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How to Construct a Box for My Guitar Pedals

For those who play electric guitar, there is seldom something more exciting than plugging into a guitar pedal. Guitar effects pedals can take the sound of a standard guitar and change it to the point where it sounds completely and utterly different. One of the best ways to organize guitar pedals for live performance is with a pedal box, also known as a pedal board. Homemade pedal boards are easy to build, and are extremely cost-effective compared to those that are purchased at retail stores.

Things You'll Need

  • 1/4-inch plywood board (sanded down), 15 inches by 30 inches
  • Roll of Velcro tape, 15 feet by 2 inches
  • 60 feet instrument cable
  • 20 1/4-inch straight plugs
  • 20 1/4-inch angle plugs
  • Duct tape
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Instructions

    • 1

      Lay strips of duct tape along the entirety of the bottom of the board so that it is fully covered. Each strip should overlap the previous one, which will ensure that there is no plywood left exposed. The duct tape should overlap on the edges of the board.

    • 2

      Cover the entire top of the pedal board with Velcro (fuzzy side up). The Velcro should overlap on the edges so that it cannot be peeled off. Ensure that it does not go any farther than halfway over the edge, however, as doing so will cause it to not sit sturdily.

    • 3

      Attach a connective Velcro strip to the bottom of each of your guitar pedals. Place them side by side on the board in the order that you wish to chain them.

    • 4

      Using your right-angle patch cables, chain each pedal together until you are left with the final pedal on the board. Connect the instrument cable to the "out" on the final pedal. The other end of the cable can then be connected to an amplifier, completing your pedal board.

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