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I was asked what was going in this box, by a guitarist...
I know my etching isn't the best, but are we really that tied up with Line 6's, Kemper's, and Axe-FX type stuff these days?

Here is the schematic I found.  Look right below the creamy dreamer...http://www.bigmuffpage.com/Big_Muff_Pi_versions_schematics_part3.html

Bwahahahaha... Juan can't get away from that site this month.

Is the electrolytic just a power-filtering cap, or...

Correct. Worth mentioning that it didn't exist in the first few iterations of the BMP that were battery only.
If your Muff is not very loud, you need to double check things as there's a fault in your circuit.

One could sort through their 3n3's and 1n5's and find two caps that get closer to a 5n than most 5n's will. I had to do a similar same thing to get a 3n9 for a tone stack. 3.8 IIRC and I don't think they make them that tight usually.
Don't mind the 100k's... small mistake at Tayda.

Is the Harbinger II ready to go, or does it need tweaking?
Do you have a rough date for it, please?

Me too on this one. I've reminded Brian a few times I have a sparkle blue wah shell WAITING for a Harbinger II board to be ready.

I'm giving the amp modder the benefit of the doubt. I think that cloth wiring jacket stuff is ASBESTOS. So safe in a fire, but deadly when the amp powers on, vibrates and then creates airborne particles.

That looks like the stuff we used to cover wires up in computers before power supplies came sleeved. It did help airflow (a little , and if you used the right sizes) and certainly looked better when we added the plexi window on the side of the computer.

[is]

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The hype behind the Mojo? It's just that... or is it? Mojo-jo-jo(what I call the hype!) is crap. It's the marketing speak for the cork sniffers, rare parts (we had a bunch of odd ball parts we didn't know what to do with so we built X around it). Can I tell the difference between a PIO, Mylar, Drop, Vitamin, or a Bee(real or fake)? What I mean does a Sprague OD sound different than a Mylar of the same (measured) value ?  H e double hockey sticks (that's hell) no. But old parts drift, old parts look cool, old parts cost more(some times). If it's old and it looks cool it must be expensive right? As DIY's we are all aware of the markup on pedals, and there are some that are even remotely aware of the time and effort required to for R&D. So I don't begrudge a company figuring out a way to separate a fool and their money via extraordinary hype, and high prices. That's the free market. We have the supply and you pay what we demand. Naturally if someone is willing to buy my pedals for $200 you can bet your arse I'm gonna let them. I'd much rather sell 4 at $200 than 6 at $100.

A possible explanation... I know what "warm" and "cold" sound like, but it's not usually dictated by  the brand of caps, but more so their value (µf not $f) the controls and the pups. Lets look at a very commonly used ±20% .047 µf "greenie meanie" mylar,  at the low end it's .037 µf and the high end it's .056 µf and your run of the mill 500K tone control, also ±20% (400K/600k respectively). Your luck of the draw parts bin combination may sound unappealing, cold, harsh, icepicky, all because of a 400k pot and a .037 µf greenie, and brighter pups. So then when Joe drops (or preferably pays me to) in those brand new historical spec (that's important because they are not BumbleBee's) it could be "warmer" because of a higher cap value due to the variance. It could also very well be complete placebo effect because they paid $125 for 2 caps and it MUST sound better.  Wood, nut, pup, pot, cap, fingers(yup they actually matter) all go together to make the sound. There isn't in my years of experience any one secret sauce that makes a guitar great. This translates into pedals and amp's too.  If I find it (the secret sauce), I'll be sure to sell it to all of you at a $2 (friend price) for the recipe (and I'd be cutting me own throat!).

As previously mentioned... sometimes though certain things inspire us for absolutely no reason. Because it's different, a challenge, because Brian left room on the board, looks/sounds funky, looks/sounds/is old.  I'm one of those weirdo's that like putting one(or more) unique/old/strange part(s) in my pedals. I, like the rest of you, tinker with my stuff until it sounds right, cool, funky, or just how I want it to. Who else has a wah with a relay controlled boost in it? Not even me cause it's still on the bench because of school. Same as the choke for my JCA22H, yet my lead guitarist swears up and down my amp sounds better since I installed it.

So if carbon comps,PIO's, funk, old skool, relays, bi-color leds, hand painted enclosures, etc inspire you to make music, then by all means use them. Pick up your instrument and make some music. That right there, that's the real mojo. 

im looking at the layout on tagboard effects from ivlark

As I understand it, that is Mark the i's and the v make the M.

... going to use the fo-SHO PCB from the oshPark shared projects thread or a guitarPCB sho'Nuff (whichever arrives first)reconfigured as an LPB-1 into a Mudbunny.  Should be pretty neato.

Did you catch that the pot was initially backwards on the PCB (see rully's thread in the member project area)
SHO -> LPB-1 ?!? Where did you find this? Please share.

It's a hobby with certain need for another hobby. I build for the challenge and to support independent designers like midway fair and Rej. I will end up with about 3 tremolos now with no real need for any, and everyone needs 10 delays, right?

But think of all the phasers Jimi!

http://myworld.ebay.com.au/easebon/&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2754
I've bought a couple of lots of these 3pdt's  from the ebayer above, and they have all worked great,good quality, cheaper than tayda and free shipping.

Thank you very much for that link!

I use these.
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Musician-s-Gear-Pedal-Coupler-Cable-Angled-330244-i1400845.gc

They don't carry them in store - so you'll need to order them. Good thing shipping to a store is free no matter what. They're more like 5" than 6" but for $3.00 that's ok with me.

there will always be fly-by-night hacks with poor business plans and low labor rates,

Why do I get dragged into this...

Seriously?!? I placed my order last night...

Those diodes are there to protect the BS170 from static discharge. A pair of 4148's or a 4001 and a 9v1 should work without any problem. Zach has also done it with a single. I have a 1n4738 in mine seems to be working just fine.

Thanks, that is the one I couldn't find....  I must say, I forgot I saw the SMD part somewhere..... Well, I'll buy them anyway, and order a magnifying glass somewhere.......

Paul

Only one has SMD - and I've seen a few folks using usb microscopes for doing them. Time to order that fine point conical tip!