I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

Wonker

Wonker

New member
I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

Let me start this off by saying I am in no way trying to sell or advertise these here but I do need input.

I’m a guitar tech in the Southern California area and trained in electronic circuit diagnostics, repair and design. I’ve done a ton of pedal repairs/mods and my customers always ask if I would make pedals for them but I’ve never really given it any thought until today.

One of the major reasons I haven’t given this any thought is because I don’t really use them. I have no effects at all in my rig. The only two pedals I use are a Boss TU-3 and an ISP Decimator.

1) What qualities/features do you pedal users look for in these pedals?

a. Distortion pedal
b. Boost / Overdrive pedal
c. Compression pedal

2) How do you power your pedals with batteries or power supplies? Is it a deal breaker to not be able to use a 9v battery? (I only use my one spot)
 
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Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

For compressors the main think I look for is low noise. I've never really ever used a booster so I cannot comment too much on that. However, I do like the idea of choosing which frequencies I can boost like on the BYOC tri boost.

As for not being able to use a 9v battery it would be a non issue for me because I never use them. I always use an adapter.
 
Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

for overdrives or distortions i look for ones that actualy reproduce the harmonic content of each note. So many pedals have a buzz in one particular part of the frequency spectrum that does not change from note to note.
For me, pedals that seem to reproduce the correct harmonics well are the rat, the fulltone gt500 and some of the tube screamer based circuits (perhaps because ts is a soft clip?). The wampler Brent Mason and fulltone ocd are also pretty good for higher gain harmonic reproduction.
Most heavy drives just stamp their own particular sonic spectrum all over your sound, rather than actually reacting to the notes and chords the way a tube does. Examples of pedals that dont follow the harmonic content of what you play are: Boss ds1 or a more boutique pedal would be the Mi audio tube zone. Perhaps the good ones have something to do with using jfets instead of diodes for the clipping? I know tube screamers are diode clipping circuits, but perhaps they work okay because they are lower gain and also roll off some top end so perhaps they mask the buzzy frequency. Its mainly the hard clipping circuits that cause me grief. TBH I have no idea how any of that stuff actually works circuit wise...this is juts my input based on using my ears a god knows how many pedals.


For boost i like to be able to trim off bass and or treb to compensate for the way the preamp tubes react to the extra level. Eqs seem to sound "hard ?" to my ears. The mxr micro amp is nice but i cant trim off any bass, and the MI audio boost and buff add alot of brightness. The cae 401 is nice, but my fave so far is again the gt500. One thing i really do like in a boost tho is leds. Juts as an example, i put leds into a tubescreamer instead of the clippers and got a really nice clean (or mostly clean) boost that just kinda compressed a little when the gain knob went up. That worked a treat actually. really sweet as a lead boost, but not at all what you could call transparent. It was nice to have the gaib knob tho so i could set the sponginess of the boost and keep it sounding pretty natural.

For compressors it would be low noise and subtlety. So far i prefer optical circuits to traditional ross style pedals, but i know the ross is many peoples favourite. TBH i dont use compressors a lot tho. Mine just gather dust, so i guess my input here is not very helpful.

Anyway...just some rambling thoughts from another guitar nerd.
 
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Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

No battery would be a deal breaker for me. I guess I'm the odd man out: I always use batteries.

There are SO many distortions out there... but I would think that a really cool boost (maybe something Klon-ish) or a really cool compressor would probably stand out more.

And I'm actually looking for a compressor. Something that I could use with guitar or bass. ;)
 
Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

I never use batteries. In my opinion there's already so many dirt boxes out there...it's impossible to keep up with them so I stopped trying.

Now a great compressor, that's a pedal I'd be interested in. I haven't broken down and bought the Analogman compressor yet so if I were given a great alternative, I might look in other directions!
 
Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

I've been using the same effects for so long that I really don't know what I would look for if I had to replace one. I use a CE2(Boss chorus) a DD3(delay) a Ibanez TS9 (overdrive) a Wah and tuner.

With overdives I like the TS9 & the TS808 because they are really just adding sustain and a little in the fell of harmonics. They don't color the sound too much. I use Chorus more for clean rhythm work and rarely use it with drive. The Delay I use it for a little slap back when soloing.

I would recommend going true bypass and use a well made power adapter. I also use one spots & I find them to be quite good for the $. Good luck in your endeavor and keep us posted. Put some sound clips up. I would be interested to hear what you come up with.
 
Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

*2nds Klon-type thing*
 
Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

I always like distortions/ODs with tone stacks - bass, mid, treble.
 
Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

Any more ideas?
 
Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

Up until recently I powered my pedals with a daisy-chained One-Spot. Now I am using a Voodoo Lab Pdel Power 2 Plus. I sold a very good fuzz pedal because of its "battery only" operation. I don't want to upset my board by removing anything to replace a battery or by unplugging an inputto preserve battery life.

For ODs and distortion pedals there has to be an effective system for tone control. Ideally, it should have a second switch that would activate a second gain setting with adjustable mid frequency boost. What I hate in OD and distortion pedals is a boxy, or nasal tone. There are plenty of those.

For compressors, as other have mentioned, I like a low noise floor. Also, I would prefer a compressor that, aside from the volume and threshold adjustments, would include adjustments for attack and release.

Good luck!
 
Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

the ability to run off 18v or 9v just like a fulltone ocd
 
Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

Distortion
1. needs to have waay too much useable gain...just as an option (kinda like a toaster having a setting that cremates bread into dust)
2. needs to have EQ settings, the more adjustments=the better....
3. level/output volume knob....
4. quiet as possible....
5. DEPENDABLE on off switch that won't break down after years of drunken stomping upon it.
6. half naked babe painted on the front
7. cool colored LED light


I use a one-spot to power my board.... UNLESS I am recording...then 9-volts.
If only given one choice I choose the one-spot.
 
Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

80's_Metal said:
Distortion
1. needs to have waay too much useable gain...just as an option (kinda like a toaster having a setting that cremates bread into dust)
2. needs to have EQ settings, the more adjustments=the better....
3. level/output volume knob....
4. quiet as possible....
5. DEPENDABLE on off switch that won't break down after years of drunken stomping upon it.
6. half naked babe painted on the front
7. cool colored LED light


I use a one-spot to power my board.... UNLESS I am recording...then 9-volts.
If only given one choice I choose the one-spot.
Click to expand...

man, you're like a bottomless salad bowl of quotes!
 
Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

For a distortion pedal, I look for something with a unique voice, something with character. It's not an OD; you don't want to preserve the basic sound of the instrument -- you want to obliterate it and replace it with balls-to-the-wall destruction.

A lot of pedals do this, but they end up sounding more or less the same. Bland, vanilla distortions -- even some very high-gain ones -- tend to bore me. I like something with a special sound that kind of warps what you're putting into it. The way that a Rectifier does, or a JCM800 with a Rat in front of it.
 
Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

2011-05-25_11-51-28_894.jpg


Just bought a test case. I wont be using this case for a pedal. Just for paint testing, I need to practice.
 
Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

i can not imagine a need for a pedal that doesnt already exist on the market multiple times over at a good cost and quality point
 
Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

:laughing: true
 
Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

How about something like an OC-2, built into a wah case with the pedal acting as an expession? No Octavia fuzz crap, just the octave, like a low-rent whammy. Would that even work? I've never used an OC-2, so I have no idea, I just want to make a sloppy whammy-ish effect.
 
Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

Re: I’m thinking about doing a small run of handmade pedals and I need some input.

Phase one of pedal making testing going well. I spent this afternoon painting my first prototype pedal case. Tomorrow I'll wet sand then post a picture or two.
 
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