I looked around the internet to find a few ideas for a stompbox. The one that I considered to be the best – meaning sound, stabilty, build price etc. was one I found on YouTube.

Some basic thoughts are:

Do you want to play with your heel or toes?
- if you want to have your heel on the floor and play the stomper with your toes, then obviously it has to very flat. That would mean it is very difficult to place any kind of commercially available pick up in it; except for a piezo.
- also, you do need some room for the output jack; about 2,5cm, this also makes it difficult building a very flat model
- the Elmfield Farmer Stompbox allows you to place your foot on the sufrace (note it is not as high as the one shown in the video below), and allows you to play with your heel or toes

Which kind of pick up should be used?
- Piezos are most widely used it seems; they are cheap and very flat; but as far as I can tell, you just get a clicking sound
- in my build I use a bass pickup, the metal number plate acts as a foot rest and a kind of bass guitar string which induces the sound in the pickup

Of course you can build one yourself too.

What you’ll need to build a stompbox like this:

1. a number plate (cool looking if you can find one, they cost about €4-6)
2. the wood for the sides
3. a pice of wood for the bottom
4. a bass pickup (in the vido he uses two wired in parallel)
5. an output jack socket (volume control if you would like one)
6. some rubber for the feet
7. a router
8. a drillpress (hand drill is ok)
9. a soldering iron
10. some acrylic paint
11. screws, bolts, wood glue

I haven’t got any pictures of the insides, the video below will give you an idea.

Don’t forget to erath the plate too, otherwise you will get a buzz!

I have sold this already, if you would like one, let me know, the price is €79, the number plates I use vary, depends on what I can buy when you order.

Here is a video I found which inspired me (this is not me):