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Building a pedalboard is a rite of passage that almost every guitar player goes through at some point or another. However, while building a board might seem pretty straightforward at first, in reality, there are a lot of different things for those new to the world of pedalboards to consider before they start building. So, if you're getting ready to build your first pedalboard or just need some refreshers, here is everything that you need to know about how to build a pedal board.
Before you can actually start designing and building your new pedalboard, you'll need to do a decent amount of planning to ensure that your board comes out the way you want it to.
One of the biggest things to consider before you start building is how big you want your board to be. There's no sense in building a giant board if you only plan to use a handful of pedals, and if you do have a large collection or plan on adding pedals in the future, you'll need to make sure your board has enough space to accommodate them all.
At the end of the day, you need to think hard about what exactly you want your pedalboard to be able to do and come up with a thorough plan to make it happen. Otherwise, you may end up building a board that leaves you more disappointed than anything else.
Now that you have a general plan about what you want your pedalboard to look like, it's time to get into the details of how to actually build it.
If you plan on constructing your own board from scratch, it's essential that you use high-quality materials to do so. Durability is a huge concern, and if you don't use quality materials to build it, you may just end up with a flimsy board that simply won't last nearly as long as you want it to.
The best pedalboards are made from high-quality woods like baltic birch. However, you certainly have plenty of freedom to choose whatever type of wood you want. There are really no set rules, and you could use anything from pine to plywood. It's simply all up to what you think will work and look the best and what kinds of wood you can purchase without going over your budget.
While some effects pedals do come with internal batteries, the vast majority of pedals need to be hooked up to a power supply in order to work, so you should also plan carefully to leave room for your power supplies.
Where you place your power supplies is up to you. You could put them at the top of the pedal deck at the back or your board, but if you are able to, it’s an even better idea to place them under the pedal deck. Doing this will allow you more space to place your pedals on the deck while also giving the power supply easy access to all your pedals, making it the ideal option for anyone building a new pedalboard.
Your pedals won’t stick to your pedalboard by themselves, so you’ll also need to figure out a way to attach your pedals to the board securely. There are plenty of ways to do this, including by using zip ties or even permanently screwing the pedals to the board itself. However, if you want to keep your rig flexible or plan on changing pedals out frequently, the best way to attach your pedals to your new board is to use either velcro or a velcro alternative like 3M Dual Lock.
Both of these options are generally inexpensive and keep your pedals safe and securely attached to the board without being too much of a hassle to move around if need be.
Creating the pedal chain that you will attach to your new board can be complicated, but before you get into the ins and outs of pedal order, you need to figure out how you’ll connect them in the first place.
Unlike the other aspects of board building, there’s really only one good option here, and that is to use patch cables. These tiny cables are the perfect size to fit in between the pedals on your board and are simple and easy to connect to your pedals. So, count up your pedals and make sure that you buy the right amount to connect them all.
When it comes to organizing your pedal board, the main thing to think about is pedal chain order. While it may not seem like a big deal, the order in which you connect your pedals in the chain can have a huge effect on the tone that you get out of your board.
Experimentation is always a great idea, as you may be able to find an order that creates the unique sounds that you’ve been looking for.
However, if you just want an order that you know will work well and right away, it's best to put your tuner first, followed by dynamics, pitch shifters, filter effects, gain pedals, and modulation effects, with time effects like delays and reverbs at the very end.
Are you ready to upgrade your pedal board? Contact Pedal Pad. Their team specializes in building high-quality custom pedalboards that give you all the customization options you want without having to do any of the hard work of building it from scratch yourself. All you have to do is decide what you want, and they’ll have it waiting at your door for you as soon as possible. So, don’t settle for some lesser pedalboard that simply doesn’t get the job done. Contact Pedal Pad and start building your new dream board today!