Need some DIY Pedalboard advice

[Agileguy_101]

So I'm thinking I want to build my own pedalboard, and I have a few questions. My basic design idea is to take a board and put it at an angle to the floor, somewhere between 25 and 30 degrees, so that I can put a power strip on the inside of the front panel. Then I'd attach sides and possbily a cover. Here's what I'd like to know:

I want a wood that's sturdy enough to handle my foot stomping on the pedals despite it being at an angle, easily paint-able, and preferably cheap and easy to find. If I can find it at Home Depot, even better. What wood would you recommend I use?

What's the easiest way to get cables for your board? The cheapest? The best compromise of the two? I'm not sure if I have the skills to do soldering on cables, so that's why I was looking at cable kits. But they're so expensive...

Will ordinary screws be strong enough to hold this contraption together after years of use?

If you have any other general advice on DIY pedalboards, please let me know. Thanks.

 

[woemoejack]

Re: Need some DIY Pedalboard advice

as far as wood goes, i think birch ply would be fine if you build it right and support it where it needs it. screws and good wood glue on the joints. measure twice, cut once.

cables- you could always get the bargain bin patch cables with fixed lengths. i use the core x2 cable kit and couldnt be happier. plenty of good quality cable to work with and easy as pie assembly. measure, cut, screw on the jacks, rock.

how many pedals does the board need to fit currently? how much room do you want for future expansion? you may have something lying around in a closet or attic that you can repurpose. i've seen people make them from brief cases, suitcases, desktops, tabletops, shelves, cutting boards... endless possibilities if you want something unique

 

[Mattr4president]

Re: Need some DIY Pedalboard advice

3/4" ply should be fine. Depending on the design you probably want to include wedge supports. 30 deg is pretty steep. you probably want to look for at 20 degree or less. standard wood screws should be fine as well. bargin bin patch cables are iffy. I've wasted my money on some and they can be TONE KILLERS!. My design was simple. I used 3/4" ply that was laying around the shop 2'x1'. i used rubber washers for feet, stacking 3 rubber washers in the back to give it a slight pitch. spray paint black and i bought a 10' peice of aluminum edging from lowes for around the outside of it. I placed my pedals and drilled holes though the board and ran zip ties to hold down the pedals and the furman power strip. If i remember i will post a pic of it later on.