NDIYPD

[Rich_S]

New DIY Pedal Day! I just finished my new LPB-1 clone. For some reason, I recently decided I need a clean boost pedal, so I'm going to build a few. The LPB-1 was first. Plenty of boost available, and it fattens up the tone, too. I'm not sure if I like that part of it yet, I might change it to a Screaming Bird if it turns out to be too thick. I need to give it a good workout at louder-than-bedroom volume first.

Here it is next to its older cousin, the Triangle Muff clone I built a few years ago (when EHX wasn't building a Triangle).

Next up: A Stratoblaster in mini-pedal form.

 

[Mincer]

Re: NDIYPD

Wow! Very cool! I dig the stamped legends.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: NDIYPD

Nice work!

 

[devastone]

Re: NDIYPD

Those look great!

 

[Rich_S]

Re: NDIYPD

And here’s another; an Alembic Stratoblaster. That’s my last old Bell & Howell ‘scope knob. Flat olive paint left over from last year’s talkbox project. Kinda going for an old army-surplus look.

 

[DankStar]

Re: NDIYPD

Very cool.

Where do you get your smaller boxes?

I've always wanted to try a screaming bird myself but most reviews say the treble is ear splitting and unusable.

 

[Rich_S]

Re: NDIYPD

That’s an A-size “Tall” from Small Bear. It’s the same size as my MXR Phase 95 and Mooer Ana Echo. I think Small Bear them from Asia, because I don’t believe Hammond make a “Tall”.

The GGG page on the LPT-2 says the Screaming Bird is simply too bright. They offer suggestions for cap values to tame it, and provide a usable treble boost. Changing two caps is all it takes to turn an LPB into a Screaming Bird. After I have a chance to compare the LPB to my Stratoblaster, I might try substituting some cap values to brighten the LPB up a little bit.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: NDIYPD

Is the LPB transistor based? Just a single?

 

[Rich_S]

Re: NDIYPD

Yes, the LPB-1/2 is just a single transistor. GGG’s PC board has traces and component holes for a second, optional transistor stage, allowing various “improvements” that various DIYers have suggested over years. I just built it as a bone-stock LPB-1.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: NDIYPD

Cool, I’ve never used one. Does it start to crunch up at higher settings?

 

[JB_From_Hell]

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Those look great. Maybe I’ll build a fuzz rather than buy one.

 

[Rich_S]

Re: NDIYPD

PFD: It stays clean with my Tele, but I’ve read that the LPB-1 distorts (and not in a good way) if you drive it too hard with hot pickups. Check out the General Guitar Gadgets LPB-2 page, it has a nice compendium of LPB tribal knowledge, tips, and mods.

JB: Building fuzzes is fun. Many of them a really simple, especially silicon ones. Germanium fuzz circuits are a little fussier, and vintage germanium transistors can be a really deep rabbit hole. If built a couple of Fuzzrites, which are really simple. The Big Muff is a bit harder, but still pretty easy. The hardest part is figuring out which version to build. I’ve also built some Rats. Now that I’ve done a couple of stupid-simple boosters, I think my next is going to be a Foxx Tone Machine clone.

 

[Rich_S]

Re: NDIYPD

I finished the Stratoblaster tonight, and it's great. It has the extra crispness the LPB-1 lacks, really maintains my Tele's Tele-ness.