So how many pedals on your board are too many? Is there really such a thing? While opinions are widely varied – here are my own personal thoughts on the matter – doesn’t make it right or wrong – just how I view it.
First off – I don’t have just one pedal board. I play in a Blues/Rock band (my main gig), I have a 90’s rock cover band, and I also have a small practice board for home practice. The pedals on each board are pretty different. Multiple boards allow me to basically grab and go, cut down on weight, less space in the car, and it keeps my pedal board footprint down at shows/ rehearsals. (Being a bigger guy and having a 5 piece 90s rock band on a small stage – space is sometimes a premium.)
So on each of my boards – I kind of keep the mantra – if I don’t use in 5 gigs and/or 5 practices – I take it off the board. For me – and totally speaking for myself here – I use just enough pedals to help me achieve what I want to achieve. Sometimes that takes 10+ plus pedals – sometimes it only requires 4 pedals.
Now – should you limit your pedals in your collection?
My thoughts – ABSOLUTELY NOT! Speaking from a pedal-holic perspective – options are good – and different pedals will help you to achieve the big picture. Bands change, songs/ set list change, and tastes change – it’s good to be able to draw from your collection when you want/ need to. Do I need every model of tubescreamer – probably not – if you ask my wife, she would say no. But – they are nice to have just in case. 😉 So – what are your thoughts on the matter tone chasers – Lots of pedals on one huge board or less pedals on multiple boards?
-Max