Custom Pedal Board Part 1 – The Planning Has Begun
I finally started thinking about building my pedal board, and I'm already rethinking the strategy. My first idea was to lay out the pedals in a way that is logical (as far as signal path) but also practical for playing (grouping pedals that would be used at the same time together). I came up with the layout below:
Basically the signal chain goes:
INPUT -> Wah -> Octave -> TubeScreamer -> Phase90 -> Digital Delay -> Tremolo -> EQ -> Preamp Booster -> Tuner -> OUTPUT
This instantly causes routing issues with cables. The inputs and outputs are on the wrong sides for the top row. This would require excess patch cabling and more cable noise. Also, even though I like the spacing between pedals, it makes the board impractically large. I need two rows of pedals but cramming them in tighter makes access to the rear row tricky. I would end up running the risk of kicking dials on the pedals below. It turns out my initial idea is no good, and the first solutions will cause more problems. What to do????
So now I'm on Plan B and the main focus is a s follows:
- Make the pedals closer together to reduce size
- Angle the board for easier access to rear pedals and to also facilitate :-
- Routing of cables under board with holes for access (this includes input and output if possible)
- Work out a better way to attach pedals to board without using velcro
- Permanent Power supply
If I had the ability, I would love to get one of these boards from Trailer Trash:
In fact, these have given me quite a few ideas to think about. I'd love to build the whole enclosed chassis like these but I most definitely do not have the ability to do so. I'm going to try a new layout and see what I come up with next.
