My latest pedal builds... (updated 06.10.18)

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OctafishOctafish Frets: 1937
edited October 2018 in Making & Modding

06.10.18 Click here to go to latest update.


After my recent introduction to pedal building via a couple of Bitsbox kits, I've gone a bit build crazy! I've been using the schematics from Guitar FX Layouts and buying components from bitsbox, rapid electronics and ebay. Really enjoying building the pedals and is such a cheap way to sample loads of different FX, I haven't bought a pedal in over four months astonished .


Here's what I've built so far.....

Vico Vibe. Small trem unit mainly for live use as small footprint and doesn't make my fuzz sound bumble bee unlike my TR2...
http://i.imgur.com/1jhuVgx.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/M1Z0qT0.jpg
A Zen Drive clone.
http://i.imgur.com/utJ4Eg7.jpg
Another Sweet Honey clone, this time as a birthday present for a mate .
http://i.imgur.com/A0SIeGo.jpg
An MXR Dyna Comp clone. Effective, but not sure if it's quite my sort of comp, might try an optical style one next.
http://i.imgur.com/1QXN6dN.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/VhF4ZTz.jpg
....and my favourite so far... a Sun Face clone. I've used ASX12D Germanium transistors. The sun dial control can take you to some really glitchy and gated fuzz sounds. The main board is on the right and the board on the left is a to reverse the polarity so I can use it with a negative centre power supply.  
http://i.imgur.com/XqiT37j.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/NhEDaia.jpg

At the moment I'm sticking with vero board. It's not always that pretty, but I like the total DIY aspect and it start to get expensive when buying kits with PCBs. Just finishing a Phase 45 with a univibe mod and bias/mix controls and next on my list is a monster univide build... the Madbean Harbinger One! Just need to try and remember to fit in some guitar playing.

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Comments

  • Adam_MDAdam_MD Frets: 3420
    Looking good it's unbelievably addictive when you catch the bug :-) 

    I started with vero as well but moved onto pcbs for the ease of building and neatness.  You can also buy the pcbs without buying a whole kit to save a few quid.  Going with pcb only ends up costing a few pounds more than vero if you source your own parts.  

    I do still use vero occasionally if I can't find a pcb for the circuit I want to build but the off board wiring is a pain in the ass.  

    Vero 
    http://i.imgur.com/GwDso3F.jpg

    PCB
    http://i.imgur.com/5ZzOBQy.jpg

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  • OctafishOctafish Frets: 1937
    Those look cool. The PCBs do look very neat and tidy, where do you get them from, Fuzz Dog? What sort of hook up wire are you using? I got some stuf from Rapid Electronics and was a bit concerned it might be too thin, although I haven't appeared to have any issues with it.

    The next thing I want to attempt is adding graphics to the enclosures. Not sure what the best approach is, have you done any?
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  • Adam_MDAdam_MD Frets: 3420
    Octafish said:
    Those look cool. The PCBs do look very neat and tidy, where do you get them from, Fuzz Dog? What sort of hook up wire are you using? I got some stuf from Rapid Electronics and was a bit concerned it might be too thin, although I haven't appeared to have any issues with it.

    The next thing I want to attempt is adding graphics to the enclosures. Not sure what the best approach is, have you done any?
    I get my wire from bitsbox it's pretty cheap. 

    https://www.bitsbox.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=200_202&products_id=1468&zenid=7acgeal1k9s0oknad5imr8t8i5

    The easiest method I have for decals is Juansolo and Cleggys technique of self adhesive labels covered in envirotex.  They have an excellent guide at John's site

    http://juansolo.co.uk/stompage/finishing.html

    Ive used water slide decals and clear coat in the past but have never gotten remotely as good a finish as I have using envirotex.

    http://i.imgur.com/OEZ82SN.jpg
    http://i.imgur.com/38lP1E9.jpg
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  • KalimnaKalimna Frets: 1534
    Very nice, neat wiring especially - whereabouts do you get your enclosures from, and do you buy them pre-drilled? I have started up (thanks to tagboardeffects.co.uk) a few builds, and currently posting in the debugging section about a Ross Phaser and Green Giant build.
    So far, ive had varied success (WH Red Llama - good, Lovepedal - Woodrow - good, Madbean Cave Dweller delay - very good, Phaser - it phases, but not fabulously, Green Giant - lovely saturated tone with an ineffective control), but have only used the plain metal enclosures, and find that drilling the holes out to be the most frustrating part of the whole process.

    Got a few more planned, once I get the phaser re-built. Im having issues with the vref, apparently...

    Cheers,
    Adam

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  • Adam_MDAdam_MD Frets: 3420
    For 1590b I buy mine powder coated from cpc, rs or farnell depending on who's cheapest at the time.  For 1590bb I either buy plain aluminium from bitsbox or Banzai if I want it already finished.

    Drilling enclosures was a complete nightmare until I bought an automatic centre punch, a pillar drill and step drill bits.  From memory I think they cost about £100 all in but they've been totally worth it as I haven't messed up an enclosure since.  

    My wiring became a lot neater once I started planning builds properly instead of being really excited to get it working and just trying to throw it into the box.  Once you get a system that works for you everything starts to fall into place and each build is a little bit neater than the last.

    Stick with it and you will get better by August I'll have been building for 2 years and the difference between my early builds and now is huge both in terms of build and sound quality.  
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  • I'm really interested to try a build, if nothing else because I am so bored at work and there's a workshop I could probably use! Where's the best place to start/whats a good first effect? I quite fancy building an EP booster if that's a good start.
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  • Adam_MDAdam_MD Frets: 3420
    If you want to try an ep booster as a first build I'd order a complete kit from pedal parts with a pre drilled enclosure and a board mounted pot it's about as stress free a build as you could have.  Works out to £34.

    http://shop.pedalparts.co.uk/EPic_Boost/p847124_9589757.aspx

    The alternative would be a bitsbox kit which is a bit cheaper though will involve drilling the enclosure yourself and wiring up the pot, switches etc offboard which isn't quite as noob friendly.  It's £12.73 and you'll have to buy an enclosure and drill it yourself.

    https://www.bitsbox.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=280_281&products_id=2497
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  • @Adam_MD Cheers! I'll look into it!
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  • KalimnaKalimna Frets: 1534

    Thanks for the info - I already have a pillar dril and centre punch, but have been using ordinary drill bits (though not cheap ones). I think it is time to invest in some step drills - any brand to go for or avoid?

    I'll look out for some more enclosures - so far I have just used plain aluminium from eBay (whichever cheapest at the time) and I'd like them to start looking a little less 'homemade'. I have an airbrush, so might have a go with that and clear coat with one of the clear epoxies.

    Regarding first builds, you could do worse than the Lovepedal Woodrow. A very small circuit, tweakable, and it works. You would have to buy the bits separately, however.

    http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/lovepedal-woodrow.html

    Cheers,

    Adam

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  • OctafishOctafish Frets: 1937
    Adam_MD said:


    The easiest method I have for decals is Juansolo and Cleggys technique of self adhesive labels covered in envirotex.  They have an excellent guide at John's site
    Cheers, that looks a good method. It doesn't specifically say, but I assume they/you use transparent printer labels in an inkjet printer?
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  • KalimnaKalimna Frets: 1534
    I havent tried their method (or in fact *any* method for covering the enclosure yet - still working on the innards!), but I have read the page and I seem to recall (and am happy to be corrected) that inkjet didnt work, but laser did, as far as decal paper is concerned. I think there was a compatibility issue with the inkjet ink.

    Adam
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  • Adam_MDAdam_MD Frets: 3420
    Octafish said:
    Adam_MD said:


    The easiest method I have for decals is Juansolo and Cleggys technique of self adhesive labels covered in envirotex.  They have an excellent guide at John's site
    Cheers, that looks a good method. It doesn't specifically say, but I assume they/you use transparent printer labels in an inkjet printer?
    Yeah transparent or white self adhesive injet paper works fine.  I get mine from amazon I think it's about £20 for 100 sheets.  Once that's on you can envirotex over the top.  
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  • OctafishOctafish Frets: 1937
    edited October 2017
    Finally got round to taking some photos of my pedal graphics/art. Followed @juansolo great guide, although I've been using spray can laquer rather than envirotex with some pretty good results. Here's some that I've done over the last fews months

    Lovepedal Les Lius and EHX Small Stone clones...

    https://i.imgur.com/om01nhe.jpg

    Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive, Mayer Axis Fuzz and Ge Sun Face clones...

    https://i.imgur.com/N0Qe3Cu.jpg


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  • Adam_MDAdam_MD Frets: 3420
    They look really good do you have any gut shots?  I like pedal innards :-)

    you should give envirotex a go when you get a chance it really gives a wonderful gloss and is incredibly hard wearing.  
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  • OctafishOctafish Frets: 1937
    edited October 2017
    Cheers, gut shot of the Sun Face below.... will try and get some others. I was a bit inspired by juansolo/cleggys spin on the Small Stone graphics. Will give the envirotex a go at some point. I got impatient with ordering and waiting for some to turn up and tried a can of clear laquer I had to hand and was rather surprised by how well it worked.

    AC128 (82hFE) in Q1 and ASX12D (120hFE) in Q2
    https://i.imgur.com/sJahreb.jpg


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  • OctafishOctafish Frets: 1937
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  • OctafishOctafish Frets: 1937
    edited July 2018
    Here's my latest build... a Dead Astronuat Chasm, my first reverb build. I wanted to build something using a Belton brick (used in a lots of expensive 'booteek' reverb pedals) as I like the deep, otherworldly sound they seem to give. The Belton brick actually appers to be a load of delay chips giving a faux reverb sound, but offers something a bit more immersive and cruder (in an appealing way) than say a Polara.

    I had to use a deeper enclosure to squeeze it all in, see gut shots. This build has a buffered bypass, enabling the reverb tails to die out naturally when bypassing. The switch enables it to self-oscillate, which can be controlled quite effectively with the mix control and offers some interesting droney feedback effects to play with/over. I'm thinking about adding a jack to enable a non-latching footswitch to be connected to control the self-oscillation. Also need to do some artwork at some point, bit bland to look at at the moment....   I'd definitely recommend having a go at this one. Build guide/layout here


    ^ I made a socket out of a cut down 14 Dil IC socket to avoid having to solder the Belton brick and allow for easier swap for a longer/shorter reverb brick.


    ^ Extra deep enclosure

    https://i.imgur.com/r03fWsc.jpg


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  • PhiltrePhiltre Frets: 4164
    Oohh, more pedal porn! :-)

    Nice, I've always wondered about those Belton bricks. Where did you get yours from?
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  • OctafishOctafish Frets: 1937
    Philtre said:
    Oohh, more pedal porn! :-)

    Nice, I've always wondered about those Belton bricks. Where did you get yours from?
    Cheers, I've added a couple more pics. I ended up having to pay over the odds to get one from Thonk.co.uk as Fuzzdog were out of stock and they can take ages to restock and I was impatient. As per Sods law, as soon as it turned up, Fuzzdog were back in stock.
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  • OctafishOctafish Frets: 1937
    A few more things I've built completed recently....

    Harbinger Univibe pedal. This one has been in progress for some time as it took a while to find the right bulb and get round to wiring the thing up. From what I can deduce, it is a clone of the Deja Vibe? Had to fiddle around with the trim pots a bit, but now sounds great. Has vintage and modern voicing, vibrato/chorus switch and 3 way switch giving three different models of univibe.


    Hudson Broadcast. This is the based on the orginal 3 pot/single footswitch model. I used an extra footswith in place of the low/high gain toggle switch. I've used CV7005 Ge transistor with low leakage and around 50 hFE. I'm very pleased with this, sounds great from shimmering low gain chords to full on fuzz like drive. Might become my main live drive pedal.


    A couple more fuzzes I finished a while ago. Thought I posted, by can't find anywhere. The Goatfuzz is a silicon/high gain fuzz clone of the Escobedo Tripple Fuzz, can get a bit splatty maxed out. The Shatner's Basson is clone of the Damn Buzzotron/Buzzaround, a truly epic Ge fuzz. This has replaced my Sun Face build as my favourite fuzz at the moment, really cuts through the mix.

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