Messages

If you're having a hard time engaging the threads, try a nut from a different pot.  I have had poorly threaded nuts from Alpha, although I've seen more on 16mm than 9mm.

^Bingo. I had a closer look at it a few hours after I posted this and while the threads on the pot aren't perfect, they're not terrible either. The nut, on the other hand, was almost completely smooth inside. I ended up stealing a nut off of a nonfuntional Metal Zone I got for free from a buddy who was cleaning out his garage and it snugged right up. Guess that'll be the first thing I'll check if I have this issue in the future! Might go ahead and buy a bunch of extra nuts next time I'm at the hardware store just to be safe.

Does anyone else have problems with the threads stripping on 9mm pots, or is it just me? I'm in the middle of putting together my second 1590A project and right as I was reassembling the pedal after having to disassemble it due to a wiring fault (don't use non-prebond wire in tight spaces, those little strands love to pop out and cause shorts) I was stopped in my tracks by a nut on a pot shaft that wouldn't engage the threads no matter what. This is the second time this has happened to me with a 9mm pot, is Alpha's QC just not as good on the 9mm or am I just a special kind of unlucky? Maybe this is a sign I should just stick to 1590Bs and bigger enclosures...

Personally I hate the look of green boards and prefer pretty much any other color (except white for previously mentioned reasons), but it's not like it'd stop me from buying them and ultimately practical considerations outweigh aesthetic ones so if it works better and makes things easier for you than go for it!

Nice work! Yeah, that build is a bit of a tricky one that really rewards attention to detail. I too found out the hard way about the 1u film caps, in the future I'd highly recommend checking out Aion's parts spreadsheets before ordering parts for his more complex builds to save yourself some frustration. Still, it's an incredible pedal that is well worth whatever headaches you may encounter while building it and I'm glad you got it together!

Nice! I'll be sure to slap it on my guitar case, it could always use more stickers!

The CV / trigger stuff is pretty cool but more of a gimmick again unless you are the persons above.
Trigger can be implemented with an external footswitch and a 9v supply, even a battery. I showed how to do it and could dig out the wiring if needed.
You can use a momentary switch to tap in a beat for the LFO, and it plays out like a ramp. You can also have a latching switch to freeze the LFO - this is cool as you can then use a pedal to control the LFO sweep like the old Mutron pedalflange.

It's that easy, huh? And here I was thinking I needed to build a full modular synth setup to make use of it! Time to throw some pieces together and start experimenting!

I built the Dead End FX version but haven't really used any of the jacks besides the input and mono output (I tried putting a different flanger in the FX loop once but it didn't do anything besides make unusable crazy noises). I do want to try using the gate/trigger stuff at some point if I can figure out how the hell to implement it but for now I'm content with simplicity.

Having just watched the Reverb demo, I have mixed thoughts. They sound and look decent enough (especially the chorus) and the price point isn't terrible, but at the same time nothing really stands out as particularly unique or noteworthy. Where's all the cool old stuff that people associate with Maestro? I get that some of the old designs aren't exactly practical to clone exactly due to parts availability, but I'd take a modern reimagining that uses modern components while keeping the spirit of the old designs over this lineup of fairly generic offerings, and I'd certainly take it over 'limited edition custom-shop reissues' that sell out in 15 minutes only to be immediately listed on Reverb for 10x the price.

Anyone ever built one of Ceriatone's kits before? They seem to have a huge selection of kits available

Great work, that thing looks incredible! I really need to build myself one of these, no flanger collection is complete without one! I particularly love the enclosure color, is that powder coat or did you paint it?

Fantastic work man, that thing looks sick! I really love all of your colored graphics on mirrored enclosures, one of these days I've gotta get a laser printer so I can give it a try myself!

Nice! Although essentially the same in principle this looks a lot handier than my current setup, might just have to pick one up next paycheck!

As for the Silverfox, are you planning on eventually releasing it as a normal project? I missed out on it this time but I'd definitely pick one up in the future if you do.

Man, this is a huge bummer. Small Bear was always my first stop for obscure ICs, obsolete transistors, LDRs, all sorts of pots, and pretty much anything else you can't find at Mouser or Digikey. While Steve has certainly earned his retirement, I can't help but wonder who (if anyone) is going to take his place. Hopefully someone buys the business and continues it and we aren't left at the mercy of fake Ebay chips and Reverb scalpers charging $50 for a v3207.

That thing looks great! Did you laser etch the graphics? Those knobs fit it super well!

Incredible work, your builds look amazing! I really need to get more Lovetone in my life, I put together a ? Flanger out of sheer curiosity and now I'd really like to round out the collection.