Members cale76 Posted December 1, 2009 Members Share Posted December 1, 2009 Simple enough question, those that have pedal boards, did you opt to buy or build your own? I'm weighing the options with pedal boards and came to the conclusion that they are quite expensive for what they are, and was thinking of just building my own instead. The only problem with that would be finding a case that it would fit in, so I thought I'd get some opinions. If you've built your own please post pics. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members metallica_00 Posted December 1, 2009 Members Share Posted December 1, 2009 Totally depends on how good you are at building things. For me, especially when I was gigging, having a lightweight, sturdy, angled aluminum Pedaltrain with mounting for the PP2+ underneath and a padded bag with storage pockets was well worth $99 and then some! Before I just had them mounted on a wooden slab. Nice that I didn't have to set the whole thing up over and over again, but can't hold a candle as far as portability/durability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vintage55 Posted December 1, 2009 Members Share Posted December 1, 2009 I bought...I sold... I built...I keep... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members poolshark Posted December 1, 2009 Members Share Posted December 1, 2009 I think homemade boards are great if you don't plan to go anywhere. I had one, covered it in blue plaid, and it was awesome at holding pedals. Moving it, however, was awful. Heavy, no handles, no case or any kind of protection for the pedals. I've since picked up a CNB case from Rondo, and while it's a cheapo, it gets the job done. Nice looking cases, relatively light, relatively sturdy, etc. Most importantly, however, is the fact that you can carry it like a suitcase and throw/sit/position it however you like when you move gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sylvesterlowery Posted December 1, 2009 Members Share Posted December 1, 2009 I built mine, nothing more than a piece of 5/8" plywood, about 24"x16". Added a couple of small blocks about 3/4"x3/4"x 4" under the top edge to angle it a bit. Painted it black with a rattle can and added some industrial strength Velcro strips that I got from work. Couple of large screen door handles added for carrying. Total cost:0$ since I had everything lying around the house. If I ever start gigging, I can head down to the thrift store an buy a suitcase to fit it into for cheap. Just add some foam padding and I'm good to go. Yes I'm a cheap bastard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cale76 Posted December 1, 2009 Author Members Share Posted December 1, 2009 I think homemade boards are great if you don't plan to go anywhere. I had one, covered it in blue plaid, and it was awesome at holding pedals. Moving it, however, was awful. Heavy, no handles, no case or any kind of protection for the pedals. I've since picked up a CNB case from Rondo, and while it's a cheapo, it gets the job done. Nice looking cases, relatively light, relatively sturdy, etc. Most importantly, however, is the fact that you can carry it like a suitcase and throw/sit/position it however you like when you move gear. The Rondo cases are quite affordable, do the boards angle up at all, or are they flat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cale76 Posted December 1, 2009 Author Members Share Posted December 1, 2009 I built mine, nothing more than a piece of 5/8" plywood, about 24"x16". Added a couple of small blocks about 3/4"x3/4"x 4" under the top edge to angle it a bit. Painted it black with a rattle can and added some industrial strength Velcro strips that I got from work. Couple of large screen door handles added for carrying. Total cost:0$ since I had everything lying around the house. If I ever start gigging, I can head down to the thrift store an buy a suitcase to fit it into for cheap. Just add some foam padding and I'm good to go. Yes I'm a cheap bastard. Work blocks photobucket, so I'll have to check out the pic when I get home, but I had thought plywood would be the way to go DIY, I'm definitely still considering both options, and while it would be nice to get something that requires no work, I think it would be quite rewarding to build something functional at a fraction of the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wesXjackson Posted December 1, 2009 Members Share Posted December 1, 2009 I made one but by the end of it I probably spent more than just buying one. It's heavy and no cover. I definitely want to just buy one now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members righteous Posted December 1, 2009 Members Share Posted December 1, 2009 Maybe I should redo the DIY? YES please! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cale76 Posted December 1, 2009 Author Members Share Posted December 1, 2009 After searching high and low and not finding what I wanted, I decided to build my own. The great thing is that I was able to size it for exactly the setup I wanted to have. Was it easy to build? No. I copied the basic design from those fantastic NYC pedalboards. I've had it almost four years now and it's been through a lot of wear and tear and it's still in great shape. It's really tough. It's sitting just a few feet from me now. I used to have a DIY on how I built this, but the links are dead now. Maybe I should redo the DIY? That is awesome. Please do repost your DIY, because that thing looks professional. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cale76 Posted December 1, 2009 Author Members Share Posted December 1, 2009 At this point I feel like building is the way to go. You guys built some rad pedal boards, and you've inspired me to go with building. Any tips anyone has is much appreciated. Thanks guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Prages Posted December 1, 2009 Members Share Posted December 1, 2009 I've always built my own and made them small enough to fit into the duffel bag I use to carry all my cables and mics and stuff like that. Here are a few different ones I've built. The first couple were a little over complicated and didn't offer much room to rearrange pedals when I replaced or added one. The one I'm using now is big enough to house a few more pedals if need be, and I can arrange them pretty much however I want, but the cables aren't hidden like the older ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members orourke Posted December 1, 2009 Members Share Posted December 1, 2009 I decided that I needed a good gigging pedalboard I looked into building one. I had a friend who's really good with wood try to help me with a design and in the end it was easier to just buy one. The problem is always the case. Unless you are a good woodworker like Loconzly, building a case for a pedalboard can be really time consuming and expensive. I looked into the cheap suitcase idea and I couldn't really find anything that would fit my specs for a decend price. Now I have a small pedaltrain and a big NYC Pedalboard. They both work great. The NYC Pedalboard is heavy as hell (when loaded like the pic below) but I got it custom made so I got what I asked for. On the other hand I've had it for about seven years and it hasn't failed yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members k4df4l Posted December 1, 2009 Members Share Posted December 1, 2009 I've always built my own and made them small enough to fit into the duffel bag I use to carry all my cables and mics and stuff like that. mmm...seems like there's one missing from those pics:poke: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Prages Posted December 1, 2009 Members Share Posted December 1, 2009 mmm...seems like there's one missing from those pics:poke: HOLY CRAP. I thought you had disappeared. Haven't seen you in ages! How you been? Is the new board less offensive to you than the original one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BarfLender Posted December 1, 2009 Members Share Posted December 1, 2009 Seems like it would be super easy to build one, even using heavy duty velcro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members benricci Posted December 1, 2009 Members Share Posted December 1, 2009 Found a cool, thick briefcase for $1 at a thrift store. Another $2 in electrical tape and velcro and I had a mobile pedal board. Simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members k4df4l Posted December 1, 2009 Members Share Posted December 1, 2009 HOLY CRAP. I thought you had disappeared. Haven't seen you in ages! How you been? Is the new board less offensive to you than the original one? ahh there it is!! Yes, the new board gets my endorsement! I've been good...busy. The site was blocked at work for quite a while so it's good to be back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jelloman Posted December 1, 2009 Members Share Posted December 1, 2009 I built mine... It cost next to nothing because I used wood left over from another project, and it was finished with poly i had on the shelf... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mr Songwriter Posted December 1, 2009 Members Share Posted December 1, 2009 If you're thinking of building a pedal board but you don't want to use Velcro etc, you can use the links from a bike chain to make a fastener for the screws on the bottom of your pedals (assuming it has them) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members k4df4l Posted December 1, 2009 Members Share Posted December 1, 2009 I built mine... It cost next to nothing because I used wood left over from another project, and it was finished with poly i had on the shelf... hmmm....great minds think alike? Here's my scrap wood and poly quickie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cale76 Posted December 1, 2009 Author Members Share Posted December 1, 2009 So many great homemade pedals boards! These are awesome guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SpiritOfTheAge Posted December 1, 2009 Members Share Posted December 1, 2009 Built mine into a aluminium flight case, works a treat. Has to raise the wah so i could plug into it over the side of the case. Its a carpet tile glued into the bottom so the velcro on the pedals has something to stick to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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