Pedalboard / box build...

[dbhost]

For those of you not in the know on this, A pedalboard is simply a board designed to house, and contain effects pedals for use with electric guitar, bass guitar, and vocal effects pedals.

The advantage to using a pedalboard is your pedals are all close by each other, you can manage power, and constrain cabling, and limit the audience view of your pedals (distracting). A pedal board / box in turn allows you to not only have the above listed advantages, but also do so in a form that allows for easy transport and storage...

My playing has progressed to the point where I have to up end everything and go from say my place, to practice, then to church for services and back... Needs to be more organized.

Good thing I only have the 3 pedals and am not likely to toss a mess of new ones into the mix...

First things first, and it starts tonight... Clean up the shop space.

No joke. My wife's priorities overran my shop, and now it is WELL past the time to clean up shop. Tonight, I will dump at least an hour or so into shop cleanup.

I will also work to get accurate measurements of all components, including any attachments like cable ends etc... to insure I am allocating enough room for everything...

Once the measurements are done... I will begin the build...

[capncarl]

Does the pedalboard have a box or something to house the cables and board for transport?

[dbhost]

The design in my head, soon to go in sketchup will be a clamshell sort of box so yes, I pull the cable to instrument, cables to amp, and cable to power, close it up and haul it off...

I am housing currently 3 pedals, and leaving space for a 4th. They are...

Digitech BP-50 Multi Effects Processor / Pedal.
Moog EP-3 Universal Expression Pedal.
Fender Single Button footswitch for overdrive circuit.

The amp / stack is a Fender Rumble V3 500 combo on top of a Fender Rumble V3 210 cab...



I donated off my old Crate rig to the church to get this stuff. My back was no longer able to handle the weight / unbalanced carry of the Crate Amp... The Combo is 36 lbs, and spec on the cab says 44lbs, but my scale says 32. No clue where the 12lbs went, just know it's not on my back!

The more I play, the more I want a Sawstop...

[Biolite]

A while back I put together a pedal board based on the Trailer Trash Pedalboard's design. I originally thought of making and integrated case to pack together and go, but figured it was just as easy to have a separate case to pack it up as I don't really move it around all that much. I used a poly carbonate top and oak case with an angled top surface and am able to put a power supply inside and route all the wiring into the case to a few input/output jacks on the sides. Power also just plugs into the side. Having everything solidly connected and no more 9v batteries is very nice, you won't regret it.

[dbhost]

A while back I put together a pedal board based on the Trailer Trash Pedalboard's design. I originally thought of making and integrated case to pack together and go, but figured it was just as easy to have a separate case to pack it up as I don't really move it around all that much. I used a poly carbonate top and oak case with an angled top surface and am able to put a power supply inside and route all the wiring into the case to a few input/output jacks on the sides. Power also just plugs into the side. Having everything solidly connected and no more 9v batteries is very nice, you won't regret it.

Yeah, I am trying to control the jumble of cables and keep the pedals from moving underfoot...

[dbhost]

Okay, my largest pedal, the Moog EP-3 measures 12.5" long BEFORE the cable input. I am planning on using a right angle cable out of the back of this, and then as short as possible to the expression port on the BP-50. Allowing 14" should be sufficient.

Anyway, dimensions of the pedals are...

Moog EP3 4" H x 3.5" W x 12.5" L. For good measure just say 4x4x14.
Digitech BP-50 2.125”H x 5” W x 6” L

I still need to get good measurements on the following components for this build...

#1. 6 outlet power strip WITH transformers mounted.
#2. Fender 099-4052-000 1 button footswitch with cable installed. The cable enters in the side of the switch, making it wider than the body, my measurements didn't take that into account...

I just banged out the first rough draft of the idea. Not even sure if it is a good idea... But here goes nothin'...

[sailor55330]

I can't remember where I saw it, but depending on where you play, you may want to route a dado for a clear plexi cover that your foot can slide under. The idea behind it was to "protect" the pedals from any flying liquids or debris. Probably meant for a bar-band type of environment where things can be spilled, airborne, etc. Probably not necessary, but just throwing in out there.

--love the "more I play/sawstop comment. I wonder how many caught that.

[dbhost]

Yeah, I play mostly neighborhood parties, barbecues, and am aiming to get into the church band. classic rock / country and praise and contemporary Christian styles. Only liquids I really need to worry about being back in the rhythm section (back of stage by the drummer, gad he's LOUD) are liquids I control... But yeah, not a terrible idea...

A guitarist friend of mine lost a pretty expensive multi effects pedal when he dropped a gatorade on it... But hey, beats drowning the amp itself!

The measurements I gave were for the smallest stowed configs, the expression pedal extends up rather high. I will have to make sure I allow for full travel and my foot if I go that route...

Something interesting I noted when I went into the music room / office to practice last night. Using the heck out of the aux input jack to play along to mp3 and even Youtube streams... last night was Whitesnake's "Is This Love" and ZZ Top's Give Me All Your Lovin, but I digress... The new cab had been in there for just over 24 hours, and the room smelled like the shop after I have been planing a LOT of cedar... Now I know they went out of their way trying to figure out how to lighten up the cab without sacrificing tone or strength. I suspect the ply they use for the carcass is some sort of cedar core pine plywood... I'm good with that, just a bit surprised I could semll it...

Then again, the cab is brand new, just released model announced at NAMM this year, so they have been on the market less than a month. I should expect off gassing for a while...

Yeah, on the Sawstop thing, I am getting more and more attached to my fingers, and really want to keep them that way... I kind of wish SawStop and Ryobi could have played nice together to bring out a SS equipped BT3xx type saw at a reasonable price... I'd be all over that. Or better yet, a drop in mod to give an existing BT3X00 the blade brake... But I know I am asking for too much for them to play well together...

I am going to have to chunk my change aside and get that SawStop soon but man those prices!