DIY Pedalboard patch cables are a hotly debated topic on the internets, guitar forums & watering holes world wide. Luckily, our years of exceptional client testimonials and stellar real world performance using components & assembly techniques are being documented RIGHT HERE, NOW! As we say in the shop, “Fire the Irons!!!”
Giving people the knowledge & confidence to take on a soldering project such as a pedalboard patch cable build is what I live for! Personally, I believe soldering is a mandatory skill that any musician can & should MASTER. The benefits of this skill are numerous, rewarding and VERY cost effective!
GENERAL INFO:
- A patch cable is generally a small cable with two 1/4” phone jacks used to connect two effects together. Realistically, a pedalboard patch cable can be any type of cable or any type of connector used to “patch” devices together.
- There are 2 Sides to the patch cable story: Soldered and Solder-Less. The TWO main reasons why you DO NOT WANT TO GO SOLDER-LESS: 1. They aren’t soldered! 2. They cost more
WHAT YOU’ll NEED:
- Cable & Plugs
- Soldering Gear & Optional Workflow Equipment dependent upon work load
- A little bit of time…
COST ANALY$I$:
DIY Soldered
- Sp500 Right Angle – 3.85
- Mogami 2319 – $.98/ft
- 6” Patch Cable Cost – $8.19
- Bulk Purchase – $8.19
DIY Solder-Less George L
- George L 1/4” – $8.75
- George L Cable – $2.75/ft
- 6” Patch Cable Cost – $18.87ea
- Bulk Purchase – $16.20ea
DIY Solder-Less Evidence Audio
- SIS Screw in Solderless – $7.95
- Monorail Cable – $2.95/ft
- 6” Patch Cable Cost – $17.38ea
- Bulk Purchase – $15.79ea
1/4” TS/TRS PLUG & CABLE PARTS
CUSTOMIZABLE KIT FORMAT
Pedalboard Patch Cable DIY Kit
BULK CABLE
Mogami Cable – By the Foot
OTHER USEFUL PATCHING GOODIES
TOOLS:
You can source these items from anywhere you please but we really like the knowledgeable people at B Dent Enterprises. They do free shipping on 99$ and up orders too!
- Hakko FX888D Soldering Station – we have 2 of these operating daily for over 4 years with ZERO ISSUES!
- Indium Solder 60/40 .032mm – we like this for every solder project we’ve come across. We run the iron at 720-740 degree’s
- Soldering Tips: For the larger jobs, IE: most 1/4” & XLR jobs we use this chisel tip. For the smaller stuff like MIDI, we’ll use these fine tips.
- 3rd Hands – A really nice setup that we make in house!
- Some type of solder fume extractor is preferred – or workin in a well ventilated area
- Stripers – We LOVE this Snap-On set, but anything with 12ga and 20ga will work if your using Mogami 2319 cable
- Optional: Heat Gun for Heat Shrink
- Optional: 1/4” Jack Fixture (pictured below) – Almost a necessary item if your doing a decent quantity of soldering
Soldering Block – The Ultimate Third Hand for Guitar & Pedalboard Techs
$50.00
Solder Block – Multi Capable Soldering Assistant If you’ve ever tried to solder a 1/4″ plug without a…
