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DIY Stompboxes => Building your own stompbox => Topic started by: nils on June 21, 2004, 06:14:19 PM

Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: nils on June 21, 2004, 06:14:19 PM
Finished my latest build (FTM clone) tonight, and I must say I'm very proud how it looks. Making full face decals from inkjet transparencies really gives great results  8)

Too bad I @#$%ed up the lettering for the knobs... I only noticed after the clear coat that I've labeled them as 330° instead of 300° pots, which they really are :?. Other than that I'm more than happy with it.

Sorry about the crappy pic, but in lack of a digicam I just threw it on my semi-broken scanner (the box is a clear bright white, and the label is al dark purple, which doesn't come out that well on the scan).

As for the inside, it's still missing the ocave led because I fried it. I used 2N3904s and silicon diodes instead of germaniums, because I liked their tighter sound a bit better. Great effect, and easier to build than I thought.

Anyway, thanks for letting me brag 8)

(http://www.bluestuff.de/junk/purplehaze.jpg)
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: Marcos - Munky on June 21, 2004, 06:19:38 PM
looks beautiful. How you did the transfer? Just printed in the transparencies and used a hot iron?
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: nils on June 21, 2004, 06:26:07 PM
I made a full face decal on an adhesive inkjet transparency, stuck it on and protected it with a clear coat.
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: Mark Hammer on June 21, 2004, 06:28:55 PM
And brag you should.  The Tele-style knobs and tasteful but offbeat legending/labelling give it a nice classy-but-adventurous look.

I'm curious.  How DO people produce the vernier markings around the perimeter of the knob?
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: nils on June 21, 2004, 06:39:08 PM
I made the decal in Micrografx Windows Draw (vektor gfx program), and to produce the vernier markings I use a large circle as a guide (which I delete later) and then draw short straight lines, which I align the the top/center of the circle. After that I just group them and rotate the whole thing for the desired amount (as I wanted controls that go to 12: pot angle / 12), and then repeat these steps until I'm done, and then I remove the guide circle.

uh.... I don't know if that was in any way understandable...  :roll:
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: MartyB on June 21, 2004, 08:18:42 PM
That is sweet!  A big smile.
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: Jason Stout on June 21, 2004, 08:19:24 PM
:shock:  8)   Looks great!!
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: Peter Snowberg on June 21, 2004, 08:58:12 PM
8)  8)  8) Fantastic! Great job! :D


Take care,
-Peter
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: Lonestarjohnny on June 21, 2004, 09:46:55 PM
Great Kookin job Nil's, Love that Name, PURPLE HAZE !  8)  8)  8)
JD
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: nils on June 21, 2004, 10:08:14 PM
ah well you know, I really hate to just stick the original name on the box... I think that's kinda lame :lol:  so I try to come up with some kind of funny names for my boxes even if I don't (heavily or slightly) mod the circuit; and as the idea to build an octavia-class box was (of course) inspired by Jimi, and I had already seen FTM clones called Fox(x)y Lady on the net... well that's the result 8)
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: RDV on June 21, 2004, 10:11:06 PM
That's one of the best graphics I've seen here.

How strong is the octave sound using Si instead of Ge?

RDV
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: nils on June 21, 2004, 10:16:12 PM
Thanks; there's a few spots where it got borked though; I had some trouble punshing the hole for the bypass LED through the transparency, a bit of paint chipped off there already :(. Well I'm not planning to sell it, so who cares :)

Regarding the diodes: Well first I have to say that I only used Ge's as clipping diodes in the first place, D1 and D2 were Si from the beginning. So when I changed D3 & D4 to Si there wasn't much change regarding the octave, still very pronounced with a slight ring mod tendency on neck pickups. The output of the pedal dropped a bit of course when I switched to Si clipping diodes, and there's less Fuzz at max gain. The Fuzz however sounds a bit more pleasant to me, tighter bottom end and less fizzy high-mids than with Ge clipping diodes.
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: stm on June 21, 2004, 10:57:16 PM
Good looking box!  I really like the way chrome knobs look in there.

By the way, are you using VIOLET Led's?
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: nils on June 22, 2004, 12:04:34 AM
not yet; I'm planning to, but I've postponed that because my budget's used up, and those beasts are still rather expensive :). Right now it has a blue bypass LED I had lying around and a red LED for the octave status.
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: puretube on June 22, 2004, 01:55:28 AM
super - I love the way the clear coat makes the inkjet lettering look 3D-ish
:wink:
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: smoguzbenjamin on June 22, 2004, 04:40:42 AM
That's friggin' amazing! :D good job, man! 8) 8) 8)
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: afranks on June 22, 2004, 08:51:36 AM
Looks nice!

Where did you get the tele style knobs with the "indicator dot"?  I've
been looking for some with the "dot" on them for my pedal projects.

thanks!
-alan
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: Torchy on June 22, 2004, 08:57:56 AM
nils - check your pm's  :wink:
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: Bill Bergman on June 22, 2004, 09:03:24 AM
EXCELLENT !!!!!!
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: Paul Marossy on June 22, 2004, 10:37:35 AM
Stunning.  Quite nice.  8)

I use AutoCAD for my graphics. It's quite simple for the vernier markings -you can use the polar array command and tell it how many times to copy it, the number of degrees to rotate the objects, and if you want the objects to be rotated as they go around. Kinda cool.
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: nils on June 22, 2004, 11:18:38 AM
Torchy: You got mail  :D

Regarding the knobs, actually Ididn't buy them especially for the box, it's more a coincidence that I have them the way they are with te markings (I didn't especially look for them then). I bought them years ago at a local guitar shop as a replacement for my Strat, but they kept falling of  :roll: , so I put them aside and used them on and off on different fx boxes. I think they'll stay on that one, though  :)
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: Ge_Whiz on June 22, 2004, 11:44:39 AM
Hey, I think that the 330-degree scale was DELIBERATE! Now you got knobs that go all the way up to ELEVEN - but LOOK as though they could go up to TWELVE! In your face, Mr Tufnel!  :mrgreen:
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: Paul Marossy on June 22, 2004, 12:01:06 PM
BTW, where did you get the enclosure? Is that a Hammond box?
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: nils on June 22, 2004, 12:10:01 PM
lol... yeah that's another way to see it  8)

afranks: Now that I've been thinking about it... I think the knobs were replacement amp knobs from Mesa Boogie. You can get similar ones (in chrome, gold or black with marking) from www.rockinger.de (they ship worldwide) if you can't find them elsewhere, but maybe a google search for "dome speed knobs" will get you somewhere.
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: nils on June 22, 2004, 12:11:14 PM
Paul: yep, Hammond 1590BB.
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: Torchy on June 23, 2004, 07:50:39 AM
Nils - what sort of inkjet transparency did you use ? You got the brand name or other info ? Ive tried a couple different types in the UK but the topcoat reacts badly ... yours looks perfect  :D
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: nils on June 23, 2004, 08:58:12 AM
I used Zweckform / Avery 1440dpi inkjet transparencies. Also I applied a clear coat (the same clear spray paint I use for the finish of the box later) to the transparency immediately after printing and then let it rest for 24 hours.
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: BDuguay on June 23, 2004, 09:58:23 AM
Sweet!
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: Paul Marossy on June 23, 2004, 11:48:06 AM
Hmmm... it doesn't look like a Hammond 1590BB. The grpahics must give it the illusion that it is more square.  8)
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: nils on June 23, 2004, 12:53:50 PM
Might be because I put the thing on my scanner, so the image is quite distorted. Bit it really IS a 1590BB  :D . Was quite a hasse fitting all the stuff with two DPDT's in the box  :roll:
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: theaxeman on June 24, 2004, 08:41:42 AM
Cool!!  8)  8)  I like the writing. I am also in the middle of making a box called Purple Haze, mine is a Fuzz face clone though.

8)  8)  8)  8)
Title: proud of my new build, so please let me brag a bit... :D
Post by: Paul Marossy on June 24, 2004, 10:13:16 AM
"Was quite a hassle fitting all the stuff with two DPDT's in the box."

I can imagine. I'm building my Octal Fatness right now, and I am squeezing quite a bit of stuff into a 12.5"x6"x1.8" chassis. It takes some careful thought....