My IKEA hack is a pedalboard XXXL.
What I needed was a large pedalboard with lots of space that was also easy to take to a gig.
The set-up is perhaps a bit unusual; being a lead singer and bass player, my requirements included;
- space for 8 pedals, mainly for bass but also one large Roland VE-20 for vocal effects
- space for the pedal controlling my EBS-amp
- space for a rack-mounted mixer, facing upwards (so I can see it easily)
- space for a patch panel to configure the various signal paths
- easy connection for my personal multi cable to/from PA-mixer
- enough room to hide power cable, etc, inside
- And wouldn’t it be nice if I could also attach my mic stand and monitor speaker to it
- perhaps including lighting
- and, most of all, a way to easily turn this into a transport-safe box
After a lot of thinking and procrastination, I decided to purchase an IKEA kitchen cabinet, place it vertically rather than horizontally, and use the door as a ramp for my stuff. Also, get one extra door and turn it into a lid to protect the mixer on top.
Close the door, put the lid on top, and close the latches. I’m ready to go on tour.
Time to build my super large pedalboard case
- I bought an IKEA METOD cabinet measuring 100 x 40 x 37 cm.
- Also, I got two IKEA doors (one as – eh – door. The other as an extra lid)
- I got a professional to cut the door in two halves, one 30 cm, and the other 10 cm. This is in order to avoid the ramp sticking out too much
- Assemble the METOD cabinet.
- Add metal L-shaped enforcements to make it stronger.
- Attach the door/ ramp.
- Attach the smaller part of the door with a 1m long piano lid hinge.
- Add metal protection for bottom corners.
- Drill holes for cable entry (power on one side, signals on the other)
- I played around with mock-ups—full-sized paper printouts of the stuff I will place there—to investigate the best placement.
- Add wheels – two of them are lockable, so the whole thing stays in place.
- Add handles.
- Build a lid, adding some height to the second door. Make sure to have sufficient space for anything protruding from the top. I needed at least 6 cm.
- Mount latches: a) to keep the ramp (door) closed and b) to keep the lid in place
- Glue Velcro to ramp, place pedals, organize all cables
- On the inside of the 10 cm top part of the door, I mounted some nice-to-have drawings of patch panels, cabling, etc.
- Reward myself with a cold beer.
I also got myself a mic-stand-mounted monitor, which is not part of the IKEA hack.
Total cost: approx. 2000 SEK = 180 Eur = 270 USD. (Beer not included)
Final result: (Well, almost—this is actually before gluing the Velcro and placing the actual stompboxes. Still, my printed stompbox dummies were used for layout tests…)
~ by Mikael Segersten
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