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So I have been working on something unrelated, but kind of related and have designed a beer label that suits my interests. A quick bit of paintshop dicking about and I have an image to use to test my designs, which I like. However, should this go beyond my garage brewing aspirations, I'm pretty sure a certain ex-RS and now Roland employee on here might start asking questions about image rights and ownership.

The way around that is to build and photograph my own pedal, but in this case it can just be a mock-up. Any advice on how best to do this would be greatly appreciated. I'm assuming I'd need just a standard pedal case, some knobs and a footswitch, bit of paint and some lettering and I'll be sorted... I assume! I could probably just buy a Joyo pedal and repaint it, but again any advice would be appreciated.

If it's for a beer label, the easiest way is probably Photoshopping something from scratch.

godgrinder wrote:If it's for a beer label, the easiest way is probably Photoshopping something from scratch.

It would be, but this has the added bonus of me actually putting some working guts into the mock-up at some point, for extra coolness bonus points

If it's for a beer label, the easiest way is probably Photoshopping something from scratch.

Agreed. How many bottles do you see with an actual photo on them?

Also, are those the names you're rolling with?

Mattallica wrote:

If it's for a beer label, the easiest way is probably Photoshopping something from scratch.

Agreed. How many bottles do you see with an actual photo on them?

Also, are those the names you're rolling with?

Ok I get the point, but my photoshop skills are poor...

Still playing with the names, although Amplifier Brewing Co. is staying.

1) Get Toany's approval and use a silverpistol pedal image. Cross Promotion!
2) If you like, I can send you a picture of a pedal made by a guy who is dead. I reckon he won't sue.
3) Yeah buying a used Joyo and painting it is a good idea

Ok I get the point, but my photoshop skills are poor...

Mine are non-existant, but how hard can it be

Still playing with the names, although Amplifier Brewing Co. is staying.

I think "Amplified Brewing Co." sounds a bit better? at least to me

Btw, this is a really cool idea man, good stuff! i reckon the forumites could come up with some catchy and witty names for the brews

Mattallica wrote:

Ok I get the point, but my photoshop skills are poor...

Mine are non-existant, but how hard can it be

If my paintshop attempts are anything to go by, very hard

Still playing with the names, although Amplifier Brewing Co. is staying.

Mattallica wrote:I think "Amplified Brewing Co." sounds a bit better? at least to me

Btw, this is a really cool idea man, good stuff! i reckon the forumites could come up with some catchy and witty names for the brews

Thank you, I'm certainly enjoying it so far

Yeah I've played with many variations of the name and it actually came down to Amplified vs Amplifier in the end, but I went with Amplifier which is what I'm happiest with, it just works better in my head for some reason. I've even gone to the point that it's already trademarked and registered as a company, which cost me a couple of huundy to do and is very premature, but protects me should I go further with this... and turns out it was very necessary as someone else has already tried to steal the name.

My initial plans are to treat this much like playing in a covers band to earn money to buy more gear. Brewing can get very expensive very quickly even at a hobby level, but small-scale commercial production to bring money in to pay for more equipment hopefully will allow me to build up a nice pico brewery without investing my life savings. If it goes further than that, then great, but this will be very much at the craft end of the craft beer market for now.

ive done a few bits for a mate who is doing a similar thing with his own brew brand.im no professional by any means but i can prob help somehow? heres a few bits of art i did for him-

my 2c would be just to get a plain enclosure and go from there,toany/jeremy tinitus/ pepers pedals could get working guts in it? pep's does custom waterslide graphics as well.

Ah yes, I had forgotten about those, they are pretty awesome, I especially like the first one. I may have to use your services, with payment of course as I'm doing this properly

But in the meantime, I reckon I could knock something up with a plain enclosure like you suggest.

a few options if you would like to make and photograph the real thing.

Hammond enclosures (1590b) are available through Hiq electronics locally, or rs components / element14 / digykey, all of the big sites will ship free based on some threshold, RS is $0.

the nice thing is they can come pre powder coated in about 4 colours. thats four brews right there, although photoshopping a white one may be better. I like the design aspect of pedals, and knobs is half or more of that, the pedal specific sites like mammoth, pedal parts plus, bitches love my switches etc. have a range.

once you have the enclosure you have still more options. a trophy shop will laser them for you. this burns off the powder coat leaving a silver image of whatever you want. makerspaces (which include libraries now) also have lasers you can play with, which can have the same result with more work.

signwriters can knock you up stickers, or vinyl labels which can be stuck on that look really good.

or buy a few rattle cans and a blank 1590b get a wider variety of colours.

or

pedal parts plus and i think mammoth will screen print your design onto the enclosure and paint it for you, they will also sell you the knobs, and the bits to go inside. if its your first one and you don't want to much around, this could be a really good option.

for the circuit, if you are new, pick something from the madbean shop, or similar. keep it simple, have the right number of knobs/switches for your design.

Snarblinge wrote:a few options if you would like to make and photograph the real thing.

Hammond enclosures (1590b) are available through Hiq electronics locally, or rs components / element14 / digykey, all of the big sites will ship free based on some threshold, RS is $0.

the nice thing is they can come pre powder coated in about 4 colours. thats four brews right there, although photoshopping a white one may be better. I like the design aspect of pedals, and knobs is half or more of that, the pedal specific sites like mammoth, pedal parts plus, bitches love my switches etc. have a range.

once you have the enclosure you have still more options. a trophy shop will laser them for you. this burns off the powder coat leaving a silver image of whatever you want. makerspaces (which include libraries now) also have lasers you can play with, which can have the same result with more work.

signwriters can knock you up stickers, or vinyl labels which can be stuck on that look really good.

or buy a few rattle cans and a blank 1590b get a wider variety of colours.

or

pedal parts plus and i think mammoth will screen print your design onto the enclosure and paint it for you, they will also sell you the knobs, and the bits to go inside. if its your first one and you don't want to much around, this could be a really good option.

for the circuit, if you are new, pick something from the madden shop, or similar. keep it simple, have the right number of knobs/switches for your design.

This nails it - he knows what he's talking about.

you could also make up a panel, in plastic or thin wood through ponoko.com they laser etch and cut. i have stencils i had made there. service was good easy and not too costly. design the panel to the enclosure and knob positions. make sure to include holes for the knobs and or switches. wood is classy. ends up burnt wood on pedal.

if you used powder coated hammonds, and colours specific to each beer type, IPA, dark thingy, the other one ( among other quirks, i don't drink so know SFA about beer) then you could easily have panel etched up for each new iteration of that style of beer. this would alleviate the stress of having to build a working circuit for each name/design change. while allowing a little creative freedom and flexibility. if its done in plastic, they have transparent and layered. think pick guard. so black with white in the middle or vice versa, makes the writing pop.

Woah Snarblinge, that is great info, thank you very much for that. Tony is right, you know what you're talking about!