High part-count pedal build you say?

Surgeon

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Got a nice one right here. Might not be the biggest I've done but quite close if it's not:

IMG_0044_zps26f7db29.jpg


Okko Dominator

Always harder to make them look elegant when there are a lot of standing resistors (many in this case) but I think I pulled it off quite well.

Sounds pretty good too!
 
Re: High part-count pedal build you say?

I'm a tiny bit amused that you consider that a "high parts count build" (ever looked into building a chorus or a delay?), but that is excellent work nonetheless :)

I'd definitely see about board-mounted pots if I had that many to deal with. All those wires will look like spaghetti inside the enclosure if not managed carefully.
 
Re: High part-count pedal build you say?

I'm a tiny bit amused that you consider that a "high parts count build" (ever looked into building a chorus or a delay?), but that is excellent work nonetheless :)

I'd definitely see about board-mounted pots if I had that many to deal with. All those wires will look like spaghetti inside the enclosure if not managed carefully.

Funny how "I'm amused" in this context tends to sound pedantic doesn't it?

I've also said that it was not my highest but still more than a standard tubescreamer or big muff.

I've built a few choruses and yes, they are similar or a bit higher. It's also less temperamental than univibes or others with photocells... I just had a pic of this one and, being still higher than some, thought that it looked quite clean.

Oh, and I always manage to get pots and wires look pretty neat in the enclosure ;)
 
Re: High part-count pedal build you say?

it's pretty high for a distortion pedal, for sure. You should take a whack at a Boss HM2 next. 4 ICs, 12ish diodes and I think it's 8 transistors. Not to mention all the resistors and caps. All for 4 knobs.

Yea, not doing that.

edit, here's a gut shot. Not as band as I thought it would look when it's using 16pin ICs. Of course, it looks like that'd add up to 6 normal ICs.
http://griffineffects.com/gallery3/...s/Boss/boss_hm-2_platine_MIT.jpg?m=1350616578
 
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Re: High part-count pedal build you say?

The HM-2 would be even worse had it not used 1/8th watt resistors.
 
Re: High part-count pedal build you say?

Yeah, I've seen a lot of work done on varoius DIY forums regarding the HM2. Of course, mos of them omit the bypass circuit. I'm not too interested in it so far bit it's definitely something I'll tackle for the challenge eventually. I'll need a layout that alloes it to fit adequately in a 1590BB though, I have no interest in building a single pedal that takes more real-estafe than that...
 
Re: High part-count pedal build you say?

I think every diy blog I go to says the same thing about the HM2 as well. Its a particular beast, for sure.

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Re: High part-count pedal build you say?

Cool! I think my highest count one has been an envelope filter. You always socket everything? I'm always on the fence if it makes more sense to socket or solder in place. Have done both with good results (with a clip on the chip legs as heat sink).
 
Re: High part-count pedal build you say?

Cool! I think my highest count one has been an envelope filter. You always socket everything? I'm always on the fence if it makes more sense to socket or solder in place. Have done both with good results (with a clip on the chip legs as heat sink).
I've built a couple of filters too and they're a lot of fun as well to put together.
I always socket so I can experiment with different trannies or IC (I have a bi stash of many kinds) and it makes it a lot easier to replace and troubleshoot.
 
Re: High part-count pedal build you say?

For me, 2 parts is a high parts count! I don't even like to solder in new pickups ... my brain is just not wired this way (no pun intended ... well, a little bit ;) )

Looks like your usual immaculate work there!
 
Re: High part-count pedal build you say?

For me, 2 parts is a high parts count! I don't even like to solder in new pickups ... my brain is just not wired this way (no pun intended ... well, a little bit ;) )

Looks like your usual immaculate work there!

You're again t
 
Re: High part-count pedal build you say?

For me, 2 parts is a high parts count! I don't even like to solder in new pickups ... my brain is just not wired this way (no pun intended ... well, a little bit ;) )

Looks like your usual immaculate work there!

You're again too nice but thank you.
I'll say the same as I ever do: i I can do it anybody can. However, I do understand folks who don't want to bother.

Cheers!
 
Re: High part-count pedal build you say?

Got a nice one right here. Might not be the biggest I've done but quite close if it's not:

IMG_0044_zps26f7db29.jpg


Okko Dominator

Always harder to make them look elegant when there are a lot of standing resistors (many in this case) but I think I pulled it off quite well.

Sounds pretty good too!


Awesome. I had the real thing a few weeks ago, want to make me one so I can compare it? ;)


You're again too nice but thank you.
I'll say the same as I ever do: i I can do it anybody can. However, I do understand folks who don't want to bother.

I've actually got a problem with depth perception that makes my eyes lose focus at some points, close-up work does it for me. (There's also a point at 6-10 feet that gets crushed together.) Magnifying lights didn't help.
 
Re: High part-count pedal build you say?

Awesome. I had the real thing a few weeks ago, want to make me one so I can compare it? ;)

Actually, I couldn't find the appropriate JFETs for this one at a reasonable price (3-5$ for a SINGLE JFET? No way) so I used both (still deciding) 2n5457s and j201s. I'm assuming there will be a slight difference with the original pedal. Shouldn't be huge but it could be there.


I've actually got a problem with depth perception that makes my eyes lose focus at some points, close-up work does it for me. (There's also a point at 6-10 feet that gets crushed together.) Magnifying lights didn't help.

Ok, maybe no soldering but you could still be a very sucky or great visual artist... ;) maybe stick to guitar just in case though :D
 
Re: High part-count pedal build you say?

Actually, I couldn't find the appropriate JFETs for this one at a reasonable price (3-5$ for a SINGLE JFET? No way) so I used both (still deciding) 2n5457s and j201s. I'm assuming there will be a slight difference with the original pedal. Shouldn't be huge but it could be there.

And this is why I sigh when I see people posting about how no distortion pedal has more than $20 of parts. A lot of them don't, but a lot of them do.
 
Re: High part-count pedal build you say?

And this is why I sigh when I see people posting about how no distortion pedal has more than $20 of parts. A lot of them don't, but a lot of them do.

Two of the ICs in there cost about 3$ a piece, that's already quite higher than your JRC4558 that cost about 0.40$ in a TS
However, to be fair, jfets (through-hole versions of them actually) are being discountinued so the prices have increased a lot in the latest months. Otherwise they were just like any other transistors, pretty cheap.

Even with 20$ worth of parts (which isn't always the case as you stated), labor counts. Folks will bash guys who build clones but will brag about their JOYOs all day long (clones built surface mounted with smd stuff that's wave-soldered...). Even a cloner spends a lot of hours building and finishing his pedals. Folks don't think (usually) about the time spent sanding, painting and coating boxes but that's usually where most of the time is spent. It's much cheaper/faster to just use bare-boxes but it looks so bad... even mass-produced stuff usually needs to be powder-coated and silk-screened... it all adds up.

You're also right though, especially in these days when you talk about circuits built around germanium transistors. These are getting harder and harder to source and those you do find are so unreliable that you have to order about 20 to find 2 that are useable for a given circuit. Even at just 2-3$ a piece, you needed to pretty much order 20-30 to build one or two (if you're lucky) pedals so that makes it quite expensive. I hate them with a passion and will only work with Soviet ones (cheaper, very low leakage and better consistency) and even then they are a pain.
Anyone selling a nice fuzz face or tonebender with adequate transistors is, IMHO, allowed to charge a lot for one 'cause finding, buying and sorting/matching (that's where most of the time is wasted in these builds) parts to build a high number of these is a MAJOR task.
 
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Re: High part-count pedal build you say?

Speaking of Ges, have you tried the silicon piggyback trick to any project to get a germanium tone?

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Re: High part-count pedal build you say?

Speaking of Ges, have you tried the silicon piggyback trick to any project to get a germanium tone?

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Yes I have! I like it. I've built a few fuzz factories with that technique and liked the results a lot. However, I'm not in a position to compare piggy-backed Si vs. Ge. The pedals did sound pretty awesome but it's such a weird pedal that comparing it to online vids is pointless. I've been wanting to build a nice treble booster or even a fuzz-face to be able to compare easier with youtube vids.
 
Re: High part-count pedal build you say?

You always socket everything? I'm always on the fence if it makes more sense to socket or solder in place. Have done both with good results (with a clip on the chip legs as heat sink).

I ALWAYS socket, so I can experiment with different OP/Amps...
 
Re: High part-count pedal build you say?

So nobody does experimenting on a breadboard? That way you can modify all the resistor values to see what sounds cool where . . .

My main concern with sockets is longevity . . . it's a physical connection that's got potential to degrade.
 
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