Recent posts

#91

Open Discussion / Re: Absence, update and reflec...

Last post by Bret608 - September 15, 2025, 02:07:41 PM

That's awesome that you're stepping up to doing this! You PIF'd me an awesome "starter pack" during the holidays back in like 2011 when I first started building, and I have not forgotten than (and got years of mileage out of those parts, no less). Looks like you're going live tomorrow so I'll be sure to check the site out!

#92

Build Reports / Re: Egghead re-house (or up-ho...

Last post by gordo - September 14, 2025, 11:54:30 PM

That looks very cool.  I can remember etching this one as well, having got ambitious and doing a bunch of the Etcher's Paradise layouts.

#93

Open Discussion / Re: Absence, update and reflec...

Last post by gordo - September 14, 2025, 11:51:40 PM

Congrats and wishing you the best in the market.  It's good to see you being able to step away and follow your heart.

I lost my job about 14 years ago and I totally understand the "dark period" you went through.  I had a number of people tell me it would be the best thing that happened to me.  While I thought they were out of their minds, in hindsight it really was.

#94

Open Discussion / Re: Absence, update and reflec...

Last post by jwin615 - September 14, 2025, 01:46:54 AM

Congrats on the big step and good luck. I'll try and push some likes on Instagram, whenever I log in once every 3 months...

#95

Build Reports / Egghead re-house (or up-house?...

Last post by greysun - September 14, 2025, 12:56:44 AM

Hey folks - going back a decade or so here and found myself with a self-etched egghead that used the old drill template with the battery (you can see it on the left side in the yellow enclosure - I forgot to take a before pic of the seafoam green one I augmented).

Decided since I don't use batteries and having the switch further from the pedals is better than closer to them, I would modify.

I've done this before where I put a jewel lens where the switch went and moved the switch down - the jewel lens has a weird size nut (9/16-24, and half of the ones I got don't even fit that), but this time I had a 3D printer, so I was able to make the proper nut for this thing finally. I also added a holder for the LED in the bolt. Used a yellow, which you can't see well in any picture, but it does look kinda cool...

You can't see the tiny daughter board with the resistors for the LEDs cause I heat shrunk it up and hid it under the power, but it made it so much easier to work 2 LEDs. It's a little messy still, but I did what I could to keep from fussing things up too much in there - it IS an antique at this point, after all, hehe.

The egghead was my first foray into etching boards myself, which... was a lot. lol. The wired pots, the LED that needs a direct connection (plus resistor) to the 9v, the STEREO jack connected to a battery terminal... brought back memories of excitement at trying something new - and succeeding! BUT... I never loved this pedal til now - it might be cause I swapped to humbuckers in my guitars and it finally plays nice with everything. Either way; I'm glad to have it up and working again - even if it is a little messy inside still.

#96

Open Discussion / Re: Fun with 3D printing…

Last post by greysun - September 14, 2025, 12:35:19 AM

Alright here's the alignment "fork" part.

Tried to make it as condensed as possible for really narrow control spacing.

You cannot view this attachment.
You cannot view this attachment.

It should also be large enough to accommodate 22mm knobs

Still thinking about the block portion whether to have a screw anchor or whatever.

Ooooh, looks great! Yea, a bolt and block would be good. One side angled slightly for enclosures with an angle (I think they're usually the same angle?), and one side straight otherwise. I just made a 9/16-24 nut for a rehouse project I'll post about in the builds thread, but I looked up how to use Blender and this bolts plugin they have - it was pretty easy to follow and make something once I knew the conversions (of course, my 'bolt', which was an amp LED jewel housing, was ever so slightly TOO big, but I was able to get it after a few tries). Even modded it to hold the LED in place. Yea!

Could be easy enough to make a block that way maybe?

#97

Open Discussion / Re: Absence, update and reflec...

Last post by LaceSensor - September 13, 2025, 12:37:30 AM

Dude, you're legendary in these parts. Your work on the lovetone stuff hasn't been matched. Looking forward to your offerings.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Cheers jimi

Reels are going up on Instagram; more and more details to come

#98

VFE Projects / Re: Distortion 3 - sub for 1n3...

Last post by greysun - September 12, 2025, 04:25:32 PM

I guess my question, as someone that barely knows how clipping diodes work, is: will I ruin a part around these diodes if I tinker, or is there a range of forward voltages that I should be staying within to ensure the 914s remain intact and I don't blow out the ic ?

Tinker away, you can't hurt an IC by swapping out passive parts.

FYI, LEDs have a very high forward voltage (~1 to 3 V) compared to silicon (~0.6 V) and Ge (~0.3 V).  In a feedback loop, LEDs give you more gain; in clipping to ground, LEDs will give you less clipping and more output volume. 

This is exactly what I found to be the case! Tried out a few iterations this morning - the DV9 edged out the 1n34a, but I liked the BAT41 and the LED was ... I don't know, crunchier? less controlled? Wasn't great, but in actuality they were all in the same buffet. I was able to get a bit more clarity from the DV9 than the others given my amp, so that's the winner here - but if I ever get my hands on some D9x variations, 1n60p or 1n4678's, I'll definitely tinker further...

Thanks for the help, folks! Now to print all those knobs I need for these pedals...

#99

VFE Projects / Re: Distortion 3 - sub for 1n3...

Last post by mauman - September 12, 2025, 01:06:21 PM

I guess my question, as someone that barely knows how clipping diodes work, is: will I ruin a part around these diodes if I tinker, or is there a range of forward voltages that I should be staying within to ensure the 914s remain intact and I don't blow out the ic ?

Tinker away, you can't hurt an IC by swapping out passive parts.

FYI, LEDs have a very high forward voltage (~1 to 3 V) compared to silicon (~0.6 V) and Ge (~0.3 V).  In a feedback loop, LEDs give you more gain; in clipping to ground, LEDs will give you less clipping and more output volume. 

#100

Open Discussion / Re: Absence, update and reflec...

Last post by lars - September 12, 2025, 03:01:53 AM

One of my things has a big muff front end but where the tone control is there is a set of state variable filters and a resonant frequency control to dial in a stupidly broad array of sounds, many of them borderline unusable (according to your taste of course).

This sounds amazing.

Nothing wild just a style I like, clean, not gimmicky, colourful. Inspired by 90s boutique (think Lovetone, way huge etc)

Perfect. There's a reason 90's boutique pedals are now some of the most valuable ever made:  Klon, Flange with No Name...good grief, those are 2 to 3 grand now.