Name: Build the Perfect Pedalboard: Easy Step-by-Step Guide - Pro Sound HQ
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Build the Perfect Pedalboard: Easy Step-by-Step Guide - Pro Sound HQ

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Skip to contentBuilding an effects pedalboard for a guitar is an exciting experience, but it can get a bit overwhelming. In this article, I’ll take you through the process of building a pedalboard step-by-step including everything you’ll need on the way to make sure you build the ultimate board.To build a pedalboard you will need first need to decide what size you need. You can then select the style of board (angled, case, flat), the power supply and choose the cables to attach the pedals. To assemble the board, attach each pedal to the board using Velcro if possible, and connect the cables.To build a guitar effects pedalboard, you will need the following:There are quite a few different options with each of these components which makes pedalboard building a complicated business. Here is an example of each component (the images link to Amazon).PedalboardTube ScreamerPower SupplyPatch CablesTo keep things as simple as possible but without neglecting any information, I’ve organised this article into steps so you can go through the process and know exactly what to buy and how to put it together by the end of it.Before we even consider anything else, you need to have a think about the following questions:You don’t need to know the answers to all these questions right away, but having a think about them as we go into the rest of the article will help you make your decisions more easily.I’m a big believer that setting your budget up-front and being clear about it from the get-go is essential when building a pedalboard. You could easily end up spending well over a thousand dollars if you do down the rabbit hole and your budget will influence every one of your decisions as we go through the rest of the build process.Remember you’ll need to allocate a budget for the board itself, the pedals, power supply and the cables. To get an idea of how much things will cost, here are some rough prices for each component.Example Cost for Good Quality Pedalboard with 6 PedalsOf course, this is just an example of how much a good quality board will cost if you aren’t conscious of your spending. You can definitely build something a lot cheaper than this which includes 6 pedals, so that’s why it’s vital to be strict with your budget from the start.You can also pick up bundles to help keep the cost down, just make sure you aren’t making any compromises that you might end up regretting later on.You may want to figure out which pedals you want first (next step) before choosing what size board you need. However, if space and budget are limiting factors, then deciding on the board size first can be helpful.There are three things to consider here:A lot of beginner board builders want to purchase a huge pedalboard because they’re worried that they will want to expand their pedal collection in the future and may run out of space. Whilst this is a logical consideration, be cautious about buying a pedalboard too big.The more space you have on your board, the more it’ll bug you and you’ll want to fill it (and that means spending more money)! Also, you may expand your collection in the future, but will you be using all those pedals at the same time? Remember that you can swap and change the pedals after you’ve built your first board.Also if you’re gigging, keep portability at the forefront of your mind because big pedalboards can be a nightmare to transport.If it’s your first board, try not to get too carried away. If you currently have 4-5 pedals, then it’s likely that a board which fits 6 pedals will be fine. But only you will know how many pedals you eventually want on your board. But keep in mind that complicated boards can be harder to use and of course, take up loads of space.Here is a table comparing different board sizes and the number of pedals they fit so you can get an idea of how big the board should be.Remember that not every pedal is the same size. Here are some dimensions of popular pedal types so you can get an idea of how much space you’ll need:Check out my article on the size of guitar effects pedals for plenty more examples and some extra space-saving tips for your board.Make sure you factor in the room between pedals as well. You’ll likely need the following distances depending on the cable:Also remember that some pedals are meant to be placed horizontally and some vertically. If you are using patch cables you are more limited in terms of placement, but if you are using a cable kit then you have more flexibility and can pack your board a bit fuller most of the time (more on this in the cables section later on).Finally, factor in room for your power supply. Some pedalboards allow you to mount this underneath the board to save space, and others require room on the top. Some power supplies can be quite large (e.g. the isolated DC supplies) for example the Tone City Substation which has 10 outputs is 6.5 x 2.8″ which is even larger than a standard pedal.Key Points to Consider:I’ve written a full guide to help you work out what pedalboard size you need here. It includes various different examples and a step-by-step process to make things super simple.If you’re really struggling with this step, check out pedalboardplanner.com which allows you to add in all your pedals and see what size board you need.You may want to do this step before figuring out what size pedalboard you need if you already know what types of pedals you need. However, if this is your first board and you aren’t sure exactly which pedals to get then this should be your next consideration.It’s very easy to get carried away here with loads of different pedals, but my advice is to start small and think about the essentials. It’s impossible to tell you which pedals you need because it really depends on the type of player you are the style you’re going for. Also, some amplifiers have built-in effects that you also may want to utilise.Here are the main types of effects pedals:UtilityGainSpecific EffectsOther Useful EffectsCheck out my list of the 5 best effects pedals to buy first.This is a tough one. Pedal boards are unique to each player so the pedals that I deem essential, might not be suitable for you. However, here are a few points to consider.To round off this section I wanted to list 5 pedals which I think are “essential” for different styles. Remember that this is purely my opinion and my list is very likely not going to be identical to someone else’s!Most Versatile Rig:Lead/ Rhythm Switching:Heavy Metal Rig:Here are some of my favourite effects pedals with links to each of them on Amazon so you can check current prices:My First Pedal: Ibanez TS9 (image links to Amazon)Another good space saving and cost-effective option is to use multi-effects pedals. For example, if you want more modulation effects, have a look at an all-in-one phaser, flanger, chorus and tremolo pedal. They are usually a bit larger and more expensive than individual pedals, but miles smaller and cheaper when compared to purchasing the four pedals individually.Check out my comparison between individual effects and multi-effects pedals to decide which is the right option for you.Guitar Center have a huge range of effects pedals at great prices so make sure you check them out if you’re in the market for one. Here’s a link to take you directly to Guitar Center’s effects pedal range so you can check for current deals.As well as choosing what size pedalboard you need, you also need to consider the style.There are three main types of effects pedalboards:Here’s an image of each type which links to Amazon.Angled (by AxcessAbles)Flat (SKB PS8 Pedal Board)Case (Boss BCB-90X)Here are some Amazon links to options within each style so you can compare prices.Angled Pedalboards:Flat Pedalboards:Cased Pedalboards:You can also make your own pedalboard to save some money. It’s not that difficult and gives you total freedom over the size and shape of the board. You’ll just need some plywood and some screws.Check out this video demonstration on YouTube.Now let’s take a look at how you will actually power the pedals.There are different options to do this, but first you need to consider three factors relating to your pedals:All three pieces of information will be located on your pedal and it’s essential you get a power supply to match them.There are two options to choose from here:The first option, involves plugging an AC adapter into the mains and then using a daisy chain which splits this power supply into different outlets (usually 5) which can all be plugged into the pedals to power them. The second option, involves using a power brick which again connects to the wall, but uses separate cables to plug into each pedal.The daisy chain option is cheaper and compact (because you don’t need to mount it onto the pedalboard), however it makes the chain more susceptible to background noise such as humming and hissing because the power supply to each pedal is not isolated.With power bricks, you can either get isolated versions, or non-isolated versions. Non-isolated power bricks suffer from the problem described above, but isolated DC power supplies avoid this issue and produce better audio quality. The drawback, is that isolated DC power supplies are pretty expensive.You can use 9V batteries to power your guitar pedals, however this quickly gets very expensive and isn’t viable for most players, hence why many choose to go for a dedicated power supply instead.Here are some Amazon links and images (which also link to Amazon) of two of the most popular options.Link to Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Isolated Power Supply on AmazonPwrON Guitar Pedal AC Adapter and Daisy ChainI’ve written a full guide explaining the different kinds of power supplies you can use for guitar pedals so check it out if you want to find the best option for you.&nbsp;Almost there! The last thing you need to actually purchase is the cables to connect your guitar pedals to one another.There are two options to connect guitar pedals to each other in a pedal board: using patch cables, or a cable kit. Patch cables are cheap and quick to setup however, they limit the different positions you can place the pedals in on the board. Cable kits are more expensive but offer more placement flexibility.Cable kits are a kind of DIY option which allow you to use different cable lengths to connect pedals to one another. This is really useful if you have more than one row on your pedal board. They can also make your board look neater because you won’t have any excess cables.There are two kinds of cable kits: solderless and soldered. If you’re comfortable with soldering, then get this kind of kit because the connections will usually be better quality. However, the solderless kits are really useful if you want something really easy to set up.You can get a few designs of patch cable, the two most common being the U-shaped and the coupler. The U-shape cable has a wire whereas the coupler just consists of metal so looks a bit cleaner. The couplers come in Z-shape and straight designs.Here are images and links to some great options on Amazon (images also link to Amazon).D’Addario Patch Cable (U-shape) on AmazonRayzm Guitar Patch Couplers on AmazonHere are images and links to some great options on Amazon (images also link to Amazon).Boss Solderless Cable Kit on AmazonD’Addario DIY Solderless Cable KitOnto the final step! Now you’ve got all your equipment, all you need to do is put everything together.Before you actually order your pedals, you can actually apply Velcro to your board and to the back of each pedal. This way, your pedals will stay in place. Some pedals include velcro and others aren’t really designed for it.Quick Tip: put the loop (soft side) of the velcro onto the board and the hook (coarse side) onto the pedal. Dust will gather more frequently on the board, and the soft side is easier to clean to this will make sure your pedalboard stays looking fresher!Make sure you get some decent velcro as well. Check out this Power-Grip Pedalboard Mounting Tape on Amazon if you’re looking for a high-quality option.Ordering the pedals on your board carefully is very important because different orders actually create different sounds. I won’t go into a great deal of detail here because I actually have written a dedicated article on this topic to explain where to start and some caveats to consider.Check out my ultimate guide to effects pedal ordering for more information.As a general rule here is the order most players go for (from guitar to amp):One extra thing to consider, is whether your amp has an effects loop.This is really useful if you are using modulation and time-based effects (reverb and delay), because it prevents them from getting distorted by the amplifier. Here’s how it works.To round off the article, I wanted to sum up some top quality picks. Remember you’ll need the following: the board, power supply, patch cables and ideally Velcro to secure the pedals.Pedaltrain Classic JuniorCheck it out on Amazon.Image links to AmazonVoodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 PlusCheck it out on Amazon.Image links to AmazonBoss Solderless Cable KitCheck it out on Amazon.Power-Grip Pedalboard Mounting TapeCheck it out on Amazon.Squier have recently released a new series of electric guitars, the Sonic series. The Squier Sonic series replaces the previous Bullet series and offers the most affordable entry-level guitars. The...Continue ReadingOne of the most confusing specifications on electric, acoustic and bass guitars is the fret size. What does it actually mean? And why does it matter? In this article I'll explain everything you need...Continue ReadingHey, welcome Pro Sound HQ. I created this website to share everything I've learnt over the past 15 years of playing guitar. You'll find amp controls guides, tips to improve your tone, and answers to loads of specific issues. Thanks for visiting!Prosoundhq.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk. Prosoundhq.com is also a member of other affiliate programmes. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

Skip to contentBuilding an effects pedalboard for a guitar is an exciting experience, but it can get a bit overwhelming. In this article, I’ll take you through the process of building a pedalboard step-by-step including everything you’ll need on the way to make sure you build the ultimate board.To build a pedalboard you will need first need to decide what size you need. You can then select the style of board (angled, case, flat), the power supply and choose the cables to attach the pedals. To assemble the board, attach each pedal to the board using Velcro if possible, and connect the...

Build the Perfect Pedalboard: Easy Step-by-Step Guide - Pro Sound HQ

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