small stone.......recommended?

[lightningfingers]

im about to embark on something more complicated (got sick of distortions)
than usual.
however the small stone is way harder than anything ive ever attempted,      
and ive never done a pcb before, how hard is it to solder one?
should i try something simpler first?

[Mark Hammer]

I would strongly recommend the Ross Phaser layout that Francisco Pena has at Tonepad.  It is more or less the same type of phaser, can be modded in many delightful ways, and is a substantially cheaper/easier build than the Small Stone.  The CA3094's for a "classic" SS are bloody hard to find and pricey when you do.  The LM13600's for the Ross unit do the same thing for a fraction of the cost and are more readily available.  Francisco's "Piedrita" clone of the SS works fine, but there are a LOT of chips and transistors on that board, a LOT of soldering, and a lot of tight spaces.  The Ropez board is smaller, an easier build, probably more flexible, and much cheaper.  I've built a few so far and had no problems beyond the usual (substandard board - my own fault).

[lightningfingers]

cheers :mrgreen: