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#31
Build Reports / Re: Springboard springs to lif...
Last post by greysun - October 10, 2026, 07:04:38 PMQuote from: jessenator on October 10, 2026, 04:04:12 AMNever tried socketing a Belton Brick before. I know some find it tacky (ha), but a bit of hot glue wouldn't go amiss in there, too.
Got any sound clips you'd be willing to share?
Beautiful suggestion and already done - just a couple dabs in select spots to make me feel better about my life choices.
I did a very quick demo at my practice space at your request. First minute is hiss-y cause I was explaining what I was using through the iPad mic, but demo starts around 1min and uses a better mic - it's not totally thorough but gives the gist.
https://youtu.be/G6fZVm433W4?is=37XXnqQ45eKnBgBH
I only had a little shure mv-88 connected to my iPad for the demo part, but it did pretty okay. Some vibration in the video cause I just set it on a music stand to film the board.
The only thing that didn't come through was if you have the dry signal all the way down, the verb sounds really cool but is delayed from your actual strum, which could be weird live, but yea.
A lot of stuff is pretty DIY in this video - I 3D printed my pedalboard braces and used 2020 extrusion for the bars. 7 of the 11 "things" on the board were made by me. I made most of the patch cables and my guitar cable. I made and modified the guitar right down to the pots (changed the wafers for custom values, and it's a stereo guitar) and built the amp from a kit.
The pedals: tuner, meris polymoon (the white dual switch below it is just a program recall I made), MB husky boy (on the 90 degree, white, black knobs) MB blue steel (light blue, orange/white knobs, thin stripes), Rat clone (salmon, red knobs - 8 clipping modes and fat selection switch), octa psi (black, black knobs, striped decal covering branding), stereo/dual tremolo (silver, pink/gold knobs, striped decal), MB/VFE Springboard (dark purple, pink knobs), EHX 1440 looper. (The little single button guy in the upper right is a tap tempo for the tremolo).
I'm still learning what pedals work well for my sound at band-level volume, but these seem to be doing the trick.
I'll admit I know little to nothing about reverb, other than I like when it's there and my JTM does not have it. I had a rub-a-dub single knob reverb that I built long ago (1776, I think?) which is still cool but I wanted a little more control with this setup. So if anything seems out of sorts, let me know! lol - cause I wouldn't know otherwise!
Happy weekend folks!
#32
Build Reports / Re: Springboard springs to lif...
Last post by jessenator - October 10, 2026, 04:04:12 AMNice!
Got any sound clips you'd be willing to share?
Quote from: greysun on October 09, 2026, 10:35:12 PMI wasn't (and am still not) convinced my leaf sockets are strong enough to hold that brick for the long haul, so i added some padding to the base to kind of hold it in there. I think the leaf sockets are brilliant, I just think mine are cheap lol.Never tried socketing a Belton Brick before. I know some find it tacky (ha), but a bit of hot glue wouldn't go amiss in there, too.
Got any sound clips you'd be willing to share?
#33
Build Reports / Re: Springboard springs to lif...
Last post by NorthCoast - October 10, 2026, 01:35:35 AMAwesome! Glad that you got this one up and running!
#34
Build Reports / Springboard springs to life…
Last post by greysun - October 09, 2026, 10:35:12 PM... or you'd think so anyway!
Had a 'time' with the switching board, which cause for a lot of desoldering and wound up just rebuilding that section entirely to get it working. But - it worked!
Built into a 125b and I am very glad for that! Didn't have to worry about height of components or the fact that I hacked the pots using whatever I had (note the very "lovely" perf board adapter at the edge of the board for a 16mm-to-9mm workable situation - the pots are also why there's some wires coming up). I could socket the switching board parts and not worry about the spacing with the belton brick. Ace.
I had to angle all the resistors, which fit perfectly and had no issues getting those into place.
I wasn't (and am still not) convinced my leaf sockets are strong enough to hold that brick for the long haul, so i added some padding to the base to kind of hold it in there. I think the leaf sockets are brilliant, I just think mine are cheap lol.
Enclosure is a monthly drop from love my switches (cherry cola?). Eventually I might fire up the cricut and put some decals on it like the blue steel behind it, but like most of my pedals, I like it looking like a weird toy.
Sounds good and seemingly working well. Pics:
Had a 'time' with the switching board, which cause for a lot of desoldering and wound up just rebuilding that section entirely to get it working. But - it worked!
Built into a 125b and I am very glad for that! Didn't have to worry about height of components or the fact that I hacked the pots using whatever I had (note the very "lovely" perf board adapter at the edge of the board for a 16mm-to-9mm workable situation - the pots are also why there's some wires coming up). I could socket the switching board parts and not worry about the spacing with the belton brick. Ace.
I had to angle all the resistors, which fit perfectly and had no issues getting those into place.
I wasn't (and am still not) convinced my leaf sockets are strong enough to hold that brick for the long haul, so i added some padding to the base to kind of hold it in there. I think the leaf sockets are brilliant, I just think mine are cheap lol.
Enclosure is a monthly drop from love my switches (cherry cola?). Eventually I might fire up the cricut and put some decals on it like the blue steel behind it, but like most of my pedals, I like it looking like a weird toy.
Sounds good and seemingly working well. Pics:
#35
VFE Projects / Re: Springboard foot switch is...
Last post by greysun - October 09, 2026, 02:35:40 PMUpdate: Since I had other VFE switch boards, I just built a new one.
Once I removed the 78L05, the resistance from its output pad to ground was 0, which meant something was shorting to ground somewhere, but I could not (and still cannot) find where it was. Part of me wonders if it was a rogue strand of wire with one of my connector wires to the PCB, but we'll see later when I have more time to test the non-working board again now that I've stripped those off of it.
This meant that the 78L05 was fine (as proven by its use on the now-working new board), as were all of the components and IC chips.
*sigh* - it's messier in there than I like, but I'll still do a build report, if for no other reason the learnings, lol. This one nearly broke me - I've had to troubleshoot before, but never just rebuild it completely. Luckily it works, so I live to tell the story...
An aside: I actually think the switching system is brilliant; similar to something I was trying to build an effects loop program using an Arduino with some transistors, zeners and an optical muting system to power the relays with a bunch of programmed banks for memory - I got it fully working on the breadboard, but getting all of it mounted in the enclosure with the neopixels and LED screen was a bit much (I bit off more than I could chew there - maybe one day I'll finish it). But on a per-pedal basis, I guess I'm just old school - forgive any implied judgment, "get off my lawn!", etc.
Enjoy the weekend, folks!
Once I removed the 78L05, the resistance from its output pad to ground was 0, which meant something was shorting to ground somewhere, but I could not (and still cannot) find where it was. Part of me wonders if it was a rogue strand of wire with one of my connector wires to the PCB, but we'll see later when I have more time to test the non-working board again now that I've stripped those off of it.
This meant that the 78L05 was fine (as proven by its use on the now-working new board), as were all of the components and IC chips.
*sigh* - it's messier in there than I like, but I'll still do a build report, if for no other reason the learnings, lol. This one nearly broke me - I've had to troubleshoot before, but never just rebuild it completely. Luckily it works, so I live to tell the story...
An aside: I actually think the switching system is brilliant; similar to something I was trying to build an effects loop program using an Arduino with some transistors, zeners and an optical muting system to power the relays with a bunch of programmed banks for memory - I got it fully working on the breadboard, but getting all of it mounted in the enclosure with the neopixels and LED screen was a bit much (I bit off more than I could chew there - maybe one day I'll finish it). But on a per-pedal basis, I guess I'm just old school - forgive any implied judgment, "get off my lawn!", etc.
Enjoy the weekend, folks!
#36
VFE Projects / Re: Springboard foot switch is...
Last post by greysun - October 08, 2026, 10:47:29 PMSome further testing and a bit of copilot help later:
into D1: 9.3v
out d1: 9v
D2: 2.5v
Inductor In: 9v
Inductor Out: 2.5v
resistance across inductor: 24ohm (this is the same in my Distortion3 projects, which work)
C1+: 2.5v
78L05 I: 2.5v
78L05 O: 0v
BS170 D: 8.6v (ish)
During the process, I replaced C1 entirely and swapped the 7662 chip. No luck.
Copilot seems to think it's either a bad D2 (16v zener, which I've already replaced once) or the regulator (78L05, which, of course, I'm out of now). Maybe micro center will have some...
Any other advice here is appreciated. Thanks all!
into D1: 9.3v
out d1: 9v
D2: 2.5v
Inductor In: 9v
Inductor Out: 2.5v
resistance across inductor: 24ohm (this is the same in my Distortion3 projects, which work)
C1+: 2.5v
78L05 I: 2.5v
78L05 O: 0v
BS170 D: 8.6v (ish)
During the process, I replaced C1 entirely and swapped the 7662 chip. No luck.
Copilot seems to think it's either a bad D2 (16v zener, which I've already replaced once) or the regulator (78L05, which, of course, I'm out of now). Maybe micro center will have some...
Any other advice here is appreciated. Thanks all!
#37
VFE Projects / Re: Springboard foot switch is...
Last post by greysun - October 08, 2026, 08:21:06 PMI had asked something similar before, re: using a normal foot switch, but given this is a split rail situation, just trying to make sense of it all and what filtering is needed.
#38
VFE Projects / Springboard foot switch issues...
Last post by greysun - October 08, 2026, 08:12:50 PMHi all!
Not really sure what's going on, but I cannot get my springboard to function - when I put my multimeter to the footswitch, I'm only getting 2v throughout the entire thing after the 5817. I already replaced the diode, used a 2nd VFE chip I had from another project, replaced the tq2-5lv, swapped another switch in, and it just turns on the LED and nothing else. Certainly not getting strong readings at the 5v regulator even though it is heating up.
I've traced all my leads, ensured the parts are all correct, triple checked that there not a ground short somewhere... It's gotta be a bad part in there somewhere, I just don't where or how to find it.
But honestly, I don't love these footswitch systems - there's a lag on my distortion 3's that's JUST enough for me to notice and trip me up, and it goes haywire if I accidentally trigger tap it (easier to do on the momentary switch than a standard 3pdt).
If I wanted to just make this a normal 3pdt footswitch, could I simply just make a daughter board with some power filtering and wire it up normal? I'm not sure how the whole split rail thing works with this board, so hopefully someone can tell me what to do here...
(also, could by my leaf sockets are just weak, but they are not holding this brick in very well - are some stronger than others, or is this thing just a beast to cram into em?).
Not really sure what's going on, but I cannot get my springboard to function - when I put my multimeter to the footswitch, I'm only getting 2v throughout the entire thing after the 5817. I already replaced the diode, used a 2nd VFE chip I had from another project, replaced the tq2-5lv, swapped another switch in, and it just turns on the LED and nothing else. Certainly not getting strong readings at the 5v regulator even though it is heating up.
I've traced all my leads, ensured the parts are all correct, triple checked that there not a ground short somewhere... It's gotta be a bad part in there somewhere, I just don't where or how to find it.
But honestly, I don't love these footswitch systems - there's a lag on my distortion 3's that's JUST enough for me to notice and trip me up, and it goes haywire if I accidentally trigger tap it (easier to do on the momentary switch than a standard 3pdt).
If I wanted to just make this a normal 3pdt footswitch, could I simply just make a daughter board with some power filtering and wire it up normal? I'm not sure how the whole split rail thing works with this board, so hopefully someone can tell me what to do here...
(also, could by my leaf sockets are just weak, but they are not holding this brick in very well - are some stronger than others, or is this thing just a beast to cram into em?).
#39
Build Reports / Re: Original Gaspedals Dumbbel...
Last post by jessenator - October 06, 2026, 12:05:05 AMCool. Thanks for that!
#40
Build Reports / Re: Original Gaspedals Dumbbel...
Last post by lars - October 05, 2026, 10:22:36 PMJust comparing the schematics, it looks like the original one knob version would have slightly more distortion when the boost switch is kicked in because the op amp gain resistor is set at 510K. The max total gain resistance is 400K on the newer 3 knob.
The biggest difference would be the op amp itself. The original one knob Dumbbell used the 1458, which is basically just a dual 741. The three knob version uses a HiFi NE5532.
I think for overdriven guitar tones, the NE5532 is not exactly in it's wheelhouse. The 741 is used in awesome-sounding classic overdrives like the grey DOD250 and original MXR Distortion+. So in this application, I think the 1458 is the superior op amp, but to each his own.
The biggest difference would be the op amp itself. The original one knob Dumbbell used the 1458, which is basically just a dual 741. The three knob version uses a HiFi NE5532.
I think for overdriven guitar tones, the NE5532 is not exactly in it's wheelhouse. The 741 is used in awesome-sounding classic overdrives like the grey DOD250 and original MXR Distortion+. So in this application, I think the 1458 is the superior op amp, but to each his own.