Protecting a pedal?

[Moejax]

What would I do if i had a bunch of vintage extremely expensive pedals that i wanted to protect at all costs, except I want to use them and dont want a pedalboard? Like some kind of treansperant coating to protect the metal and the paint, but thats easy to take off. I was thinking spread gluegun glue, but it could damage the paint when you take it off...

[petemoore]

I'd have to say a fitted urethane sheet box cover.
 See through, but not clear.
 Thing I like about it is it's pretty durable stuff, and seams and separates in one heating.
 It takes some working with, and you'd have to figure out a heating element, and backing [clamp where you want seam between two padded boards, one with a wire heating element between two layers of high temp teflon tape...or use your lighter...or...use a frying pan...trick is to get the material of the seam to about 300 degrees...neatly.
 Make a template like you would a sewing pattern, cut a larger square of the material than you need, form 5 sides of a box by 'pleating' the corners. The pattern looks a little like this # but square, seam and cut the corners.
 Anyway I've made pedal covers and 100 other things out of it, pretty neat stuff.
 It can be made to stretch slightly to fit, or just wrap it around the bottom with a band.

[R.G.]

Depends on where you play them. If you play them at home, put them in any kind of protective enclosure.

If you play them at gigs, you have a different problem. They'll most likely be stolen. I'm not sure how to protect against that except to not take them to gigs.

[mojotron]

I would say, since your at the right place too.. you could copy all of them, then just use your copies...

If you make your own copy, and some might be easier than others, you could end up with something that is even better than the original.

At least that's been my experience with my gear. If I go to a gig, I take a cheap echo and a bunch of stuff I copied - all in electrical junction boxes - which no one would look at an want to rip off. But, I would use the gear I built before I used any of the originals I own.

[dosmun]

My advice would be to  build a looper to run them through.  I do this with my pedals especially the vintage stuff.  It really saves wear and tear on the peds especially switches on vintage units.   Here is a pic of one of my boards:

[dosmun]

If you play them at gigs, you have a different problem. They'll most likely be stolen. I'm not sure how to protect against that except to not take them to gigs.

My cure for that is to take my pedalboard home every night or at least pack it away.  I never leave anything that could be stolen easily lying about.  I aways take my Guitars and Pedalboard home and put away  all mics and other small loose gear.

[petemoore]

Ground fault alarm? Possible?
 To use the ground that goes through the cables...if the ground is broken [a pedal gets unplugged] an alarm sounds?

[Steve C]

My suggestion would be to aquire a relay-switching system.  By either making R.G's, or buying one.  That way you can put all of your vintage stuff in a rack enclosure on shelves and you keep it closed with notched out holes just to fit the minimal cables needed from and to the rack.  That way nobody knows what's in there, you place it at the back of the stage where nobody but you has access to it, you're not stomping on any of them, and they are protected in the enclosure.  The only thing anyone else will see is the midi controller.  Never tell anyone what's in it.  It's the best thing that I've found so far.  

You don't really leave ANYTHING at a gig do you?  even if you're playing there multiple nights.

[petemoore]

I used to do the security 'through cable' lock ritual [like hardware stores use to 'fasten' the riding mowers outside the store].
 I'd hook one end loop of stranded, 'insulated bike lock cable [long wire cable with permanent loops at each end] through the handle on a cabinet, then through all the other handles, and lock it loop style or at the other end, especially for amp heads, even 4x12 cabs. This substantially increases the amount of time and noise a potential involved with 'removing' the stuff, and helps prevent items from walking away.
 I try to never leave Mics and Boxes laying around unattended'.