It’s what I started building for, the sounds, not the looks. A tidy, well populated board is all the aesthetics I need.
You're not alone brother! I actually bought a little thermal labelling gizmo and started printing clear labels for the knobs on the pedals I send to my brother. I also write up a little "user guide" with some history, background and suggested settings of all the pedals I've sent him.
Powercoated enclosures and knob color is about the extent of my "pedal aesthetic".
The cool graphics idea is just that. An idea. The hardest part of enclosure art, for me, is deciding what to put on there. My first build was a clear sticker of a video game character slapped on there and thought it was pretty cool. Heck, you don’t even need to be that artistic to get something cool looking. Take acrylic paint for example: they’re $.60 a tube at Walmart and you can get some cool splatter effects by mixing it with a few drops of water and flicking a paint brush. Don’t like how it turned out? Wipe it before it dries with a damp paper towel and start again. For the record I have zero photoshop skills hence the paint comment.You're not alone brother! I actually bought a little thermal labelling gizmo and started printing clear labels for the knobs on the pedals I send to my brother. I also write up a little "user guide" with some history, background and suggested settings of all the pedals I've sent him.
But as for me, I have like zero artistic ability and can't even begin to wrap my head around what guys like @thewintersoldier and @Manuel Ammon do to come up with such cool graphic ideas. So....I don't even try
If I felt the need to provide “proof” or meet someone else’s expectations, I’d have to re-think the hobby. I suppose it’s another ballgame if you sell pedals though.
I mean, c’mon the name is Obsidius playing on Dark Glass= obsidian it was a no brainer. That and the dude I was building it for specifically requested all black.
I actually did try to paint my very first pedal build attempt. I used a can of mailbox paint, multiple thin coats, let it dry for days. Then I put a waterslide label on it, then intended to hit it with a couple of light coats of clear coat. As SOON as the clear coat hit the enclosure all the paint shriveled up and puckered underneath. I have no idea what I did wrong. I keep that enclosure on my bench to remind me of why all my pedals are blank.....heh....
Exactly!
I have no experience with mailbox paint, but I've used regular rustoleum and clear coat for a few builds and they work just fine for me. Just make sure the can says it works on metal.
I have had that happen as well. From what I have read, it happens when the underlying coat has not dried fully (drying times dependent on ambient temp and humidity) and the top new coat dries faster than the under coat.
Did it puckered up on the waterslide surface or on the painted sides as well... I've problems with clear coating enclosure that had a vinyl stickers applied on the face. It looks like the clear coat forms drops in large grouping instead of leveling evenly (sort of a mercury type effect). I still haven't figure that one out yet. But I never had issue with waterslides...
Yeah, I do mine outside when I do and inevitably some dumbass gnat ends up embedded in the paint. Need a good sized cardboard box to make a spray booth
Whole dang thing puckered up, I started sanding it back to start over then said "F this.....", and that's the way I left it
