Messages

Read this: http://www.geofex.com/article_folders/potsecrets/potscret.htm

It will help you understand pots and how to change a 500k pot into a 100k pot. Just remember the taper will be a bit different.  Best of luck with your build.

Favorite pedal of 2021.  This just looks fantastic inside and out. 
Great job John. 

This looks close, or maybe even identical unless I'm missing something. Being new to this I probably am.

https://www.alliedelec.com/product/luna-optoelectronics/nsl-7530/70136804/?utm_campaign=partsourcing_findchips&utm_medium=part_sourcing&utm_source=findchips

This is a pretty good alternative.  Very comparable to the NSL-7532. Just not as deep phasing as the high dark spec photocells Gordo is referring to. 

This story got swept under the table because of the shit that went down a few hours later that day, but it's worth the read.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/01/06/us/california-broken-freezer-vaccines-trnd/index.html

Things break and plans are not always feasible.  It takes leadership and quick action to make alternate plans on the fly with best possible outcomes.  It looks like they did a great job of not wasting any vaccine.  Good job.

On a side note; I received my second Moderna vaccine yesterday.  I woke up this morning with a low grade fever.  Well worth it in my view. 

Insane!!!

Layout skillz are off the charts!  love these.

Truly brilliant.  The planning and strategy to pull this off is truly brilliant.

I agree with Gordo here.   The Harbinger projects are spot on and fantastic. The vibrato/chorus switch is not something I would want to omit on a univibe pedal.  You can simply jumper the classic/modern switch if you're not interested in that modification.   

I plan to get my micro-chip shot as soon as they will let me. 

Still a lot of people I talk to at work or in general think the shot is full of nanobots and 5g and voodoo.

Let's hope that all these people stick to their beliefs and don't get the vaccine and then nature sorts things out.

Please don't say things like this.

If the exhorting you not to wish death on other human beings isn't good enough, I (and probably you) have friends who are immunocompromised and can't get most vaccines, including the flu vaccine and will not be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine, so hoping that the people around them don't get the vaccine is wishing death on them, too.

I'd like to point something out here.  Immunocompromised individuals can and should get the COVID-19 vaccine as well as the flu vaccine.  The only vaccine which is unsafe for this population is live vaccines.  The flu vaccine is a attenuated vaccine and the Moderna/Pfizer vaccine are new mRNA vaccines.  I work as a hospital pharmacist and I take strong immunosuppressive medications for a kidney transplant.  I make sure to get the flu vaccine every year and I have already had my first round of the Moderna vaccine.  I had absolutely no adverse effects with the first shot and I am due for the second shot later this month.  Dr. Anthony Fauci has also stated that immunocompromised individuals should be vaccinated as soon as possible.   
     I respect an individual's right to decide whichever health choices they feel are best for them. I just strongly recommend people educate themselves by reading peer reviewed literature or from healthcare individuals themselves.  Don't make such an important decision based on what you read on Facebook or twitter. 

Phenomenal build and execution!   

Dan, 
     Your design and building skills are through the roof.  Make it a challenge to better yourself in just two areas: Marketing (you touched upon this) and aesthetics. 
I have read pedal descriptions that are so inventive it had me foaming at the mouth.  This distortion pedal was ungodly because it had a knob on it that said Krank!  I knew it was a gain knob, but I didn't care.  At that moment Krank was brilliant!  Read as many pedal descriptions as you can.  Capture the buzzwords flying around.  Look into Marketing techniques that quickly capture an audience.  Some companies have a great product, but then describe it to sound about as interesting as a wet loaf of bread.   

     It pains me to say this, but aesthetics will make a sale faster than any demo could ever attempt.  If it looks awesome, it is awesome.  The seasoned musician will usually not fall for this trick, but that is a tiny fraction of your potential market.   Experiment with different finishing techniques, different knobs, different layouts ( I once had to have this pedal where the knobs made the shape of a pentagram and had a led at each point....stupid? Yes, but damn was it effective), different color schemes, even different cool names for a gain knob.   I love building and perfecting the inside of a pedal, but those buyers aren't looking inside.  I've learned to love perfecting the outside of my pedals as well.  It truly is an art that takes practice, but you will get tons of feedback on how awesome your pedal looks.

     I want to stress that these two areas are just my opinion of what sells nowadays.  Like I said before, you are a master of design and building techniques.  I know you will quickly master other techniques as well.  Keep building.  I will always appreciate what you do because I know how skillful you have to be to pull it off.  Best of luck in 2021.
-Steve

Those are just 'spaghetti tubing' they slide over the three transistor leads.  Besides it being aesthetically cool, it helps prevent accidental shorting.  Google spaghetti transistor tubing for many more examples. 

Steve.

That is one sexy transistor.
Truly beautiful build Cooder.  Love how you make each circuit your own.

Mike,
     You are too nice.  As soon as I get the pedal back and discovered it was functioning as designed, I would have given his money back minus shipping, told him I'm not Interested in doing business with him and sell the pedal on Reverb or something.   There is a small fraction of society that is not capable of fair and reasonable transactions.  As soon as you discover one, cut the cord immediately.  I don't want their money, I don't want their emails and I don't want to do any business with them. 
You are a seasoned pedal builder.  You know what you're doing.  You deserved better.  This is a hard lesson, but one I think will help you in many future scenarios.   And don't let the few weeds ruin your love of gardening. Just yank them out and move on. 
Steve. 

There is so much to learn on this one.  Thank you for sharing your knowledge once again. It has truly been missed. 
~Steve