bobbass4k

I use DR DDTs, absolute revelation for drop tuning. They keep the same tension that you'd expect in standard with the same gauge, they lock in tune and tsay in tune. They're pricy, sure, but I can't use anything else now.

[quote name='fuzzonaut' timestamp='1457792867' post='3001840'] Well, [i]*cough*[/i], it might seem as if things have gotten a bit out of hand, but I'm really enjoying this mess of a board. It's feeding 3 rigs (simultaneously). [attachment=214541:DSC00006.jpg] Signal chain: Bass --> Meatbox Meatbox wet --> Octamizer --> Agro --> rig. 1 [/quote] You run the meatbox wet into an octaver? Have you had the structural integrity of your house assessed recently? Also, so many tasty fuzzes, and a lot of niche/crazy stuff, I like.

The current set up - All you guys with immaculately neat boards are all Patrick Bateman-esque serial killers, right? That's my excuse at least...

[quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1457507830' post='2999098'] Any of you tried using letter punches for your enclosures like Fairfield? Anyone tried it on the pre-finished hammond enclosures? Don't know if I can be faffed with painting metal boxes for my own use. [/quote] That was going to be my next port of call actually, I saw some on amazon, could be a relatively easy, good looking solution, but I'm not sure how well they'll work on powder coats?

[quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1457507920' post='2999100'] What are they all Bob? [/quote] Oh yeah, probably should have mentioned that... Going L-R from the top row down - EQD Acapulco Gold with added "gain" control (just a pot in series with the input), EQD Speaker Cranker, LGAL Rattle Crow Prunes and Custard (middle switch is just to fill a hole), Super Duper Rat, Shin Ei Companion (with pointless bass switch), PT2399 Delay (honestly can't remember which one), EQD Warden, Mid-Fi Clari(not) with clean switch EQD Bit Commander, DBA Echo Dream (modified so that it actually works...), Animato (with blend, gate and input cap switch), Mad Prof Snow White DBA Reverberation Machine, Tremulus lune with all the bells and whistles

[quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1457482888' post='2999056'] What do you use for a primer? [/quote] Nuthin', most of them are just humbrol enamel model paint on pre-powder coated enclosures (the rest are marker pen...). Durability is usually a secondary concern to remembering what the the pots do. I do want to improve the artistic side of things though, but I've yet to be convinced by any of the DIY options that are practically open to me.

Here's my current DIY crop, ranging aesthetically from "passable minimalism" to "accidentally painted by an alarmingly intoxicated donkey" - Gut shots are available upon request, except for those that are stuffed into their enclosures like a sausage casing full of weasels.

It's always interesting to hear how radical the different reactions to the picture are. For example, the only thing I can see is a late 90s post-grunge/nu-metal album cover. Literally the only sound I can hear in my head. We'll see if I can put anything together in that style that I can tolerate the idea of other people hearing...

Handily, I've found a trace someone did of the power supply section of the 4 and it looks basically identical, all the regulator devices have maximum input voltages of 15V or more and the caps are all 16V, I'd personally have no problem with powering it off 12V AC.

Which model is it? I definitely know in the xp-100 all the power is regulated down to 5V before it hits the board, so in theory you'd be perfectly fine running it off 12VAC, the regs would run a little hotter but I think you'd get away with it, the main reg is heatsinked anyway. I can't speak for any of the other models though, there don't appear to be any schematics available. DISCLAIMER - I once left my house while it was raining and walked a full 20ft before I realized I'd forgotten to put on shoes. When contemplating whether to act upon advice that may very well cause explosions, consider the source.

Very communicative and thoroughly pleasant guy (see what I did there...?) to deal with.

[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1450621183' post='2934352'] Spencer did not design the PCB. I haven't even seen a claim to that, he just 'upgraded' a couple of components including the switch, schematics were otherwise 100% Darkglass/Doug, as of course was the layout of the pedal. He did create the enclosures (I can't say design, as fundamentally the old Finnish and USA had the same overall look) so don't think there is an issue there (apart from the interesting discrepancy in pre-drilled, when the Vulcan has a different PS location), however bizarre it appears from a business point of view. He has said the Vulcan is inspired by his knowledge of the Darkglass circuit, what he has not admitted to is that it appears to bean adjusted version of the exact same pcb, only with a Pike logo. I think what is so frustrating here is, if he had put these overdrive in his own cool rolled steel enclosures (changing PCB layout as appropriate) and they do sound very different to the DG units, then all these long accusatory conversations would never have taken place and I for one would be looking forward to trying one! However, to use the word again, the way he has done this is just bizarre. [/quote] He says Doug came to him with the schematic of the audio circuit and he did the "physical design", to me, that's the PCB layout. Creating Gerbers for the PCB is an entirely separate (and more time consuming) task to drawing the schematic. He also says he fronted most of the production costs, which more than likely includes the PCB tooling, so as far as the PCB manufacturer/PCBA subby is concerned, he owns the rights to the PCB.

[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1450603647' post='2934134'] Circuit board comparisons up on Talkbass. Interested to hear Spencer's 'explanation' as to why the circuit boards are near identical too, bar a few value changes and a small section in the middle which one presumes is this 'second drive circuit'. [url="http://www.talkbass.com/threads/pike-amplification-vulcan-od-3-leaf-audio-new-company.1190555/page-15#post-18135447"]http://www.talkbass....5#post-18135447[/url] [/quote] Design and tooling costs. In that big post Spencer made it pretty clear that the fundamental circuit design is the same as the darkglass, I don't think he's trying to deny that, so doing a new PCB layout would be a massive waste of time and money. He says he designed the PCB, I believe him, as long as he didn't sell the rights to the layout to darkglass then he's perfectly entitled to use it himself.

Cap voltages are the maximum voltage they can handle, so really it depends on where they're going to be in the circuit, but a good general rule is to use more than the supply voltage (unless you're using step up transformers or charge pumps, but that doesn't really apply to most pedals). Most pedals (including the bad monkey) run on a 9v supply. You can always go up in voltage, but as you've discovered, electrolytic caps get physically bigger with higher voltage, so they will work fine, it will just be a ballache to get them on. You could use 10v but I tend to play it safe and go for 16v or 25v min, though a lot of mine are 100v because I stole them from work...

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1440080928' post='2848119'] That's probably a reduction in real terms over what the original production model cost. [/quote] The original, I believe, was made in the USA in the 70's, the new one is being made now, en masse, in China. There's probably $100 worth of parts in it, max, depending on how good the motor is. $450 is the "sale" price too, their website list price is $600. That's half decent second hand bass money. Free market and all, they can charge what they want, but I won't be paying it. $250-$300 I probably would.

It does look very cool, but $450? I'll stick with my cheap eBay cello bow thanks.