madbeanpedals::forum

General => Open Discussion => Topic started by: pickdropper on January 15, 2012, 08:21:33 PM

Title: The wild addiction of pedal building
Post by: pickdropper on January 15, 2012, 08:21:33 PM
I am new around these parts, but it has been fun reading all of the posts here.

I built my first pedal in the middle of Dec.2011 and now have finished and boxed 7 pedals.  I started building to fill some pedal needs I had, but it has clearly gotten to the point that I just like building them.

Very very addictive and fun.

None of the seven were madbean, but I have over 15 mb boards waiting for me now.  Just starting the Pork Barrel and Current Lover, my first madbean builds.  Maybe this time I'll even take photos.

Title: Re: The wild addiction of pedal building
Post by: nzCdog on January 15, 2012, 08:25:32 PM
lol.  You got bit bad huh?
There's no known cure  ;D
Title: Re: The wild addiction of pedal building
Post by: gtr2 on January 16, 2012, 11:32:24 AM
Welcome to the club.  ;)

Josh
Title: Re: The wild addiction of pedal building
Post by: pickdropper on January 16, 2012, 01:20:14 PM
Thanks guys.  It's been a lot of fun so far.
Title: Re: The wild addiction of pedal building
Post by: GermanCdn on January 16, 2012, 02:09:57 PM
I am always glad to see someone else has the same addiction, lol.  Last parts for my next 18 pedal build arrived today.  Maybe we should start a support group or something.  Except the likely outcome would just be more builds, not less.  To summarize a line from a movie I don't remember anymore "It's not a problem if I'm OK with it."
Title: Re: The wild addiction of pedal building
Post by: jkokura on January 16, 2012, 03:35:08 PM
Asking for help here is like asking for telling your local bartender you have a drinking problem...

Jacob
Title: Re: The wild addiction of pedal building
Post by: timbo_93631 on January 16, 2012, 03:53:56 PM
You can try to channel the pedal building addiction into other guitar-centric realms, but you can only afford to build so many amps and guitars.  Eventually you gotta get back to that cheap and nasty fix of building just one more fuzz, delay, dirt, etc...  A happy addiction, the consequence is great tone! 
Title: Re: The wild addiction of pedal building
Post by: TNblueshawk on January 16, 2012, 08:53:01 PM
What's even more fun, if you are married, is trying to explain to your wife why you have 20 pedals in your music room you built and have 20 more PCB's and counting wanting to join them. Toss in you are just a bedroom hacker and I've yet to come up with a good explanation for her. I did tell her there are worse habits and addictions than wanting to stay at home and build pedals; most of which involves drinking and crazy shit  :o She did agree on this point, albeit she still doesn't understand. Should have seen her face when I ordered a Champ kit (BYOC inspired) and she said "but you have an amp downstairs"  :P
Title: Re: The wild addiction of pedal building
Post by: timbo_93631 on January 16, 2012, 09:05:51 PM
My wife is pretty understanding as long as I don't stay up too late to "work in the shop".  It also helps that I sell stuff like components, speakers, wahs, and rangemaster clones on eBay to fund my builds to it doesn't take away from our real world earnings and on occasion it gives us extra $.   
Title: Re: The wild addiction of pedal building
Post by: ckim715 on January 16, 2012, 10:12:46 PM
It all goes downhill. I started off building a simple boost. A year later, I'm thinking about building an amp. Next year? Tony Stark's arc reactor.  8)
Title: Re: The wild addiction of pedal building
Post by: TNblueshawk on January 16, 2012, 10:27:49 PM
Quote from: timbo_93631 on January 16, 2012, 09:05:51 PM
My wife is pretty understanding as long as I don't stay up too late to "work in the shop".  It also helps that I sell stuff like components, speakers, wahs, and rangemaster clones on eBay to fund my builds to it doesn't take away from our real world earnings and on occasion it gives us extra $.   

Yeah, I don't sell anything I build. No doubt that would help. But it's like selling one's kids....I just can't do it  ::)
Title: Re: The wild addiction of pedal building
Post by: lloyd17 on January 16, 2012, 10:46:32 PM
When I started doing this the plan was dirt dirt dirt. Cheap, easy and can be moved when the collection grows too large. Fat chance, its all delay and modulation delay and modulation. One things for certain: my queue only grows.
Title: Re: The wild addiction of pedal building
Post by: bigmufffuzzwizz on January 20, 2012, 12:30:38 AM
Your gonna fit in just fine! I always make sure I have 20 projects lined up and then I get side tracked and build other stuff. Finally bought my first amp kit, waiting for it to arrive. See the doors are opening!
Title: Re: The wild addiction of pedal building
Post by: pickdropper on January 20, 2012, 12:35:55 AM
Quote from: bigmufffuzzwizz on January 20, 2012, 12:30:38 AM
Your gonna fit in just fine! I always make sure I have 20 projects lined up and then I get side tracked and build other stuff. Finally bought my first amp kit, waiting for it to arrive. See the doors are opening!

Yeah, I see an amp somewhere along the way.  I'd really like to build an 18 watt Marshall at some point.

I also have a few headphone amps that need finishing.

Kind of in a lull right now.  Waiting for parts orders.

Title: Re: The wild addiction of pedal building
Post by: jimmybjj on January 20, 2012, 12:39:53 AM
Quote from: bigmufffuzzwizz on January 20, 2012, 12:30:38 AM
Your gonna fit in just fine! I always make sure I have 20 projects lined up and then I get side tracked and build other stuff. Finally bought my first amp kit, waiting for it to arrive. See the doors are opening!

Cool Magic, what kit did you go with?
Title: Re: The wild addiction of pedal building
Post by: pietro_moog on January 20, 2012, 12:46:40 AM
in these diy years i build
-2 amps (a vibrochamp, and a 18w jcm800 od channel + ef86 based clean)
-a reverb unit based on a hybrid fender/ampeg/6bm8 design, very cool
-10 pedals, they'll be 14 in a few months, i don't have too much time right now
-a guitar (jazz master with humbucker at the bridge, very nice, painted by myself)

diy is fun
i don't think it's THAT addictive,now i'm at the point where i don't know what to build next.
i don't think i need anything more..

however my rule of thumb is: build just what you use, and recycle what you don't use anymore. don't waste resources.


Title: Re: The wild addiction of pedal building
Post by: bigmufffuzzwizz on January 20, 2012, 12:53:30 AM
Quote from: jimmybjj on January 20, 2012, 12:39:53 AM
Quote from: bigmufffuzzwizz on January 20, 2012, 12:30:38 AM
Your gonna fit in just fine! I always make sure I have 20 projects lined up and then I get side tracked and build other stuff. Finally bought my first amp kit, waiting for it to arrive. See the doors are opening!

Cool Magic, what kit did you go with?

After doing a bit of research (probably not quite near enough) I went with a Weber 5F1 kit, basic tweed. The part that made it most worth it to me was the inclusion of a cabinet all for about $450. I'm hoping my options open after I build this one and I can start DIYing like I do with pedals. I'm love to get all over the Ceriatone site, champ heads, jtm45/100 and superleads..
Title: Re: The wild addiction of pedal building
Post by: nzCdog on January 23, 2012, 02:11:09 AM
I'm about to pull the trigger on a trinity 18W...  uggghhhh GAS!
http://trinityamps.com/Product_Parts.htm (http://trinityamps.com/Product_Parts.htm)
Title: Re: The wild addiction of pedal building
Post by: jimmybjj on January 23, 2012, 03:45:23 AM
Quote from: bigmufffuzzwizz on January 20, 2012, 12:53:30 AM
Quote from: jimmybjj on January 20, 2012, 12:39:53 AM
Quote from: bigmufffuzzwizz on January 20, 2012, 12:30:38 AM
Your gonna fit in just fine! I always make sure I have 20 projects lined up and then I get side tracked and build other stuff. Finally bought my first amp kit, waiting for it to arrive. See the doors are opening!

Cool Magic, what kit did you go with?
O
After doing a bit of research (probably not quite near enough) I went with a Weber 5F1 kit, basic tweed. The part that made it most worth it to me was the inclusion of a cabinet all for about $450. I'm hoping my options open after I build this one and I can start DIYing like I do with pedals. I'm love to get all over the Ceriatone site, champ heads, jtm45/100 and superleads..
Nice, hard to beat that for the money.

Quote from: nzCdog on January 23, 2012, 02:11:09 AM
I'm about to pull the trigger on a trinity 18W...  uggghhhh GAS!
http://trinityamps.com/Product_Parts.htm (http://trinityamps.com/Product_Parts.htm)

Do it! :) My favorite amp is a 18 watt (lite IIb) that I built. Everyone that plays it comments on how good it sounds :)



Title: Re: The wild addiction of pedal building
Post by: TNblueshawk on January 23, 2012, 03:57:39 PM
Quote from: nzCdog on January 23, 2012, 02:11:09 AM
I'm about to pull the trigger on a trinity 18W...  uggghhhh GAS!
http://trinityamps.com/Product_Parts.htm (http://trinityamps.com/Product_Parts.htm)

This guy just built one by coincidence

http://www.buildyourownclone.com/board/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=34965
Title: Re: The wild addiction of pedal building
Post by: nzCdog on January 23, 2012, 11:14:41 PM
Thanks TN...that's the very same kit I want to build :)
Gonna prolly put one of these  (http://www.hallamplification.com/main.html?src=%2F#2,2) VVRs in to tame the Volume instead of a MV... just about enough cash, gotta sell a couple more things first :)
Title: Re: The wild addiction of pedal building
Post by: TNblueshawk on January 24, 2012, 01:33:45 PM
What is that thing doing nz? Is it acting like an attenuator of sorts?
Title: Re: The wild addiction of pedal building
Post by: nzCdog on January 24, 2012, 08:12:08 PM
'Variable Voltage Regulator' starves the volts going to the power tubes, decreasing the power output of the amp, down to 10W 5W or Wattever ;D... whereas a Master Volume attenuates the preamp signal going into the power tubes. 
From what I've heard 18 watters tend to sound better using VVR instead of MV
Title: Re: The wild addiction of pedal building
Post by: slimtriggers on January 25, 2012, 01:25:09 AM
Quote from: nzCdog on January 23, 2012, 11:14:41 PM
Thanks TN...that's the very same kit I want to build :)
Gonna prolly put one of these  (http://www.hallamplification.com/main.html?src=%2F#2,2) VVRs in to tame the Volume instead of a MV... just about enough cash, gotta sell a couple more things first :)

There are several VVR layouts around if you want to save some $$ and DIY ;)

http://www.sewatt.com/files/sewatt/vvr_tagboard.jpg

http://music-electronics-forum.com/attachments/11226d1286636081-vvr-layout.jpg
Title: Re: The wild addiction of pedal building
Post by: nzCdog on January 25, 2012, 02:51:33 AM
Thanks slimtriggers... I hadn't found any good layouts, definitely better to do DIY 8)