DIY Pedalboard Build
For this diy piece, I wanted to solve the problem I'm facing: I have a growing pedal collection, but after using some of the pre-assembled products on the market for a while I decided they weren't quite cutting it. I wanted something closer to a custom pedalboard-minus the elevated price tag. After scoping out the range of custom options offered by various companies, I decided to make something with all the features I wanted. It's a bit more involved than duct-taping everything to an IKEA shelf, but it's definitely not as involved as some of the space-age control centers on the market. I was careful to keep costs as low as possible, though. in fact, I was able to keep the price around $100.
A couple of notes about things we're not covering here: I won't go into the theory of wiring up your board (effect order, switching options, etc.)-that's a whole other topic. Here we're covering the basics of getting a signal and power to and from your board. Also, though most players need a pedalboard case because they drag their boards all over the place, we'll refer you to the fine folks at blackbirdpedalboards.com, stompin-ground. com, nycpedalboards.com and other outlets with a multitude of sizes, options, and materials for you to choose from once you've decided on the final size and shape of your board.
All right-let's get to it!
Step 1
Lay out your pedals on the floor in ideal performing position and use a tape measure to determine what size of board will fit them. I decided on 24" x 16". I wanted my board to have an angled surface so I can comfortably reach two rows of pedals, so we'll also make the surface angle from 4" high in back down to 1 1/2" high along the front edge. This will also let me mount a power supply underneath.
For this diy piece, I wanted to solve the problem I'm facing: I have a growing pedal collection, but after using some of the pre-assembled products on the market for a while I decided they weren't quite cutting it. I wanted something closer to a custom pedalboard-minus the elevated price tag. After scoping out the range of custom options offered by various companies, I decided to make something with all the features I wanted. It's a bit more involved than duct-taping everything to an IKEA shelf, but it's definitely not as involved as some of the space-age control centers on the market. I was careful to keep costs as low as possible, though. in fact, I was able to keep the price around $100.
A couple of notes about things we're not covering here: I won't go into the theory of wiring up your board (effect order, switching options, etc.)-that's a whole other topic. Here we're covering the basics of getting a signal and power to and from your board. Also, though most players need a pedalboard case because they drag their boards all over the place, we'll refer you to the fine folks at blackbirdpedalboards.com, stompin-ground. com, nycpedalboards.com and other outlets with a multitude of sizes, options, and materials for you to choose from once you've decided on the final size and shape of your board.
All right-let's get to it!
Step 1
Lay out your pedals on the floor in ideal performing position and use a tape measure to determine what size of board will fit them. I decided on 24" x 16". I wanted my board to have an angled surface so I can comfortably reach two rows of pedals, so we'll also make the surface angle from 4" high in back down to 1 1/2" high along the front edge. This will also let me mount a power supply underneath.