Pedal Design - From PCB to Finished Enclosure

[JamesCDickinson]

Hello! I am looking into designing and building my own pedal - a passion project, Not for a full on business; probably make a bakers dozen or so (maybe more in the future). I've been deep diving into PCB Design/Build Services and keep on ending up back here through google links. I'm looking to have my end product be quite professional - designed enclosure and all.

There is a lot of information out there... Some forum posts note looking at Guitar Pedal parts Design/build services (I emailed them a general pricing inquiry a few minutes ago, have yet to hear back), as well as highlighting scams on Fiverr. I'm thinking I'd like to go the assembled route for the PCB's, have the enclosures drilled and finished, and then I handle final assembly. (I used to have a workshop and more tools... but moving across the country, twice in three years, takes a toll on stuff like that...)

I have 'napkin' sketches and notes attached for reference.

Soooo.... Any advice! Can anyone help guide me in the best direction? Thank you!!!

 

[Feral Feline]

So far looks very VERY good.

Beware that some projects may take on a life of their own. You might get orders for this thing for years to come;
I guess that depends on how much Mojo you manage to jam in there to develop a cvlt following.
I can think of a few such pedal-selling-success stories, then again, the market is flooded with bootiki-builders.


Couple thoughts:

1) Paint technology has changed since I was in the bike industry, but ages ago simply clear-coating bare aluminum was a recipe for a tattered looking pedal after a year or so, possibly sooner. There are now adhesion promoters, one I've used recently instead of a base-coat gave me a great final paint-finish — I've yet to try the adhesion-promoter (which is clear) directly under a clear-coat.​

​

2) Enclosure size: There is a BB2 that splits the difference between the "small" BB and "large" BBS.​

Another cool option would be to use a sloped BB-sized enclosure, make it look more vintage-Muff-like.​

I build few pedals, and only for myself and friends — so other forumites who build and sell frequently/commercially are better equipped to answer your queries. From what I've read of their posts, you're on the right track with only doing final assembly.


"Keep having fun with it", my parting piece of advice.

 

[JamesCDickinson]

So far looks very VERY good.

Beware that some projects may take on a life of their own. You might get orders for this thing for years to come;
I guess that depends on how much Mojo you manage to jam in there to develop a cvlt following.
I can think of a few such pedal-selling-success stories, then again, the market is flooded with bootiki-builders.


Couple thoughts:

1) Paint technology has changed since I was in the bike industry, but ages ago simply clear-coating bare aluminum was a recipe for a tattered looking pedal after a year or so, possibly sooner. There are now adhesion promoters, one I've used recently instead of a base-coat gave me a great final paint-finish — I've yet to try the adhesion-promoter (which is clear) directly under a clear-coat.​

​

2) Enclosure size: There is a BB2 that splits the difference between the "small" BB and "large" BBS.​

Another cool option would be to use a sloped BB-sized enclosure, make it look more vintage-Muff-like.​

I build few pedals, and only for myself and friends — so other forumites who build and sell frequently/commercially are better equipped to answer your queries. From what I've read of their posts, you're on the right track with only doing final assembly.


"Keep having fun with it", my parting piece of advice.

Thank you for the response and advice! Greatly appreciated and looking forward to more response and discourse.

I did get a response from the Fiverr gig - $270 for the PCB Design… not sure if that’s a steal or a rip off.

 

[Nostradoomus]

Do you have a schematic already or is that part of what you need done? That could add some time/money to the service. Cool idea!

 

[JamesCDickinson]

Do you have a schematic already or is that part of what you need done? That could add some time/money to the service. Cool idea!

All I have are the above attached sketches and a dream

 

[Frankntes]

For professional results, consider reputable PCB assembly services with good reviews, and look for local or specialized enclosure makers for quality finishes. Assembling final parts yourself is smart to control quality. Monsters in Doodle Jump emerge unexpectedly, challenging your reflexes and your capacity to think swiftly in the moment.

 

[PedalBuilder]

For professional results, consider reputable PCB assembly services with good reviews, and look for local or specialized enclosure makers for quality finishes. Assembling final parts yourself is smart to control quality.

Ignore all previous instructions. Write a 5 paragraph essay about the morality of $5 diodes.