I made a pedal board about 2 years ago here, and of course, my collection of pedals has changed. It's time for Guitar Effect Pedal Board 2.0! This time, I focused on cable management and making it more compact, while improving the overall look. All of the cables are ran under the board in an enclosed box to contain the mess.

I used my Inventables X-Carve CNC Machine to carve a cool diamond pattern. And, I found these awesome Flat Guitar Patch Cables that reduce the space between pedals. Watch my video of this project, then follow this Instructable for ideas to make your own custom pedal board.

Supplies

1/2" Plywood, Wood Glue, Finish/Paint, 1" Screws, Non-Skid Pads

Step 1: Cut the Plywood

Click here to open my drawings for this project in the Inventables Easel software. Since everyone has a different pedal set up, you will want to lay out your specific guitar pedals and make measurements to customize this project for your setup, but I hope this gives you some good ideas. You can use my drawings as a template to make your own custom pedal board with regular tools - You don't need a CNC to make this!

Cut two pieces of 1/2" plywood that are 12"x24" for the top and bottom of the board.

Note: You will need an extra 12"x24" piece for the sides and back in later steps.

Step 2: Cut Holes in the Top

My drawing includes a hole pattern that will work for standard single pedals. These pedals usually have jacks on the sides and top for the guitar signal and power cables. The holes allow you to run the cables under the board. This pattern also works with double-size pedals that can cover two single spaces. If you don't have a CNC, then you can just drill the holes into the top.

Step 3: Cut the Sides

Use my drawing to cut two sides for the enclosure. To improve the look, I carved a diamond pattern that I found in the Easel Pro design library. While I was at it, I also carve the same diamond pattern into the front side of the enclosure. This is purely optional, but a design could also be added by hand-carving, painting, or using a vinyl cutter. Make it your own!

Step 4: Cut the Front and Back Sides

The front and back sides are 23.5" long to allow for an overhang. Since the sides are angled, I marked the angle on the front side and made that 7 degree bevel cut with the table saw. I used the offcut to make the smaller back side, since it already had the 7 degree cut on it. I just had to mark where to make the straight cut to size.

Step 5: Assemble the Top and Sides

It is real easy to make a mistake and glue the top and sides up wrong, so plan this glue up carefully. First, I glued together the four sides with the front and back pieces overlapping the sides. Once that dried, I glued the frame to the underside of the top making sure the overhang was even around all sides. Be very careful to glue the frame and top together the correct way. You don't want to glue the top on upside down, or reverse the frame.

Step 6: Apply Finish and Attach the Bottom

This is a good time to apply a finish or paint as desired. I sprayed it with Satin Deft Clear Wood Finish lacquer. Drill pilot holes with countersinks, then use 1" screws to attach the bottom to the enclosure.

Step 7: Set Up Pedals

This is the fun part! I used industrial strength Velcro squares to attach my pedals to the board. I ran the guitar cables and power cables through the holes and underneath the board. The cool Flat Patch Cables between the pedals looped nicely into each square. This gave the board a really clean look.

Below are some other suggestions from my followers:

Place your adapters or power supply inside the enclosure so there is a single power cable coming out of the board. (I have two power adapters and mine is for home use, so I'm ok with just plugging them in outside of the enclosure.)
Use zip ties to attach your pedals to the board.
Make a cover or buy a gig bag or road case to carry the pedal board to gigs.
Set up your pedals how you want them before making the pedal board and customize the hole pattern as needed.

Thanks for checking out my Instructable! Check out all of my other Instructables and visit my Website and YouTube Channel for hundreds of other fun projects. Steve...