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Any DIY pedal builders on TB? Strut your stuff!

#1,181
I can't wait to do another. I liked the kit because it was all there...but if I wanted to try a non-kit, what's the move? Find the BOM and then try to buy all the parts from one source? I can see wanting to try to build a bunch of things...when you buy a resistor or any part, do you usually buy just what you need or do you get extras? Obviously economies of scale, but I'm not looking to start a company, just build a bunch of interesting projects and eventually learn more about why things do what they do and how to breadboard circuits to try out.

Also, what's the preferred spot these days (in US) now that smallbear is going bye bye?
 
#1,186
cosmicevan said:
I can't wait to do another. I liked the kit because it was all there...but if I wanted to try a non-kit, what's the move? Find the BOM and then try to buy all the parts from one source? I can see wanting to try to build a bunch of things...when you buy a resistor or any part, do you usually buy just what you need or do you get extras? Obviously economies of scale, but I'm not looking to start a company, just build a bunch of interesting projects and eventually learn more about why things do what they do and how to breadboard circuits to try out.

Also, what's the preferred spot these days (in US) now that smallbear is going bye bye?
Click to expand...

Look up Tagboard.blogspot.com and dirtboxlayouts.blogspot.com , both are a wealth of information and where I ended up after building my first kit. Always order more than what you need , a lot of thing like resistors are cheap . I started out with a resistor kit and a capacitor kit. Lots of different values . Ask a lot of questions. This is highly addictive.
I started with kit building then stripboard then etching my own pcbs and now I’m using Eagle and ordering my own. It’s enjoyable, there are a lot of good people in the diy world but…… it isn’t cheap. I wouldn’t even want to add up how much I have spent and how much surplus I have laying around, lol.
As Fuzzonaut said, Welcome to the rabbit hole. I think your gonna enjoy it.
Matt
 
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#1,187
mdalamond said:
Look up Tagboard.blogspot.com and dirtboxlayouts.blogspot.com , both are a wealth of information and where I ended up after building my first kit. Always order more than what you need , a lot of thing like resistors are cheap . I started out with a resistor kit and a capacitor kit. Lots of different values . Ask a lot of questions. This is highly addictive.
I started with kit building then stripboard then etching my own pcbs and now I’m using Eagle and ordering my own. It’s enjoyable, there are a lot of good people in the diy world but…… it isn’t cheap. I wouldn’t even want to add up how much I have spent and how much surplus I have laying around, lol.
As Fuzzonaut said, Welcome to the rabbit hole. I think your gonna enjoy it.
Matt
Click to expand...

Buying pedals built by others isn’t cheap either and although resale on a DIY is garbage, I didn’t get into pedals to make money…I did it to make noise! I am excited to hopefully get to the level of being able to build some of the Dunwich DIYs and other circuits that either I can’t find or won’t pay the asking prices on. I would love to get to the point of making my own stuff and/or knowing what to mod to change things to meet my tastes.

thanks for all the guidance and inspiration. Love this thread. I think next I will dive down the rabbit hole of pedal art ideas.
 
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#1,188
IMG_20211008_192721.jpg

A fuzz pedal I built recently

Based off the Mid-Fi Demo tape fuzz, but instead of TL072, I used a JRC4558
 
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#1,189
I've been building my pedals always allowing for a 9v battery clip. But it's getting annoying to have to always test for the dc plug shunt contacts and also the (frequent) botch-jobs where i attach com to the sleeve rather than the ring terminal on the input jack.

I think i'll forgo the battery clips from now on. Can just use all mono plugs too.
 
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#1,191
bellebasaur said:
@johnk_10 I saw you did a mod on the Klon :jawdrop:

I recently made one but while it had a great range of sounds on the guitar, it was quite underwhelming with my bass.
Here's my Klon build, "meme pedal"
View attachment 4436234
Click to expand...

I have a bass klon made properly for bass and I just never really took to the mid bump. That bump is the nature of the klon sound and just isn't right for bass IMO. Doesn't sound bad, just not what I personally like.
 
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#1,192
deepestend said:
I have a bass klon made properly for bass and I just never really took to the mid bump. That bump is the nature of the klon sound and just isn't right for bass IMO. Doesn't sound bad, just not what I personally like.
Click to expand...

That's interesting. The input and output high passes in the klon shouldn't affect a bass.
Maybe that low pass in the middle in parallel with the gain op-amp needs to have the frequency increased.
I have a 1kohm and 1uF, that should pass anything below 150hz, thinking of decreasing that resistance...
No clue what would be a sweet spot tho.

Can you share what you've done?
 
#1,193
bellebasaur said:
That's interesting. The input and output high passes in the klon shouldn't affect a bass.
Maybe that low pass in the middle in parallel with the gain op-amp needs to have the frequency increased.
I have a 1kohm and 1uF, that should pass anything below 150hz, thinking of decreasing that resistance...
No clue what would be a sweet spot tho.

Can you share what you've done?
Click to expand...

I need to look it up! But here's the thread where JohnK talks about the component changes he made: Klon/Klone mods for bass?
 
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#1,194
Here's a summary of threads from madbean that discuss the klon bass klone mods:

1. Minimalist: just change the input cap (Kingslayer for bass? and Applying Sunking bass mod values to Kingslayer?)

2. Mostly IC's: change out the IC's, 2 caps and 1 resistor (which - interestingly - doesn't include the input cap (Klon/Klone mods for bass?))

3. Sunking II: change out 12 caps and 1 resistor (which - again - doesn't include the input cap (Applying Sunking bass mod values to Kingslayer?)

Sorry to just dump these threads here... I made mine a while ago and did most of these mods. I can't really speak to the changes here on the same technical level you seem to be on! If you figure it out, let me know.

JR
 
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#1,195
Smash Box

It's the Soy Sauce PCB from Lectric FX, based on the (old) DOD Meatbox schematic. This time, I could compare my build to what it's based on, as I have (and love) the RI Meatbox and the Smash Box is pretty much spot on. The Meatbox is a little bit louder, but the other 3 knobs gave the same sounds when put in the same positions.

MB.jpeg


MBG.jpeg
 
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#1,196
deepestend said:
Here's a summary of threads from madbean that discuss the klon bass klone mods:

1. Minimalist: just change the input cap (Kingslayer for bass? and Applying Sunking bass mod values to Kingslayer?)

2. Mostly IC's: change out the IC's, 2 caps and 1 resistor (which - interestingly - doesn't include the input cap (Klon/Klone mods for bass?))

3. Sunking II: change out 12 caps and 1 resistor (which - again - doesn't include the input cap (Applying Sunking bass mod values to Kingslayer?)

Sorry to just dump these threads here... I made mine a while ago and did most of these mods. I can't really speak to the changes here on the same technical level you seem to be on! If you figure it out, let me know.

JR
Click to expand...


THANKIES~ I have some reading to do now :D
I might make a modified klon too, maybe. Ok probably.

How do yall share sound files?
 
#1,198
Lately I've just given up on OD's. I can't get them to sound like I want. They all just sound a tad thin. Tried the Benson preamp (son of ben), Klon Klone, and others. I really prefer using a Muff for a bigger od sound. I've found that if you turn the muff vol up midway, Sustain/Fuzz just a little one, and turn your instrument vol halfway, you can ride the vol knob on your bass for more overdriven sounds.

Anyway, been working on a Hoof clone that I like a lot. Great, thick, sustain and can get very saturated at low levels. I ended up buying a completed clone pedal off of reverb and then gutting/modding it. I bought a finished one to save some time, but by the time I was finished with it, I might as well have started from scratch.

I changed out the clipping and coupling caps, did some tonestack cap switches, and put in Green LEDs for clipping. I have a thread about it on pedalpcb: https://forum.pedalpcb.com/threads/ungula-fuzz-for-bass-guitar.8531/
 
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#1,199
Fuzzonaut said:
Smash Box

It's the Soy Sauce PCB from Lectric FX, based on the (old) DOD Meatbox schematic. This time, I could compare my build to what it's based on, as I have (and love) the RI Meatbox and the Smash Box is pretty much spot on. The Meatbox is a little bit louder, but the other 3 knobs gave the same sounds when put in the same positions.

View attachment 4439015

View attachment 4439016
Click to expand...


Seeing these gut shots is a totally different experience for me now. I like that you bent the leads out a big on the jack…what a good idea….I struggled with that part.
 
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#1,200
cosmicevan said:
Seeing these gut shots is a totally different experience for me now. I like that you bent the leads out a big on the jack…what a good idea….I struggled with that part.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that was a tight fit all around. I even unsoldered a Wima cap and put it on the other side of the pcb, so that I could use the footswitch board that has LED pads on both sides, which was very handy for the 2 pilot lights.

And I like those Lumberg jacks, bending the signal lead is a habit now.
 
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