“I enjoy putting together pedalboards for myself and others,” says Luis Fernandez of Caldwell, New Jersey. “I’m a stickler for tidy wiring, dependability, and roadworthiness.” Luis submitted two examples of his work, both with homebuilt power supplies and buffers mounted beneath.

“Pedalboard No. 1,” Luis explains, “is mainly used with a multi-channel high-gain amp, so the only dirt box is the Mad Professor Golden Cello, plus a buffer and a couple of boosts (one at the beginning of the signal chain and one at the end) for goosing the amp’s clean and crunch channels.” The signal path: Xotic EP Booster, Ibanez Weeping Demon wah, Lovepedal Pickle Vibe (atop the wah’s unused battery holder), TC Electronic PolyTune and Gravy Tri-Chorus/Vibrato, MOD Kits Trill Tremolo, Bob Burt Boost, Mad Professor Golden Cello, BYOC Lazy Sprocket kit (Boss Slow Gear clone), EarthQuaker Devices Organizer, TC Electronic Transition delay.

“Pedalboard No. 2 is mainly used with a very clean single-channel amp,” says Luis, “so there’s more variety of overdrives and distortions.” The effects: Korg Pitchblack tuner, Wampler Ego Compressor, Boss CE-5 Chorus and TR-2 Tremolo, TC Electronic Flashback Delay and Hall of Fame Reverb, T-Rex Luxury Drive, TC Electronic Vortex Flanger, Bogner Ecstasy Red, and Zoom PD-01 Power Drive.