2016 has not been super productive for me in the "projects completed" column, but I've been stewing on a lot of fun ideas and I've made progress on some fronts. I'm hoping 2017 will be the year I have time (& money) to execute on some plans.
Here are my 2017 guitar geekery resolutions:
TO FINISH:
- the 1590G project I've been chipping away at
- a gate/maximizer dual pedal for my board
- a 4-effect multi that's been partly done for at least a couple years
- an OD circuit I've been fiddling with
TO START (and hopefully finish):
- I have a chimaera board that's been rocked forever. I want to make a steampunk pedal out of it
- a harmonic percolator project with some fun surprises
- something with nixie tubes
- a rat (with a creepy twist)
- a couple aesthetic ideas I've really been wanting to try
- I have a cool old radio cabinet that I want to convert to an amp & effects rig. I think it will be 5F2A based
- hopefully a Timelapse!!
I resolve to getting myself back to building. 2016 was an abject wash for me.
On a positive note, I no longer have a PCB bag of unfinished projects. They've migrated to a sorted three ring binder with schematics as motivation to get organized and do the work.
Easy: I need to focus on one project at a time. Hard to finish anything the way I do it now.
Boxing and art always the part I don't like. The makerspace here is only $30 a month, so I think doing the work there will make it more fun.
Got some submini tubes and a platform for using them in a 125b, but I think first up has to be the second iteration of the Brazen Bull. Thinking more and more about that.
Quote from: jubal81 on December 15, 2016, 07:05:30 PM
Got some submini tubes and a platform for using them in a 125b, but I think first up has to be the second iteration of the Brazen Bull. Thinking more and more about that.
Brazen Bull is one of my all time favorite builds
Build more, play more, and more guitars!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Knock down the to-do list.
- Liquid mercury and giant hogweed for Dan. He sent me his enclosures months ago, I just haven't had a chance to work on them much.
- Those same builds for myself. But I'd rather get his done and sent back to him before I do my own.
- L5; I've been drooling over this since it was announced. I need to order a few parts from Mouser before I can begin.
- A few smaller circuits I haven't had the chance to start yet (slow gear, KoT, OCD, S&H, Flangelicious, DigiDelay when its released, et al.)
- Build a small amp. Right now I'm thinking either the Tiny Giant or the Frog tube amp. This will be the perfect complement to the L5, and allow me to run a stereo setup.
I've got a tonne of boards from peeps that I need to build but have hit a brick wall of CBA...
Though I will build myself another PS1A on one of Alan's boards in the new year as I currently don't have one.
Plus there's a final two projects in the wings that will need boxing up when they're done.
After that, who knows. Maybe I'll finally get around to that Flange? or the Tap analogue delay that's in the PCB box...
No plans to build anything pedal related since I've gone digital. Still planning on building a few more guitars, maybe a bass as well. I'm also thinking of maybe building a speaker cabinet
Quote from: Muadzin on December 15, 2016, 11:39:19 PM
No plans to build anything pedal related since I've gone digital. Still planning on building a few more guitars, maybe a bass as well. I'm also thinking of maybe building a speaker cabinet
Digital?
(https://68.media.tumblr.com/b30e951cc688293950d7db80dfd83140/tumblr_mku6266ycG1s5ty3yo1_500.gif)
I gotta finally build my Lightning Clone. Dangit, it's been 3 years in the project to do list.
Jacob
Quote from: jubal81 on December 15, 2016, 11:45:36 PM
Digital?
(https://68.media.tumblr.com/b30e951cc688293950d7db80dfd83140/tumblr_mku6266ycG1s5ty3yo1_500.gif)
Fractal Axe-FX my good fellow.
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r19/Muad_zin/Rigs/IMG_20161005_195719.jpg)
I haven't touched a pedal in months. It's da bomb!
As last year, my goal is to build less and play more (and finish up my AC-15 and GFS ES-355)
Buy new soldering system with hot air and vacuum
Learn SMD
Make small stuff
I'm thinking i need to find uses for a lot of the builds I've done this year, or at least mount them on pedalboards. Been a relatively productive year.
Things to do in no particular order:
Finish the 6 in progress pedals.
Finish my 2 in progress guitars.
Finish my effects loop switcher I've got in progress.
Build my ultimate home re-amp/headphone practice/mixer project I've got planned out.
Embark on my journey into the world of synths! (A very dangerous journey to begin, I reckon)
Need to finish:
-Build a proper enclosure for my Surfy Bear
-Box up a couple of builds
-Finish my butcher block Jazzmaster
Need to start:
-I have a couple of circuit ideas to create PCBs for (actually, two are in the process of being Eagle'd, and one is still in its infancy in my head)
-learn more jazz chops
-finally get around to building a pedal board!!!
Actually finish stuff. (I've got an Elements board and a Clouds board that I've been sitting on for more than a year.)
Sort out a second Eurorack case. And more 1900H knobs.
The arrival of our little one, plus the crappy weather for the last few months, has kept me off the DIY hobbies for a while.
Next year I want to finish off a few pedal things I have been working on, and get further into woodwork, with the intent of getting to a good enough level to build my own amp cabinets (and also some stuff for the little one).
I also want to learn to play a little bit of Jazz and Bossa Nova... not become a master or anything, just dip my toe in a little and learn something new (I have realistic expectations of my abilities ;D).
In general I also want to get more active and keep fit. Also try and go snowboarding more (though it sucks going to indoor places in the UK).
Planned Pedal/Guitar Stuff for 2017:
TO FINISH:
- Complete my mini 1590A 'modular' pedal board that I've had nearly finished for over 2 years now :o.
- Finish up on developing my FV-1 patches (and the PCB project) in SpinCad to the state where I am happy with them.
- Complete my Total Recall and Flabulanche. I've been meaning to finish these for ages so it's getting a bit silly.
- Finish up my 'slide' partscaster guitar that's been sat in bits for 6 months.
- Finish my current Eurorack projects and buy no more Synth stuff. I need to stick to what I have and make the most out of it (that hobby is dangerously addictive).
TO START (and hopefully finish):
- Build a combo cabinet for my Ampmaker WF-55. Make it look nice enough for my wife to let me keep it in the lounge ;)
- Build some kind of guitar rack/holder (maybe stacked?) to keep them contained and tidy in one place.
- Build Brian's new tap tempo analogue delay when it is released.
I think that's plenty to keep me going. If I even get half of that done I'll be happy ;D
I want to finish my HiFi amp. This is number 1 priority. I finally got the PSU to work properly without blowing the fuses (too much inrush current), but I'm currently in the progress of boxing all my stuff up for moving to Graz (2nd largest city in Austria) after the holidays. I'm not bringing my dad's old stereo, so I NEED it up and running to be able to listen to my vinyls.
other than that: timelapse looks intruiging, finally get my total recall going (can't get it to clean up, no matter how much I bias and I can't find anything faulty) and maybe layout a few boards myself, if I find something that I like. Also, something FV-1 based
I already know my top priorities...
(1) practice more and play more.
(2) finish that 5e3 build up.
(3) find an electric guitar I really like
(4) keep selling stuff I don't want/use enough to fund things I love (like a new guitar)
After that I have a few builds that are 80% done and need boxing...
-- 2 Madbean CE-2's
-- GC Rotten Komp
-- GC Catch 22
-- Hotcake clone (hoping this will replace my boutique drive I use/love now)
Other than what's in progress I have a few wants still. Unfortunately, I try to build too many things and end up with a lot I don't particularly want in the end. I need to focus more on builds I'll want/use next year since selling DIY stuff is a crap shoot. In particular, I want to build...
1. A straightforward klon clone because everyone needs one
2. A straightforward ts808 clone because everyone needs one
3. Buzzaround with master volume
4. Mini-bone
5. Scarab deluxe
6. PT2399 delay with mod
7. Drolo pedals (hogweed, phaser and trem)
That's it. I also hope to continue to use the enclosures and parts I have lying around to build other things as interest hits me so I can sell those and fund future projects (or at least get my money back for all the crap I purchased over the years).
Dang... that's a lot of things to do... I'll be lucky to get through half of it.
There has been a lot of loss in our family in 2016 and it was no a pleasant year by any means. I hope to get started on a good foot in 2017 and learn from all the mistakes and hardships of 2016.
My main goal of 2017 is to get the wife and I out of town more. We need more trips and escape from the norm.
I also need to purge out projects that I have either started and or finished enough to know I did not want to finish them completely and get rid of them. You know, stuff you populate and say "eh, not for me" and never box up.
I also want to focus on more of the projects I DO want to finish and actually get to a finish state.
I would love to play more and not worry about what pedals to bring with me or how my board looks.. I just need that music interaction with friends.. I need it bad. Its been a long time and I feel I have lost that "how to play with others" kind of feeling.
Cody
I still haven't finished building my house in Fallout......
To Start: Some project for myself (ideally an amp, but even a pedal would be nice)
To Finish: See above
I really want to start and finish an amp. I've had the cabinet for a year or so, just haven't found the time to build it!
Finish, sell, or dispose of the dozen completed & tested boards I haven't put in an enclosure. Finish the MOATR (mother of all test rigs). Learn the FV-1 or find a substitute which speaks an ARM/PIC dialect. Oh, and play more.
I need to get back to writing music. I used to be a demo making machine in the day. Irony is I have so much more capability in terms of digital recording now than I did 10 years ago when I was more active with it. Anyway, hoping the sometimes band will make a new record next year.
I'd like to find more time for building, maybe get back to doing nicer graphics. build more boards than I buy next year (I've got a sizable backlog at this point). figure out how to create my own layouts.
I'd also like to branch off a bit and get into synth.
As with others, I want to build more ( or at least as much ) as I buy. The backlog is large and ever-present.
It seems like 2016 was a good year for many great projects from several people.
Finish anything on my bench.
Brew my Belgian Wit, Irish Stout and maybe an IPA prior to baby being born.
Start and finish my basement renos so I have a proper place to build is pretty much my only pedal resolution.
Launching a Youtube channel for another hobby next year, so I'd imagine that takes up a good portion of my spare time.
Quote from: GermanCdn on December 19, 2016, 06:46:41 PM
Start and finish my basement renos so I have a proper place to build is pretty much my only pedal resolution.
Launching a Youtube channel for another hobby next year, so I'd imagine that takes up a good portion of my spare time.
Other hobby being guitar collecting related?
Quote from: Leevibe on December 19, 2016, 07:22:40 PM
Quote from: GermanCdn on December 19, 2016, 06:46:41 PM
Start and finish my basement renos so I have a proper place to build is pretty much my only pedal resolution.
Launching a Youtube channel for another hobby next year, so I'd imagine that takes up a good portion of my spare time.
Other hobby being guitar collecting related?
LOL, no. I've actually resolved to shrink the collection down to <50 next year, moreover for lack of time and commitment (and because 50 guitars is still way more than your average professional musician has, it's still pretty respectable).
In my quest to drop 120 lbs (over half way there), I've started spending a lot more time in the mountains (almost every weekend). My channel will be part gear reviews (a lot of the reviews out there come from a very military type approach, which is fine, but not necessarily useful to your average guy, and I find that the non-military type reviews tend to be pretty sub-par, and I find that there's a lot of guys who will only review budget stuff or high end stuff, but very little crossover, so trying to establish somewhere in the mid ground), part DIY (survival kits, fire kits, IFAKs, paracord projects, sheaths, whatever else), part trail reports/gear rundowns, and part (what's the nice way to put this, still haven't figured that out) how to get into hiking/bushcraft safely when you're fat and the challenges therein (i.e. the target market for good hiking clothes is the sub 200 lb club, how to find stuff that works for you, the importance of finding the footwear that is right for your feet, cause once your feet start acting up, you're done).
Been planning it for about six months, I'm going to start shooting some videos over the Christmas break so I have an inventory to draw from when I start posting (would like to post at least one a week without it becoming a hindrance).
Will post a link to it once it's up and running.
Grats on the weight loss, Curtis. Channel sounds like fun - looking forward to it.
Quote from: Muadzin on December 16, 2016, 12:37:27 AM
Fractal Axe-FX my good fellow.
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r19/Muad_zin/Rigs/IMG_20161005_195719.jpg)
I haven't touched a pedal in months. It's da bomb!
OMG, I had a play with a mate's Fractal a couple of months back. Wow wow WOW. So much fun.
Quote from: jubal81 on December 19, 2016, 10:57:48 PM
Grats on the weight loss, Curtis. Channel sounds like fun - looking forward to it.
+1
Quote from: GermanCdn on December 19, 2016, 08:51:29 PM
Will post a link to it once it's up and running.
I think it sounds like you've found a great little niche. I'd be interested to check it out. I would want to see something like that that isn't done by a survivalist prepper. Especially the footwear stuff. I used to do lots of day hiking. There are zillions of awesome trails in the Columbia River Gorge, which is basically where I live. I hardly ever get outdoors anymore. I think I could get into hiking a bit if I thought I could find the right footwear. My feet hurt me a lot if I wear the wrong shoes.
Quote from: Leevibe on December 20, 2016, 03:17:15 PM
I think it sounds like you've found a great little niche. I'd be interested to check it out. I would want to see something like that that isn't done by a survivalist prepper. Especially the footwear stuff. I used to do lots of day hiking. There are zillions of awesome trails in the Columbia River Gorge, which is basically where I live. I hardly ever get outdoors anymore. I think I could get into hiking a bit if I thought I could find the right footwear. My feet hurt me a lot if I wear the wrong shoes.
Thanks. I've put off starting it for about 6 months and spent that time watching a ton of other guys vids just to determine whether or not I have anything of value to add to equation (since I'm not a "Go into the bush and survive with my Leatherman and a Fresnel lens for a week", nor am I a "I just thru-hiked Appalachian Trail this summer"), and figured out that gearheads (my knife collection is actually larger than my guitar collection, but at 1/10 the unit cost) and people who need to get off their butts and head outdoors is definitely a suitable and serviceable market.
I've actually just signed up for a Sofa to Summit program, which involves hiking different trails (in length and complexity) for eight weeks, with the ultimate hike to actually summit a peak. In the winter. In Canada. Wife is convinced I have in fact lost my mind, but I will be documenting that as part of the channel as well.
The footwear thing just kills me. It's hilarious to watch a video of a guy demoing a $300 knife, and then admit that the attention he gives to his boots is "Whatever's on clearance at Cabelas/Bass Pro/REI this week." I've had serious foot problems from wearing the wrong footwear (I wore poorly fitting shoes for the two years I lived in Germany, and that resulted in plantar fasciitis for two years after my return, which really got me into looking into the shoes that work for me), and I've found that it's a delicate balance between not tight enough (resulting in instep problems) and too tight (resulting in corns and outstep problems). Combine that with the wrong socks, the wrong spikes, not keeping your toenails short (only made that mistake twice), etc, and it can end your enjoyment of outdoor living pretty quick. But what really irks me is the people who insist on hiking in sandals/flip flops. It's like a walking advertisement for a broken ankle (at best).
I hope to have enough stock footage ready by the end of February to launch it.
So true Curtis. The best investment on the trail is your footwear. I'm fortunate that when I had to buy new backcountry boots I could afford a pair of Scarpa SL3s. Best money I've ever spent for the trail.
That and having a comfortable pack, a good sleep system, and knowing how much weight is appropriate for the trail. I used to spend more nights out there than I have the past couple years, but it's one of the things I look forward to most when I plan my holidays.
I'll be a subscriber.
Jacob
Quote from: jkokura on December 20, 2016, 07:11:00 PM
and knowing how much weight is appropriate for the trail.
Co'mon, you're talking to the guy who used to bring backup guitars to his backup guitars for 45 minutes of P&W on Sunday morning. I carry wayyyyyyyy too much gear (broke your leg, here's a splint, stuck in a storm, let me put up my tent, need to boil a cup of water, here' my fire kit, let's go start a bonfire, got gut shot by a hunter who's where he's not supposed to be, I've got some Celox in here somewhere........). I kid (but only by a little bit, let's put it this way, if we get stuck, you'd wanna get stuck with me). There's actually going to be a video or two on that specific topic, showing everything from my get up and go setup of my slingpack when it's me and the dogs on a trail we know, to my 65L pack for the middle of winter down a trail I've never done before, and how you can pack similar functionality into both.
Another +1 on weight loss, Curtis. Or, -1. You know what I mean. I dropped about 15lbs myself this year but it all came back. Fixing to start up on some juicing again (not steroids...actual juice).
Quote from: GermanCdn on December 20, 2016, 08:10:07 PM
Quote from: jkokura on December 20, 2016, 07:11:00 PM
and knowing how much weight is appropriate for the trail.
Co'mon, you're talking to the guy who used to bring backup guitars to his backup guitars for 45 minutes of P&W on Sunday morning. I carry wayyyyyyyy too much gear (broke your leg, here's a splint, stuck in a storm, let me put up my tent, need to boil a cup of water, here' my fire kit, let's go start a bonfire, got gut shot by a hunter who's where he's not supposed to be, I've got some Celox in here somewhere........). I kid (but only by a little bit, let's put it this way, if we get stuck, you'd wanna get stuck with me). There's actually going to be a video or two on that specific topic, showing everything from my get up and go setup of my slingpack when it's me and the dogs on a trail we know, to my 65L pack for the middle of winter down a trail I've never done before, and how you can pack similar functionality into both.
I used to be the guy who brought everything. Now I'm firmly in the lightweight camp, and I'd never go back. I went on an overnighter with a 28L pack this summer. I'm currently looking for a nice 45-50L pack (I'm thinking Osprey Exos) that will become my 3-5 night pack. I still have my 65L Granite Gear pack, and it was perfect when I did the West Coast Trail a couple summers ago, but after getting my base weight (no food, water, or fuel) below 18lbs, I've never felt better on the trail. Minimalist camping is very enjoyable.
Jacob
I worked at a camp for 5 summers that was an old school, carry everything, real men carry 100 lbs place.
Now I wouldn't voluntarily hike (by myself) with more than a camelbak and running shoes. It is really fun to do big days in the mountains with minimal gear.