So I'm gonna build a pedal board

[Yoni]

I've got the pedals, the power supply and the cables so now it just comes down to the actual board. I'm gonna be hitting home depot tomorrow to search for a piece of wood and then to find some carpet or tolex maybe some rubber feet. What size board should I get? I'm currently using 4 pedals but a 5th will be added in a few weeks and then who knows I want something easy to cart around but with plenty of room to grow. Do I really want it to be angled and how much? And what about my idea of cutting a u at the center of the board to go around a mic stand?

[tazzboy]

You should ask for the Zakk Wylde pedalboard at the Home Depot.

[Yoni]

Originally Posted by tazzboy

You should ask for the Zakk Wylde pedalboard at the Home Depot.

def don't know what that is since I'm not a wylde freak.

[Yoni]

the reason it needs to go over/around a mic stand is I'm also the singer in my band....Maybe just legs as opposed to the U so it actually will fit over the stand base???

[tazzboy]

Then Zakk Wylde board probably won't be it for you. By the way it's in the Jan 2003 issue.

[Flat357]

Try this stuff :

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PEDALBOARD-COVERING-BLACK-VELCRO-PEDAL-BOARD-FOR-BOSS_W0QQitemZ130234928288QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item 130234928288&&_trksid=p3286.m63.l1177"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PEDALBOARD-COVERING-BLACK-VELCRO-PEDAL-BOARD-FOR-BOSS_W0QQitemZ130234928288QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item 130234928288&&_trksid=p3286.m63.l1177"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PEDALBOARD-COVERING-BLACK-VELCRO-PEDAL-BOARD-FOR-BOSS_W0QQitemZ130234928288QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item 130234928288&&_trksid=p3286.m63.l1177


When you make your board , be sure to allow for the patch leads sticking out either side of your pedals , when you do your measuring , and also somewhere that your plug from the power supply can fit in if it has a lid .

Don't worry about the mic stand so much . That's what the boom extending is for .

[Big Lug]

Originally Posted by Flat357

Try this stuff :

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PEDALBOARD-COVERING-BLACK-VELCRO-PEDAL-BOARD-FOR-BOSS_W0QQitemZ130234928288QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item 130234928288&&_trksid=p3286.m63.l1177"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PEDALBOARD-COVERING-BLACK-VELCRO-PEDAL-BOARD-FOR-BOSS_W0QQitemZ130234928288QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item 130234928288&&_trksid=p3286.m63.l1177"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PEDALBOARD-COVERING-BLACK-VELCRO-PEDAL-BOARD-FOR-BOSS_W0QQitemZ130234928288QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item 130234928288&&_trksid=p3286.m63.l1177...

I redid the velcro on my pedalboard with this material. Be prepared to use both hands to peel off a pedal. Well, I'm exaggerating a bit, but it really holds them down.

[tazzboy]

3M Dual Lock tape. That's what Bob Bradshaw and Dave Friedman use. At least that what said in May 08 Guitar Player Magazine in regards to Pedal boards.

Dave Friedman also recommend Velcro on Plywood type boards.

[Yoni]

talking with my wife who is the craft one we're gonna look for unorthodox bases at Ikea and michaels tomorrow.

[Tim Bowen]

Originally Posted by Yoni

I've got the pedals, the power supply and the cables so now it just comes down to the actual board. I'm gonna be hitting home depot tomorrow to search for a piece of wood and then to find some carpet or tolex maybe some rubber feet. What size board should I get? I'm currently using 4 pedals but a 5th will be added in a few weeks and then who knows I want something easy to cart around but with plenty of room to grow. Do I really want it to be angled and how much? And what about my idea of cutting a u at the center of the board to go around a mic stand?

I wish I had a nickel for every board I've built...

If you're still unsure about the size, take another day or two. Buy a couple of pieces of posterboard and lay your peds out on a few different sizes of cardboard. Home Depot will cut to your specs, but they do have minimal size requirements (safety issue for the cutter operator, perfectly understandable). If, after having messed with the cardboard prototypes, you're still unsure, have them cut the two sizes that you feel best about. It won't cost that much to have an additional option.

3/4" plywood will warp and bend over time. 3/4" particle board is far more rigid and stable.

As for rubber footsies, get the largest size available, probably 3/4". A small board is supported just fine with four footsies at the corners. A larger board will benefit from three additional footsies, one dead center, and two centered on the outside edges of the longest dimension.

As for angling - I apply Velcro receiver underneath my boards that will accept two rubber doorstops, which also contain applied Velcro. The doorstops elevate the back end of my board to just under two inches. I almost always prefer the slight angle for stomping, but this simple modular system also allows for a flat plane when needed, and... this approach doesn't require commitment.

2" wide self-adhesive Velcro is perfectly fine. However, apply additional glue (Elmers is cool) to the strips before applying to the board. You're going to reposition peds now and then, and the self-adhesive Velcro won't withstand that.

I like the mic stand thing, I've thought about doing something like that. On a small stage, a typical tripod mic stand and a pedalboard don't necessarily coexist.

Items I keep around: odd sizes of particle board from previous projects, rubber footsies, doorstops, steel line gauge/ruler, posterboard, Elmers glue, 2" black self-adhesive Velcro, Exacto knife & #11 Exacto blades, semi-gloss black spray paint, semi-gloss varnish spray, tarp and newspaper for spraying paint, .005 plastic mylar for protecting underside serial numbers and graphics on peds prior to applying adhesives and Velcro, Goo Gone or similar solvent for removing any unwanted goopies after the fact.

I enjoy building boards. It takes about a day to design and lay one out, paint, glue, scratch n' sniff, and complete. Arts and crafts, baby!

[epimetheus81]

Originally Posted by Tim Bowen

As for angling - I apply Velcro receiver underneath my boards that will accept two rubber doorstops, which also contain applied Velcro. The doorstops elevate the back end of my board to just under two inches. I almost always prefer the slight angle for stomping, but this simple modular system also allows for a flat plane when needed, and... this approach doesn't require commitment.

That's actually a pretty great idea. Why didn't I think of that!

[Telenator]

Drill two holes in the side of your pedal board to mount two 1/4" jacks to the side. Attach a piece of guitar cable each input jack with a 1/4" plug on each end and just let those hang in the box. Once you figure out the ideal physical order you want your pedals in, you can then use these two wires as your "input" and "output" connections. When you go to play your guitar, you just plug it into the side of the box, and then run a cord to the other jack yo your amp. This way you don't have to worry about setting up your pedals so the cable from your guitar goes in one side and the cable to the amp comes out the other. Until I did this to my pedal board, I had my input cable plugging in somewhere in the middle of my board and draping across the top of my pedals. If I moved around the cable would sometimes twist the knobs on my pedals. Not any more! All the wires run underneath now!

[Flat357]

Telenator , that is a great idea regarding the imput output .
Which parts did you use ?
Like to add that to my board

[Telenator]

I used a couple of Switchcraft panel jacks because they have long, threaded bodies that work well going through the thick wood of the pedal board. I drilled out 4 large flat washers to mount on the inside and outside of the box to hold the input jacks in place.

On the inside, I wired up a couple of 24" sections of guitar cable and slipped a big 'ol piece of shrink sleeving over the Switchcraft body and solder joints to protect it from stuff moving around in there. On the other end, I wired up two angle jacks that can be plugged into any two pedals making them the first and last in the chain. From there I can wire my jumpers to any pedal, in any order and not have to worry about where I'm going to plug my guitar in. It works great and I never have problems with my cables hitting the dials on my pedals and changing then.

I also made a plastic hatch and applied velcro to it so I can stow my cables underneath the board. There's nothing worse than tossing your cables in on top of your pedals and then having to reset all the levels and values before every gig because your cables moved around and moved all your knobs. All bad.

Now, I just show up at a gig, pop the top off my box, pull the cables out of the compartment, plug it in and I'm ready to go! No fuss, no muss!

[Flat357]

Originally Posted by Telenator

I used a couple of Switchcraft panel jacks because they have long, threaded bodies that work well going through the thick wood of the pedal board. I drilled out 4 large flat washers to mount on the inside and outside of the box to hold the input jacks in place.

On the inside, I wired up a couple of 24" sections of guitar cable and slipped a big 'ol piece of shrink sleeving over the Switchcraft body and solder joints to protect it from stuff moving around in there. On the other end, I wired up two angle jacks that can be plugged into any two pedals making them the first and last in the chain. From there I can wire my jumpers to any pedal, in any order and not have to worry about where I'm going to plug my guitar in. It works great and I never have problems with my cables hitting the dials on my pedals and changing then.

I also made a plastic hatch and applied velcro to it so I can stow my cables underneath the board. There's nothing worse than tossing your cables in on top of your pedals and then having to reset all the levels and values before every gig because your cables moved around and moved all your knobs. All bad.

Now, I just show up at a gig, pop the top off my box, pull the cables out of the compartment, plug it in and I'm ready to go! No fuss, no muss!

Appreciated .

[Yoni]

So went to Ikea today and found only one of and only one of these guys



It's really cool and it fits my 4 pedals with plenty of room for a few more as my board grows.

[Tim Bowen]

Originally Posted by epimetheus81

That's actually a pretty great idea. Why didn't I think of that!

Not nearly as nifty looking as some the angled boards, but it does do the trick on the cheap.

The only other thing I'd say on the subject is that angle choice is yet another highly personal thing. Over time, I've surmised that a less acute angle is a better fit for me, which is why the doorstop thing works in my case. I've built some boards with steeper slopes in the past and ultimately didn't get on with them.

Originally Posted by Yoni

So went to Ikea today and found only one of and only one of these guys



It's really cool and it fits my 4 pedals with plenty of room for a few more as my board grows.

Excellent, and it doubles as a serving tray for party-time finger food! Sincerely, I love practical solutions like this, that's great.

[Beerts]

I don't know if you can see them in the picture but after being in hate with velcro for years, someone suggested this approach so now I attatch pedals using bicycle chain links...



you just have to take them apart and hold them on with the bottom screws of the pedals, then just screw them to the board. it's sturdy, secure and I've yet to have one fall off!

[ce24]

Take a look at these.. I use one and they are great and they are cheap but not in build quality.

http://www.rondomusic.com/pedalcases.html

cheers
ce24