A lot of my practice incorporates interesting use of effects for sound design. In order to expand my practice and develop another stream of income, I would like to start building guitar pedals. This is a business idea that feels feasible to me, as I have worked with hardware electronics before and have a basic set of skills, I have a good understanding of how I would like to market guitar pedals, and I am in the same social circles as many musicians who use guitar pedals who would be interested in buying them.
I plan to start building pedals from kits in order to develop a level of understanding as to how various circuits work, as well as watching YouTube tutorials and reaching out to experts. The guitar pedal building community appears to be very friendly and helpful to beginners, with many forums being active and many open source resources available to access. These resources will allow me to understand the inner workings of guitar pedals before I start to design and sell my own.
I plan to make my guitar pedals sustainable by using upcycled materials for the enclosures. I am looking to use aluminium and will reach out to various scrap companies as well as businesses that may potentially have spare scrap that they’re looking to get rid off.
By late 2027,I aim to be at a stage where I have 3 working prototypes, an online presence created through strong branding and high-quality demos, and a good pitch. I plan to go to the UAL’s Pitch It: Creative Enterprise and Funding event to try and secure enough funding to turn the guitar pedal business from a side hustle to a full-time job.