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Effects pedals

Finbarbass

Finbarbass

May 19, 2014
5
0
#1
Hi,
I want to build effects pedals over the coming summer. I am new to effects pedals and don't really know which ones to make. So is there anyone out there who has been where I am now and who has any suggestions on what pedals I should make? also if anyone knows of any schematics and parts lists of the pedals that would be great!

Many thanks
C
 
#2
What I did was get a kit for something on general guitar gadgets dot com.

The kits are kinda like "paint by numbers." It gets you into a zone and comfortable with soldering and stuff.

My biggest tip when building is to be patient. Its OK to walk away from a build and clear your head after staring at small components for hours.

I'd start simple with a boost or a simple fuzz circuit.

Good luck! Its addicting.
 
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#4
Easy one to start is a Super Hard On clone... Or just look over some schematics or layouts for simple looking ones and, more importantly, easy to find parts.

Just a suggestion: don't try a 1590a enclosure for your first build.
 
#7
If I were you I would buy a few of the BYOC designs and build those first. As you build them see if you can find points where you could mod them and add features that many of us could find useful. I would focus on a few more complicated kits as well. Just about anyone can build a fuzz pedal. Now an octave divider can be a whole other story...

Then look around here and see what you hear people asking for. For example, there was a thread commenting on the new Big muff deluxe and how it didn't have a mix/blend knob, etc.

I think there is as much work to be had modding some classic designs as there is making your own stuff. Just look at AnalogMan and Keeley.

I would say, also, and I have no idea if you are doing this for a business or if you are doing it for fun, but if it's for the former, to shine through you really need to do something different. There are already too many big muff clones or fuzz face clones or Ross compressor clones. See if you can find something more ignored. Like no one has done (to my knowledge) a clone of the Mutron phaser circuits.

Have fun and good luck.
 
#11
Finbarbass said:
Instead of buying the circuit boards for the pedals can I use bread boards?
Click to expand...

You could, but after a couple days, it may grow a bit of mold :laugh:

in all serious though, bread boards could be used in the development process, so if you want to test different values of IC's and see what changes it will exhibit, a bread board would be useful since you can just push and pull the ICs. however, I wouldn't use it if its going into an actual stomp box that will be used in an actual playable setting.
 

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