Enclosure questions!

[heartben]

Hey guys. I have looked at a few kits for pedals that don't come with enclosures so -

It's been awhile since I have thought about it and I have a couple questions!

*What are the box sizes that are most used for pedals? 1590B and 1590BB? something like that...

*Are there any "off brands" that people use or does Hammond make them all? Looking on ebay some of them seem to be knock offs, not sure if it matters.

*Where should I order a couple of these from for the best deal?

Thanks!

[Mike]

I would say 1590B and 1590BB are the most common. I would think that 1590BB is a bit more popular because it is quite a bit larger than the 1590B, and us DIYers really like to pack in the features. Another common size is the 1590A, which is tiny. There are also 125B and 125BB, which are comparable to the 1590B and 1590BB, but a bit taller.

Generally speaking, when someone says 1590BB, they mean any aluminum enclosure that is similar in size to the Hammond enclosure. For example, Pedal Parts Plus sells an actual Hammond 1590BB for $10.90, but they also have two clones-- a 1590NS or a 4-site 1590-- for $7.95. Tayda has a 1590BB style enclosure for $6.99. SmallBear has 1590BB clones starting at $7.95 on up. All of them will work fine.

I've ordered from and recommend all the places I mentioned. I would use PPP if I wanted it powder coated, and Smallbear if was already ordering other stuff. Otherwise, I have been buying my enclosures from Tayda. They have a 15% off coupon (888444) until Nov 2, bringing the price down to $5.95 for a 1590BB.

Mike

[Officer Bukowski]

^ all good info

bitcheslovemyswitches.com has some good prices too and cheap shipping

[contraterrene]

I found that the tayda ones aren't as straight, And occasionally have some voids and impurities in the aluminum, so if you ever try polishing them a piece of sand, or whatnot, can pop out and scratch it. It's frustrating. And if you try a deep etch on them, you can be left with some holes from voids

[wafl]

^ all good info

bitcheslovemyswitches.com has some good prices too and cheap shipping

So much yes. Buy everything you can from this guy.

[Jero]

^ all good info
bitcheslovemyswitches.com has some good prices too and cheap shipping

agreed

[Gigahearts_FX]

Tayda are lowest quality as noted
I prefer Hammond brand and use their pre-coated ones. The factory finishes are very durable. Not as wide colour choice as other vendors. Eddy stone cases are a sub brand of Hammond are are also fine, they just have slightly squarer edges.
The size you require will be dictated by the pcb size and or complexity of the internals.

Most DIY projects fit in 1590b, some require 125b and overall anything that'll fit in either of those will go in a 1590bb very easily.
If you buy your pcb from somewhere like madbean the build docs will tell you which fits best.
If it's vero, measure the board vs the manufacturers specs for the case