My New Pedalboard Project

[Paul Marossy]

After lugging my original DIY pedalboard around for seven years (http://www.diyguitarist.com/DIYStompboxes/NewPedalBoard.htm), I have decided that I generally don't need such a big variety of pedals to choose from for "everyday" use. I had considered buying an off-the-shelf pedalboard because I didn't really want to mess with building one, but as usual, none of what is out there is exactly what I want.

So I thought that I would build a new pedalboard from scratch with some features I would like to have tailored to my personal tastes. With the help of my good friend, AutoCAD, I designed something that I thought would work well for me.



Here is the upper and lower halves of the case. It is constructed out of 1/4" plywood glued with wood glue and also stapled with 3/8" staples. The inside corners have cleats to add some strength. It's pretty sturdy as constructed.  While at 24"x15"x4", it's not a whole lot smaller than my original pedalboard, but it will be more manageable and less heavy to carry around.




The lower half also has a 1/2"x1/2" lip around it. This gives some extra rigidity and something to put screws into for hardware, etc.



Along the back of the lower half, I installed a 1"x1" aluminum angle which will hold the mini patchbay and DC jacks.



This is the outside of the lower half. All of the edges have a piece of 1/2"x1/2" aluminum angle screwed to the case. I will remove all of them when I find the perfect covering for the case and then reinstall them after the covering has been glued to the case.



This is just showing the method I devised to attach the 1"x1" angle to the back of lower half of the case.



Here is a size comparison between the old pedalboard and the new one I am building.




This is the removable piece that sits in the lower half, which will gently slope upwards via some wedges glued to the underside of it. It's amazing how just a little slope like that makes it easier to use a volume and/or wah pedal. It's another piece of 1/4" plywood with a 1/4"x1/2" alunimum U shaped edging on all four sides.



This is a closer view of the mini patchbay. You can also see the screw that attaches it to the mounting block to the left it.



This is showing the removable bottom piece now covered with black felt.



This is the felt-lined lower half of the case, with the removable piece removed. I put handles on each side of the lower half to make it easy to move around, if needed.



Here is looking at it from the other direction.



This project is going faster than I thought it would, and I am happy with it so far, but it still is the pain in the rear that I thought it would be.   
I think it may end up being a modular pedalboard arrangement where I might have a few different arrangements set up on different "base plates" that I can easily switch out.

[reverbie]

Put a nice ebony stain on the plywood and start slanging these things. People would pay $100 easily.

[Ben N]

Nice work, Paul. I had also though about modularizing parts of a pedalboard to match different amps, or for a stereo setup (when I was briefly contemplating such insanity).

[Paul Marossy]

Put a nice ebony stain on the plywood and start slanging these things. People would pay $100 easily.

I won't build these for other people, too much work for what I would get for them. I've paid about $60 in materials alone so far, not counting my time to make it. No one would buy it for what I would want to sell it for. 

Nice work, Paul. I had also though about modularizing parts of a pedalboard to match different amps, or for a stereo setup (when I was briefly contemplating such insanity).

What were you thinking?!  I like using stereo for recordings, but it's a hassle for live music.

[Paul Marossy]

The pedal board is basically done now. Instead of the usual sort of covering that you would see on something like this, I used a kind of cool looking upholstery fabric on it which looks pretty classy when you see it in person. The metal corners were ordered from www.partsexpress.com - http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=260-710




The pedals on this pedal board are from right to left:
A very good sounding TDK 5103 inductor wah pedal, slightly tweaked
DOD FX-17 wah/volume pedal (used of volume pedal only)
Tonefreak Effects Abunai 2
AMZ Mini-Booster that I built
Boss Chorus
Boss DD-5 Digital Delay
ADA Flanger clone using MN3007 BBD chip



Here is my adjustable power supply using an LM317 adjustable voltage regulator.




The project ended up costing a lot more than I thought it would, but I am very happy with the end result. I just wouldn't have been happy any other way...

[liddokun]

That board looks really nice! You're starting to inspire me to start a pedalboard project of my own, or rather, just building a case for my existing one.
Keep up the great work Paul!

[Paul Marossy]

That board looks really nice! You're starting to inspire me to start a pedalboard project of my own, or rather, just building a case for my existing one.
Keep up the great work Paul!

Thanks, glad you like it. I'll put up another picture or two of it all buttoned up once I get some foam to line the top half of the case. 

[Paul Marossy]

Here is what it looks like all closed up.



This is a little closer view of the carrying handle and draw latches.


Now I can finally concentrate on making that soundclip of my MN3007 ADA Flanger clone for StephenGiles... 

[Ben N]

Bee-u-tee-full!

[liddokun]

How hard was it to build that case?
I already have a board, just need a custom sized case for it.

[Paul Marossy]

How hard was it to build that case?
I already have a board, just need a custom sized case for it.

Not that hard, just time consuming. It would have been easier if I had a table saw to cut stuff with instead of a jigsaw. Cutting and drilling the aluminum angle pieces is relatively easy. I did all of that by hand with a hacksaw and a hand drill.

[liddokun]

How hard was it to build that case?
I already have a board, just need a custom sized case for it.

Not that hard, just time consuming. It would have been easier if I had a table saw to cut stuff with instead of a jigsaw. Cutting and drilling the aluminum angle pieces is relatively easy. I did all of that by hand with a hacksaw and a hand drill.

Awesome, all I have are hacksaws and jigsaws.
I guess I'll have to make one this summer.

[Paul Marossy]

How hard was it to build that case?
I already have a board, just need a custom sized case for it.

Not that hard, just time consuming. It would have been easier if I had a table saw to cut stuff with instead of a jigsaw. Cutting and drilling the aluminum angle pieces is relatively easy. I did all of that by hand with a hacksaw and a hand drill.

Awesome, all I have are hacksaws and jigsaws.
I guess I'll have to make one this summer.

Cool, post some pictures when you're done!   

[liddokun]

How hard was it to build that case?
I already have a board, just need a custom sized case for it.

Not that hard, just time consuming. It would have been easier if I had a table saw to cut stuff with instead of a jigsaw. Cutting and drilling the aluminum angle pieces is relatively easy. I did all of that by hand with a hacksaw and a hand drill.

Awesome, all I have are hacksaws and jigsaws.
I guess I'll have to make one this summer.

Cool, post some pictures when you're done!   

Do you even have to ask? 
it's a given.

[GtrmanMoe]

Awesome build, Paul.  Very similar to the board I built, except mine is a two-tiered thing.  I'm still debating how to install the power supply (GGG Ultra Clean).  I like your patchbay idea.  I may try something similar.  I'm also planning on building a lid for it somewhere down the road.  I put pics of mine up on the pedal board thread a few weeks ago.

Happy building!!

[Processaurus]

Great work Paul, thanks for sharing.  The angle iron patchbay/power distrobution as well as having multiple boards that fit a single case are both great ideas that I haven't seen anywhere else, very cool.

[Paul Marossy]

Awesome build, Paul.  Very similar to the board I built, except mine is a two-tiered thing.  I'm still debating how to install the power supply (GGG Ultra Clean).  I like your patchbay idea.  I may try something similar.  I'm also planning on building a lid for it somewhere down the road.  I put pics of mine up on the pedal board thread a few weeks ago.

Happy building!!

I'm used to the patchbay thing because I have a Boss PSM-5 Master Power Supply that I am used to plugging into. I like not having to connect/disconnect any cords from the pedals themselves.

Great work Paul, thanks for sharing.  The angle iron patchbay/power distrobution as well as having multiple boards that fit a single case are both great ideas that I haven't seen anywhere else, very cool.

Leave it to me for the ideas out of left field.  I always seem to have a different take on things from most people...

[liddokun]

Great work Paul, thanks for sharing.  The angle iron patchbay/power distrobution as well as having multiple boards that fit a single case are both great ideas that I haven't seen anywhere else, very cool.

Actually, the Road Rage pedalboards do the multi sectional board thing, if you're ever interested in a commercial sectional board.

see it here:
http://www.roadrageprogear.com/rr_pedalboard.html

The case is actually sectional as well, it's interesting.

As for the patchbay, on my pedalboard I've got a patchbay too, however mines is just a normal sized enclosure with 4 jacks, an led so that I know power is on, master power switch, as well as a 9V in going through Beavis's dehummer power filter, and then 9V out, into my daisy chain.

[Paul Marossy]

Great work Paul, thanks for sharing.  The angle iron patchbay/power distrobution as well as having multiple boards that fit a single case are both great ideas that I haven't seen anywhere else, very cool.

Actually, the Road Rage pedalboards do the multi sectional board thing, if you're ever interested in a commercial sectional board.

see it here:
http://www.roadrageprogear.com/rr_pedalboard.html

The case is actually sectional as well, it's interesting.

As for the patchbay, on my pedalboard I've got a patchbay too, however mines is just a normal sized enclosure with 4 jacks, an led so that I know power is on, master power switch, as well as a 9V in going through Beavis's dehummer power filter, and then 9V out, into my daisy chain.

Huh, I haven't seen those before. Pretty clever design! And they look cool, too...

[liddokun]

Yes, and from what I can remember they're pretty reasonbly priced, with their largest flagship one being $230 ish, and that sectional board coming in at $170 (US dollars).
Sorry, not trying to imply I'm working for them, just saying. Compared to other commercial boards, it's not actually that bad, though still anything over $100 for a pedal board is too much for me, I'll stick with my DIY skills, thank you very much.