The Three “P”s of Pedals: Peripherals, Power, Placement

As seen in Guitar Girl Magazine Issue 17 – Fall 2021

The Bells & Whistles
There are already oceans written about “this” vintage, super rare, but awesome stompbox and “that” exclusive, brand-new, mind-blowing pedal. Here, we’re going to explore the tiny worker ants that allow the magic to happen.

NOTE: This article originally appeared on our Fall 2021 edition which can be seen at the link above. 

Peripherals: cables and pedalboards
Peripherals are those things on the sidelines that don’t have the pizzazz of guitars, amps, and pedals. First off, we’re talking about cables. They are literally the veins that your emotional blood flows through, and if there is one thing that can ruin the sound of the best gear ever, it’s bad cables. Your guitar’s signal will be sliced, diced, and made into julienne fries before it gets to your beloved amplifier.

For what guitar cables to use, go with the established names that have been around a while (for instance, Mogami, Whirlwind, Planet Waves, and Fender), keep the length between 10-20 feet, and make sure there are good solid connections with the jacks and plugs because a wire break to these connections will kill a signal quicker than anything else. The same applies to the short 6-9” jumper cables between pedals.

Next up is pedalboards. Once you start to use more than two pedals, you will want to mount them for convenience, safety, and consistency. A pedalboard makes it super easy to plug in and play as your pedals are set up and connected.

Pedalboards come in a variety of options, from a simple plank to multi-layered platforms. It doesn’t have to be fancy. I recommend checking out ones from BOSS, Pedaltrain, and Voodoo Lab. Think about your setup and find what makes sense. While you’re at it, keep a pedalboard case in mind. Many models have a compartment where you can store your cables.

Power: batteries, AC adapters, and power supplies
Next up is the power. First off is the best tip you’ll ever get about your pedal’s power, and that is…batteries. Sure, they wear out and aren’t cheap, but they are the quietest power supply of them all, which matters if you’re recording. And don’t cheap out on these, either. Don’t think you’re so smart getting them at the discount stores because they will die the second you blink. And stay away from the rechargeable ones for the same reason. Stick with the winners like Duracell and Eveready.

After you tire of the rise and fall of the battery empire, you evolve to AC adapters and power supplies, and here, size matters. You’ve graduated from those disposable batteries as you want consistent full power every time you pedal on. The Truetone 1 Spot is here to save the day. You’ll need an outlet nearby, and it’ll power not only one pedal but with its multi-plug cable adapter, it can power four to five pedals. Now, the catch is that some pedals don’t like a daisy-chained power supply, so the cranky pedal’s output will have a hum or some other non-musical noise, which is bad. Also, the noise will be amplified by your amp. This is where a power supply (aka power brick) comes to the rescue. It has multiple outputs to solidly power multiple pedals without breaking a sweat. Here, Voodoo Lab rules the roost along with Walrus Audio and Electro Harmonix. Some of the slanted or dual-level pedalboards allow you to store your power supply underneath and out of sight. For pedalboards with five-plus pedals, these are a must.

Placement: the ideal order of your pedals
When laying out how to best connect, power, and mount your pedal arsenal, the question comes to mind: What should your pedal placement be? There are no commandments etched in stone. You can put your pedals in any order you please, but there are a few generally accepted and recommended guidelines. First up, you want to plug your guitar into your gain pedals first—like distortion, fuzz, wah, compressor, and EQ. Note that fuzz and wah pedals like to be first, as they want your guitar’s pure signal. It works whichever way, but figure out what sounds best to you. Your modulation pedals, like reverb, delay, echo, phase, and flange, come next/last. The pro tip is to put them through your amp’s effects loop as they will sound more organic and airy (see our “Guitar Amp Love” article from August 2013 online at guitargirlmag.com). An effects loop is usually identified on an amplifier if it has input jacks labeled “Send” and “Return” or” Preamp Out” and “Power Amp In.” The great thing about an effects loop is that it allows you to plug in effects in between your amp’s preamp and power amp. So, try your pedals in different spots on your pedalboard and also through your effects loop. When you hear the magic, you’ll know it.

To wrap it all up, having your pedals securely connected, properly powered, and appropriately mounted in your preferred order will allow you to gloriously unleash your unbridled imagination.