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Acquired a Crybaby in a trade, but it just wasn't doing it for me. So I decided to make it into a v846 from a vero layout on FSB with a Freq pot in parallel with C4.




I got the faceplate from Rej (GrindCustoms). Big thanks to him for the service.


Demos (you can tell I'm still new to wahs):
[soundcloud]http://soundcloud.com/travis-kennedy/sets/greyscale-wah-demos/[/soundcloud]

First one is clean, second dirty, third clean with a low frequency peak, last dirty with a low freq.

It's been a while since I've had any good builds to show off, but this week has been a building week.

First off, a Smoothie. I had it built for a couple weeks but hadn't matched the FETs. Yesterday I decided to go ahead and see what the difference was. It sounded good before but it sounds GREAT with a matched pair. The vibe mode is much more noticeable after.




This is my first 1590A. It's a Fuzz Face on vero. No bias control, but I used 16mm pots and 2n3904s. No mojo at all in this one, but it sounds just as good if not better than my BYOC Silicon Fuzz Face in half the size!



I was apprehensive about diving into the mini territory, but already I can tell more will be on their way. I had built the circuit up before with no intention of putting it into a 1590A. Last night I was bored and feeling masochistic, so I decided to try drilling the enclosure (without a template, just eyeballing it) and seeing how it went. Surprisingly I didn't have to trim any wires or anything. You would almost think I planned to put it in there!

I started doing a few pcbs of my own lately to get my commercial stuff going. This one is a modified BMP with a mids pot and clipping switch. Sounds better than I could have ever imagined.
The tone stack is slightly modified to go from a slight mid scoop to a big mid boost with a lot of range in between. Still need to find the right taper for the controls, but this one is better than the prototype.

It's hard to see, but there is some stamped lettering on it. The clear coat fades it for some reason.





Definitely couldn't have done this sort of thing without everyone on this forum. Thanks, guys!

I've been interested in using a more complex tone stack in overdrives lately and have been satisfied with those that use Baxandall/James tone stacks. However, after several Google searches there doesn't seem to be consistent schematics or examples of how to incorporate them into an existing circuit. Especially for guitar use instead of hifi use.
I have seen how the Xotic RC/AC booster uses one in essentially a Tubescreamer. Madbean also used one in his Tilt overdrive. Would you be able to essentially lift the same one and put it in another overdrive? Also it would be nice to know how to modify it to use in front of a boost (like an SHO). Some websites say there are impedance and loading issues with it, but not how to remedy it for guitar specific circuits.
So, can anybody help educate me on tone stacks?

FWIW, I know Duncan's TSC is a tool people often use for this but it doesn't seem to be Mac compatible. 

I did a side by side comparison of the Sea Urchin and a MXR Carbon Copy today. Just wanted to see how a popular manufactured, analog delay sounds compared to a DIY analog delay.
Pardon all of the "ummmm"s throughout.

I finally getting this thing working after a few months of wondering what could be wrong. Ended up just being bad ICs, simple enough problem to fix. Also had to add a pulldown resistor on the output to kill the pop. Not a problem at all now though.  







This delay sounds amazing. The repeats have a great tone, and don't become overwhelming. I love the number of repeats it has as well, doesn't hit oscillation until the last 10% of the rotation. This thing might kick the MXR Carbon Copy off my board!
I got the enclosure from Mammoth Electronics. It's actually the best color I've gotten from them yet. Definitely more sparkly than expected, as the others they have were pretty dull. Really recommend this color if you are considering one from them. Of course it's hard to show really well, but it looks great in person.

This isn't so much a technical problem, but I am having issues with the way this pedal is working compared to my other Sabertooth builds. It was built using the schematic from Madbean's diagrams. The only difference was I added a subs switch between the EQ and Volume pots.

The problem is that the sound is much more midrange-y, maybe in the upper mids, and I don't have the range of fuzz using the guitar volume knob as I do with the other builds. Is there any part to look for where this could be going on, or perhaps it is the subs switch?

As is, the pedal works and is usable. Just not as usable as it could be.

The caps I used on the switch are 68nf in the middle, 100uf (polarized), and 33nf.

Well, I couldn't wait too long after getting a couple of Brian's pre-populated boards in today. I got home at 4, by 7 they were boxed up and ready to play.

First up is the Sabertooth. I already have one in my 2-in-1, but my dad has been dying for a Woolly Mammoth or Mastotron for a while now. His birthday is next month, so he'll be happy. Decided to include a battery since it's not for me.





Next up is the Poindexter. Took me a minute to figure out the 9v connections on the DC jack weren't connected for some reason, common with just about every single one I've used for some reason. Then I realized I ran out of knobs. It looks a bit silly, but it gets the job done and makes it more interesting to look at.
Wasn't sure what to expect from it tone-wise, but I like it. It definitely is better than the Visual Sound Angry Fuzz I played once, much more usable with the guitar volume control.

I have had this 1590BB enclosure from Mammoth for a while now, and decided it was time to finally get my two favorite circuits together in one box. I've had the circuits going in separate enclosures for a while, but decided this week to go ahead and put them together.








The first circuit is Madbean's Sabertooth (Woolly Mammoth). It uses the four creme knobs at the top.
The second circuit is a Devi Ever Karaoke Party. Devi claims it sounds like a vintage Sunn amp, and I'll agree. My dad has one and they sound pretty similar. The only change I made is a linear volume pot, which really kicks in a boost early.

I feel like this pedal covers all of the territory I need in the fuzz/drive department. The KP sounds great for a super simple overdrive. It uses less parts that a SHO! The Sabertooth is good at covering every extreme of the fuzz spectrum, and the KP is good for boosting it for leads or even a dirtier tone.

One of the best parts: it sounds amazing on both guitar and bass.

Finally got my Firebomb sorted out. I've had it built for a few months, but had channel 2's switch all messed up when I used a Mammoth 3pdt pcb. Just reused a switch I had sitting around and now I have a perfectly messy dual boost.



The guts are only this messy because the original 2nd switch was replaced and the wires weren't long enough. And I may have gotten a bit impatient tonight.



Haven't gotten to test it out at a decent volume because it would tick off the people in my apartment. But tomorrow I'll give it a proper workout. 

Wasn't quite sure if this was a beginner question, but I am still enough of a noob that it seems beginner.

How do you change the value of a pot (say 50K) to a higher value (say 100K)?

Is it as simple as adding a resistor between lugs 1 and 3 of the pot (in this case a 50K resistor)?

Obviously this is a pretty wide open question, but it's one that doesn't get discussed much.

Where do you all source heatshrink and what size do you use?

A lot of the more professional builds use it, and it is something I want to start using.

I'm having problems with this 1590A layout of a Woolly Mammoth by Lacesensor. (for the layout, search the build reports)

Everything looks right, I've grounded both the input and output, and I'm not even using a switch yet.

Here are pictures of the board:





Any help would be appreciated. I'm not great with a DMM, unfortunately.

Could anybody post a wiring diagram for a circuit without a switch at all, but still using jacks?
I've done it before, but I always forget how to do it.

I've decided to give a shot at a 2-in-1 pedal and hope to find some suggestions here. I wanted to make a pedal that I could use by itself if I don't feel like lugging around a pedalboard.

I already know the fuzz I'm going to use, but I don't know what kind of delay to include with it.
I want it to fit in a 1590BB, as I already have one drilled out from a failed effect, and no more than 3 knobs.

Some potential ideas I've had are either a guitarpcb D'Lay or a Rebote 2.5. But I'm not sure how much real estate those will take up with another.
I would prefer something with a low parts count. It doesn't need that much delay time either.

Thanks all.

A couple of days ago I finished wiring up an Echo Base without any switches besides bypass and only 5 pots. However, I've run into a couple of problems with it.

1. The repeats (feedback) knob doesn't change the repeats. It is set at a certain amount that, while usable, doesn't do what it should. However, when maxed out or close to it the pedal oscillates like runaway feedback.

2. The level/mix knob also oscillates at higher settings. It does work though.

3. Whenever I turn my amp on or off, the pedal makes a VERY loud hum. If I unplug the power supply, it goes away, and when I plug it back in the hum isn't there. If I proceed to turn the amp off the hum comes back.

I hoped all of this would be an obvious mistake, but all of my solders seem to be fine. Could it be an IC? It shouldn't be the PT2399 because I put a new one in today as a test and it did the same.
Thanks to anyone who can help!

I tried building a Devi Ever/Effector 13 Soda Meiser on veroboard today (my first vero build).
There are 2 issues with it:

1. The signal is not constant when either bypassed or on. It almost seems like it is grounding out at times. But there is no consistent way to make it cut out or come back in.

2. When turned on, there is no effect. I get a normal, full signal with volume and intensity maxed. The transistors are in the right way. The switch makes a minor, but noticeable change in sound.

Also, I checked continuity on everything. The only thing that stood out to me was that there was continuity between two rows, and only two rows. Should there be no continuity between them, or should I be able to connect the input and output and get continuity (I'm not right now).
All of the solders look good, no bridges or anything. If pictures are really necessary, I'll get them up.
Thanks!

As the subject hints, I would like to try building on veroboard. What I'm asking for from you guys are a few things:

1. What kind of tools do you recommend for cutting tracks?

2. What are some good, simple layouts? (Nothing like a booster or plain Fuzz Face if possible)

3. Are there any unspoken secrets when soldering on vero?


Note: I realize this is a pretty stupid/newbie topic to make, but this is the best place to come to for advice on building pedals in my experience. While I will definitely continue using Madbean's boards, for those he doesn't make I'd like to try vero rather than etch a pcb.

We all have them, we all want to know what everyone else's are, so I figure why not share?

What are your essentials on a pedalboard?
Try to be specific and not just say "an overdrive, a fuzz, and a delay." Otherwise we would never know what kind of sounds you actually use.


For instance: my staples right now are a Zvex Fuzz Factory, a Boss DD-20, and a Hardwire Reverb. The Fuzz Factory can pull off some pleasant overdriven tones with the guitar volume rolled down some, so I have used it more and more recently.

I already posted this under the Build Reports thread, but here is my Green Russian Mudbunny with the mid control.

This was shot with an iPhone, so you don't here all the nuances of the pedal. There is a lot of bass to it until maybe 2:30 on the tone. And the mid control is subtle unless the volume is pretty cranked. But I highly recommend this pedal. If you want that Dan Auerbach/Black Keys tone, this pedal does it.