Giant Hogweed Octave Distortion

[stringsthings]

It does work of course, but I find it unnecessarily dangerous for the task. There are better options out there and safety should always be top priority.

We both agree there on safety.  FeCl3 is a safe and proven route.  I started out there and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone; especially beginners.

I think an analogy would be building a pedal versus building an amp.   With an amp, there's the risk of working with lethal voltages.   Many people have put together their own amps, but they (hopefully) knew the risks when they were building.  With pedals, there's no such lethal voltages floating around. ( with the exception of AC adapters ( fully housed ) and DIY power supplies )  For a DIY beginner, I would definitely recommend building a pedal first.