Unknown_User

37 minutes ago, paul_5 said:

when you soldered the potentiometers were they set to minimum (fully counter clockwise), as soldering with them while they are anywhere but this setting makes it easier to damage the track.

I didn't know to do that, thanks!  I've checked with the multimeter and I can measure resistance across all of the lugs on them.

50 minutes ago, paul_5 said:

Just because the led lights up doesn’t necessarily mean that the switch is fully working - just that the two lugs for the LED are. 
 

If bypass is ok then I’d have a look at the in and out of the board first, then check all the other off board wiring.

I got it into a non-working state, then unplugged it and checked continuity from the solder joint of the board input to the jack socket and it worked.  Likewise with the output jack socket to lug 2 of the Volume pot.  So I think that would prove the switch was ok?

Like you say, if it works sometimes then it seems I've at least got the layout as it ought to be.  Perhaps I should just reflow all the solder joints?

1 minute ago, KiOgon said:

Armchair diagnosis practically impossible, other than dry joints I dunno! Have you got a illuminated magnifier or microscope?

Good luck

All I have is a spy glass and a cheapo multimeter I'm afraid.

I made myself a clone of a Green Russian Big Muff from this layout.  It sounds great when it works, but it has a weird problem with not sending any audio out sometimes.

In true bypass mode it works fine 100% of the time.

If I plug it in and press the foot switch, half the time it works perfectly and half the time there's just no sound.

When it's not working sometimes tapping it gently on the floor can get the audio going.  Once it's working, you can play it forever and it won't cut out.  However next time you click it off and back on, it may or may not give any sound.

Because of this I thought it might be a problem with the switch, but in either case the LED lights up so I'm guessing that means the switch is working? 

Can anyone suggest where I can look for the cause of this intermittent lack of sound?  I'm thinking it might be something mechanical, because of the tapping "solution", but nothing appears to be loose and I can't see any shorts anywhere.

Thanks in advance!

I have the Vintage Pro in white and I love it.  Got one a couple of years ago second hand for £350 and it has a lovely punchy, clear tone, a really comfortable, thin neck and is very nice to play.

If you're looking for a Thunderbird I'd definitely recommend it.  Especially as it's down from £600 to £450 new now.

Thanks to everyone for your advice.  It worked!  Now to try and work out a way to box it all up!

14 hours ago, fleabag said:

I'm no whizz at woodwork, but i'm sure i read somewhere about dyeing or staining unmolested wood, is that you get a much more even and non blotchy finish if the wood is sand-sealed beforehand.

@Andyjr1515   ??

I think the problem may be the type of wood.  Reading the below, it seems tulipwood (AKA poplar) is great for taking paint but awful at taking stain.

https://www.h2ouse.org/staining-poplar/

"One type of wood that is notoriously problematic to stain is poplar. "

Depends what pedal it is.  You can measure them easily enough.  The measurement just refers to the diameter of the bulb part of the LED.  Just make sure you wire the positive and the negative ends the right way round.

3 minutes ago, hooky_lowdown said:

Take it to Ashdown, they'll fix it for free. Excellent customer service. 😀

I really only want to have someone take it off my hands.  Good news for whoever can pick it up though!

10 minutes ago, glassmoon said:

YNWL

5 minutes ago, Huge Hands said:

I'm wondering if you're being a little confused by the terminology.

This is almost certainly the case!  Thank you for explaining.  I think I understand what everyone means now.  Apologies for confusing everyone.

I have a panel mount XLR, with the three pins inside.  Like you would normally see on the back of a microphone.

16 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

Did you ever follow up with Ashdown's offer to look at it?

I seem to remember that I rang them up but couldn't get through.

However I no longer need it so don't want to throw money at fixing it which I probably wouldn't recoup from trying to sell it.  So I'm happy to pass it on to a better home.

3 minutes ago, glassmoon said:

Oh well played sir - that is pretty darned cool!!!

Thanks!  Also I only moderately burned myself with the soldering iron too!

18 minutes ago, Pea Turgh said:

I’m certainly no expert, but I was under the impression that dyes are built up in layers, rather than in one go.  Maybe @Andyjr1515 could advise?

There's a luthier on You Tube who does lots of stuff with dyes.  The channel is Big D Guitars.

Most of it seems to be rubbing the dye on, sanding it all off.  Rubbing more dye on, and sanding it off.  Over and over again.

Recently completed my first ever pedal board.  Just used them loose and ad-hoc in the past but I was going through wires on power supplies like nobody's business.  So I thought it better if it was all enclosed and boxed up. 

The four home made ones are clones of a Roger Mayer Octavia, a DOD FX 25 Envelope Filter, a Death By Audio Robot and an Earthquaker Devices Plumes.

The latter three I'm pretty pleased with myself about as I designed the strip board layouts myself from the schematics.  Which I think is pretty good going for someone who has absolutely no idea what he's doing with electronics!

*struts*

Thanks, @obbm !

Can I ask why you would not use a socket?  I already have a socket and fear I would probably just knacker a lead if I tried to do it that way!

The flying helmet bass sounds like it would be amazing.

3 minutes ago, glassmoon said:

Where are you based?

14 minutes ago, Unknown_User said:

if you want it and can collect it from Liverpool

😀

I'm planning to try making a mic from the speaker of an old telephone.  I found some instructions here: https://www.instructables.com/id/Balanced-Microphone-from-Telephone-Headset-Speaker/

However the link in there to the wiring diagram for connecting the XLR socket to the transformer is no longer available and I can't find any other source for a diagram.  I notice that there's two terminals on the transformer, but obviously three on the XLR socket.  I think I'm short a ground lead?

Is there a way for me to wire this up such that I won't blow up the PA or make a sound man pass a brick when he sees it?

Cheers!

I have an old "Five Fifteen" Ashdown combo amp that doesn't work any more (problems as described in the thread linked above). 

I've not got round to doing anything with it in all this time, so if you want it and can collect it from Liverpool, then it's yours.  You could fix it, strip it for parts, or use it as a bedside table!

From what you've written I'd be giving him a bit more of a go.  I suppose it depends what type of band you are, but if he can learn a part by wrote and play it fine then unless you're a freeform jazz improvisation collective then isn't that what you want from someone in your band?  Who will learn the song and play it?

Unless there's something else going on then I think getting shut just for that might be a bit harsh.  He might be a good player who was nervous about improvising or just not used to doing it.  I personally much prefer to be prepared for a rehearsal and know what I'm playing in advance because I find it takes me a few goes round a song to get the gist of it.

Good grief that already looks fantastic.  I love burl tops.  Can't wait to see this one develop.

Fantastic work.  That headstock is amazing!

13 minutes ago, Rexel Matador said:

Incidentally, I had just had a look at a video from Ben Crowe at Crimson Guitars (an absolute goldmine of luthiery advice) and he recommended planing the two halves of the top one at a time, instead of together, as I suggested above, the reason being that if you make a slight error vis a vis straightness, you're not doubling it up. Makes sense, I guess!

I saw someone doing it with a router, and he did them both together but turned one upside down and wrong way round.  That way if there was a slight error the other side would compensate for it.

I haven't had the cojones to try doing it with a router.  He did make it look sickeningly easy though.

Cheers!  I'll look up the scary sharp thing and the shooting board jig.  Gives me a place to start from.

Thanks.  I've just bought an ancient 17" wooden jointer plane off eBay for about £15.  It needs some care to get the sole true again I think.  I've so far managed to clean most of the rust off the iron and tried sharpening it on some wet and dry paper.  After some effort I got it from being sharp enough to cut warm butter to it being sharp enough to just about slice into the side of some paper.  Tried it on a scrap of wood and with some force it cut about 1mm in and then got stuck.

I spent a portion of yesterday going through the "How to sharpen your blades" sticky and the linked "How to set up your plane" thread, with my head in my hands realising I knew even less about it all than when I started!

I'll keep going with it though.

18 hours ago, Rexel Matador said:

Tonight, jointing the top and trying to learn how to wire a push pull pot

I thought about adding a second pickup, but have now decided to experiment with a series/parallel switch instead. Onwards and upwards

Can I ask, what's the best way to get those bookmatched tops lined up?  I have found scant information about it on the Internet and the one I'm currently grappling with, using sandpaper taped to a spirit level, is causing me absolute murder.  I seem to be constantly making it worse!