Since the early days of guitar pedal demos from Gearmandude and Andy Demos, YouTube has been the main source for players to find out more about the funky little things we call, effects pedals. However, as the community has grown, it’s no wonder that DIY guitar pedal builders have taken their knowledge to this platform.

Why YouTube Videos Are Great For DIY Effects Pedal Builders

Building guitar effects pedals is tough when you’re first starting out. Even more so if you don’t have a background in electronics or electrical engineering. Thankfully, the builders before us have spent a huge amount of time and effort documenting what they can to help us join in on all of the fun. 

Whilst books may be the best way to learn some aspects of theory, a video on how to get into building a specific pedal can make it much easier to understand. We not only get to see everything being put together, but we also get the added benefit of the builder talking us through what they’re doing, as they do it. With that in mind, I feel YouTube is an incredible resource to take advantage of.

My Favourite YouTube Channels For Guitar Pedal Builders

There are lots of YouTubers out there who review effects pedals and a few of those also cover DIY pedal builds. However, there aren’t many that dive into this topic in any real depth. 

That being said, I have found a couple of channels on my travels that have some interesting and engaging videos worth watching. Here are a few of these channels to get you started.

DIY Guitar Pedals

The DIY Guitar Pedals YouTube channel has been posting since 2012 and Paul really knows his stuff. In some of his earlier videos he covers the basics of effects pedal theory and interspersed amongst these, he has build reviews for many different pedals that are very interesting. 

However, since 2020, his video production has really ramped up and he’s churning out some fantastic content. Some of the theory may go over your head when you’re first starting out and if it does, that’s not a problem. Check out one of my recommended DIY effects pedal books to help you better understand the background of what is actually going on.

Alongside his YouTube channel, Paul actually has a site where he sells components, PCBs and full kits. You can check this out here:

https://www.diyguitarpedals.com.au/shop/

He is based in Australia so shipping may be an issue but check him out and judge for yourself.

You can find this YouTube channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/c/DiyguitarpedalsAu

That Pedal Show

Whilst the content on this YouTube channel isn’t specifically geared around building guitar pedals, a lot of the topics and concepts discussed here will give you a fantastic foundation for building your own effects. They cover the basics of buffers, how phase works and much much more.

Mick is a fantastic guitar player and Dan has a huge wealth of technical knowledge from his work on TheGigRig. However, together they make tough subjects easy to understand and they are well worth subscribing to. 

Since starting in 2015 they have become incredibly well respected in the industry. Famous pedal builders like Keeley Electronics, Thorpy FX and JAM Pedals have all teamed up with Mick & Dan to create custom guitar effects which all sound awesome. 

You can find their YouTube channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/c/ThatPedalShow

The JHS Show

This is another YouTube channel that isn’t strictly about building DIY effects pedals. However, Josh is renowned throughout the pedal industry for his vast private pedal collection and his encyclopedic pedal history knowledge.

On this channel, they discuss specific pedal circuits, the differences between the different versions of the same type of pedal and the history behind famous guitar effects pedals. They also have episodes where they feature other pedal builders to not only get their take on specific pedals but to also give them a platform to advertise their own effects pedals. This channel really embodies the ethos in the pedal industry of everyone helping each other out which isn’t something you see in any other commercial space.

One of my personal favourite series of episodes on The JHS Show is where Josh does a deep dive on a specific pedal company and goes through their back catalogue of pedals to really shine a spotlight on the awesome work they do. A common complaint about this series is that as soon as Josh releases an episode, pedal prices for a previously unknown pedal go through the roof on the resale market.

You can find their YouTube channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/c/ThatPedalShow

Wampler Pedals

Brian Wampler is a legend in the industry. Many builders quote Brians DIY & pedal modding books as their entry into the DIY industry. If you’ve ever managed to pick up a copy or grab one of the PDFs from the internet, it’s easy to see why.

Anyone who is interested in getting involved with the pedal building industry will absolutely love Brian Wampler. He’s written books, has an awesome podcast and has a fantastic YouTube channel. 

On his channel, he poses some interesting questions like ‘is it possible to have too many pedals?’ and ‘where should the wah pedal fit in a pedal chain?’. He also dives into famous pedal schematics and helps you understand what each section is doing. These videos can be invaluable resources for budding builders and pedal modders. He also presents his content in a way that is understandable and approachable. 

When someone is at the top of their game, they can make complex subjects easy to understand. Mr Brian Wampler can do just that! Subscribe to everything that he has available and if you can find one for a reasonable price, try and pick up one of his DIY effects pedal books.

You can find his YouTube channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/user/wampcat

Fuzzlord Effects

Potentially taking a leaf out of Josh Scott & Brian Wamplers book, Jason from Fuzzlord Effects started producing videos for his YouTube channel back in 2019. On this channel, he has a lot of content around Doom Metal and how to hit the tone. However, he does also have a few videos on how to start building pedals including the necessary tools and components you need to get a hold of.

Whilst his channel isn’t solely about DIY effects pedals, it’s always great to get insight from a builder who actually does this for a living.

You can find his YouTube channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/c/FuzzlordEffects/

Vertex Effects / The Rig Doctor

I’m not going to go over the history of Vertex or Mason Marangella as the forums talk about this to death. However, in his YouTube channel, he does have some fantastic video content.

Whilst a lot of the videos are pushing his pedals and how good they sound, he does also have some instructional and informational videos that are well worth checking out. 

I would highly recommend looking at his Rig Doctor Greatest Hits video playlist. In here he discusses items that are incredibly pertinent to pedals and how they react with your rig. Things like tone suck, buffers, power supplies, switches and bypass options are all topics discussed in these videos.

He also has a DIY Tutorials playlist where he teaches you how to make a few utility pedals like an A/B/Y box, buffers and even cables. 

You can check out this YouTube channel, here:

https://www.youtube.com/c/VertexEffectsInc/

Those are some of my favourite YouTube channels that have a huge amount of content available for DIY guitar effects pedal builders. If YouTube isn’t you’re thing and you prefer to get your information from books, check out my guide on the best books to learn how to build DIY guitar effects pedals. Alternatively, if you like podcasts take a look at my guide on the best podcasts for DIY guitar pedal builders to throw yourself into this community.

If you know of any other YouTube channels that you think would be a fantastic addition to this list, please get in touch and let me know. I’m always on the lookout for additional ways to learn more about building effects pedals and the wider community.

Happy Building!