I'm not sure I should stick this in build reports as it'd be cheeky. Also as I'm mainly servicing the UK/EU, it's probably irrelevant here also.
But I thought I'd put it up regardless to show some of the stuff Cleggy and I have been up to (along with Jason as PCB wrangler), all in an effort to get the pedal fund back into the black since EHX effectively killed the Klone market.
So we've come up with a few standard pedals that we're offering for sale... Again, very low key and certainly not commercial, but needs must.
(http://juansolo.co.uk/stompage/images/grouphug.jpg) (http://juansolo.co.uk/stompage/stock1.html)
First thing you'll notice is no bewbs! We've gone all minimalist on the designs, because quite simply, I ain't arty. Also the rubber mixer knobs have been replaced with much more expensive metal ones. So people can feel the quality ;) Yeah baby!
Gut shots and explanations of the pedals in this link (and the link that follows it if you click on the pedals): http://juansolo.co.uk/stompage/stock.html
Hey those are nice but bewbs are always best no matter what 8)
Good price as well on these. I recently have been pushing a "stock" pedal but tough market for sure with not much sales yet. Possibly I'm overpriced or it just sucks, not sure ;D
I genuinely have no idea whether I'll sell any or not. Will be interesting to see what happens...
As for price, without going full on commercial with the flowery advertising that requires and aggressively pimping them, that's as much as I'll get. As it stands, it hasn't exactly cost me a great deal to get to this point. All the bits to make them I wanted anyhow. The new opto switch more geared to how I build, the new muff boards, they're all things I'll use. Likewise the booster is something Cleggy actually did about 12 months ago that we'd forgotten about and the Jumbo Tonebender was a Grind job anyhow.
They sure look great and anyone who knows a little about building/electronics will appreciate your wiring!
Did you advertise them anywhere, where people outside our community will see them? Wish you all the best with your endeavour.
Stuck 'em on Facebook and will stick them on a local forum shortly when I figure out the best method of pimpage there.
Regardless of what it is, I like Big Omar.
I bet you'll sell some, especially if the word gets out. That seems to be key with these.
They look to be built very well (no surprise) and are priced well. I bet you'll shift a few.
I've thought about doing some 1590a runs in a similar manner, but the lack of time has prevented it. One of these years.
Look awesome! I like the stripped down look
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
They look great. Hope you guys get some interest.
What's the tsm680?
Lovely.
WHERE can I get that big knob on the big omar?
Quote from: HamSandwich on April 03, 2016, 06:17:47 PM
Lovely.
WHERE can I get that big knob on the big omar?
My thoughts exactly, but I'd like to know where the small knobs came from as well. I'm willing to bet they're related!
I also don't like rubbers or bewbs, I'm a booty enthusiast.
Solid work.
Quote from: pickdropper on April 03, 2016, 04:04:57 PM
I bet you'll sell some, especially if the word gets out. That seems to be key with these.
They look to be built very well (no surprise) and are priced well. I bet you'll shift a few.
I've thought about doing some 1590a runs in a similar manner, but the lack of time has prevented it. One of these years.
You should absolutely make it so. Indeed I could put you in touch with a guy who is a total 1590a whore (in the nicest way) who'd buy anything you'd build him ;)
Quote from: lincolnic on April 03, 2016, 07:35:28 PM
Quote from: HamSandwich on April 03, 2016, 06:17:47 PM
Lovely.
WHERE can I get that big knob on the big omar?
My thoughts exactly, but I'd like to know where the small knobs came from as well. I'm willing to bet they're related!
I strongly suggest not searching for big knob on the big omar ;) Certainly not at work anyhow.
But yes, they're from the same range from CPC in the UK. Made by Cliff Electronic Components
Big Omar: http://cpc.farnell.com/cliff-electronic-components/fc7234/knob-kmr35-blk-md-6mm-spl-18t/dp/SW05314
Standard: http://cpc.farnell.com/cliff-electronic-components/fc7230/knob-kmr15-blk-md-6mm-spl-18t/dp/SW05311
Quote from: Matmosphere on April 03, 2016, 06:10:02 PM
They look great. Hope you guys get some interest.
What's the tsm680?
Tis a different take on a muff. Lotsa mids, more fuzzy distortion than fuzz, really quite aggressive. It's been kicking around for a while now, the best one to build is probably the v2 on Grind's UltraStoner PCB if you want options with it. It's in the docs.
We've simplified both the US and the TSM here because I wanted to concentrate on what I thought they did best. So the US uses 6 async Ge clippers and has the filter cap in place on the 2nd stage clippers, giving it that soft fizzy/sludgy thing. The TSM doesn't have the extra filter and uses a pair of LEDS, so it's hard and loud.
Big Omar, for those interested, is a charge pumped FET booster. But it's based on the Baby BoobTube, which in itself was based on the first stage of a VOX AC15 amp. Unlike SHO's and the like, it runs flat out all the time and the knob just controls the volume at the end. It's amazingly close to the valve effect sonically and can be used as a pseudo dirt channel on a single channel amp (how I've always used my Baby Boobtube), after a fuzz to give it some more oomph, or as a really nice sounding dirty booster.
As alluded to before, Big Omar is a rather infamous British porn star with a large knob... As FET boosters tend to be a play on that sort of thing (the Super Hard On springs straight to mind), and we put a large knob on ours, ours is Big Omar ;)
Really nice work John et al
£75 for a custom Muff is pennies really.
I barely build anything for sale these days but when I was more actively engaged I could clear a couple G a year which was a nice holiday
So as a hobby, its worth doing I suppose. The after support is something people dont consider, either in their costings, or in their actual availability, particularly with complex builds.
Not to be a cynic, but if you want to do this for a living, or at least partial, the PCB design and sale side of things seems to be much more accessible once you get over the burden of actually learning the CAD and designing something people want to build.
The other side of the coin I guess is, in my opinion, to just make "one" design, and go from there. The intelligent thing Juan has done here is base almost all of the line on one board - same drill holes, etc. makes production easier. My friend who runs Stone Deaf seems to be having some good success now. While I think his marketing and ad copy (particularly proof reading) is at times atrocious, he seems to have done it right by starting with one obsolete design, modernising it, with a captive market, and using that to expand. I am referring to the PDF-1 (Maestro Parametric Filter "clone") which he has started the business with. Now has a line of 4 amps, cabs, and about 8 pedals, with a lot of good press at NAMM this year. Its taken...8 years...
Anyway, rambling now
TL;DR - get a real job ::) :P ;D
These look great Juan.
I'd agree that £75 is a bargain considering the build quality (the gutshots say it all really).
Good luck with the sales!
Quote from: LaceSensor on April 04, 2016, 01:24:44 AM
Really nice work John et al
£75 for a custom Muff is pennies really.
I barely build anything for sale these days but when I was more actively engaged I could clear a couple G a year which was a nice holiday
So as a hobby, its worth doing I suppose. The after support is something people dont consider, either in their costings, or in their actual availability, particularly with complex builds.
Not to be a cynic, but if you want to do this for a living, or at least partial, the PCB design and sale side of things seems to be much more accessible once you get over the burden of actually learning the CAD and designing something people want to build.
The other side of the coin I guess is, in my opinion, to just make "one" design, and go from there. The intelligent thing Juan has done here is base almost all of the line on one board - same drill holes, etc. makes production easier. My friend who runs Stone Deaf seems to be having some good success now. While I think his marketing and ad copy (particularly proof reading) is at times atrocious, he seems to have done it right by starting with one obsolete design, modernising it, with a captive market, and using that to expand. I am referring to the PDF-1 (Maestro Parametric Filter "clone") which he has started the business with. Now has a line of 4 amps, cabs, and about 8 pedals, with a lot of good press at NAMM this year. Its taken...8 years...
Anyway, rambling now
TL;DR - get a real job ::) :P ;D
;D
Everything I do is designed to make things easier. In so much that I've been using standard templates for ages, and when I have any involvement in PCB layout, it's all done with ease of building in mind.
I initially only planned on doing a couple of muffs (TSM and US). Both using the same board and same layout. But for minimal effort I can offer two other muffs that use all the same hardware, just a few changes on the PCB. So it seemed daft not to. Especially as where people may not have heard of the US or TSM, they will have heard of a Triangle and Rams Head.
The JTB was always supposed to be a Grind effect. But again, we had a hand in the layout, so it conforms to my build templates/ethos. I think it was Jason that suggested we should offer that as well. As no-one else is doing that, and again, minimal effort required for it, it seemed to be the sensible thing to do.
Big Omar was basically me thinking about the ultimate way to make cash. I stand by that I think Zvex was a bonkers genius with the SHO. Feck all parts, simple build, super fast turnaround and a great sounding effect. I suggested to Cleggy that we needed something like that and he dug out a proto he'd made about 12 months ago of a silicon Baby Boobtube. Job done. It's obscene how fast we can build that one.
I've intentionally simplified effects also. For two reasons; One to keep the manufacture simple, and two because I believe that in use, the simpler the effect, the better. Less to knock/change/think about.
Essentially I've thought about this for some time and as I find building the same thing over and over a drag, I wanted to make that part of it as simple and streamlined as possible.
...and FWIW, if there's enough take up (gotta try), this might prolong my slackage a little longer ;)
Quote from: juansolo on April 04, 2016, 12:22:45 AM
Quote from: pickdropper on April 03, 2016, 04:04:57 PM
I bet you'll sell some, especially if the word gets out. That seems to be key with these.
They look to be built very well (no surprise) and are priced well. I bet you'll shift a few.
I've thought about doing some 1590a runs in a similar manner, but the lack of time has prevented it. One of these years.
You should absolutely make it so. Indeed I could put you in touch with a guy who is a total 1590a whore (in the nicest way) who'd buy anything you'd build him ;)
Thanks Juan, Once I clear my backlog, I'll probably take you up on that.
Seriously he's a top lad with an obsession with the small pedals. Has pretty much bought any that I've put up for sale and would love your stuff.
This fella:
(https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfl1/t31.0-8/11864739_747027345403988_5009084343106345908_o.jpg)
Quote from: juansolo on April 04, 2016, 12:28:37 AM
Quote from: lincolnic on April 03, 2016, 07:35:28 PM
Quote from: HamSandwich on April 03, 2016, 06:17:47 PM
Lovely.
WHERE can I get that big knob on the big omar?
My thoughts exactly, but I'd like to know where the small knobs came from as well. I'm willing to bet they're related!
I strongly suggest not searching for big knob on the big omar ;) Certainly not at work anyhow.
But yes, they're from the same range from CPC in the UK. Made by Cliff Electronic Components
Big Omar: http://cpc.farnell.com/cliff-electronic-components/fc7234/knob-kmr35-blk-md-6mm-spl-18t/dp/SW05314
Standard: http://cpc.farnell.com/cliff-electronic-components/fc7230/knob-kmr15-blk-md-6mm-spl-18t/dp/SW05311
Thank you! Time to find a US supplier!
Missed this earlier. Yeah, I think you'll be able to sell these. And I think you're really smart about how you've set yourself up to crank them out. These definitely have enough of your signature style, but different. I like that because it lets your previous, more upscale work, be your resume.
Quote from: juansolo on April 05, 2016, 09:02:08 AM
Seriously he's a top lad with an obsession with the small pedals. Has pretty much bought any that I've put up for sale and would love your stuff.
This fella:
(https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfl1/t31.0-8/11864739_747027345403988_5009084343106345908_o.jpg)
Yeah, that sounds like somebody I should talk to.
I probably have some existing builds I could let go of. I've been meaning to put together an inventory anyway.
Thanks,
Dave
Yeah, he'll very likely be interested. I'll dig up his details and PM them to you.
Quote from: juansolo on April 04, 2016, 12:28:37 AM
As alluded to before, Big Omar is a rather infamous British porn star with a large knob... As FET boosters tend to be a play on that sort of thing (the Super Hard On springs straight to mind), and we put a large knob on ours, ours is Big Omar ;)
Well I guess I shouldn't have said: "What ever it is I like it"
as I might have given the wrong impression...
What I meant to say is I love a big knob like that....wait a minute.
There used to be a Jazz station in Los Angeles call letters K.N.O.B "The Knob"
always good for a chuckle.
Sorry for the side track.
Holy thread resurrection!
Some clips of the pedals. Huge thank you to our friend Tom for the noodling and recordage. Probably a couple more tomorrow as we've had a request to do something through a crunchy amp with Big Omar, plus Tom was wanting to re-record some stuff that was clipping from yesterday.
All the clips were recorded at low volume on an iPhone with a clip on little Shure mic thing (which was really quite impressive). Amp on this first batch is a Fender PRRI, guitar a Fender Telecaster. All really quite clean.
4 Way Muff Comparison
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
STM2 Demos
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Big Omar Demo
JTB76 + Omar Demo
JTB76 Demo
Due to the resounding response I got from the first lot, here's some more ;) Tom again, this time with a MJW Roadstar and a Les Paul.
UltraStoner
Muffs More Muffs
Big Omar
You all love it really... :(