplies for pedalboards already, so head on over there if you need one.

Customizable

Pedalboards are usually made from either plywood, aluminum or plastic.

Aluminum alloy pedalboards are really popular, as they’re very light and hard wearing, making them ideal for traveling guitarists.

Plywood is usually the most customisable option, as wood is a more malleable material. Plywood may, therefore, be a good option if you’re constantly switching between pedals and need some versatility.

Plastic boards lie somewhere in between, as they are still reasonably protective and usually more affordable too. The downside is they’re heavier.

Flat vs. Angled Profile

Flat profile pedalboards lie flat on the floor, whereas angled boards are gradually raised from the ground.

The good thing about angled boards is that you can fit a power supply in the space underneath.

The angle can also help in accessing the pedals at the back (if you have more than one row), while some thing that flat boards are better for using with expression, volume or wah pedals.