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The correct way to install Velcro…

Double E

Double E

I ain't got no time to play...
Dec 24, 2005
5,286
6,758
Mesa, AZ
#1
I am a relative newcomer to the whole effects game. I started out innocently a few years ago with just a couple pedals and after experiencing the joy that these little boxes can bring I decided to purchase a small board.

I searched for the definitive answer to which way do you put the Velcro on these things. All I found was a bunch of himming and hawing and alot of mumbo-jumbo about personal preference… Yada yada yada… Blah blah blah.

So, I went with what I thought at the time made sense to me. Hooks on the board and loops on the unit. I figured that if I took a pedal off of the board I wouldn't want it sticking to everything. I did what I thought was cool and didn't give it another thought. I would put my dream board together and I'd be set for life.

What I did not account for was GAS. As with life, the only thing certain with pedal boards is change.

The ensuing influx of different pedals moving on and off my board revealed that I picked the WRONG Velcro configuration...every one of the pedals I've purchased or traded for here on the classifieds from other addicts have had the hook side installed on the pedal.

I thought, no biggie, I'll fix it later. I even bought a new supply of Velcro to get this mess straightened out. The search for time to do this has been fruitless. Meanwhile, I am still buying and selling pedals and dealing with this issue piece by piece. Sure would be nice to just slap a new-to-me pedal on my board without changing it to the wrong configuration.

Worse yet, I have since bought a second board, second hand, with the proper Velcro config on it and now I have pedals with both hooks and loops installed on them so I can move them between the two.

In summary (or I should say tl/dr), if you are starting out new to this game, do yourself a favor and install the Velcro the correct, proper and universal way... the furry loop side on your board and the prickly hook side on your pedals. You'll thank yourself later.
 
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#2
You were right the first time around.

The history of pedalboard starts on the carpeted basement floor. Someone stuck the hook side to their Tube Screamer then set it on the carpet. They had to cut the floor out to save the pedal. The only problem was that they cut too big, had room for another pedal, thus inducing GAS for the first time to have a full pedalboard.

While this story isn't 100% factual, that is where the hook side on the pedal came from - carpet based pedalboards, because it's cheap to do.

I much prefer the hooks on the board. Fine by me to swap the Velcro on the pedal & board. I've always done it this way, and don't care what's the collective norm. Lol. It doesn't really matter in the end.
 
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#11
Double E said:
I am a relative newcomer to the whole effects game. I started out innocently a few years ago with just a couple pedals and after experiencing the joy that these little boxes can bring I decided to purchase a small board.

I searched for the definitive answer to which way do you put the Velcro on these things. All I found was a bunch of himming and hawing and alot of mumbo-jumbo about personal preference… Yada yada yada… Blah blah blah.

So, I went with what I thought at the time made sense to me. Hooks on the board and loops on the unit. I figured that if I took a pedal off of the board I wouldn't want it sticking to everything. I did what I thought was cool and didn't give it another thought. I would put my dream board together and I'd be set for life.

What I did not account for was GAS. As with life, the only thing certain with pedal boards is change.

The ensuing influx of different pedals moving on and off my board revealed that I picked the WRONG Velcro configuration...every one of the pedals I've purchased or traded for here on the classifieds from other addicts have had the hook side installed on the pedal.

I thought, no biggie, I'll fix it later. I even bought a new supply of Velcro to get this mess straightened out. The search for time to do this has been fruitless. Meanwhile, I am still buying and selling pedals and dealing with this issue piece by piece. Sure would be nice to just slap a new-to-me pedal on my board without changing it to the wrong configuration.

Worse yet, I have since bought a second board, second hand, with the proper Velcro config on it and now I have pedals with both hooks and loops installed on them so I can move them between the two.

In summary (or I should say tl/dr), if you are starting out new to this game, do yourself a favor and install the Velcro the correct, proper and universal way... the furry loop side on your board and the prickly hook side on your pedals. You'll thank yourself later.
Click to expand...


There really isn't a "wrong" or "right" way to do it. Do it however you want and what works best for you.

I know in my case, the softer, I guess the loop side, was what I wanted on the board because to me it was more like carpeting, softer. So that way just made sense to me. I think a long time ago too I remember seeing a pedal with the hook side on the bottom and I think that just stuck with me through the years. So when it came time for me to build my board, I didn't even think it over, I just went to Menards and got a few feet of the hook carpeting and went with it. I still do it that way today. I will say this though, if I had to start over again, I would most def use that high strength hook and loop stuff. You don't need nearly as much on the pedal and it's got a stronger hold in some cases. I have most likely spent a couple hundred dollars on Velcro alone the last 4 years. Pretty ridiculous when you think about it. I know pedals are much harder to get off if you use the heavy duty stuff, but it beats covering the whole underside of a usual sized pedal with two strips of regular hook. And if you get a big fuzz or delay unit, pfft, forgot about it.

But I'm still happy overall with the way I use it and have my setup done. It works for me. Was it the cheapest or best way to go? Maybe not. But its the way I chose and it works for me. So I stay the course.
 
#12
pfft, velcro.

get yourself some dual lock!

it's what velcro wants to be when it grows up.

(anyway, with velcro traditionally the fuzz goes on the board while the hooks go on the pedals. this allows you to use speaker cabinet "rat fur" covering or even actual carpet on the board if you want.)
 
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#14
gregmon79 said:
There really isn't a "wrong" or "right" way to do it. Do it however you want and what works best for you.
Click to expand...

Now...this is just the kind of language that led me to the point where I felt I had to start this thread. In a world where you buy all of your gear brand new, this works. But the natural progression is to want to try and change stuff through trades and capitalize on other's willingness to sell off their gear to buy other gear.

Furthermore, whenever I sell a pedal, I have to be wary of receiving negative feedback from another user for having the nerve to send them a pedal with loop-side Velcro attached. So, I have to pull off the wrong stuff and clean off any residual glue.

I wish I had all the time back from having to pull off and replace the Velcro on the pedals I've traded for, sold or purchased here on TB. I'dve had more time to practice to become a better bassist....more time to keep up on my book-work and investments, thus making me more wealthy with probably a higher credit score from being able to pay my bills on time instead of dealing with adhesive residue.

I just want to establish that this is not an area where we need to worry about being PC regarding what is and isn't the right way.

To all of those who may stumble upon this thread in your search for the answer...do yourself a favor! Put the hook side on the pedal, ignore any instinctual or logical thoughts that are telling you to do otherwise, you'll regret it in the end.
 
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#15
walterw said:
pfft, velcro.

get yourself some dual lock!

it's what velcro wants to be when it grows up.

(anyway, with velcro traditionally the fuzz goes on the board while the hooks go on the pedals. this allows you to use speaker cabinet "rat fur" covering or even actual carpet on the board if you want.)
Click to expand...
If everyone switched to dual lock, the world would be a better place.
 
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#18
Double E said:
Now...this is just the kind of language that led me to the point where I felt I had to start this thread. In a world where you buy all of your gear brand new, this works. But the natural progression is to want to try and change stuff through trades and capitalize on other's willingness to sell off their gear to buy other gear.

Furthermore, whenever I sell a pedal, I have to be wary of receiving negative feedback from another user for having the nerve to send them a pedal with loop-side Velcro attached. So, I have to pull off the wrong stuff and clean off any residual glue.

I wish I had all the time back from having to pull off and replace the Velcro on the pedals I've traded for, sold or purchased here on TB. I'dve had more time to practice to become a better bassist....more time to keep up on my book-work and investments, thus making me more wealthy with probably a higher credit score from being able to pay my bills on time instead of dealing with adhesive residue.

I just want to establish that this is not an area where we need to worry about being PC regarding what is and isn't the right way.

To all of those who may stumble upon this thread in your search for the answer...do yourself a favor! Put the hook side on the pedal, ignore any instinctual or logical thoughts that are telling you to do otherwise, you'll regret it in the end.
Click to expand...

I wasn't doggin ya for the use of language man, it's all good. That was just the way I was giving my opinion. I've been right there with you on the flipping and selling. I didn't even ask for a long time, I just simply stated "Velcro on bottom" when trading or selling. I just recently started stating in my posts that "I will remove Velcro upon request". Otherwise I leave it on. I actually prefer to get a used pedal with Velcro already on it. That way I don't have to find/buy more and it is board ready when I get it. Not everyone is like that though.
 
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#20
gregmon79 said:
I wasn't doggin ya for the use of language man, it's all good.
Click to expand...
We're pettin' the same dog here my friend. Sorry if I came off defensive.

gregmon79 said:
I actually prefer to get a used pedal with Velcro already on it. That way I don't have to find/buy more and it is board ready when I get it
Click to expand...
Me too, I'd love to receive a pedal and slap that puppy right on my board. However, since I made a poor decision early on...I must always remove the hooks and install the loops. My bad. I want to disassemble my board and start over but doing it all at once and re-routing all the power and signal cables just seems overwhelming considering what else I'd like to be doing with my time. When I pull one off my board to sell or trade, it is not correctly configured for most others, so then it becomes their PITA.

Please keep in mind that much of what I am saying here is purely tongue-in-cheek...except for the general message:

:woot: Keep the hook-side on the pedals.

:thumbsup:

 

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