Most players will at some time think about procuring a pedalboard to save set-up time and making gigging life easier.  If you've ever had a bash at making your own, you'll already know that what starts out as a simple plank of wood soon turns into a major CDT project.  By the time your design develops to include catches, rubber feet, corner protectors, handles etc, your thrifty idea begins to cost more money and time than you'd imagined.  Thankfully the chaps at Diago have done all the hard work for you to offer a range of sturdy pedalboard/cases that don't cost the earth and are simple and practical enough to be a welcome addition to any player's arsenal.

 

In use: The Gigman is a lightweight combination of a pedalboard and hard case approximately 600 x 300 x 85mm in size and designed to hold around eight to 10 pedals. It's well built with heavy-duty catches that you can padlock shut and quick-release hinges on the lift-off lid to guarantee a fast set-up and breakdown for your gigs. It comes supplied with a roll of Velcro (hook side) with which to affix your pedals to the felt covered board, and the internal surface of the lid is padded with foam to protect your pedals during transit. Initial set-up is simple: just lay out your pedals, leaving room for power and cabling, attach Velcro to the underside and stick them on.

Verdict
The Gigman is a sturdy solution to your pedal problems and, because you can buy direct, the price is extremely attractive and includes postage. The only thing you've got to be aware of with this model is that it's only really deep enough to accomodate Boss-sized compact pedals. For bulkier pedals like those of Electro-Harmonix, you'll need the larger, deeper models: the Showman (£100), which stores 12-16 pedals and the Tourman (£120) which can hold up to 30 pedals!