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DIY Effects


JackLondon

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Here are my most recent projects - I give them all pseudoscientific names, for the hell of it :)

Firstly the 'Unity Engine': A vero Klon buffer based on a TL072. I've upped the input cap a little to 220n from the layout i followed and improved the supply filtering.

Next a the 'Z-Pinch' - a monster bass fuzz. It's a Poodle Parts germanium booster driving a Poodle Parts Woolly Mammoth clone. I orignally had a variable resistor in front of the fuzz al la Masdotron to get round being driven by a buffered pedal, but it never worked properly. I had the Ge booster spare so I upped the input caps and made a stupdily heavy fuzz by chaining them together.

Lastly a Mu-Amp. Just called 'The Mu-Amp'. My most successful vero build so far. Did the vero layout myself in DIYLC. Sounds very good on bass - even compresses a little as the gain is increased. I used a Poodle Parts footswitch PCB for this one.


I've some gut shots if anyone's interested - I'm not that neat tho !

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  • 2 weeks later...

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1392339813' post='2367708']
Finally got round to finishing the BB preamp and it's not disappointing in any way, shape or form. I was a little bit apprehensive about just a 2 band on a pre, but it's really well voiced and sounds great. :)
[/quote]

Yeah, I don't miss any mids on this pedal.
Really nice. Sounds slightly different in the low end to the Xotic, but still great and very useable!

Si

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[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1392339813' post='2367708']
Finally got round to finishing the BB preamp and it's not disappointing in any way, shape or form. I was a little bit apprehensive about just a 2 band on a pre, but it's really well voiced and sounds great. :)
[/quote]

Good news - any pics ?

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  • 1 month later...

I was just wondering if there was any way of building a looper pedal (like the ditto) or an octave pedal (think OC-2)?

I have no idea what I'm doing but would quite like a little project to work on.

Any of you got any ideas to help me? :)

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[quote name='Myke' timestamp='1395014439' post='2397846']
I was just wondering if there was any way of building a looper pedal (like the ditto) or an octave pedal (think OC-2)?

I have no idea what I'm doing but would quite like a little project to work on.

Any of you got any ideas to help me? :)
[/quote]

Both are of corse technically possible, the Looper would he very very difficult, the OC-2 is an advanced build, although soon good PCBs are available for the Pearl Octaver, very similar plus octave up

Si

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[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1395048990' post='2397947']
Both are of corse technically possible, the Looper would he very very difficult, the OC-2 is an advanced build, although soon good PCBs are available for the Pearl Octaver, very similar plus octave up

Si
[/quote]

Ah..

So noob question.. What's a PCB?

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[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1395088751' post='2398607']
Printed Circuit Board.

A question for you DIY'ers - have any of you built the RunOffGroove Ginger?

http://www.runoffgroove.com/ginger.html
[/quote]

No, but I've been meaning to for ages.

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[quote name='Myke' timestamp='1395089388' post='2398615']
Ah okay, thank you.

What (if any) are a good, simple starter pedal to try?
[/quote]

Hi Myke, What I would suggest if you are totally new to DIY is to get a simple kit such as this:

[url="http://shop.pedalparts.co.uk/Bazz_Fuzz/p847124_6346768.aspx"]http://shop.pedalpar...24_6346768.aspx[/url]

Buy it with a pre drilled enclosure and read the instructions thoroughly. What you need to start with is some confidence builders and soldering practice. The Bass Fuss circuit is perfect. Once you have got that one built try some other kits, try drilling your own enclosures, adding mods etc.

Here is loads of very useful information for the novice builder:
[url="http://www.beavisaudio.com/techpages/"]http://www.beavisaudio.com/techpages/[/url]

When you feel more comfortable with soldering try some veroboard layouts:
[url="http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.co.uk"]http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.co.uk[/url]

and buy your bits here:
[url="http://doctortweek.co.uk"]http://doctortweek.co.uk[/url]

Best of all the DIY community are all so happy to share information, get reading here:
[url="http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/"]http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/[/url]
[url="http://www.freestompboxes.org"]http://www.freestompboxes.org[/url]

I warn you though its a slippery slope, once you start you'll soon be hunting for vintage transistors or trying to build the ultimate Klon!
Check out this guy, he started off building a few simple fuzz boxes and is now hailed as a DIY king (He's a bass player too) And notably he's the guy playing the 'Ginger' in the previous post above:
[url="http://johnkvintageguitars.homestead.com/Overdrive-Pedals.html"]http://johnkvintageg...ive-Pedals.html[/url]

Good luck!

Edited by NoirBass
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[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1395400941' post='2402007']
Excellent post Noir :)

Si
[/quote]

Why thanks :blush:

I've had so much help from people on here and the other links I posted since I started trying to build effects. I'm only too happy to pass on what I've found / learnt.

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[quote name='NoirBass' timestamp='1395400016' post='2401986']
and buy your bits here:
[url="http://doctortweek.co.uk"]http://doctortweek.co.uk[/url]
[/quote]
The good Doc would always be my first port of call, but on the occasions that he doesn't have what you're looking for, these are worth a look too. Their P&P costs are higher though.
[url="http://www.rshelectronics.co.uk/"]RSH Electronics[/url]
[url="http://www.rapidonline.com/default.aspx"]Rapidonline[/url]

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[quote name='NoirBass' timestamp='1395400016' post='2401986']
Hi Myke, What I would suggest if you are totally new to DIY is to get a simple kit such as this:

[url="http://shop.pedalparts.co.uk/Bazz_Fuzz/p847124_6346768.aspx"]http://shop.pedalpar...24_6346768.aspx[/url]

Buy it with a pre drilled enclosure and read the instructions thoroughly. What you need to start with is some confidence builders and soldering practice. The Bass Fuss circuit is perfect. Once you have got that one built try some other kits, try drilling your own enclosures, adding mods etc.

Here is loads of very useful information for the novice builder:
[url="http://www.beavisaudio.com/techpages/"]http://www.beavisaudio.com/techpages/[/url]

When you feel more comfortable with soldering try some veroboard layouts:
[url="http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.co.uk"]http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.co.uk[/url]

and buy your bits here:
[url="http://doctortweek.co.uk"]http://doctortweek.co.uk[/url]

Best of all the DIY community are all so happy to share information, get reading here:
[url="http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/"]http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/[/url]
[url="http://www.freestompboxes.org"]http://www.freestompboxes.org[/url]

I warn you though its a slippery slope, once you start you'll soon be hunting for vintage transistors or trying to build the ultimate Klon!
Check out this guy, he started off building a few simple fuzz boxes and is now hailed as a DIY king (He's a bass player too) And notably he's the guy playing the 'Ginger' in the previous post above:
[url="http://johnkvintageguitars.homestead.com/Overdrive-Pedals.html"]http://johnkvintageg...ive-Pedals.html[/url]

Good luck!
[/quote]

Thank you very much for that :)

My first pedal is going to be a mute pedal. Essentially a killswitch so I can mute my amp and unplug my bass.

The next will probably be that Bazz Fuzz and then from there I don't know :P

But small steps!


Well maybe I do know..

Reverb
Compression
Octave
Delay

Oh dear.. What have I started..

Edited by Myke
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For simple starter stuff I just built an EHX LPB-1 clone on vero, really really simple circuit and so small I mounted it on the pot. Not tried it on bass yet as I built it for the guitarist in my band but sounded good as a slightly coloured boost in his setup.

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[quote name='Myke' timestamp='1395408773' post='2402124']
My first pedal is going to be a mute pedal. Essentially a killswitch so I can mute my amp and unplug my bass.
[/quote]
For an added bit of interest on your mute pedal, why not give it a flashing LED? Makes it a lot more obvious that the killswitch is engaged, as it were :D I did this for a mute switch I built some time ago and it work really well. I used the circuit and calculations on this pic -- it's a tiny circuit and easy to make up on a little scrap of vero, I mounted mine on the legs of the LED itself. R3 can be lower in value than 1k if you prefer a brighter LED.

[attachment=158270:LED flasher.jpg]

Edited by UglyDog
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