Difficulty of BYOC?

[nmancusi10]

Hey guys, how difficult is it to build one of these pedals? I have no experience with electronics of any kind, but when I was a kid I built a lot of aircraft models . Could it be done in a dorm room with a soldering iron and nothing else? Are the instructions in-depth? What are the odds that I ruin everything with a slip of the hand or one missed direction? Sry if this has been covered before, I couldn't find any relevant threads.
Thanks!

[MooseLumps]

Fairly intensive... the instructions are on the website for you to read... mostly getting all the details exactly right is all. the soldering is no more difficult than other soldering... My moog theremin was similar in difficulty, but the board was almost completely assembled when I got it.

if you take your time and study the hell out of it, there is no reason you shouldn't be able to get it right the first time

Doubts? order the confidence booster and tester first... I think that they come with any full pedal anyway...

[TrevorOfDoom]

my board used to be entirely populated with BYOC products. their instructions are extremely detailed and well done. it turns an electronic project into a paint-by-numbers.
very very easy.
just take your time. patience is your friend.

[Alfie]

Originally Posted by TrevorOfDoom

patience is your friend.

+1, especially when it comes to finishing the enclosures.

I found BYOC very easy to follow. In fact I probably enjoy the process of putting them together more than I do playing with them (although that is also excellent).

[Chris V.]

I was impatient and tried doing it all in one go. Don't do that, whatever you do... I ended up wasting money and time on it.

All in all, I wouldn't do it again.

[rratajski]

I am a www.generalguitargadgets.com fan. I like JD's layouts better as well as the orientation for the input/output jacks, the placement of the PCB and pots, and the price!

[nmancusi10]

I checked out the instructions on the site and it seems simple enough, but could anyone point me towards a resource that would explain to me in depth how to go about "adding the resistors" and "adding the capacitors?"

[Ryan Mohr]

Originally Posted by TrevorOfDoom

my board used to be entirely populated with BYOC products. their instructions are extremely detailed and well done. it turns an electronic project into a paint-by-numbers.
very very easy.
just take your time. patience is your friend.

Did you not like their products?

[Swimming Bird]

I built my first one in my dorm basement. I would really suggest a pair of 'helping hands' -- alligator clips on a stand that can hold the board and double as a heat sink.

They can be done in one go -- the Lazy Sprocket only took me about 3 hours -- but be prepared to be frustrated your first time if you've never soldered a PCB before.

I think they still include the 'Confidence Boost' with your first purchase. It's a simple clean boost without an enclosure to get you in the groove for other projects. Definitely a good choice to do first.

Also, I would suggest a circuits class if you're in engineering or physics (or otherwise have the math prereqs) so you can really understand what each component does. BYOC kits usually have a couple alternate parts and it's nice to know the real difference.

Best of luck on your first BYOC. They can be a character building experience, but it's worth it.

[rratajski]

Originally Posted by nmancusi10

I checked out the instructions on the site and it seems simple enough, but could anyone point me towards a resource that would explain to me in depth how to go about "adding the resistors" and "adding the capacitors?"

Use a google search and type in quotes "how to solder" or "how to solder PCB"...there are a zillion websites that will walk you through how to do it...

The best way to learn is to find a friend or family friend w/ soldering experience and take on the task together!

Originally Posted by nmancusi10

I checked out the instructions on the site and it seems simple enough, but could anyone point me towards a resource that would explain to me in depth how to go about "adding the resistors" and "adding the capacitors?"

In my opinion, if you don't know how the basic stuff works you should stay away from BYOC for now. Most people should just buy a finished product.

The instructions are quite good, and you will probably find pictures of what you have to do on the web somewhere. Theoretically it works without knowing what you are actually doing, however in practice you will have to get the soldering right and if the thing doesn't work right when you're done you are probably stuck.

I tried the BYOC confidence booster and the BYOC envelope filter as a father & son project with my father being the expert. We had a great time and I learned quite a few things but our interest and patience was limited, so now I have a working confidence booster and a Filter that needs some attention from a pro, it kinda works but the actual effect seems to be a bit weak.....

Anyway, I'm done with all that, and if anyone wants my BYOC stuff (provided as-is) just send me a message and I'll send it to you for free (+ my actual shipping costs from Germany)

[rratajski]

Hey SpiritualBass...
I did the father-son thing too when I learned how to solder. We did the GGG muff together. It took 6 hours, but I learned!!!
If no one on here will take a look at your pedal (and someone probably will), email BYOC and ask them to recommend someone to assist you. I had to do that w/ a GGG muff that was f'd up and JD hooked me up w/ someone to do the troubleshooting and correct the issue.

Also, take a picture and post it up here...one of us might see the issue (solder bridge, etc.) and give you some insight. If you get the pics up, please take pictures of the top and bottom of the board and don't forget the jack pics too.