Ok well i would really like to build my won pedal. I jus think the idea of building ur won is really cool. I would probally first make a copy of some easy pedal. How hard would it be for me to build my own. I have no elctrical knowledgge(my dad has some but very little). So how hard would it be??? Of course i will do some reseach to.
Welcome to the forum. :D
For your first effect, I would advise building a booster from the beginner project forum here: http://www.diystompboxes.com/sboxforum/viewforum.php?f=6
Aron has done a nice job of supplying pictures, diagrams, sources, step-by-step instructions and lots of help. That will be your best introduction to pedal building and you'll end up with a really useful device too.
Best of luck!
-Peter
Hi,
You can make a first project fairly easy by using a site like General Guitar Gadgets. Pick a simple project without to many parts, order a ready to solder board, and follow the lay-outs JD has on his site for the projects.As you also mentioned do as much research about effects parts and construction to give you an understanding of how the different parts effect the circuit. Most importantly take your time and don't rush things. :)
In addition to the above good choices, there is Tonepad, who has many begginer projects, and PCB's you can order for them, like GGG does. Also, there is Small Bear Electric, who has beginner's projects, complete kits, and has all the components you need to build them, and everybody else's projects.
http://www.tonepad.com/default.asp
http://www.smallbearelec.com/
YUPP yUPP..to see you're in here.
Have a great build.
Anything I can do, I'll try to be around.
Greetings :D
My 1st was the dod-250. Gotta start somewhere simpler than the wah- not that the wah is all that hard but..ggg site is a good place to start--or even runoffgroove.com --great ones there to!
Well, there's always the Fuzz Face... that's pretty simple.
Or something like Joe Davisson's Easy Drive - one transistor and a few other parts.
Joe Davison's Easy Drive... Thats is the way to go imo, if you don't build aron's booster
Joe Davison's site (http://analogalchemy.com/)
Easy Drive (http://analogalchemy.com/pedals/easydrive.html)
Also, read some beginer tutorials online, learn how to read a schematic... even if at first you don't know why its there... just understand what it is and what it does...
good luck bud!
I suggest you start with modding.
Get a used pedal like a TS5 or DS-1 or wah, etc... and mod it. it's good way to learn and get your feel with the work.
Ah yes, Phoras gives you good advice. My first was a mod to a TS5. Excellent experience. My next was an Orman mini-booster. Check out the 3 sites above: AMPAGE, GEO, AMZ. They are awesome! Also check out everything on Aron's site.
I started off modding as well (TB'd a wah then modded a TS-5) then built some things like TB boxes, an AB box and a footswitch.
Oh yes, the AMZ Mini-Booster is another good one. Built that, too. In terms of complexity, it's about the same as building a Fuzz Face.
I'd say modding is harder than building an NPN boost. With modding you kinda have to know what you're doing/changing. I'd say go to the beginner forum and build that. It's what got me started :mrgreen:
Ok guys i am a pre pre pre newb. :oops: I have no clue what all those symblos and everything mean on the schematics and i was wondering if sum1 could give me a good site to learn how to read them. Also on Aron's boost pedal it shows how to make the circut board but nothing else. How do u connect the wires and everything??? Also how many knobs does that boost have??? arghhh im so frustrated i dont understand this at all. How would u put the led in??? How do u hook the on off switch up??? im sorry for asking all these questions but i cant find any answers. how do u connect hte wires to all the thing on the circut board???
Does this look like something you could follow? If so, you can buy the entire kit.
http://www.smallbearelec.com/Projects/TweakO/TweakO.htm
check out the beginer project aron made in the beginner forum. its a great start... it also gives you some beginner information that i think you would find rather helpful.
thanx guys. I think im gonna buy the tweak-o kit to try it out as my first pedal. THANX!!!!
Would it be easier to buy the tweak-o kit or do aron's project??? The only thing i dont get about aron's project is it doesnt show how to wire it.
I never built Aron's project, but many have, and I understand it's a nice booster. And you have the whole forum to help you with the wiring.
I suggested the Tweak-O because it's a paint by numbers type of assembly, easy to build. I figure thats what your looking for, a guided build. I understand it sounds good too. It would cost more, but a successful first build is a nice confidence booster. And you get a lot of satisfaction when it works. If the first one goes pretty trouble free, you'll be itching to make another, or more difficult pedals. Once again you'll have the help of the forum, plus Steve Daniels who will give any help you need. You'll also be buying alot of components from him if you keep building.
No first build will go perfect btw, no big deal though. There will always be a minor snag or two. :D
A good tip: when you find a good pedal FAQ (like this site's and GEO), save it in your favorites in a folder marked FAQ's. After a while, you'll have a whole folder of FAQ's so when you run into trouble, you can find them easy. Also, make a folder for specific pedals you like, and save any threads from here, and other sites relevent to the pedal in their respective folders. If you do the Tweak-O, save the PDF file and print it up so you can have it right at your work bench.
Quote from: pbsk8er03Would it be easier to buy the tweak-o kit or do aron's project??? The only thing i dont get about aron's project is it doesnt show how to wire it.
It does.
Check out these two pictures from this thread:
http://www.diystompboxes.com/sboxforum/viewtopic.php?t=941
(http://www.diystompboxes.com/beginner/offboard.jpg)
The above picture works in conjunction with this:
http://www.diystompboxes.com/beginner/circswled.jpg
It should be noted that I do not connect the wires directly to the points from the bottom of the board. What I do is locate the next closest hole and place the wires from the TOP of the board and then bend the bare wire to touch the points. Then I solder the wire to the point and to the pad/hole that it enters the bottom of the board from.
In other words, all my wires enter the board from the top, not the bottom.
Of course you need to strip the wire first using your wire stripper, then insert the bare wire into the board from the top.
Ok i am gonna build this using arons instructions becuase i wanna do it from scratch to really learn everything. Where can i buy all the parts ill need???
also can sum1 post a pic of the finished product???Does it have any knobs or anything or just an on/of switch???
For the parts, I would recommend http://www.smallbearelec.com as Steve has pretty much everything you'll need in one place and with good prices.
For reference: http://www.diystompboxes.com/sboxforum/viewtopic.php?t=941
If you look at the picture of the back of the board, you'll see the circle at the bottom which is marked "back of 5K pot". That's the pot that sits behind the one knob on this box which sets the boost level.
If you look at the second picture in that same post (the one showing the jacks), you'll see a big blue square in the center with 9 tabs to solder to arranged as 3x3. That's the back of the stomp switch.
It should be noted that the stomp switch is optional with this effect becasue you may just find out that you want it on all the time. Eric Clapton and (RIP) Jerry Garcia's guitars contain boosters that are always on. For that matter, so does anybody who plays with active pickups.
Sorry I don't have a picture of this project in specific, but here is a shot of the Electro Harmonix LPB1 which is a similar device.
(http://64.7.66.217/pics/lpb1.jpg)
(http://64.7.66.217/pics/lpb1-2.jpg)
I'm glad you're going for the booster first. The Tweak-O looks really cool and if you look around here you'll see that Joe Davisson's engineering is very well respected for good reason, but it's much more complex for a first project.
Here is a picture of a 1 knob booster with a stompswitch from this thread (http://www.diystompboxes.com/sboxforum/viewtopic.php?t=21490).
(http://image.hostcubix.com/getimg.php?img=pedal3.jpg)
Best of luck with your build! 8)
Take care,
-Peter
I ttried the Tweak-O as a first and second project...boy did I have troubles...I cursed perf at the time...the first one was a hanging garden style [I started with this style build...not so good 'n sturdy like perf or PCB].
Did you look at a soldering tips write?...different tip contact times are highly recommended for soldering joints that require different amounts of thermal mass to be completely heated [the pad, any wires or leads, pot and switch lugs all must reach a temp where the solder will 'take'.
I prefer cleaning the big cruds off before each joint, [I use a cheeepo iron and flick the thing to get globs off...good enough...I can't recommend it, you're supposed to use wet cotton cloth or something]...anyway I find it really helps if you don't have a large glob of 'spent' [freshly added solder flows and sticks much better] solder on the tip.
So what I like to do is with thin solder, lay the tip of the solder on the part, [this makes the heat transfer immediately, and I find it's easier to more accurately calculate tip contact times using this method], then put more solder on fairly soon [immediately I begin aligning the next application] After the heat sinks in just a bit, [adding about 1/4 to 1/2 half inch of thin solder/depending on the node connections cumulative thermal mass] and I seem to do well with this method,...there are reads about soldering technique around,
My iron is wedged in a brickhole, I bring the work and solder to it, and the smoke goes out the tube...some joints require access which requies me to do it on the table, and bring the iron to the work. OT...what does YMMV mean ???
I found I LIKE having something stationary [I can't hold the iron, solder and board very well at all at the same time], and under the exhaust tube, that way the iron is solid, and I can tilt the perf this way or that, and make a clean approach, consistantly not messing solder around the board...A 'third hand' would be cool, but I could never adjust the angle with that hand near as quickly one of my own....
...or can you just 'slide' the pivots without tightening and loosening the set bolts?
You'll surely get your system down, by reading soldering technique reads, thinking out, and analyzing your 'approach and retreat angles', and moves carefully at first.
oooo ok. Thanx. I am very new and i thought that u needed a pot for the on off switch. U just buy the switch and wire it??? i dont see the switch included in the parts list. :?