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Any DIY pedal builders on TB? Strut your stuff!
- Thread starter SubHuman
- Start date
Wow, really learning here. I should probably re-read this entire thread at this point. I did notice that some stuff looked upside down on your board...so it doesn't matter what side I solder a component to as long as the connection is correct (obviously some components have polarity that needs to be taken into account).
Also, I totally get it now. That stupid little BYOC classic fuzz has quickly become the only pedal I want to play. The pride of making one of these (even though it is essentially a paint by number kind of electronics project) is immense. I never looked down on DIY boards, but I didn't get it...now I feel the opposite way - a circuit is a circuit and if I can build one on the cheap vs hunting down something hard to get, I'd rather have my own version - can't wait to get into mods and really understanding what changes to make to get what results. I'm still absorbing as much as I can on forums and through books and youtube, but I am also splitting my attention around look and branding. I really love how so many of you have a real consistent look to your work.
- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,638
- Disclosures
- John K Custom Basses
for my most recent Klon modded for bass, these are the mods that i used:
here's what it sounds like:
here's what it sounds like:
You will never look at effects the same again, lol. ALL great guys here. I haven’t found my nitch in the art department. I suck at art. Lack of imagination. I struggle drawing a stick man. There are some great ideas and artists in this thread. I’m giving screen printing a try at the moment. Probably not going to go that route though. I’m finding that it’s hard to be consistent and get good results. To many variables. I think I have found a system that works for me through other means. I’m still perfecting it.
Before you know it you will have 60 fuzz ,distortion and OD pedals. For some reason they multiply like rabbits. Best of luck to ya,
Matt
Out of all of the pcb manufacturer's that I've tried out, LectricFX's tripidity bypass board has been my favorite. Having symmetrical power, ground, and LED locations available on both sides is really user friendly for custom layouts.
deepestend
Commercial User
- Feb 21, 2003
- 6,249
- 8,171
- Disclosures
- Website and Social Media at Sadowsky
It can be very satisfying. You'll get a sense of what you can change to suit things to your needs and you'll get a sense of what is possible when you build different circuits. Also, what's not possible. I realized that a digital envelope filter (Source Audio) is way better than an analog one. At least for me.
You'll have that one time, though, when everything is a total pain in the ass! Have to push through it, though.
they do tend to multiply 
It's just a really nice hobby: electronics, music, crafts, art, all in one
Also unpopular opinion, as long as i keep building pedals, i won't splurge on new basses. Lesser of two evils.
i'm going down the waterslide decal path soon.
Been mostly laser engraving and hand painting.
It's just a really nice hobby: electronics, music, crafts, art, all in one
Also unpopular opinion, as long as i keep building pedals, i won't splurge on new basses. Lesser of two evils.
i'm going down the waterslide decal path soon.
Been mostly laser engraving and hand painting.
ProTone Body Rot II on stripboard into a 125B.
This pedal has a tight focused distortion tone that would be great for heavy metal guitar. It's lacking low end, so I don't recommend it on bass.
This was the last LM386 distortion on my build list. Ranked from most favorite to least favorite:
Frantone Lo Tone Fuzz, easily the best pick for bass.
Frantone Peach Fuzz, holds the low end very well but has a trebly harmonically rich distortion better suited for guitarist.
ProTone Body Rot II, tight focused distortion that lacks lows.
Fuzzdog Sunn T AMZ, least appealing distortion tone of the pack, yet has better lows than the Body Rot.
PaulintheLab Nintendetar, simple bitcrusher with a coarse tone and lacking controls.
Words of encouragement to others, this pedal has been by biggest art fail to date. Failed four times before it turned into something nice. My first bad idea was to reuse a spray bottle nozzle to squirt paint onto the enclosure. Result was a big mess that wasted a lot of paint. I went through the morale crushing labor of sanding the box back to bare aluminum and starting over. Second bad idea was to water down the paint and squirt it with the nozzle set to MIST mode. First layer of red and yellow turned out nice, but the second layer of blue and purple bled together with the first layer into a gross mess that looked like spilt soup. Fortunately, that washed off easily. Abandoned the spray nozzle idea as it was a total failure. I needed a break from this box so I gave it to my daughter. She came up a 'diamond' theme and started by painting the box ice blue. Then painted over it with sapphire blue. Then realized ice blue was a better choice for making a diamond and painted over it again. Her next step was to paint a 3D geometric diamond using black paint. It didn't turn out as expected. To salvage the concept, I suggested painting color streaks radiating outward like looking into a gemstone. Viola! Unexpected result is now called 'star burst'! Took a collaborative effort between two people and toughing it out through several failures before reaching pleasing results.
This pedal has a tight focused distortion tone that would be great for heavy metal guitar. It's lacking low end, so I don't recommend it on bass.
This was the last LM386 distortion on my build list. Ranked from most favorite to least favorite:
Frantone Lo Tone Fuzz, easily the best pick for bass.
Frantone Peach Fuzz, holds the low end very well but has a trebly harmonically rich distortion better suited for guitarist.
ProTone Body Rot II, tight focused distortion that lacks lows.
Fuzzdog Sunn T AMZ, least appealing distortion tone of the pack, yet has better lows than the Body Rot.
PaulintheLab Nintendetar, simple bitcrusher with a coarse tone and lacking controls.
Words of encouragement to others, this pedal has been by biggest art fail to date. Failed four times before it turned into something nice. My first bad idea was to reuse a spray bottle nozzle to squirt paint onto the enclosure. Result was a big mess that wasted a lot of paint. I went through the morale crushing labor of sanding the box back to bare aluminum and starting over. Second bad idea was to water down the paint and squirt it with the nozzle set to MIST mode. First layer of red and yellow turned out nice, but the second layer of blue and purple bled together with the first layer into a gross mess that looked like spilt soup. Fortunately, that washed off easily. Abandoned the spray nozzle idea as it was a total failure. I needed a break from this box so I gave it to my daughter. She came up a 'diamond' theme and started by painting the box ice blue. Then painted over it with sapphire blue. Then realized ice blue was a better choice for making a diamond and painted over it again. Her next step was to paint a 3D geometric diamond using black paint. It didn't turn out as expected. To salvage the concept, I suggested painting color streaks radiating outward like looking into a gemstone. Viola! Unexpected result is now called 'star burst'! Took a collaborative effort between two people and toughing it out through several failures before reaching pleasing results.
Mammoth Electronics Bermuda Tremolo freebie from StompBoxParts.
Based on EHX Pulsar. Built this using salvaged footswitch and several salvaged capacitors.
Kid painted, feline approved. The art and the inspiration:
Based on EHX Pulsar. Built this using salvaged footswitch and several salvaged capacitors.
Kid painted, feline approved. The art and the inspiration:
Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
- 23,079
- 46,037
- Disclosures
- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
Today on the Passinwind Supersecret Workbench:
This is the first release candidate for an OSHpark shared variable high pass filter. It should be a pretty easy build for those with a little experience hand soldering relatively large SMDs. Suggestions welcome on an enclosure, the board is ~ 2.15 x 1.08 inches (54.5 x 27.4 mm) at the moment but I'm still comtemplating adding a volume control and a beefier output stage.
This is the first release candidate for an OSHpark shared variable high pass filter. It should be a pretty easy build for those with a little experience hand soldering relatively large SMDs. Suggestions welcome on an enclosure, the board is ~ 2.15 x 1.08 inches (54.5 x 27.4 mm) at the moment but I'm still comtemplating adding a volume control and a beefier output stage.
Clean riff:
Thru Klon:
Thru Klon with @johnk_10 's mods:
For both: gain is maxed, tone at half, volume maxed.
Thru Klon:
Thru Klon with @johnk_10 's mods:
For both: gain is maxed, tone at half, volume maxed.
Machine de Réverbération - another PCB from Moonn. He's a DBA fan, it seems. Here he implemented 2 mods or additions:
Feedback: the added feedback loop gives even longer and washier reverb and can go into self oscillation. I put that mod on an on/off toggle switch with it's own pilot light. It's really cool to have it on, around the sweet spot where it just doesn't do the run away oscillation thing.
Dry Kill: I put this one on a footswitch (also with pilot light). Gives pretty spooky sounds from deep down the cave.
Love it!
Feedback: the added feedback loop gives even longer and washier reverb and can go into self oscillation. I put that mod on an on/off toggle switch with it's own pilot light. It's really cool to have it on, around the sweet spot where it just doesn't do the run away oscillation thing.
Dry Kill: I put this one on a footswitch (also with pilot light). Gives pretty spooky sounds from deep down the cave.
Love it!
Sharing stripboard layouts by request
Frantone LoTone Fuzz
Protone Body Rot II
Frantone LoTone Fuzz
Protone Body Rot II
It's been a while since I've checked this thread out. You all have been busy! There's some awesome stuff here all around, thanks for sharing.
I had shoulder surgery a few weeks back and have only now just been able to start soldering again. I have 10 fully assembled PCBs and no enclosures that are ready for them!
Just before the surgery, however, I finished this Dizzy Tone clone for a friend and thought it came out pretty good.
joe
I had shoulder surgery a few weeks back and have only now just been able to start soldering again. I have 10 fully assembled PCBs and no enclosures that are ready for them!
Just before the surgery, however, I finished this Dizzy Tone clone for a friend and thought it came out pretty good.
joe
deepestend
Commercial User
- Feb 21, 2003
- 6,249
- 8,171
- Disclosures
- Website and Social Media at Sadowsky
I was thinking the same thing. Hope recovery is going well. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't solder for a few weeks. Good luck with your recovery.
I feel you on the OD. They never seem to meet my expectations. They bring the aggressiveness but seem to lack some girth or grind. I dunno.
I like boost pedals a lot, but the Vario is easily the MVP of all of the pedals I've built in terms of actual usability. Anyone who asks about having something built I always suggest it. It sounds boring but once people spend some time with it they all rave. I know you've got a lot of experience with pedals, so I'm sure you're aware of it, but I just thought I'd mention it in case you haven't tried one.
joe
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