Finding the Right Board Size: Common Mistakes – And How to Avoid Them

Ordering a new pedalboard usually feels easier than it is. The dimensions seem simple at first glance – length, width, done. Yet, the wrong board size is one of the most common reasons why musicians end up having to reconfigure their setup. We'll show you the mistakes that happen most often – and how to avoid them from the outset.

Why board size is so often misjudged

The problem rarely lies in a lack of care, but rather in a lack of reference. A pedal on a living room table looks compact – on a board, together with five other pedals, cables, and a power supply, the space suddenly looks completely different. Without scaled planning, it's almost inevitable to misjudge.

The three most common mistakes when choosing dimensions

1. Buying by gut feeling instead of actual footprint

"A medium-sized board will do" – this thought most often leads to returns. What's crucial is not the perceived size, but the actual footprint of all pedals, including cable radii and power supply. If you don't calculate this, you'll likely buy one that's too small.

2. Forgetting the second tier

Our STAGE boards intentionally have two tiers: the main deck surface and a raised upper tier for tuners, mini pedals, or power supplies underneath. If you only plan with the total depth and ignore the division between the tier and the main deck, you waste usable space or realize in the end that a large pedal doesn't fit under the tier.

3. Buying too big "for the future"

The opposite is just as common: ordering a size larger out of caution. The result is a half-empty board that takes up unnecessary space on stage and is heavier and bulkier than needed for transport. A custom-fit board is almost always a better choice than an oversized one.

How to find the right size in 60 seconds

Precisely for this problem, we built the KlangWald Board Configurator. You virtually arrange your pedals to scale on a 2D surface, freely organize them, and see live in 3D how your board would look – including the upper tier. The configurator tells you immediately whether a standard board (STAGE 350, 450, or 550) fits or whether a STAGE CUSTOM made to your exact measurements would be worthwhile. No tape measure, no guesswork, no returns.

If it doesn't fit after all

Should you still make a mistake with the size: you can return any KlangWald board within 30 days, no questions asked. And because we handcraft every board in small batches in Lower Bavaria, a special custom order via STAGE CUSTOM is also possible at any time – millimeter-precise to your setup.

Conclusion

The right board size is not a guessing game, but a matter of proper preparation. Take 60 seconds for the Setup Planner – or take a look at all KlangWald models to see which board best suits your sound.