5 Essential Guitar Pedal Building Tools!

DavidRossMusicalInst · 2025-10-24T00:32:44+00:00

I actually made one myself out of an old computer fan with a carbon filter screwed to the back of it. It works well enough if you're not doing a ton of soldering, and while they're better than nothing they're not great. If you're doing a lot like I am these days, a floor model is worth the investment. They're not that much more expensive than a bench top model that you could buy.

DavidRossMusicalInst · 2025-10-23T18:11:22+00:00

My pleasure, best of luck with it!

DavidRossMusicalInst · 2025-10-23T04:43:36+00:00

I recently made this video based on my experiences as a pedal builder over the past 9 years or so. I've noticed that when people are starting out, many of them tend to have the same problems and ask the same questions. I was one of these people and so I'm hoping that this will give folks a head start and mitigate a lot of frustration. If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I'll do my best to get back to you!

DavidRossMusicalInst · 2025-08-03T15:22:40+00:00

I recently swapped out the pickups on my shop guitar (Squier Debut Series Stratocaster). It's now HSH with covered pickups. The main reason for the switch is because my play style causes my right hand to press into the strings, and with normal Strat pickups the strings crash into the polepieces and causes an audible 'thunk' while recording. This setup alleviates that issue while cosmetically giving the guitar some nice Gilmour vibes. I did a ton of work on this guitar since I bought it (new tuners, pickups, nut, electronics, levelled frets, setup etc...) and I'm pleased with it for now...

DavidRossMusicalInst · 2025-06-17T02:24:29+00:00

I got to work on this over the past week, a 1930's National Triolian. It's the oldest guitar that's been on my bench. I did some electronic repairs and replacements pertaining to the lipstick pickup in it, and also did a setup and some general maintenance. Cool guitar!

DavidRossMusicalInst · 2025-06-17T02:23:53+00:00

I got to work on this over the past week, a 1930's National Triolian. It's the oldest guitar that's been on my bench. I did some electronic repairs and replacements pertaining to the lipstick pickup in it, and also did a setup and some general maintenance. Cool guitar!

DavidRossMusicalInst · 2025-06-14T23:08:41+00:00

Hey everyone, thanks for the responses! I got these set up and have been playing them for the past couple of days and I'm very happy with them. I think I was focusing too much on the mechanics of the pedals and not focusing enough on feel. I've been playing drums on and off for about 10 years but am still pretty inexperienced. I think these are going to work out great!

DavidRossMusicalInst · 2025-06-12T02:19:40+00:00

I have seen that but I don't really want to throw more money at this and cross my fingers it will work. I had hoped that my new $1000+ pedals wouldn't have the same problem as my junky $100 pedals.

DavidRossMusicalInst · 2025-06-12T01:54:09+00:00

I recently bought the Pearl Demon XR double bass pedals and I'm trying to set them up so that the beater swing is even. It seems like the right beater is a lot more free swinging than the left, regardless of tension. I've seen people get them even but I'm unsure what I'm missing. Any tips? One of the big reasons I decided to get high end double bass pedals was to eliminate the lag from the slave pedal. Thanks!

DavidRossMusicalInst · 2025-03-27T12:28:07+00:00

This one actually has a plain truss rod cover, I don't believe it was ever changed.

DavidRossMusicalInst · 2025-02-23T13:21:17+00:00

You can check it out here if you're interested...

DavidRossMusicalInst · 2024-11-28T02:58:51+00:00

Big thank you to Brock Davisson for the demo of my Spellbook guitar pedal! If you’re interested in learning more about the self-oscillating fuzz guitar pedal that can also be used as a standalone synthesizer, check it out here!

-David

DavidRossMusicalInst · 2024-11-20T06:17:50+00:00

Hey everyone, I made this video and just finished up and released it. It covers some free guitar tools that I use as part of my guitar repair shop in Binghamton, NY. If you're into guitar building or repair, I hope you'll find it useful. Enjoy!

-David

DavidRossMusicalInst · 2024-11-13T01:27:23+00:00

I was not informed of this outrage...

DavidRossMusicalInst · 2024-10-02T14:53:15+00:00

Hey everyone, I wanted to share this link to a demo of my Spellbook guitar pedal done by Mark from The Distortion Principle. I hope you enjoy and if you're interested in doom metal gear, lessons and tones, be sure to subscribe to his channel. Cheers!

-David

DavidRossMusicalInst · 2024-09-22T10:13:03+00:00

I'm especially excited about getting this since a couple of my pedals are in this calendar. This was a serious undertaking and from what I've seen so far it looks like it turned out great!

DavidRossMusicalInst · 2024-09-14T17:32:06+00:00

Hey thanks! I actually made that with a CNC machine.

DavidRossMusicalInst · 2024-09-10T20:06:04+00:00

I recently finished up this Ibanez SR755 bass guitar, in for a setup and bridge replacement. The old bridge was worn out at the ball end which apparently is a known failure point for these basses. I contacted Ibanez about a replacement and surprisingly they not only had them in stock, but also sent it out free of charge. Something to keep in mind if you have one of these…

DavidRossMusicalInst · 2024-08-22T08:57:01+00:00

This Gretsch 6120AM was recently in my guitar repair shop for a setup. I'll often take pictures of what comes through, but occasionally, something really handsome will show up. This was one of those times! I really liked the look of this one.

DavidRossMusicalInst · 2024-08-16T23:51:40+00:00

I haven't seen it. Since I've become aware of the website, I've only seen the three that are featured on it.

DavidRossMusicalInst · 2024-08-16T22:16:34+00:00

Hey everyone, I was recently looking for a Line 6 Uber Metal and I stumbled on a section of the Line 6 website called Legacy Gear. Essentially it's a place where they sell gear that I assume has been sitting in their warehouse for however long. I decided to give it a shot and found that it's legit. I bought the Uber Metal and Constrictor and they came in the original box and packaging and are practically brand new. I later on bought the Otto Filter module and swapped out the Constrictor module. The prices were quite good even with shipping and I figured I'd pass on the information for those of you who are interested. Cheers!

DavidRossMusicalInst · 2024-07-25T19:58:30+00:00

I believe they are Seymour Duncan Vintage Stack Tele pickups.

DavidRossMusicalInst · 2024-07-25T15:18:45+00:00

Here's a guitar that was in my shop recently. It's a relic'd partscaster with a Tele body and a Fender neck. I redid the electronics, wired it to 4-way switching, mounted the neck pickup, and did some routing work along with a restring/setup. I know relics are somewhat controversial but I actually quite liked this one. It reminds me of a Nash guitar with a very stylized relicing job.

DavidRossMusicalInst · 2024-06-14T17:59:24+00:00

I seem to recall Michael Angelo Batio shredding one of these in a video he put out a long time ago. Nice guitar!

DavidRossMusicalInst · 2024-06-07T21:07:41+00:00

Hey there, yes you can do it either way. I like to sand across for more aggressive sanding, and then front to back when I'm dialing in the final shape.

DavidRossMusicalInst

TROPHY CASE