Removing the rubber base from a Boss type pedal

[linear]

Is there a trick to doing this without damaging the base, or should I just go for it? I have a couple of pedals to do and the bases seem pretty firmly stuck on.

Edited June 18, 2014 by linear

[JapanAxe]

If you don't want to do this (e.g. vintage pedal), get a [url="http://www.acdguitars.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=67&zenid=hsg9hf32u4btaqn03u8pnjlgt7"]pedal boot.[/url]

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited February 19, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[linear]

Sorry, I should have said It's just so I can stick velcro to the bottom of the pedals for pedalboard mounting. They're not rare or precious, but I'd like to keep the rubber in one piece and undamaged so that I can stick it back on if I want to sell them.

Using the plates from a bicycle chain seems like a great idea, and I do have some spare, but I'm using a Diago board/case and I wouldn't be comfortable drilling holes into it.

Edited June 18, 2014 by linear

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited February 19, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[GazWills]

why do you need to remove the rubber? I have had a BOSS TU-2 velcro'd onto boards for over 10 years, and it has stayed in place, with just a few narrow strips of velcro along the edges of the base of the pedal... decent velcro along the edges should be more than enough!

[NoirBass]

Hey, just turn the bottom plate over, screw it back down and stick your vecro to the fresh metal side.

No need to take the rubber off and you can revese it later.

Handy hint number 12!

[Byo]

+1 on turning the bottom plate over. The other side is flat.

But still, I have had a TU-3 mounted on my board for ages and it has been through loads of gigs without any issues at all.

Get some good velcro and you will not have any problems.

Cheers.

[linear]

Thanks guys.

The flipping the base plate idea is genius. I tried it on a couple of pedals last night and it works a treat. There are a few for which it won't work though (Digitech).

I've tried sticking the velcro to the rubber base before, but I rearrange my pedals quite a bit, and it's always come off eventually. I shall try again, but this time I'll clean the base thoroughly with alcohol.

[UglyDog]

If you really need to get the rubber off, it might be worth trying to warm it up with a hairdryer to soften the sticky stuff holding it down? It's the same trick the car modifiers use to de-badge their motors without damaging the paint.

[Guest FretNoMore]

Another option; I've seen some use cable ties to hold the pedal to the board, not as neat looking but maybe a solution if you don't want to modify the pedal.

[BassBunny]

[quote name='UglyDog' timestamp='1403438074' post='2482633']
If you really need to get the rubber off, it might be worth trying to warm it up with a hairdryer to soften the sticky stuff holding it down? It's the same trick the car modifiers use to de-badge their motors without damaging the paint.
[/quote]
Beat me to it. Remove the bottom plate and blast it with a hairdryer.

[linear]

I don't know what it is with the rubber base on the Digitech pedal, but the velcro just wouldn't adhere to it strongly enough - it would hold it to the board securely enough, but when I try and remove the pedal from the board the velcro gets left behind.

So, I gave the hairdryer idea a go and it worked a treat. I scratched the paint a little bit when levering the rubber up out of the recess on the base, but once I had an edge to get hold of it came off very easily.

Thanks for the help.