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I've been a forum lurker here for about 6 months.  I've seen a lot of amazing pedal builds posted, complex and clean.  They set the bar pretty high.  Here's my first attempt at a Madbean build and my second pedal build overall:  a Sea Urchin Delay with tap tempo using a Haberdasher-etched Sea Urchin PCB with a JMK PCB's Modulating Taptation board.  No the gutshot isn't too pretty, but maybe it'll give some hope to my fellow beginners out there.    If I can do it, anyone can!





Overall, I'm pretty pleased with the pedal.  The only other delay I've ever had is a Keely-modded Boss DD-3.  This seems pretty hi-fi compared to that - especially with humbuckers - but this is less noticeable with single coils.  It also sounds almost like a reverb plus delay instead of just delay, again less so with single coils.  I'm curious if other builders have noticed this.

Tap tempo delays are pretty pricey for me, especially as a novice guitar player.  I don't think I ever would have had one if I didn't build it myself.  It's been fun playing with this pedal.  The dotted 8th setting make me sound like the Edge! ... if he played slower and made lot's of mistakes.  LOL

It started up pretty well ... after I remembered to insert the IC's (yep, I really am a beginner).  There was quite a lot of pop when stomped on until I put 1 M resistors on the in/out jacks.  It also stopped working after a few weeks (no repeats), but came back to life when I put a jumper across pins 3 and 4 of the PT2399 IC.  I wouldn't have known to do any of this without the Madbean forum.  Thanks to all.

Yep.  Madbean's a fantastic place.  Not just high quality pcb's, but lot's of ideas, supportive comments and help in the forums from really skilled people.  It's also helped me as a beginner to find resources elsewhere (the quick links on the banner just being a start ... check out Chromosphere's and jonspatton's (Midwayfair's) YouTube Channels!).  Really good stuff.  Thanks to all.

Making pedals makes me want to play more guitar! I have a nice pedal board with some effects that I wouldn't be able to afford. There's nothing better than blasting away on my new creation. I stopped playing scales and trying to play like my heroes a long time ago. I write my own songs and just go by what sounds good to me. I now play solely for fun and I'm not worried about my level of technique.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

+1 to this.  I play for fun and it's more fun to play with a collection of magic boxes underfoot.

Another big +1.  I'm 47, but I've only been playing guitar for a couple of years (and soldering way less than that).  Still a beginner to both guitar and pedal building, but the effects keep playing fun and sometimes even make my fumbling attempts at songs sound a little more like the original!  I usually make myself practice pretty regularly for 3-4 weeks (songs, techniques) as a motivator before picking up a pedal or ordering parts as well.  I've built 3 pedals since last September and collected parts for 3 more!

Hi David.

I'm new to this too. Coincidentally, I've also just collected all the parts for a Yellow Shark build on one of Haberdasher's boards.  Since I'm new to electronics and pedal building I may not be the best reference, but a couple of things I'd add to the discussion so far:

- Before ordering parts, I make notes on what types of capacitors I need to get.  The first clue is the capacitor value.  As was mentioned earlier, pF usually means ceramic caps, nF usually means box/film caps and uF are typically electrolytic caps.  However, also have a look at the layout diagram.  Especially at Madbean, the electrolytic caps are illustrated with a "+" sign on the positive solder pad, box caps are rectangular and ceramic caps are elliptical.
- Small Bear uses "mF" instead of "uF", but they're the same thing.
- If you browse websites by the type of cap, the units might not be what you're expecting, so keep a conversion chart handy (I use the same one noted earlier http://www.justradios.com/uFnFpF.html).
- always check your resistor vales with a multimeter (they don't always come labelled.
- always socket your IC chips and transistors (so you don't fry them when soldering and maybe for swapping different ones in).

For what it's worth, based on chat in this forum and elsewhere, I been sourcing parts as follows:

Bitches Love My Switches:
3PDT switches
toggle switches
Neutrik, 1/4" and DC jacks

Smallbear Electronics:
Specialized parts:
electrolytic caps
trannies
IC's
diodes
pots (sometimes)

Mammoth Electronics:
pots (if name brand)
powdercoated, drilled boxes

Mouser:
parts I can't find elsewhere (I'm in Canada and shipping seems expensive.  Otherwise I might buy more here)

Tayda:
resistors
non-electrolytic caps
trannies (if name brand)
IC's (if name brand)
diodes
knobs
sockets
pots (if name brand)

Hope that helps.  Good luck with your build.

Bruce.

I placed my first Tayda order on December 28 and another since then.  The December order shipped January 2 and arrived January 14.  The other is still in transit.  I was banking on 3-5 weeks.  FWIW, I'm in a small town in the interior of British Columbia.

It seems a bit sketchy that you haven't received a December 12 shipment.   Have you logged back onto Tayda and tried tracking your order?

Thanks Harris for the pedal input advice.  I also found this thread on TGP in case any other noob's are looking for the same advice:

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/archive/index.php/t-1182230.html

Still, if anyone knows where to get the on-off fuzz pots like Analogman uses on the Peppermint Fuzz (and when it's okay to use them) I'd sure like to hear about it.

Thanks again.

Hi All.  I'm a new member here and pretty new to guitar and effects, but enjoying learning and playing.  I'm looking to get started in pedal building with some different Ge fuzzes.  I've read a lot about how these are best powered by non-alkaline batteries, but I'd like the option of not having to unplug patch cords to stop the batteries from draining.  I've read through all the beginner's paradise posts and found nothing on this topic and struck out with searches too, so .... here goes:  

1) Is it possible to use an on-off pot with a fuzz project without altering the tone or do I need to use a mini-toggle?

2) If it is possible to use an on-off pot, does it matter if I use it for Volume, Tone or Fuzz and can anyone point me to a retailer that carries them? (didn't see anything at Small Bear)

3) I'm guessing an on-off pot would be wired the same as a regular one, but can anyone point me to a dummy-proof wiring diagram for an on-off mini-toggle?  (sorry, this last noob question is painful even for me to read).

Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks!

Great forum by the way.  Amazing knowledge base and nice sense of community in the Q+A's.