ekoldr Posted May 6, 2007 Share Posted May 6, 2007 I was wondering how many of you guys like to build DIY guitar pedals and how a guy like me might get started. I am taking a Studio Maintenance Class in school and am thinking about starting to build my own pedals. Any suggestions, tips, or Tricks? I am known as Valentinez Alkalinella Xifax Sicidabohertz Gombigobilla Blue Stradivari Talentrent Pierre Andri Charton Haymoss Ivanovici Baldeus George Doitzel Kaiser the Third Dont hesitate to call Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MILLO Posted May 6, 2007 Share Posted May 6, 2007 you might want to start w/ something like this: http://www.buildyourownclone.com/ I know horsecrap about electronics, so that's as far as my tip-giving can go. "Without music, life would be a mistake." --from 'Beyond Good and Evil', by Friedrich Nietzsche My MySpace Space Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoes Posted May 6, 2007 Share Posted May 6, 2007 You know... it's interesting how few people seem to do this now compared to years past and it's likely as a result of the digital transformation in effects technology. With the vintage effects being all the rage now it's likely more prudent to invest in some knowledge and know how so you can construct effects that are priced beyond the average musicians income. I built all of my first effects as a kid and gathered as many dead boxes as I could for parts especially those old Royal Fuzz/Wah pedals that sounded bad but had good parts. I saw the custom units made for Gilmore and others and wanted to construct my own floor unit and even used letraset sheets to label the buttons and knobs. For a start today I'd suggest searching out one of the many DIY suppliers who provide ready made PC boards ($15-$25 typically). It speeds up the project, removes confusion and increases reliability. They list complete component lists you can take to The Source or any electronics supplier and typically require little more than soldering skills. There are some projects that require meters and scopes to set timing and biasing and I'd avoid those to start out. It's great to see most of the original pedals that are highly sought by musicians listed in complete detail so you can effectively clone them with little or no discernible change in sound quality. The exceptions are those pedals that integrated ICs or tubes that were discontinued due to quality or reliability issues. Those seem to be the pedals that are most highly valued because of their "unique" characteristics. Moronic in my opinion. It's best to start off with simple overdrive, distortion pedals or a 9v power supply and then try some oscillation or timing effects. Keep me posted on what you're doing and I wish you luck with that. pk I still think guitars are like shoes, but louder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junior 1 Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 There was a guy on Ebay selling Fuzz boxes in Altoid tins! I contacted him and asked if he'd sell the innards. He would for $30. He had various boxes in different popular tins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudcat Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 Here are a couple of good links to check out on this subject: diystompboxes.com diyguitarist.com Mudcat's music on Soundclick "Work hard. Rock hard. Eat hard. Sleep hard. Grow big. Wear glasses if you need 'em."-The Webb Wilder Credo- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiac82 Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 Here another: http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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