DIY Pedalboard: I got cool idea and considering the budget

R

RosieADowns

New member
Hi there,
After being inspired by cool professional guys talking about their stupid mistakes at the first time building the pedalboard:
https://shredaddict.com/diy-pedalboard/
I'm in love with making my own homemade board.

They shared a lot of things about materials, style, design in term of stories, what works, what need to avoid etc... but the most important I have not been able to estimate is the budget.
On the way to draw a detailed design map first but it can be denied that I am going to lose some money in crafting wood stuffs.

So can you please suggest economic wood types that I will be easier to practice? It means I will fail but I will learn a lot haha.
If you share your stories and your final output, I'm really appreciated.
 
Re: DIY Pedalboard: I got cool idea and considering the budget

Wood isn't that expensive. Go to a local Lowe's or Home Depot and take a look around. Depending on the size you're aiming for there are a lot of different options and none of them cost a fortune.
 
Re: DIY Pedalboard: I got cool idea and considering the budget

I often use poplar for stuff like this. It suits my bonehead skill level, and it’s cheap.
 
Re: DIY Pedalboard: I got cool idea and considering the budget

Go to the real dimensional lumber area, not the garbage building wood area. You can probably get 1x3 poplar that are straight and true. Another popular option is the Gorm shelf kit from Ikea.
 
Re: DIY Pedalboard: I got cool idea and considering the budget

My pedal board? A scrap piece of 2x12 I found in the dumpster at the local woodshop. It's about 2 feet long. I routed out the back put some power cables in and bam, pedal board for less than 40 cents. Works great, function over form.
 
Re: DIY Pedalboard: I got cool idea and considering the budget

It really is not that hard. I've made flat ones, angled ones, slatted ones. Saw + glue and a little bit of measuring.
 
Re: DIY Pedalboard: I got cool idea and considering the budget

These days, while my pedalboard isn't big, I am considering getting one made with wheels.
 
Re: DIY Pedalboard: I got cool idea and considering the budget

RosieADowns said:
Hi there,
After being inspired by cool professional guys talking about their stupid mistakes at the first time building the pedalboard:
https://shredaddict.com/diy-pedalboard/
I'm in love with making my own homemade board.

They shared a lot of things about materials, style, design in term of stories, what works, what need to avoid etc... but the most important I have not been able to estimate is the budget.
On the way to draw a detailed design map first but it can be denied that I am going to lose some money in crafting wood stuffs.

So can you please suggest economic wood types that I will be easier to practice? It means I will fail but I will learn a lot haha.
If you share your stories and your final output, I'm really appreciated.
Click to expand...

Go to a local hardware store and ask about some tips and wood to practice woodwork. You probably get the practice pieces for free. At least if you buy something.
 
Re: DIY Pedalboard: I got cool idea and considering the budget

I really, really dislike the modern idea of a pedalboard. EVH screwing his pedals to a piece of plywood is cool. Wayne Krantz carrying his pedals in a bag then plugging them in on the floor is even better.
 
Re: DIY Pedalboard: I got cool idea and considering the budget

JB_From_Hell said:
I really, really dislike the modern idea of a pedalboard. EVH screwing his pedals to a piece of plywood is cool. Wayne Krantz carrying his pedals in a bag then plugging them in on the floor is even better.
Click to expand...

Too easy? :D I don't really see anything negative in modern way of making a pedalboard. (At least if you don't go over with it)

I'm still in the Krantz phase with my pedalboard, but I'm going to go EVH with it once figure out how to tie the pedals on it.
 
Re: DIY Pedalboard: I got cool idea and considering the budget

I like the Boss and Maxon9 pedals to be right on the floor. They were designed for it. Works fine if you don't have too many units.
 
Re: DIY Pedalboard: I got cool idea and considering the budget

Nothing worse at a local show than a bunch of pedals strewn everywhere with random patch leads. Extra bonus points for a daisy chain powering them. Followed by a frantic kneeling session to troubleshoot. If you’ve got more than two pedals and aren’t the headliner, you should have a board.

DIY is great, some wood, screws, zip ties or Velcro and a reliable power source so you can plug in and go is perfect.

*if you are playing at home, jamming with friends or the headliner, you get to do what you want*


RosieADowns, go for it!
 
Last edited:
Re: DIY Pedalboard: I got cool idea and considering the budget

Please excuse if my previous post was rude. No excuse, but I was a little drunk last night. What I should've said is:

I think the trend of boutique pedalboards is silly. This is likely because I've never been much of a pedal guy. I'm not against boards, per se, but they're getting as silly as the refrigerator sized racks from the 80's.

Mark Lettieri from Snarky Puppy uses a cutting board from Target. I think that's pretty cool.
 
Re: DIY Pedalboard: I got cool idea and considering the budget

I'm surprised that the market isn't flooded with Chinese clones of the Pedaltrain line. Maybe Alibaba is loaded with them? I know that Donner has a board that is about the size of a Pedaltrain Classic 1. About 60 bucks with a bag. That's half the price of the Pedaltrain. Cant speak for overall quality but I'd take a flyer on one if that's the size I needed.
 
Re: DIY Pedalboard: I got cool idea and considering the budget

I've seen people with 7 pedals plugging in on the floor, frantically trying to find a battery in their gig bag, or trying to figure out which patch cord isn't working, while the audience and the rest of the band stand around and watch. It isn't that that can't happen with a regular pedalboard, but it is less likely to happen, as the wires don't move around as much.
That only needs to happen to a guitarist once, and they find a good solution the day after the gig.
 
Re: DIY Pedalboard: I got cool idea and considering the budget

JB_From_Hell said:
I think the trend of boutique pedalboards is silly. This is likely because I've never been much of a pedal guy. I'm not against boards, per se, but they're getting as silly as the refrigerator sized racks from the 80's.
Click to expand...

I agree. Very rarely there's any need for those ridiculous command centers you see some guitarists have.
 
Re: DIY Pedalboard: I got cool idea and considering the budget

After some home-alone jamming last night, I once again pulled it back to two pedals, *maybe* three. Don't listen to anything I say about boards.
 
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