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I’ve seen conflicting recommendations about how and where to attach Velcro to effects pedals so they’ll stick to a pedalboard. It sounds like most people put the hooks on the pedals and the loops on the board, but I’m wondering whether there’s a solid reason to do it one way or the other. Likewise, I’ve seen different opinions about whether to cover the pedal bottom in Velcro or just use strategically-placed strips. Again, is there any solid evidence for a particular pattern?

Where exactly should I be putting the Velcro on pedals, and which side?

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I put the loops on the board for cleanliness sake. It's easier to clean the dust and hair and threads off than the hook part. Another good reason for this practice is some pedalboards you will buy will have some type of carpet or other material as their board cover. If, you have the hooks on your pedals, you are good to go.

As far as the Velcro on the bottom, its a tough call. If you cover the whole bottom it will be extremely hard to get the pedal off the board. Too little, and it will wighle or fall off. If you go for overkill with the hook side,remember this trick. A small plastic putty knife. Slide it underneath the pedal as you carefully lift it up. Works like a charm.

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  • Just wondering: how often do you expect to change the locations or selection of pedals? I'd have thought it'd be pretty much a "set and forget" config nearly all the time. – Carl Witthoft Dec 30 '14 at 12:56
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    @Carl it depends on personality and how much you like to experiment. Pedalboard space is precious and if someone has a few pedals that do the same basic thing, switching them in and out is desirable. Another reason why switching around is desirable is that initial setup. Fuzz than wah or the other way. Overdrive then distortion or the other way? These are matters of taste that people need to discover. And probably end up changing their mind about:) – user6591 Dec 30 '14 at 13:59
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I don't think there's that much evidence one way or another. One reason to put the hooks on the pedals is that that seems to be what the majority is using. Then it's easy to lend pedals, of if bought second hand and already velcro-ed, they will more likely match. The carpet type pedal boards mentioned in this answer is also a good reason for hooks on pedals.

It's a rare thing that a pedal is stuck too hard, so I'd recommend covering the entire pedal. In systems like e.g. the Pedaltrain, you won't get the full pedal area for other than tiny pedals, so there it's important to make sure that you get as much area as possible with velcro. (Hopefully you'll be using the board more while playing than setting it up, so it's better that the pedal is stuck "too hard" than too loose).

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I would avoid velcro, because it will rip the paint and factory decals off your pedal! I loaned my Boss Octave pedal to a not-so-great friend, who put velcro on the back (without asking me), and it did just that.

If you decide you don't need the pedal any longer, it won't sell as well if it has velcro on it (or pulled-off paint, etc.). Please consider other options such as pedal boards or a home-made setup that secures the pedal without adhesives. Zip-ties through holes in a wooden base will work nicely.

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    As for second hand value: A lot of people buying pedals have pedal boards with velcro. Already attached velcro does not decrease price then. – Meaningful Username Dec 30 '14 at 22:56
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    Any alteration to a product decreases its value, especially for small electronics. I couldn't disagree with you more. Just ask someone that works at a music store. – Mark Dec 30 '14 at 23:20
  • Not for the run-of-the mill pedals, in my experience, especially since it is so common to apply velcro. For vintage pedals, this might be an issue, but in that case I'm guessing they won't go on a pedalboard anyhow... – Meaningful Username Dec 31 '14 at 2:09
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    ??? Why wouldn't a vintage pedal go on a pedalboard? And what if a buyer didn't want a pedal with velcro on it? It certainly can't improve the price, or the number of interested buyers. What if the back of the pedal has important info about voltage on it, and that info is covered up by velcro that can't be easily removed? Please consider removing your downvote - I think my answer has valid points. – Mark Dec 31 '14 at 3:30

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