NYC Pedalboards: Making a Big Noise in the Big City
NYC Pedalboards is a company based out New York City (as one might have guessed) that was founded in 2001 by a gigging bassist named Mike Ruskin.
He started by building a pedalboard for his band’s guitar player, and the concept took off from there. Since then, the company has grown to include artists like Gus G. (Ozzy Osbourne) and Death Cab for Cutie.
There are three series of pedalboards to choose from: standard, deluxe and custom. The standard series is the first variation of NYC Pedalboards to be produced and is the basic model. It comes in five different sizes, the smallest of which is called the Lunchbox (13” X 8”, space for roughly three pedals) and the largest being the Big Shot (35” X 14”, space for roughly 16 pedals).
The deluxe series comes in four different sizes from the Six Shot Deluxe (23” X 10.5”, room for six average pedals) to the Big Shot Deluxe (same real estate as the standard Big Shot). The deluxe differs from the standard series in that it offers a “dual position design” that allow the pedalboard to lie flat or be angled, and compensates for the extra height needed when angling pedalboards. The custom series allows the customer to specify his or her own physical dimensions and offers a choice of flat or dual-design construction.
All three series share the birch plywood construction and come with a lifetime warranty. The pedalboards are also built in a pedalboard and road case combo format, where the lid can be removed and the bottom is the pedalboard itself.
The lid is foam-lined and the pedalboard has rubber feet on the bottom and a Velcro surface to mount pedals. The pedalboards also have different options available in regards to case exterior, latch type and custom Velcro mounts. The cases are available in black carpet, charcoal gray carpet or black Tolex.
Custom colors are also available by special order. The latches of the pedalboards can also be upgraded to butterfly latches, which require the latches to be turned in order to release and open. A riser that provides a second level is also an option, with a depth of 6.5” and height of 2.25”. The width is specified when ordered.
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Custom pedal mounts are also available. The pedal mounts are carpeted pieces of wood that are made to be slightly larger than the specified pedal. Screw holes are then drilled for the screw locations of the pedal’s base, and the pedal is mounted to the piece of carpeted wood. The other side of the wood is where the Velcro is placed to attach to the pedalboard. The mount allows a pedal to be attached to the pedalboard without removing any rubber feet.
The standard series is priced in a range from $95 to $185, depending on size; the deluxe ranges from $139 to $209. The price of custom series pedalboards is determined by specifications. In regards to options, black Tolex is $25 extra and butterfly latches are an extra $15. The prices for risers and pedal mounts are contingent upon size requested. Pedal mounts seem to range from $9 to $12, depending on pedal size.
