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Want to build my own pedal board. Tips?
Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 4:13 pm
by metalguy
So yeah I've never been a pedal guy at all. Always a plug and play. That has changed lol. Now i have an MXR 10 band, boss chorus ensemble, bad moneky, and probably get a wah down the line. So now I'm gonna need a pedal board to hold all these things.
Give me tips and guidance as I embark on this uncharted territory. Pretty sure I can get the size down since I'll likely leave room for another pedal or 2 plus the wah. Velcro? zip ties? benefits?
Pretty sure I could figure this out on my own but figured some outside experience and thoughts wouldn't hurt.
Thanks
Re: Want to build my own pedal board. Tips?
Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 4:17 pm
by rock flag and eagle
I made one from shelving stuff I found at Ikea and used zip ties to hold the pedals to the board. Walking through Ikea, I could find all kinds of stuff to make into pedal boards for every size. I power all mine with the 1 spot.
Re: Want to build my own pedal board. Tips?
Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 4:56 pm
by 100 watt
I made my current board out of a teak bath rack & a pack of Industrial Strength Velcro. Works great, though I plan on adding some handles to it, and some larger feet to the front, to tilt it back a cunt hair.

redneck innovations

Re: Want to build my own pedal board. Tips?
Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 5:05 pm
by 100 watt
Thats pretty badass. I woulda never thought of bike chain links. Would really come in handy with a heavy pedal like a Wah. I may fasten my Wah down that way!
Re: Want to build my own pedal board. Tips?
Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 5:10 pm
by rock flag and eagle
Re: Want to build my own pedal board. Tips?
Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 11:57 pm
by neilrocks25
I just used a piece of wood and some screws. I made it to an L shape so I could put the power underneath.
It's pretty simple.
Re: Want to build my own pedal board. Tips?
Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 2:17 pm
by metalguy
I kinda like the bike chain idea but not sure I want such a permanent solution. I fiddle and tweak a lot. Might go to the ikea here since I'll be on that side of town today.
Re: Want to build my own pedal board. Tips?
Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 6:38 pm
by Elessar [Sly]
Use light weight (but sturdy) wood. My pedalboard can take a lot of shit, but it ways as much as my amp head in its flight case lol.
Re: Want to build my own pedal board. Tips?
Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2013 9:44 pm
by PurpleTrails
Lots of folks have used a gorm shelving thing you an get from ikea for a few bucks, with industrial strength velcro on the top of it and bottom of the pedals for mounting. I built my own out of maple to match the look of my strat's neck, which was stupid because maple is uber hard to work and heavy. It has about a 2 1/2 inch piece to raise the front end and have a place to attach a power strip.
One other thing to consider is the length and width of the board. If you make it 21" long and about 14" wide you can fit it in a standard carry-on luggage case, which are easy to find, relatively cheap and rigid enough to protect your board. Mine is something like 27"x14", and I normally carry it in a cloth duffel bag, which doesn't have the rigidity to protect the board. Getting a 28" or 30" rolling duffel with a rigid bottom turns out to be pretty expensive.
Re: Want to build my own pedal board. Tips?
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2013 1:37 pm
by metalguy
Yeah I've been trying to map out the length and width with my pedals and distance from each. Not sure if I want to just screw a handle to the top and figure out some kind of locking system with a cover of some sort or go the route of a bag that fits the board. Also deciding between making my own cables or just buying some regular cables.
Re: Want to build my own pedal board. Tips?
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2013 7:25 pm
by Terminus
An ikea shelf and a few strips of velcro is probably the easiest and cheapest way. It might not hold as well as zip ties or screws, but velcro really lets you move things around quickly. Most used pedals you buy online will most probably have velcro on them too.
Re: Want to build my own pedal board. Tips?
Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 12:35 am
by metalguy
Went to Ikea today and didn't see anything like what you guys were talking about

of course I didn't check the place up and down I figured it'd be easy to find. Might go again to be sure. Though I stopped at home depot and think I could keep it around $20 buying wood and making it myself. Plus I'd end up with something more to my liking.
But I'm thinking dimensions of 18" x 14"
Re: Want to build my own pedal board. Tips?
Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 7:57 am
by J.R.
Making your own cables is the way to go imo. Also if you go with velcro the industrial strength stuff you find in Walmart works perfectly.
Re: Want to build my own pedal board. Tips?
Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 10:50 am
by rock flag and eagle
In the shelving section is where you can find of a lot of stuff to use - most people use the slatted wooden one and add on to it to slant it. I went with this metal rack because of the size, i bought the brackets there and just used a 2x4 to help add some strength to it. It's messy like that, I was planning on working more on making it look cleaner. I think this all cost me well under $15.
