Understanding the Purpose of Your Pedal Board
Assembling your first pedalboard for praise and worship can be an exciting and rewarding journey. Your pedalboard is more than just a collection of effects—it’s the command center for your guitar’s sound and the tool that helps shape the atmosphere during worship. It’s where creativity meets functionality, allowing you to craft tones that inspire and elevate the musical experience for both you and the congregation. Building a pedalboard is about finding the right balance between practicality and artistic expression, ensuring it meets your current needs while leaving room for growth as you develop as a guitarist.
In this blog post, we’ll explore five essentials to consider when putting together your first pedalboard. From choosing the right pedals and power supply to organizing your layout and managing cables, we’ll cover everything you need to know to set yourself up for success. Whether you’re looking to create lush soundscapes or powerful leads, these tips will help you build a pedalboard that enhances your worship experience and allows your creativity to shine.
1. How To Achieve The PnW “Sound”
Before you make any purchases, it’s important to understand what you want your pedalboard to achieve. At the end of the day, the pedals you choose are crucial in helping you achieve the Praise & Worship “sound.” In most modern worship settings, guitarists aim to fill space and add texture to the song as a whole, while also being able to add dynamics and bring in “crunch” when needed. The three staple effects pedals to consider for achieving this are delay, reverb, and overdrive.
Delay:
Delay pedals are great, but choose wisely. Two important features that are must-haves for your PnW delay pedal are tap tempo and subdivisions. Most modern worship teams play to a click track (metronome), and staying in time is essential. Having tap tempo functionality will help you stay perfectly in sync! Additionally, songs often have different time signatures or call for specific delay subdivisions. A delay pedal that can switch between 1/4, dotted 8th, 8th, and more will let you achieve the sound that’s “just like the MP3.” (See our picks below.)
Reverb:
Taking your guitar from Plain Jane to soaring through the cosmos… the right reverb pedal will give you textures and ambience that will make you wonder, “How can a guitar sound that way?!” There are countless reverb pedals on the market—some with hundreds of banks and MIDI capabilities, and others that are simpler and easier to use. Depending on your budget and needs, there are plenty of options that will work for you. (See our top picks below.)
Overdrive:
Overdrive? Doesn’t my car have that? A core component of the PnW guitar sound is overdrive. An overdrive pedal helps you build on the dynamics of the song while also allowing you to step out and cut through the mix when it’s time for a lead or solo. Many PnW guitarists swear by the “transparent” overdrive sound—an overdrive that adds just a bit of grit without over-coloring your tone as a whole. (See our picks below.)
2. Planning Your Pedalboard Layout
Now that you’ve selected your pedals, how do you choose the right pedalboard? Consider using a website like pedalplayground.com, which allows you to create a virtual layout of your pedals to ensure you select a pedalboard that meets your needs. When choosing your pedalboard, think about the future—do you plan to expand and add more pedals? If so, make sure to factor in extra space. Some newer pedalboard options, such as the D’Addario XPND (pictured below), offer expandable designs to accommodate your growing setup.
- EXPANDING GUITAR PEDALBOARD: Expands from 14″-24″. Patented telescoping design adjusts to accommodate your pedal needs. …
- LIGHTWEIGHT & DURABLE: Lightweight, ultra-durable aluminum withstands the most aggressive touring. Heavy duty yet lightw…
- ELIMINATE TANGLING CABLES: Innovative cable management system eliminates mess and tangling. Cables stay snug, secure, an…
3. Power Supply
A reliable power supply is essential to keep your pedals running smoothly. Choose one that provides the necessary voltage and amperage to power all your pedals. Ensure it features isolated outputs to prevent unwanted noise and interference. Many modern digital effects have a high current draw (250mA–600mA or more), so a robust power supply is crucial. Before purchasing, make sure you fully understand the power requirements of your pedals and select a power supply that meets those needs effectively.
See Our Top Power Supply Picks
4. Cables Cables Cables
You’ve got your pedals powered up, but where’s the sound? It’s time to take all those beautiful pedals you’ve invested in and deliver their glorious tones to the church congregation. Choosing the right patch cables is essential to ensure your sound comes through reliably. Depending on the size and layout of your pedalboard, you might want to consider patch cable kits that let you cut the cables to the exact length you need for a clean and efficient setup.
See Our Top Patch Cable Picks
5. Amp or No Amp?
Guitar amp simulation has improved significantly over the past five years, leading many PnW guitarists to choose this option over traditional guitar amplifiers. Take your church’s sound setup into consideration. Do you need to manage stage volume carefully, or would you prefer to avoid the hassle of carrying a heavy amp? A digital amp simulator could be the perfect solution! Many amp simulators also include built-in effects such as modulation, reverb, delay, compressors, EQ, and more. Alternatively, there are simpler options that focus solely on amp simulation. Assess your specific needs and desired features when selecting the right amp simulator for you.
See Our Top Amp Simulator Picks
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