Intricacies of a pedalboard

Some suggestions that I've really liked as pedalboard features:

1) Build the board so it rests at an angle. It's more convenient for stage use if it isn't flat.

2) Try a rail-style approach, a la Pedaltrain.

3) The features I rarely see in pedalboards are input and output jacks built into the board... integrating those would greatly minimize the wear and tear of your pedals - not to mention, they'd make setup and wiring more convenient.

 

there was a DIY pedalboard built a while back that had a really cool feature - he had a power strip for his wall warts and then spliced the male end of the power strip (the part that goes into the wall) into a female grounded outlet that you could plug an extension cable into.

He also had the input/output jacks but it wasnt angled - personal preference I guess.

I've searched for it but couldnt find it, sry

 

Syciprider built a wooden pallet type board awhile back. His write up can be found here: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=346322

I'm probably going to make something like this soon, but I need to settle on what pedals I want on the board.

 

Pine is a light, sturdy wood, easy to cut and sand (if you are using wood).

 

here ya go: I found this http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4449168&postcount=203
and this one, explains the dimensions I used if you're interested.
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4449294&postcount=210

Its my homebuilt pedalboard and I love the design of it. I'd add a 1/2 inch rectangle of wood along the bottom of the triangle sides to make it sturdier, and add another inch gap along the top so that I could've router power cables/patch cables to a small effect pedal on the top tier. Another small support in the middle would be good too - it wobbled a little when I used my wah.

But other than that, I love it. I have a Pedal Train JR now and love it because it fits all the pedals I need rather than that huge one I made...but I still have this thing around...

If you can make it out of metal, but thats only if you have cheap metal and the tools to work with. Wood chips fairly easily.

 

I found an old post where I built mine from scratch.
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3707063&postcount=14

 

pics dont work

but I think this is the pedalboard I was thinking of earlier!

edit yes it is! I love this board - the jacks and power thing are features I'd love to have. Carpeting isnt a half-bad idea either, especially with wood.
and the pics work, I just have to open them up individually in a new window...

 

Id pretty much steal the Pedaltrain design if I was going to build one. I use a pedaltrain at the moment and don't really have any issues with it. Its quite a simple design and could be made from wood as well as metal.

The angle is great and the gaps are great for cables ! You could try and get the angle just right, so that you can stash your power supply under the board easily

 

Not sure if you're talking about mine or not, I and my guitarist built this over the summer. The input/output jacks are built into one side, and the power into the other side

side with the input/output jacks: http://1aught9.com/images/pedalboard2.jpg

side with power plug: http://1aught9.com/images/pedalboard3.jpg

power strip built on the interior of the board: http://1aught9.com/images/pedalboard4.jpg The opening in this picture can be closed up with a separate piece that latches into place

 

no thats not the one i was thinking of, but thats a very nice board.

Where do you guys find those power jacks that are mounted in the sides of the board? I looked and looked but couldnt find any.

 

Home depot I believe. Although I only did the wood work and design. My guitarist did the wiring

 

Well, if you buy convenience store packs of Velcro... yeah, it'll be pricey.

But if you know where to look, it's cheap to buy good Velcro or Velcro-like material in bulk, including sheets of the loop-fabric side:

http://www.stompin-ground.com/products/sghl.htm

And if you do need a stronger grip, then your next investment should be in industrial-strength Velcro strips (you'll need only the hook side). But start out with standard Velcro, and see how that goes - it's much cheaper, anyway.