This week's pedal build

[Surgeon]

Is a triangle-specs big muff pi with voltage-starve pot to simulate a dying battery...
Complete with a blue led that will almost burn your retinas. Gotta start using higher value led-resistors for that new batch of leds...

I'd never played a big-muff for more than a few seconds before... quite nice!

And a few pics of course:

Cheers!

 

[DankStar]

Re: This week's pedal build

wow - beautiful job, and cool idear on the starved battery knob.

 

[Surgeon]

Re: This week's pedal build

wow - beautiful job, and cool idear on the starved battery knob.

Thank you my friend! I like it a lot myself.

The volatge-starve is dead-simple (just a pot between the 9v socket and the circuit) but it works quite nicely. Not a lot of travel is useful as expected but it is quite nice to have on-board.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: This week's pedal build

Thank you my friend! I like it a lot myself.

The volatge-starve is dead-simple (just a pot between the 9v socket and the circuit) but it works quite nicely. Not a lot of travel is useful as expected but it is quite nice to have on-board.

Gorgeous! Nice job Phil.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: This week's pedal build

What value is the voltage-starve pot?

I'd probably go with 1k or less for it to be useful through the whole range.

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: This week's pedal build

Very nice! Me gusta

 

[AudioWonderland]

Re: This week's pedal build

I need to have you finish a few projects I never have time to get to

 

[Surgeon]

Re: This week's pedal build

Gorgeous! Nice job Phil.

Thanks John! I've been on a building spree lately. I finally rebuilt completely from zero the Ross compressor: this time it works perfectly, I only have to box it...

What value is the voltage-starve pot?

I'd probably go with 1k or less for it to be useful through the whole range.

I used 100k as recommended on some forums (and it turned out to be all I had left) but a lower-value would definitely be good. The part where it sounds good isn't that wide but I have no problem zero-ing in on it even at 100k. I'll try 10 or 1k when I get my new pot shipment in next week.

Very nice! Me gusta

Gracias!

I need to have you finish a few projects I never have time to get to

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: This week's pedal build

Thanks John! I've been on a building spree lately. I finally rebuilt completely from zero the Ross compressor: this time it works perfectly, I only have to box it...



I used 100k as recommended on some forums (and it turned out to be all I had left) but a lower-value would definitely be good. The part where it sounds good isn't that wide but I have no problem zero-ing in on it even at 100k. I'll try 10 or 1k when I get my new pot shipment in next week.



Gracias!

Awesome....I'm playing my guitar alot more these days and almost 0 tweaking.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: This week's pedal build

looks amazing!

 

[Surgeon]

Re: This week's pedal build

Awesome....I'm playing my guitar alot more these days and almost 0 tweaking.

Good for you! I have a lot less time to these days with the kid (although it's getting better now). With the weather being excremely ****ty, what little leisure time I get is spent doing this... I've got big projects music-wise though so I'll go back to normal soon!

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: This week's pedal build

Nice stuff!

Full on DIY or kit build?

 

[Surgeon]

Re: This week's pedal build

Nice stuff!

Full on DIY or kit build?

Thanks, full on DIY, including self-etched PCB.
I etch pcbs for the more complicated designs. The simpler ones (single transistor boosters for example) I do on perfboard.
I've got a few vero-boards in case I can only find vero layouts of a pedal I really want since I'm no good at doing pcb layouts by myself...

 

[Soulcrusher_X]

Re: This week's pedal build

That looks awesome. What kind of paint did you use and where did you get the labels? I would like something like that for my amp builds. I really like the 'hammered' paint look. With that color tan, it almost looks like you're plugging into a piece of sandstone. Very cool!

 

[BloodRose]

Re: This week's pedal build

so... If you take a Big muff and add a trim pot.... Do you end up with a nicely trimmed muff?

Im sorry... I just felt like it HAD to be said..
I cant access whatever you added to the first post. Ill check it after the break. I REALLY really wish I could get started modding pedals.. I LOVE to tinker with stuff, but Im not sure where to start... Im gonna buy one of those diys and then experiment

 

[everdrone]

Re: This week's pedal build

lol cool! heh I strive for 51 percent normalcy

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: This week's pedal build

Beautiful looking pedal!

 

[Surgeon]

Re: This week's pedal build

Thanks again guys

That looks awesome. What kind of paint did you use and where did you get the labels? I would like something like that for my amp builds. I really like the 'hammered' paint look. With that color tan, it almost looks like you're plugging into a piece of sandstone. Very cool!

Thanks man!
The paint is Tremclad hammertone (or something)

but the same is also made by Rust-o-leum

.
There are a few shades available too (silver, gold, brown, I think I even saw blue on the web but not at my crappy dept store). Two coats and you get that finish. Thinner or much thicker and you lose a lot of 3d and dimension in the pitting effect.
For labels I use Avery transparent envelope labels for laser printers

(the tiny shop here was out of ink-jet, although I have a feeling that laser toner is more stable once you apply the clear-coat over it since the solvent tends to make them run) so I have to print them at work. They're not perfectly transparent but do the work pretty well, especially once you get the clear coat over them.

They're not always perfect but that one came out nice with the sides and back sanded down to 400 grit for a polished look and the top coated with that hammertone paint... I like it.

 

[Surgeon]

Re: This week's pedal build

so... If you take a Big muff and add a trim pot.... Do you end up with a nicely trimmed muff?

Im sorry... I just felt like it HAD to be said..
I cant access whatever you added to the first post. Ill check it after the break. I REALLY really wish I could get started modding pedals.. I LOVE to tinker with stuff, but Im not sure where to start... Im gonna buy one of those diys and then experiment

Man, the variations on this one are pretty infinite aren't they?

It's easier than it looks to build these man. Especially with all the info available on the web nowadays (beavisaudio.com is an amazing source of info) and there are tons of blogs and forums with guys sharing their layouts and ideas....
There's a learning curve but after a few failed builds you get a better idea of what you're doing wrong and after a few successful ones your confidence grows...
Lots of fun!

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: This week's pedal build

...when I get my new pot shipment in next week.

You have to keep things like this quiet, dude.