Pedaltrain or CNB case?

tubescreamer

New member
I'm going to redo my pedalboard soon and was wondering why PT users chose them over CNB cases despite the higher costs. I need to justify the $180 for the PT2 SC :p

Opinions anyone?
 
To be very honest each has their trade-offs.

CNB cases, from my experience, don't last very long. They're rather flimsy and tend to bend out of shape due to the weight of the pedals. The material used to build it is also rather thin compared to many other flight cases. Good thing about it is just the prices.

Pedaltrains on the other hand last really long and are rock solid. I'd even trust the softcase for the PT more than i'd trust a CNB case. The PT also allows to to mount your power supply under the board (for pedalpower and fueltank users). The gaps in between rungs also allows you to 'hide' your loose patch cables which not only tidies things up but allows more space for pedals. Downside is that they're crazily priced but i've seen worse, and also it can get rather heavy. (that's why many people are downsizing/swapping them out. shouldn't be a problem for those who drive :-D)

From this you can obviously see that the PT is loads better and $180 for a PT2 is quite a bargain if it's mint. Paying that extra for a PT gives you greater assurance that your gear won't get damaged.

Just my 2 cents worth :mrgreen:

lemme take this chance to show you how i had my PT2 set up
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I wouldnt use a pedaltrain 2 or pro cos they are just too big and heavy-unless if you drive.

for me a pedaltrain jr suffices, and i can squeeze about 8 boss-mxr and 2 twin pedals on it and a murf which is can put in the outside compartment pocket and its easy and small enough to lug around on public transport.

DSC01006.jpg
 
Let me be the devil's advocate here.

Actually what you are paying is really a lot for what you are getting back. The PT is no more than a shoe rack design that has been around for ages. It's amazing they can actually hold 3 patents for it. It uses aircraft grade aluminium which makes it light (+ve point). It is not an expensive material. The soft case offer NO protection at all - don't believe me? Go into the US forums and look around. The hard case is very sturdy -but you've got to be very careful carrying it - or risk injuring your back - cause it's very heavy. What would have been good is if PT came out with a better padded softcase. As with views that it hides cables, I differ in opinion once again. If you look at most photos - most of the cables and tied up but dangling in the holes between the board.... which is just as unsightly. One more thing - the finish is known to be pretty finicky and chips off easily. The velcros supplied are useless (as told by US forum members). Pedals can fall off. Much better off buying a 3M velcro from DIY shops.

Perhaps I may be a little critical - but for the amount of money you pay - I expect something better in terms of practicailty, durability & features.
 
index7: so what would you use as ur own personal pedal board?

if u want to look at the pedaltrain this way, then everything else in the world is overpriced too. most products being sold are 1000% of the cost price. thats how companies earn profits. there are many pedaltrain users out there and they wouldnt have bought it if they felt the price is not justified. if pedaltrains really cost too much, then there would be a huge decrease in the number of pedaltrain users.
 
index7: so what would you use as ur own personal pedal board?

if u want to look at the pedaltrain this way, then everything else in the world is overpriced too. most products being sold are 1000% of the cost price. thats how companies earn profits. there are many pedaltrain users out there and they wouldnt have bought it if they felt the price is not justified. if pedaltrains really cost too much, then there would be a huge decrease in the number of pedaltrain users.

I don't use any pedalboard at all. I am looking around for one - and could well afford even special imported custom made pedalbords which can run into SGD 1K. However that is not the issue here.

There is no problem with companies earning profits- it's their entitlement - nobody starts a company to lose money. The PT has it's advantages - but once again - I am talking about value and not price point. A product can be cheap but has very little feature - which is of no use at all. A product can be expensive but has lots of features - which is a plus point. For me I don't see the value & features for the price I pay into a PT. While I am going against popular opinion - everyone is entitled to their own opinions - so I made my.

The only way PT is maintaining it's big customer base is due to 2 things - there is limited competition & it's brand (marketing). Quality - yes it does have quality...so does every other pedalboard manufacturer. Everyone has been raving about the PT boards and why it's worth the price - but I just offer a different opinion...like I said Devil's Advocate. One should look at value - and not just a price point. Just because it's more expensive doesn't mean it's better. Just because it's cheaper doesn't mean it's lousier.
 
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I don't use any pedalboard at all. I am looking around for one - and could well afford even special imported custom made pedalbords which can run into SGD 1K.

I think its a different demographic you'r referring to here since you said that...but well its a good alternate viewpoint of the product you are giving. Appreciated.

I agree that pedaltrains are overpriced.....my friend who works at an aircraft factory says that they actually cost no more than well.....i forgot but its cost price is way below selling price.

But then again, just like shoes which cost at most 10 bucks to make in China why are we paying like 100 bucks for a pair? Simple. Licensing, branding, marketing, sales, revenue, store commission and trademarks. All these factors come into play and of course the magic P word: Profit.

I am of course all for a better product but with Pedaltrain having a monopoly here and no serious competitor besides T-Rex's Tonetrunk - which comes in an ugly yellow which would stain easily- may i add, the Pedaltrain is just right for the average user who just wants a no-frills board to bring about for jams. I wouldn't really trust it for use if my band was doing serious gigging on the road....knowing how rough roadies are when handling stuff. For that i would definitely look for a longer term situation but for now....its fine.

Just trying to give a balanced opinion....its always good to give comments and share as well as critique on what can be improved....This is what a forum is for!
 
i hate pedalcase coz the untidyness look all messy.

i hate pedaltrain cause i dont like the dangling wires when u carry it around and u have to take it out from the case whereas the pedalcase, open up, VOILA!

pedalcase + pedaltrain = GOOD(and expensive)


oh, i use westfield bag and a multi efx. so who am i to post here. hahah!
 
yeah i agree with ur point. but the thing is that nearly every successful product in the world is like this. almost anything that is branded is not worth the money. i hope u get what i mean.

so my point is that why bother pondering over such an issue when it exists in so many products out in the market? in my opinion this kinda things are unavoidable.
 
I think its a different demographic you'r referring to here since you said that...but well its a good alternate viewpoint of the product you are giving. Appreciated.

Actually - to be frank I find MRMisse's board to be the best value. It may be cheap - but it has the simple features that I think is useful. If offers somewhat adequate protection - semi hard case - which is light. No good for air travel - but seriously how many of us actually bring our pedal boards on flights? When I do tour around other countries or states, I generally just put the pedals in my bag and keep them separated.

Unsightly cable on MrMisse's board? Yup. However - PT's claim that it's design helps to hide cables is a bit flawed. Why? Well there is nothing underneath for us to hook the tied cables to. Can't even use cable ties - unless you tie the whole frame..which can be seen from above. You can use a masking tape to tape it to the bottom of the frame - and remove the paint should you want to take out the masking tape. That's why you still see almost all the uers' cables dangling on the the holes in between the frames. So it's kind of a feature which is not really thought out well - and which we are suppose to pay extra money for. If there is some sort of hook underneath - well - then there is a feature I'd be willing to pay for. I do think that they know about this problem - but would not incorporate it to the product - cause it would eat into their profits.

Some may think I am a tough customer but really what I am asking - if you are advertizing something - let your product do what is advertized. Why should I pay more when it doesn't function to what is advertized. I don't think that is too much to ask.
 
yeah i agree with ur point. but the thing is that nearly every successful product in the world is like this. almost anything that is branded is not worth the money. i hope u get what i mean.

so my point is that why bother pondering over such an issue when it exists in so many products out in the market? in my opinion this kinda things are unavoidable.

Yes I do agree with you & get what you mean. I guess why I am pondering - because I am looking for a board - and it is the topic of discussion here :)
 
Actually - to be frank I find MRMisse's board to be the best value. It may be cheap - but it has the simple features that I think is useful. If offers somewhat adequate protection - semi hard case - which is light.

Ok on the contrary I had an experience otherwise....mine cracked and bent quite badly after a year of use...So i switched to a pedaltrain...Apparently the materials used couldnt hold up to the weight of the pedals, and i find the carpet rather weak and heavier pedals like a wah would dislodge after a few knocks here and there, which is why recarpeting is necessary.

I find the current pedaltrains rather ok in terms of their finishes...its powder coated like most pedals done professionally like the Boss ones, so they dont usually chip from a small knock or 2, much less masking tape....I tried stickers and stuff with it and the finish stayed just fine the way it is....But then again, mine is one of the newer ones....not too sure about the older frames without the PP2 mounting.

I find that i actually did save more space in terms of layout...cos the patch cables could be stuffed below the frame and the heads could be matched up to each other perfectly without the actual cable in the way, compared to just a flat horizontal board. I just used wire ties to tie up the loose ends of my long patch cable (cos i mostly use small patch connectors) and I'm set. Not much issues for me, from my personal experience using pedaltrains so far. I've also downsized from a 2 to a junior.
 
Ok on the contrary I had an experience otherwise....mine cracked and bent quite badly after a year of use...So i switched to a pedaltrain...Apparently the materials used couldnt hold up to the weight of the pedals, and i find the carpet rather weak and heavier pedals like a wah would dislodge after a few knocks here and there, which is why recarpeting is necessary.

I find the current pedaltrains rather ok in terms of their finishes...its powder coated like most pedals done professionally like the Boss ones, so they dont usually chip from a small knock or 2, much less masking tape....I tried stickers and stuff with it and the finish stayed just fine the way it is....But then again, mine is one of the newer ones....not too sure about the older frames without the PP2 mounting.

I find that i actually did save more space in terms of layout...cos the patch cables could be stuffed below the frame and the heads could be matched up to each other perfectly without the actual cable in the way, compared to just a flat horizontal board. I just used wire ties to tie up the loose ends of my long patch cable (cos i mostly use small patch connectors) and I'm set. Not much issues for me, from my personal experience using pedaltrains so far. I've also downsized from a 2 to a junior.

Cool thanks for sharing. Haven't personally used a MrMisse board before - so I will put your experience into consideration.
 
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