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Apparently, I'm obsessed with Brassmasters

Started by EBK, February 14, 2022, 01:14:54 PM

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EBK

I am currently working on my 3rd Brassmaster build, and I already have a 4th one planned. It's a great circuit (opinions vary, of course). As a sort of WIP thread, I decided to collect them here.

#1
Here is the first Brassmaster I built.  It was a kit build from GGG, using a board designed by R.G. Keen.  I was quite happy with it, but I sold it a couple years ago to make room for new stuff, and I knew I could build another one better someday.



#2
This is the one I built as a gift to my brother after he bought himself a bass guitar.  I squeezed it into a 1590B, and it was the one and only time I successfully etched an enclosure.





#3
This is my current project.  Another 1590B build, but this time with 4 knobs.  Again, using R.G. Keen's board from GGG.  I just need to make the box pretty and solder a few things, and it will be done. The fit is only slightly tighter than the previous one (mainly the 3PDT toggle needing to be placed just right).



#4
I was quite excited when Brian announced the BoomBoom.  I have the board in my possession, and I plan to make something special with it.


Several years ago, I cobbled together a combo Brassmaster and OC-2, with the Brassmaster input being selectable from clean, one octave down, or two octaves down.  Those same signals were also mixable with the output.  I really liked it, but in a fit of depression, I disassembled it.  I'm planning to rebuild it and improve upon my earlier version.  Suboctaves into a Brassmaster make some gnarly sounds.

I don't have a pic of the finished old project from before I tore it apart, but I have this partly complete pic.


Hopefully, the rebuild will also fit into a 1590BB.  I have no idea why I used a stereo input jack for a pedal that can't fit a battery, but I'm guilty of having done this more than once.   ::)


Anyway, I plan to add updates for projects #3 and #4 here eventually.
"There is a pestilence upon this land. Nothing is sacred. Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress in this period in history." --Roger the Shrubber

nzCdog

#1
Wow, your bro sure scored a sweet pedal, love the etch on that one!
I've never built a brassmaster, but I used to love its sim on my old PODxt. :)
*edit spelling

benny_profane

Those look killer! The combo sounds really interesting. You definitely should look into the VFE Woodchipper if you haven't already.

Netnnk


EBK

Quote from: Netnnk on February 14, 2022, 10:42:25 PM
What do the switches do? One is an EQ.
One switch essentially affects mids cut/boost-ish, and the other is essentially a low/high boost to octave-up, but they both depend somewhat on the sensitivity (gain) pot. 
"There is a pestilence upon this land. Nothing is sacred. Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress in this period in history." --Roger the Shrubber

bigmufffuzzwizz

Good job! Love that circuit, its complete madness.
Did you fill the etch with gold paint?
Owner and operator of Magic Pedals

EBK

Thanks!
Yes, that etch is filled with gold paint.  I really liked how it turned out.  I tried to repeat it, but I can't do a toner transfer to save my life now, so Build #3 will be a decal.  I'm finalizing the enclosure design for it now.
"There is a pestilence upon this land. Nothing is sacred. Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress in this period in history." --Roger the Shrubber

EBK

This is my mock up of the labeling for Build #3.  The paint is from the same can of gold that filled the etch, but here I'm calling it metallic brown hammertone to make it sound like I intended for it to turn out this way.  :P
It has grown on me. 

The mock labels are just a black and white printout.  The actual decals will probably be cream and some sort of slate gray, I think.
"There is a pestilence upon this land. Nothing is sacred. Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress in this period in history." --Roger the Shrubber

benny_profane

That looks great! I think the paint effect has a great texture. Do you think that it'll be prone to chipping?

EBK

The paint has primer underneath and a couple layers of clear coat on top, all thoroughly baked on.  The outside temperature was quite low when I was painting, but the enclosure was warm, and I tried to be quick getting it back into my outdoor toaster oven between coats.  Once the decals go on, there will be more clear coat.  I won't guarantee the paint will hold up until more time passes, but so far so good.
"There is a pestilence upon this land. Nothing is sacred. Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress in this period in history." --Roger the Shrubber

thomasha

That looks nice, is that the primer or some sort of hammer paint?

EBK

The paint is supposed to be a smooth, high gloss metallic gold.  The hammertone texture is user error.

"There is a pestilence upon this land. Nothing is sacred. Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress in this period in history." --Roger the Shrubber

EBK

#12
I printed a test sheet with many variations of the dark color for the labels, but in the end, black won.  The light color is cream, but the camera seems to have auto-balanced it to mostly white.
The decals conformed quite well to the textured surface, which is why this enclosure doesn't photograph well.  I guess I'm saying it looks better in person.  ;D

I'll clear coat it this weekend and probably assemble it so I can get closer to Build #4 (but my Chaos Agent build will definitely get done sooner).
"There is a pestilence upon this land. Nothing is sacred. Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress in this period in history." --Roger the Shrubber

benny_profane

That looks great! Really digging the texture.

jimilee

It really looks great. Was it too humid when you painted it? To be able to control something like that would be killer.


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Pedal building is like the opposite of sex.  All the fun stuff happens before you get in the box.