How To Make A Pedalboard From A Suitcase

I was playing with a Stoner Metal unit at the time. I hated setting up pedals and cables every time I went over for practice. All I really wanted was to drink beer and grind out some slow heavy jams. What I wanted was a pedal board. I'd seen some slick consumer grade stuff, but they always seemed a little over-priced. I decided to craft my own. 

Here's where it all starts. The beginning. The letter A. Step 1. Get a suitcase. I got mine for $12 at Rerun in NE Portland. 

Here is a good view of the innards. All purple and cool looking. I felt kind of reluctant to tear its lower guts out. But out they came. 

Step 2 involved a plywood platter with the corners rounded off that would fit in the bottom of the suitcase and provide a modicum of strength, the "board" in pedalboard if you will. I painted it black and started masking it off with tape that I cut manually into different widths. I used matte black because that was the spray paint I had on hand. Also, adhesive strips would ultimately be attached, so I imagined that a gloss finish would be less ideal.  

Following the first masking, I repainted with white, et voila. Awesome. This pattern is based on a Kramer guitar that Eddie Van Halen painted (or had painted?) before the release of his eponymous band's first album.

Commence more masking. This is where the third color will appear: candy apple red. This three color design showed up on Eddie's guitar in 1979.   

I know what you're thinking. Those horns should have some sort of second-curtain flash trail (see Van Halen I album cover for reference). Maybe next time. 

Back to the suitcase, I took off the locking latches and added some flip latches that I ordered online from StewMac. 

The board in situ.

I removed the feet from what was formerly the bottom and screwed them into the plywood through what would become the new bottom.

Final step: add some adhesive backed velcro loop straps to pedals and perpendicular-wise, add some velcro hook straps to the board. Or vice-versa, what do I care? 

Hooked up, ready to grind. Plenty of room for cables and other gear sundries.