Building my first board...

Pirate

So my collection of pedals is growing. I currently have (excluding bass...):
1. Danelectro Fab Tone Distortion (gifted on Tuesday!! :woohoo:
2. Chord Overdrive (favourite pedal - Overdrive or Boost or whatever... very versatile use... and a sentimental birthday gift from my missus)
3. Zoom 707II (which I'm trying to replace)
4. Borrowed Zoom G1xon
5. Rocktech Distortion pedal (looks like this one, and available to trade for a power supply)

I've been doing some research on pedal boards lately (could be GAS, I don't know). So, after spending an hour collectively setting up and packing up after band practice on Tuesday, I decided it's time to seriously look into doing the pedalboard thing, especially since I plan on adding a few pedals in the near-ish future... And since I am a guy who doesn't like parting with my hard-earned monies, I plan on building the board. (Yes, I will provide updates as and when I progress)

Plans so far:
1. Using Pine planks (cheap and solid wood, so relatively strong).
2. 3 planks of 100mm x 500mm x 20mm (thick enough?), +- 25 - 50mm apart (still have to play with space apart), providing the main platform for the pedals
3. 2 planks of 50x 400mm long, at the sides, serving as the stabilising connections for the planks of part 2 (perpendicular to said base).
4. 2 strips of hook-and-loop valcro lengthwise on planks in base.

Later modifications
5. adding of power supply (temporarily placed on the board - there's enough space).
6. 1 plank of 100mm x 500mm x 20mm attached as a backboard, perpendicular to the planks raising the back side 100mm off the ground
7. Transfer of power supply to underside of board
8. Input and output jacks/openings
9. Lid lined with sponge to protect pedals when in transit

Tips, comments, advice? All welcome

Squonk

Will see how you progress. I am also interested!

Pirate

Initial thougts are based loosly on something like this:

Squonk

That looks like good stuff!

Pirate

Or:

or most probably end up like this:

Yeah, Google is stealing company time now... :-[

Hasie

My simple and rustic (too lazy for effort) pedalboard.

Pirate

Hasie wrote: My simple and rustic (too lazy for effort) pedalboard.

Hey Hasie. I saw your thread on building your board. Honestly, it played a big role in my decision, I'd almost go as far as to say it was what inspired me to do mine. Simple, yet respectful

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rikus

If you haven't started building yet, look at the Makrak shelving range that builders sells.

one of these

http://www.makrak.co.za/product/flat-shelves/

with one of these screwed across the back

http://www.makrak.co.za/product/uprights/

gets you a very basic angled board.

Hit it with some black paint and velcro and you get something like this:

That board is pushing 5 years now and still going strong!

Pirate

Thanks Rikus. Will definitely take a look!

Plans postponed with a month, my wood dealer wasn't able to get me plank cut-offs, so for now I will be making a plan with a piece of pressed wood I have available, as a temporary solution until I can finish my very own custom board... It also gives me an opportunity to properly plan my setup.

el-guapo

Top tip: make sure you can fit any type of jack (esp various right-angle ones) through the gaps between panels. It sounds like you might want to do some under-board wiring later on and it is incredibly frustrating if the gaps are too narrow. You'd be surprised how big jacks can be.

Pirate

el guapo wrote: Top tip: make sure you can fit any type of jack (esp various right-angle ones) through the gaps between panels. It sounds like you might want to do some under-board wiring later on and it is incredibly frustrating if the gaps are too narrow. You'd be surprised how big jacks can be.

Thanks. I did think about it, which is why I thought to have +- 50mm gaps (I think 5cm is enough for any jack?). Under board wiring just makes the whole thing look neat.

My plan is building a large board, that would be versatile for a variety of pedal layouts and configurations, but also classy enough to last me quite some time. So, I don't want to have to adjust the board itself very often.

Using wood, I realise it may get a bit heavy, but that's why I go to the gym. :?

Pirate

So yesterday I had some time, and some wood, so: I started by drawing the outlines of the pedals onto the board. Then I drilled holes for the cable ties. Then I put nails through, bent them and wrapped it up with insulation tape.

Pirate

Then, using a cork from a wine bottle that I cut in half and small nails, I made little feet for my board. This is the underside, and the tip is lifted just enough so the cable ties don't make it wobble.

Pirate

Flipping it over, I added said pedals and voila, a smallish temporary pedalboard that took me all of 30 minutes, but will save me a lot of packing up time. I should mention that this isn't my ideal design or layout, but having had to fork out R2500 on Saturday for a tyre and mag repair (potholes suck), I had to make do with what I had in the garage. This will do, for now. And with using the pickup switches and pots on my guitar, along with these two pedals, I get a very wide variety of sounds, and I believe a unique tone. :D

Stoffeltoo

Good thread guys. This has inspired me to seek alternative means for my analogue pedals. An old bathroom slatted shower board was re-purposed as a pedal board and is known as athlete's foot. To achieve the slanted angle I used two rubber door stops under the front end of the board so it is non slip too. Not many pedals but more than enough for my needs.

Pirate

Nice board!

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