Tonefiend Forum

I've mostly used Pedaltrain boards for years. I'm not sure if your purchase included the case, but those are one of the best features: They come in surprisingly roadworthy cases, and mine have survived a number of tours.

But I've experimented with a few other alternatives recently, and will document my tragic failures results in an upcoming post. 🙂

Old thrift shop suitcases of appropriate size are great for DIY pedalboards. The trick is the appropriate sizing. Equipment cases I've seen at Fry's Electronics stores could also work but are much more expensive. Vintage Samsonite with some egg crate foam can be ridiculously cheap.

If you want good quality plywood for a board and don't have a decent lumber yard around, craft stores like Michaels and Hobby Lobby sell well sized void-free plywood of very nice quality, typically 12" x 24" in a few thicknesses. Much better than what I've seen in big box home/hardware stores.

Y'know, they're building about five houses in my neighbourhood, so finding plywood scraps wasn't an issue (although it's usually all 3/4" ply, a little hefty for pedalboard usage, unlessin' you're Lou Ferrigno). However, my total lack of power tools and the talent to wield them was certainly an impediment. I'll probably build a more full-featured board at some point, but there's no pressure, so I'll probably sit on the idea until something brilliant and perfect occurs to me. Which is to say, not anytime soon...