Leading Wave (Pangea Build)

[Timko]

This was my last build of 2017, but I was waiting on the knobs to get here.  It's a pretty stock Pangea build with the optional voicing switch.  Right now, I've only got Brenja's suggested values for capacitors in, but I'm sure I'll experiment more with it as I play with it.  The sounds out of this thing are pretty incredible.  I've head some insane phaser sounds (especially when push with a fuzz face), some warbly Leslie sounds, and an amazing tremolo when played big and clean.  While it was a big build, it wasn't too hard to put together.  I started the build this summer, but I got serious about finishing projects once the colder temperatures arrived.  I'm especially pleased with my current technique for rolling vactrols, which tuned out looking and sounding great.

While I was searching for inspiration on the etch, I noticed a lot of other MB'ers had ocean names.  I started thinking of the classic Japanese print "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" and found inspiration there.  This is the first time I've etched an enclosure this big and I'm pleased with the way it turned out.  The big synth knobs add a classy touch.

Google helped me with the Kanji.  If it's wrong, just don't tell me .

[somnif]

I see you went with the OSHpark daughter board... you wouldn't happen to have a spare you'd be willing to part with would you (for money, of course)? I got a pangea board recently as well, but have been hesitant to buy 3 of the outboard (damn christmas squeezed budget!)

Also your Vactrols look interesting. My normal trick is little sections of drinking straw with black heatshrink. Yours looks like... gaffer tape? If it works, it works! 

[cajone5]

Looks great inside and out.  I'm especially loving the etch!  To the guy above ^ if no one has a board I'd be willing to go in on one if you know where to find it.  Alternatively, there appears to be an etchable one that haberdasher could probably whip up (that was my first thought).

[Timko]

I see you went with the OSHpark daughter board... you wouldn't happen to have a spare you'd be willing to part with would you (for money, of course)? I got a pangea board recently as well, but have been hesitant to buy 3 of the outboard (damn christmas squeezed budget!)

Also your Vactrols look interesting. My normal trick is little sections of drinking straw with black heatshrink. Yours looks like... gaffer tape? If it works, it works! 

Sorry, I got my board from someone on the forum last year who had an extra. As for the vactrols, they're made with paper straws, which have a little more rigidity. I the heat shrink it, and seal the ends with electrical tape. Using only the star and heatehrink always left me with a unit too big for the mounts on the PCB. These fit really well.

[somnif]

Looks great inside and out.  I'm especially loving the etch!  To the guy above ^ if no one has a board I'd be willing to go in on one if you know where to find it.  Alternatively, there appears to be an etchable one that haberdasher could probably whip up (that was my first thought).

Its on OSHPark under "Voodoo Expansion", I just didn't have 10$ to spare for 3 boards when I only needed 1. (Grad student paycheck doesn't stretch too far this time of year  ) If you want to split a batch I'd be up for it, we can probably find a third somewhere to make up the min order.

Sorry, I got my board from someone on the forum last year who had an extra. As for the vactrols, they're made with paper straws, which have a little more rigidity. I the heat shrink it, and seal the ends with electrical tape. Using only the star and heatehrink always left me with a unit too big for the mounts on the PCB. These fit really well.

Hmm, haven't tried paper straws. Interesting....

[Timko]

Sorry, I got my board from someone on the forum last year who had an extra. As for the vactrols, they're made with paper straws, which have a little more rigidity. I the heat shrink it, and seal the ends with electrical tape. Using only the star and heatehrink always left me with a unit too big for the mounts on the PCB. These fit really well.

Hmm, haven't tried paper straws. Interesting....

One of my other eccentric hobbies outside of music is craft cocktails.  You can find paper straws in the party section of stores.

[Timko]

I created a couple of videos showing my marginal guitar skill playing this amazing pedal.  I'm playing my Epiphone Johnny A Custom through an old Ampeg Rocket.

The first is a phaser type setting.  There's a Fuzz Face driving it.  It's a match made in sonic heaven.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/IBn6gWhHTwKzUfGj1

The 2nd is a tremolo setting.  This is really the golden spot for me; I love how clear and open the trem with a touch of warble.  I think this one has a clean boost driving the 1st channel of an L5 Preamp, running into into a Moog MF Delay.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/NQ1znZsJiTSWMgW02

[mjg]

That does sound pretty epic with the fuzz face in front.

[BrianS]

I see you went with the OSHpark daughter board... you wouldn't happen to have a spare you'd be willing to part with would you (for money, of course)?

I have one if you haven't found one.  Just PM me your address and I will send it to you, no charge. 

And great looking build Timko.

[Bret608]

I think your build of this looks amazing! I love the sound of mine is well and totally agree about the tremolo.

[Timko]

For the external speed control, I read elsewhere in the forum to use a wah pedal.  I have a Moog Expression pedal, and it doesn't perform like I expect.  Should I start scrounging CL for a cheap Wah?

[Bret608]

Right, I do think you'd be looking for a cheap used wah you could gut or an empty wah shell--it's really just a wah shell with a 100k pot you would want. Strymon has a good article on their blog about how to build one. Also, Small Bear recently marked their expression pedal shell kits down to less than $30. You would just need a 100k wah pot besides that. I've been thinking about doing this myself. I've always wanted to be able to get that sound of tremolo speeding up and slowing down like the Jesus and Mary Chain. Is your Moog pedal the EP-3? I had been looking at that but was not sure if it had the 100k pot you'd need for it to work with a vibe-type circuit.

Interestingly, my Pangea picks up the radio if my guitar is anywhere near the side of the pedal with the expression jack! I wonder if that would disappear with an expression pedal plugged in. I live in a bad neighborhood for RF, so who knows...

[bcalla]

Wow, that looks great!  And sounds great!  I can't believe your timing - I just started getting the components together to build mine.

That leads me to a couple questions:
1. I'm interested in the add-on board, if for no other reason than more knobs = better!!!  Does it affect the tone in all modes, or just phaser?  Oh, and if anyone wants to go in on an OSH Park order, PM me.
2. Where did you find a 2P6T PCB mount rotary switch?  So far I have only found solder lugs.

Unrelated question:  Is your Ampeg a re-issue or original?  If original it is in great shape.  In either case, I love it!

[Timko]

Right, I do think you'd be looking for a cheap used wah you could gut or an empty wah shell--it's really just a wah shell with a 100k pot you would want. Strymon has a good article on their blog about how to build one. Also, Small Bear recently marked their expression pedal shell kits down to less than $30. You would just need a 100k wah pot besides that. I've been thinking about doing this myself. I've always wanted to be able to get that sound of tremolo speeding up and slowing down like the Jesus and Mary Chain. Is your Moog pedal the EP-3? I had been looking at that but was not sure if it had the 100k pot you'd need for it to work with a vibe-type circuit.

Interestingly, my Pangea picks up the radio if my guitar is anywhere near the side of the pedal with the expression jack! I wonder if that would disappear with an expression pedal plugged in. I live in a bad neighborhood for RF, so who knows...

I have an EP-3.  The issue is that it slows down then speeds up when the pedal travels from heel to toe, so I think the value is probably larger than 100k.

I'm looking through the SB Wah parts as we speak.  Building a Wah was on my list of todos for 2018; perhaps it's now something I'll do sooner rather than layer.

[Timko]

Wow, that looks great!  And sounds great!  I can't believe your timing - I just started getting the components together to build mine.

That leads me to a couple questions:
1. I'm interested in the add-on board, if for no other reason than more knobs = better!!!  Does it affect the tone in all modes, or just phaser?  Oh, and if anyone wants to go in on an OSH Park order, PM me.
2. Where did you find a 2P6T PCB mount rotary switch?  So far I have only found solder lugs.

Unrelated question:  Is your Ampeg a re-issue or original?  If original it is in great shape.  In either case, I love it!

1.  I wanted more knobs .  The only cap values I've tried are Brenja's, but there's a pile of other configurations in the build doc that I'll experiment with.  I'm hoping for more tones as well, but I'll deal with the former.
2.  Mouser.  https://www.mouser.com/productdetail/105-sr2612f-26-21rn
3.  The Ampeg is a 1965 Rocket II.  Other than having some caps switched, the board is all original.  I've got a NoS 12ax7 I picked up in a trade for a build of mine as well as a pair of Hammond 7591 power tubes.  The speaker isn't original, but it is a Weber 12f150 and is loud as hell.  The amp doesn't really start breaking up until 2:00, which makes it a phenomenal pedal platform.  And yes, that blue tolex is damn near mint.  I was over at a guy's house looking at a guitar when he showed me this, and told me it was for sale.  I ended up selling a stock Vox AC15 for the same price as I paid for the Ampeg; a pretty good swap in my mind!