DIY Stompbox Kits?

matta · 2009-04-06T11:27:51+00:00

Hey Guys, Furthering the discussion about doing a basic electronics and stompbox building workshop I'm hoping to also stock some of the harder to find parts...

DIY Stompbox Kits?

CDee

@Matta - Have a look at this thread... Some of the stuff you are after is discussed here. http://www.guitarforum.co.za/guitar-gear/pedal-building/

Ray

I would be very interested in getting kits that require minimum knowledge. i.o.w. I'm not the hardcore type. But you k now, I dont have too much knowledge on these things. So would need some guidance re what to go forr as well.

AlanRatcliffe

Complete kits for me with at least a parts layout. At the very least the PCBs.

These are all fairly simple, classics and in the public domain (AFAIK):

Overdrive - Tube Screamer
Phaser - MXR Phase 90 (or Phase 45)
Compressor - Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer
Envelope Filter - DOD Envelope Filter 440
Distortion - ProCo Rat
Fuzz - Fuzz Face or Big Muff

For overdrive, you might want to look at either of the two DOD 250 overdrives, which with a few parts swaps can also be a MXR Distortion Plus or a Ross Distortion.

The Tube screamer can be socketed, allowing for a variety of different chips to be used. There are so many common mods for the TS, that it makes it quite a good one for a workshop.

You could also look at some simple switcher pedals - AB, ABY and a loop switch.

I like the idea of dirty blues tone, but I have no idea which pedal would be best suited for that.

Most commonly a Tube Screamer.

Manfred-Klose

The Tube screamer can be socketed, allowing for a variety of different chips to be used. There are so many common mods for the TS, that it makes it quite a good one for a workshop.

This could be a handy pedal for recording, just switch the chip to get a different sound.

Sean

Yebo, I would also be intersted in the Tube Screamer kit, and I really like the socketed idea for different chips ?

nick

having already aquired all the components (albeit the cheapie components) for building a fuzz pedal, Id be fairly keen on this idea

Garth-S

I would be super keen on a fuzz pedal aswell as a booster pedal of some sort. I have absolutely no experience with this sort of stuff but it'll be great to learn.

CDee

I'd definately look at a Tube Screamer and a RAT...

Squonk

@ Matt

So when can we order our Kits, you got me excited ?

hcolyn

I would definitely be interested in kits with everything in it, tube screamer and fuzz ?

inflames

I'm in for a tube screamer and distortion kit

_-L-_

Alcatrax

You could have kits for varying levels of ability - from a Big Muff for the beginners, up to a Neve 88RS analogue mixing console for the more experienced hobbyist.

Seriously though - a range of tube stompboxes would be cool if there was some way you could be relatively sure that the purchaser would not end up as a pile of ash during the testing phase of the product.

"Hmm, I wonder what happens if I touch this......?"

One request. Please make all pot tag connections solder directly to the circuit board to cut out wear and tear on thin connecting wires (which break easily). Also make provision for an external power suply in addition to batteries.

Good luck!

Peter G

21Fretter

Definitely will keep an eye on this. I've been wanting to start building a pedal for a while now. I went components shopping and i didn't manage to pick everything up and I'm pretty sure I bought stuff i didn't need and it's just sitting in my room now etc etc so overall, it was a pretty bad experience ?

Definitely agree with the "increase in ability" idea. Have a nice basic fuzz for mega amateurs (me ?) and then increase to phasers and EQ's and idk (whatever is deemed as harder).

Gearhead

Alcatrax wrote: a range of tube stompboxes would be cool if there was some way you could be relatively sure that the purchaser would not end up as a pile of ash during the testing phase of the product.

On a 9V battery? Got to be kiddin' dude. Who are you trying to scare?

Alcatrax wrote: One request. Please make all pot tag connections solder directly to the circuit board to cut out wear and tear on thin connecting wires (which break easily). Also make provision for an external power suply in addition to batteries.

He did both, could have seen that from the photo earlier in the thread.

matta

Gearhead wrote:
Alcatrax wrote: a range of tube stompboxes would be cool if there was some way you could be relatively sure that the purchaser would not end up as a pile of ash during the testing phase of the product.
On a 9V battery? Got to be kiddin' dude. Who are you trying to scare?

Hey Gearhead,

I think the key thing is Alcatrax statement is the TUBE part, there are many tube preamps out there that use internal transformers to step up 12-20VAC to 250+VAC, which when rectified this is enough to give you a kick, even if the current is low... but yes, reducing you to a pile of ash might be a LITTLE over dramatized ?

Alcatrax, all the pedals that I'll be doing for commerical use will be all on board, making assembly VERY easy and will include a 9V DC jack, it only isn't in the picture above because the PCB 2.1mm socket had not materialized yet.

You could have kits for varying levels of ability - from a Big Muff for the beginners, up to a Neve 88RS analogue mixing console for the more experienced hobbyist.

The market for HIGH END Pro Audio is small, esp. at a local level, and trust me when I say DIY is NEVER cheaper, only cheaper, and it requires an investment of time to be learned, which to many people is worth more than money. As someone who BUILDS things like your prospective Neve 88RS for a living I can tell you... I'm currently doing a clone of the old Neve 2254 for clients here and abroad and they cost R10,000 a PIECE... my DIY LA-2A set me back over R10,000 in parts alone... forget the time it took to assemble it! I can't afford much of the gear I restore/repair, I rebuilt a pair of Neve 1066's (precursor to the 1073's) for a client last year, they sell for R60,000 a PAIR!

Stompboxes are easy by comparison, are fairly safe with their low voltages, cheap(ish) and have a small parts count (mostly)... the Neve Compressors I think at last count had about 350+ parts vs Fuzzsilla which has about 20, which are on board, unlike the Neve's.

That said there ARE some great guys who DO make DIY PCB's available for guys interested in taking things to the next level, you will find them, and me @ http://www.prodigy-pro.com/diy/index.php

Cheers

Matt

Manfred-Klose

Quote from: Alcatrax on November 02, 2009, 10:00:27 pm
a range of tube stompboxes would be cool if there was some way you could be relatively sure that the purchaser would not end up as a pile of ash during the testing phase of the product.

On a 9V battery? Got to be kiddin' dude. Who are you trying to scare?

there is one valve that can run of 9V , a 12AU7 ?

Alcatrax@
Here is a very simple valve pedal project you can try out(the Valve caster):
http://www.beavisaudio.com/projects/ValveCaster/

matta

Hey Kevin,

Once Fuzzsilla is done and out in the market I'll turn my focus to my TS type design that I have been tinkering with. I will also do these in green, you are welcome to join in and have it powder coated at the same time as I do mine (I need to do a run of 20 at a time to make it cost effective), which will save you a few bucks, but I prob won't have it ready much before Feb/Mar next year.

Cheers

Matt

kayDUB wrote: very phase 90-ish! 8) gonna look good!

Once i finish my tubescreamer build i would love to have it powder coated... but it should probably be green... :yup:

kayDUB

matta wrote:

Hey Kevin,

Once Fuzzsilla is done and out in the market I'll turn my focus to my TS type design that I have been tinkering with. I will also do these in green, you are welcome to join in and have it powder coated at the same time as I do mine (I need to do a run of 20 at a time to make it cost effective), which will save you a few bucks, but I prob won't have it ready much before Feb/Mar next year.

Cheers

Matt

kayDUB wrote:
Sounds good, thanks for the offer! I still have a bit of work to to (finish the pcb design - pcb mounted components and i need to source a few parts), so Feb/Mar might be perfect!
very phase 90-ish! 8) gonna look good!

Once i finish my tubescreamer build i would love to have it powder coated... but it should probably be green... :yup:

Shawnvs

Who can help me make the zvex fuzz factory? I have the schematics... I really can do with GAS for Xmas.

Self-oscillation is cool. Don't you want to have pedals that live and breath like little creatures too?! Awesome, it's like having a little rat on acid in your pedal-board, and knowing it'll never leave.

aja

Maybe we can find common ground?
(not for the feint hearted)