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Projects => Build Reports => Topic started by: nzCdog on February 26, 2012, 05:30:48 AM

Title: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: nzCdog on February 26, 2012, 05:30:48 AM
My 9 year old son said to me...
'Dad, I wanna design a pedal for you'


(http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/xx219/nzCdog/feb021.jpg)
(http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/xx219/nzCdog/feb019.jpg)


As a prolific comic drawer, he created several designs using his pens and colouring pencils... 
It was a tough call, but in the end I chose "Dark Zag"... 8)

(Aww kinda cute... I'm very proud... In a fierce super-villian kinda way ;D)
Image was scanned and printed onto white stickerpaper...
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: stecykmi on February 26, 2012, 06:48:18 AM
that's amazing!
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: DutchMF on February 26, 2012, 07:46:32 AM
That's very cool Corey! Must be nice to have your kid join in on your hobby. Props to the designer! Keep up the good work, little dude!

Paul
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: chromesphere on February 26, 2012, 08:36:06 AM
A pedal builder in the making :)  Say where do you get your ribbon cable?  I've just started using it, its great for pots!
Paul
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: sgmezei on February 26, 2012, 09:51:04 AM
Dude, I love it. Such a cool image and with a personal touch. Great keepsake!
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: Diamond on February 26, 2012, 10:51:47 AM
Where did you get those jacks? I really how they look.
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: marmaliser on February 26, 2012, 12:23:34 PM
Super neat and super artwork.  Congrats to u both
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: Haberdasher on February 26, 2012, 12:42:59 PM
dang, I would have the kid design all the artwork.  that actually looks great.  and you're not going to trump a kid's imagination, so there's that too!
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: gtr2 on February 26, 2012, 12:56:18 PM
Love it!

Josh
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: TNblueshawk on February 26, 2012, 01:11:15 PM
Dang, he's a mini Picasso  :D

Great lookin build, very clean and tidy.
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: jimmybjj on February 26, 2012, 05:01:41 PM
Great pedal, great sentiment.
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: nzCdog on February 26, 2012, 07:34:39 PM
Hey thanks guys! :)
He sure has a good imagination... he has completed dozens of comic books, mostly in black and white coz 'colouring in takes too much time!'  He hasn't shown much interest in my music till recently, but he has sat down at my pedalboard with a guitar making crazy noises for fun a couple times now.  I'm very proud of him and this pedal is definitely a keeper. ;D

Quote from: chromesphere on February 26, 2012, 08:36:06 AM
A pedal builder in the making :)  Say where do you get your ribbon cable?  I've just started using it, its great for pots!
Paul
I got it from a local electronics store... it was 10 ply ribbon in rainbow colours.  The guy said to me, 'you know we have it in gray as well?'  I replied, 'this will be perfect'  ;)


Quote from: Diamond on February 26, 2012, 10:51:47 AM
Where did you get those jacks? I really how they look.
They're from Tayda.  They're pretty cheap, pretty solid, but not perfect... they seem to be designed for a slightly shorter jack than a neutrik/switchcraft, meaning the guitar lead tends to extrude from the pedal about a mm or so.  I don't know if my explanation makes sense... but I use them in most of my pedals now :)
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: madbean on February 26, 2012, 08:16:26 PM
Looks awesome. Dark Zag---what a cool name.
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: Bret608 on February 27, 2012, 03:50:36 PM
I love this! My daughters like to join in on the pedal noisemaking when I play, and my older one did an abstract painting that she thought would look cool for a pedal. I agreed and thought it said "octave fuzz" or something in that vein. Anyway, you just totally supplied me with the proper technique--I wasn't sure whether to go with waterslide or what.

Yours is one of a couple of really cool Lowrider build reports I've seen lately...I may need to at least grab one of these boards before they're gone!
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: TheCobbenator on February 27, 2012, 05:36:19 PM
This is awesome!!!! I need to commission my nieces or nephew to draw me something. I love the idea!  How you digging the circuit?
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: G.G. on February 27, 2012, 05:56:49 PM
yeah Dark Zag is a great name!! Love the art & a super clean build; a keeper for sure.
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: nzCdog on February 27, 2012, 07:29:11 PM
Thanks guys!   My son is chuffed to read all these comments, and I totally love the name too... that was his idea.  I have this feeling he is already planning more designs ;)

The lowrider is great fun!  I tried the mods for the Upper octave in the project sheet but preferred it stock after all that.  The upper octave isn't great, but having all 4 knobs makes this pedal VERY tweakable.  The lower octaves are awesome, having a definite analog sound... tracks well with single notes, sounding very funky... gets slightly more chaotic with polyphonic stuff.  Works really well with distortion pedals too for some very usable crazy sounds.  I recommend 8)
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: tagwap on February 29, 2012, 02:00:00 PM
awesome design little duderino
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: madbean on February 29, 2012, 02:45:28 PM
It would be very interesting to put something like the Green Ringer in line with the upper octave---two octaves up, and maybe a slight improvement on it overall. Or, a small transformer, even.
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: nzCdog on March 01, 2012, 02:51:21 AM
Quote from: madbean on February 29, 2012, 02:45:28 PM
It would be very interesting to put something like the Green Ringer in line with the upper octave---two octaves up, and maybe a slight improvement on it overall. Or, a small transformer, even.

Hmmmm... I am like these things that you are saying

(http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/xx219/nzCdog/internet-memes-yes-yes-more-like-this.jpg)
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: DutchMF on March 01, 2012, 10:12:03 PM
@ Corey: thanks for posting the kitty, probably the first time I got my wife interested in this forum.....

Paul
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: nzCdog on March 01, 2012, 11:33:48 PM
Pleased to help Paul ;)
I have to be careful, at best my sense of humour is dry, obscure, even random.  Sometimes Kitties say it best!  :D
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: dwstanford on March 02, 2012, 08:31:48 PM
Wicked looking pedal.  He did a fantastic job.  That looks like a convertible drill car at the bottom left.  Sweet!
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: bigmufffuzzwizz on June 22, 2012, 05:03:47 PM
I'm so into this artwork! I think its a perfect description for what this pedal does! Very tidy build, +1 for ribbon cable!
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: nzCdog on April 19, 2015, 04:01:52 AM
*Necro bump*... refinished this guy today.  I used this recently at church, after turning my nose up at a pitchfork I owned for less than a  week.  Not polyphonic but sounds so much more organic than the EHX offering... a lick of green paint, & luckily I had a spare decal printed from the original effort!   ;D

(http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/xx219/nzCdog/IMG_20150419_152832_zpsmyrvnxjz.jpg) (http://s757.photobucket.com/user/nzCdog/media/IMG_20150419_152832_zpsmyrvnxjz.jpg.html)
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: TGP39 on April 19, 2015, 07:04:55 AM
Love it! Great graphics never go out of style. :)

Steve.
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: billstein on April 19, 2015, 07:10:00 AM
Love the Dark Zag! My pitchfork lasted about 2 weeks before I took it back.
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: nzCdog on April 19, 2015, 08:36:44 AM
Thanks dudes... The refinish does much better justice to my sons artwork, looks much more vibrant.
Quote from: billstein on April 19, 2015, 07:10:00 AM
My pitchfork lasted about 2 weeks before I took it back.
Gee I was pretty disappointed with it... Lotsa tricks, but nothing that inspired me. Needs a low pass filter on the upper octave too, really harsh sounding imho
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: 29palms on April 19, 2015, 01:54:19 PM
ha ha that's great!

can we comission him? ;)
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: wgc on April 20, 2015, 03:50:44 PM
Awesome graphic, love the wiring too!

did you do anything different to the decal print?  Looks much deeper!
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: nzCdog on April 20, 2015, 10:38:28 PM
Quote from: 29palms on April 19, 2015, 01:54:19 PM
ha ha that's great!

can we comission him? ;)

Haha thanks man... as his agent I'll discuss some options and get back to you ;)  ;D

Quote from: wgc on April 20, 2015, 03:50:44 PM
Awesome graphic, love the wiring too!

did you do anything different to the decal print?  Looks much deeper!
Thanks Billy! :)
To be honest I think it's a combination of a better (phone) camera, bright green paint and some gloss spray lacquer (which I didn't use last time).  It looks killer on the pedalboard now!
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: blearyeyes on April 21, 2015, 11:08:24 PM
Your sons art makes the pedal look like "FUN" so playful, colorful and Comic Book Awesome!

"DARK ZAG" Rocks!

 
Title: Re: DARK ZAG... the Lowrider Octaver
Post by: nzCdog on April 22, 2015, 08:26:36 AM
Thanks Dan... my boy's comics are insanely cool too... & I think you just gave me an idea for a pedal!  :o ;D