The 4 Pedal Enclosures I Use the Most (and Why)

May 30, 2025 The 4 Pedal Enclosures I Use the Most (and Why)

When I start designing or building a new pedal, one of the first decisions is: what box is this going in?

After building a lot of pedals for customers and my own line at KR Sound, I’ve found that I come back to the same four enclosure styles over and over: 1590B, 125B, 1590BB, and 1590XX.

Each serves a purpose, but they’re not all equal—I definitely have favorites depending on the build.

1590XX

My go-to for dual-pedal builds

If I’m building a dual pedal—like a two-in-one drive/boost, or a drive + EQ, or anything with two separate circuits under one hood—I almost always reach for a 1590XX first.

It’s square, offers tons of layout flexibility, and gives me enough room to cleanly separate the circuits while still leaving plenty of space for footswitches, jacks, and controls.

I’ve done a lot of dual designs in these boxes lately, and for my workflow, the 1590XX just makes sense. It also gives the player a nice symmetrical footprint on their board.

Beyond dual pedals, the 1590XX is also great when I’m building:

• Multi-effect units
• Programmable loopers
• Experimental one-offs
• Synth-inspired circuits with lots of controls

1590B

For simple, classic effects

If I’m building a fuzz, boost, or simple overdrive, this is the size I reach for first. It’s compact, familiar, and looks great on any board.

The 1590B works really well for simple circuits that only need a few controls. When I want to keep a pedal small and punchy, this is the enclosure for the job. I’ve used these for classic Tone Bender and Muff circuits, treble boosts, and straightforward one-knob distortions.

125B

The most popular modern enclosure — my go-to for most single pedals

If you asked me (or most modern pedal builders) which enclosure gets used the most these days, it’s hands down the 125B.

It’s become the standard choice for a huge variety of builds — from overdrives to modulation, from boutique one-offs to mass-produced pedals. If you’ve looked at newer brands that emphasize top-mounted jacks and clean pedalboard layouts, they’re probably using 125Bs.

I reach for this enclosure constantly in my shop. Why?

• It’s just a little bigger than a 1590B — giving me more flexibility for control layout
• It has enough height for larger components or stacked PCBs
• It easily accommodates top-mounted jacks — which players love because it saves board space
• It still feels compact and pedalboard-friendly — not oversized or awkward

For me, this is the “everyday driver” of pedal enclosures. I use it for most of my single pedals: overdrives, chorus, flangers, compressors, phasers, you name it. If a customer doesn’t specifically ask for something super compact or oversized, chances are good the build is going in a 125B.

It’s also one of the most commonly stocked sizes from enclosure suppliers — which means it’s easy to get pre-drilled, powder coated, or raw enclosures in a wide range of colors and finishes.

Bottom line: If you’re only going to stock one enclosure for DIY pedal building, this is the one to start with.

1590BB / 1590BB2

Great for wider layouts & dual-footswitch pedals

For certain dual-footswitch builds or effects with a lot of knobs, the 1590BB comes in handy. It’s wider than the 125B, so it works well for designs that need a row of knobs with switches underneath.

It’s also nice when I want to offer a player big knobs and clear spacing for easy on-stage adjustments.

How I Decide

Here’s what I think about on every build:

• How many circuits am I combining?
• How many foot switches?
• How many knobs and toggles?
• Top jacks or side jacks?
• Does it need to fit on a tight board or will it be a centerpiece?
• How do I want the player experience to feel?

Final Thoughts

These four enclosures—1590B, 125B, 1590BB, and 1590XX—cover 99% of what I build here at KR Sound.

The 1590XX has become my default for dual pedals—it just works. The others fill in depending on what kind of circuit I’m working on and how the player will be using the pedal.

If you’re getting into DIY pedal building, these four boxes are a great starting point. They’re versatile, affordable, and easy to work with.

And now… back to drilling another stack of 1590XX enclosures on the bench.

Reference: