Progression of interests

[morganp]

Ha, I took up pedal building because amp building is so expensive!  I've done a few amps, and they're super fun and sound great.  But there's almost no resale at all (that I've found) for unknown homebrew or kit amps.  I can afford a Tayda order once a month, but man, just buying transformers alone for a Bassman build is daunting.  If I were independently wealthy I would have probably never moved to pedal building, but as it is, I have to decide if I want to do 3 or 4 fuzz boxes a month or one tweed deluxe kit every year and a half.  I gotta keep my hands busy, so for now, tiny boxes it is!

[Luke51411]

Step 1 build pedals
Step 2
Step 3 profit
Step 4 Build Amps!!!

[Frank_NH]

I got into pedal building nearly two years ago after a long stint building guitars (which I still do occasionally).  I originally had a lot of electronics components I inherited from my father and I wanted to try building something.  So I built a Univox fuzz on vero.  And it worked!  The first time!!  Of course that was it - I was hooked.  I then discovered there were a bazillion veroboard projects - overdrives, distortions, fuzzes, tremolos, delays.  But I didn't have all the components I needed.  So I ordered from Mammoth.  Then Smallbear and eBay.  My parts piles grew bigger as did my list of projects.  I got good at debugging and started tackling larger projects and PCBs.  So here I am today with about 20 or so projects under my belt, and I have no plans to stop - maybe slow down a little.  What fascinates me about this hobby is that each effect is an unknown - will it sound good, bad, meh???  That curiosity for exploring new sounds and understanding how those sounds are produced (by studying the circuits) has kept me going and is what I find enriching about building effects.  I suppose some day I'll have to start selling or giving away some of them, but for now a box full of pedals and circuit boards takes up less space than most other hobbies (like building kit cars or submarines... ).

[alanp]

I only wanted a LaVache!

[morganp]

I love it!  I think it sums up the obsession pretty well.  From this:

I only wanted a LaVache!

To this:

in just a few short years. 

[RobA]

I regularly look at the possibility of learning programming (PICs, FV-1 etc) and tell myself: With this I could do ... anything! Muahhahahaha.

Then I take a look at some random beginner programming tutorial and go gently back to my breadboard ... until the next time ...

The programming for these small embedded processors is, for the most part, a small subset of what you would cover in a general programming tutorial. Starting with an Arduino tutorial or maybe looking at some of the mbed stuff might be a quicker and more directly applicable way to get your feet wet and on the path to the kinds of things you envision.

[Muadzin]

Next progression is amps 

For me its guitars. Also, amps are soooo 20th century.

[alanp]

I regularly look at the possibility of learning programming (PICs, FV-1 etc) and tell myself: With this I could do ... anything! Muahhahahaha.

Then I take a look at some random beginner programming tutorial and go gently back to my breadboard ... until the next time ...

The programming for these small embedded processors is, for the most part, a small subset of what you would cover in a general programming tutorial. Starting with an Arduino tutorial or maybe looking at some of the mbed stuff might be a quicker and more directly applicable way to get your feet wet and on the path to the kinds of things you envision.

Funny you should mention that -- I included one of those teeny weeny boards with my last OSH order.

Mind you, I'm still trying to think of something to do with it.

[mremic01]

Step 1 build pedals
Step 2
Step 3 profit
Step 4 Build Amps!!!

Pretty much.

I bought a few GGG and BYOC kits to learn how to do this stuff, with the goal of working my way up to amps. Then I hit the phase when I started etching PCBs and discovering all kinds of cool pedal circuits I'd never dreamed of getting the chance to own or play. Then I built a klone. Well, three of them. I sold two, and the klone market pulled me in with people asking me to build them more and more. Now all my life belong to KLON. For great profit (more like min wage). I've only built two amps so far, and only one worked- the BYOC Champlifier. But it sounds great with a Klon.

[Shrtyska9]

I guess I progressed in the opposite direction. I started modding my guitars and then I bought the indyguitarist valve Jr mod book and I was hooked from there. Then after doing amp repair and mods for a few years I stumbled upon madbeans site.
Before then I never really thought about building effects nor did i realize that there was such an amazing community related to the hobby. Now after seeing Juan's raspberry pi based arcade I really want to build something similar. But like most other things that will have to wait until the funds are there.

Richard

[Mojo Fandangle]

I'm still pretty noob, about 18 months building.
I started with an electric cigar box guitar then a talk box then then some BYOC builds.
Then I decided to try vero builds 'cos I figured they're cheap so it won't cost much if I fuck up and there's heaps of cool stuff that you can't buy boards for. It was painful but due to my OCD but they eventually worked and I learnt a lot from doing and planning them.
Now I've found that building from pre fab pcb's is the perfect in-between of BYOC and vero because it's cheap but good quality.
My current thing is trying to get into cool paint jobs and try some graphics because of my background in cartooning and Illustration. I hope to get into modding fuzz circuits then see where I go from there.

[Luke51411]

I'm still pretty noob, about 18 months building.
I started with an electric cigar box guitar then a talk box then then some BYOC builds.
Then I decided to try vero builds 'cos I figured they're cheap so it won't cost much if I fuck up and there's heaps of cool stuff that you can't buy boards for. It was painful but due to my OCD but they eventually worked and I learnt a lot from doing and planning them.
Now I've found that building from pre fab pcb's is the perfect in-between of BYOC and vero because it's cheap but good quality.
My current thing is trying to get into cool paint jobs and try some graphics because of my background in cartooning and Illustration. I hope to get into modding fuzz circuits then see where I go from there.

I've built a couple CBGs too! I started working on my third a year or two ago, I was taking the step up to adding frets. I got the fret board and most of the guitar done but stopped for some reason before putting it all together. Now I'm itching to build an instrument or at least pick up a cheapish guitar and upgrade it.