Vangoa Pedalboard Review (bought and unboxed)

For this review we tested, photographed, and recorded the Vangoa Ghostfire type D pedalboard. All of it is a first-hand account of the product. To support our site, you can shop via the orange Amazon button above at no extra cost to you.

My Vangoa pedalboard review is based off of an actual unboxing and handling of the Ghostfire Type D pedalboard that Gina, from Vangoa, was nice enough to send our way. In other words, this is a real account of using the product and not a rehashing or re-wording of someone else's review. To review the pedalboard, I simply examined it in my hands, setup a few pedals and ran a few practice sessions with it.

Important specs for this particular pedalboard are the following:

Vangoa Ghostfire Type D

Full Review

First, there are some extras included with your purchase, which I wasn't expecting. Here's a look at everything I took out of the box initially, minus my own Guitar Chalk stickers:

Some hook/loop (Velcro) material as well as a carrying case and a strap for the case are all included in the purchase.

The material used to make this board is like the railing system used in the Pedaltrain boards, though the Vangoa version feels significantly lighter. The material is aluminum alloy and only weighs about three pounds (at least for this particular size). This makes it easy to carry, though I did feel like I needed to be a little gentler with this one compared to the Pedaltrain boards.

One major difference between Vangoa and Pedaltrain is the way the board's feet are setup.

Here's a closer look at the Vangoa system:

Vangoa uses a folding leg system, which is a little more functional than the static Pedaltrain setup, though doesn't feel quite as strong or as sturdy. Still, it's nice to be able to lay the board flat by folding up the legs and not having the slant if you don't want/need it.

The most attractive aspect of the Vangoa Ghostfire series is that you can get a larger, lightweight pedalboard for a lot less than what you would pay for a Pedaltrain board of a much smaller size. While Vangoa doesn't have quite as much brand recognition, their boards are good products and we'd certainly recommend them in a number of situations.

Best Fit and Context

Those situations would include anytime you need a pedalboard on a budget, perhaps for a beginner or as a backup on the road. This board would also be a good fit as a main pedalboard, either for studio, church, or other live performance scenarios.

Does it include a carrying case?

The Vangoa Ghostfire Type D pedalboard, the one featured in this review, comes with a properly sized carrying case.

Does it include adhesive?

Yes, the Vangoa Ghostfire Type D pedalboard includes a Velcro-style hook and loop adhesive to fix pedals to the board's rails. Some buyers have reported the base material already being attached to the board when purchased.

Conclusion

The most striking feature of this board would have to be the weight. Even with the legs, it's one of the lightest boards I've ever held in my hands (even at the larger size) though still seems fairly strong. I've always felt that the railed boards were overpriced, so I'm willing to say Vangoa's boards are just as good as the Pedaltrains of the world and perhaps evidence of some market correction in price.

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