Apparently, I'm obsessed with Brassmasters

[EBK]

I am currently working on my 3rd Brassmaster build, and I already have a 4th one planned. It's a great circuit (opinions vary, of course). As a sort of WIP thread, I decided to collect them here.

#1
Here is the first Brassmaster I built.  It was a kit build from GGG, using a board designed by R.G. Keen.  I was quite happy with it, but I sold it a couple years ago to make room for new stuff, and I knew I could build another one better someday.



#2
This is the one I built as a gift to my brother after he bought himself a bass guitar.  I squeezed it into a 1590B, and it was the one and only time I successfully etched an enclosure.





#3
This is my current project.  Another 1590B build, but this time with 4 knobs.  Again, using R.G. Keen's board from GGG.  I just need to make the box pretty and solder a few things, and it will be done. The fit is only slightly tighter than the previous one (mainly the 3PDT toggle needing to be placed just right).



#4
I was quite excited when Brian announced the BoomBoom.  I have the board in my possession, and I plan to make something special with it.


Several years ago, I cobbled together a combo Brassmaster and OC-2, with the Brassmaster input being selectable from clean, one octave down, or two octaves down.  Those same signals were also mixable with the output.  I really liked it, but in a fit of depression, I disassembled it.  I'm planning to rebuild it and improve upon my earlier version.  Suboctaves into a Brassmaster make some gnarly sounds.

I don't have a pic of the finished old project from before I tore it apart, but I have this partly complete pic.


Hopefully, the rebuild will also fit into a 1590BB.  I have no idea why I used a stereo input jack for a pedal that can't fit a battery, but I'm guilty of having done this more than once.   


Anyway, I plan to add updates for projects #3 and #4 here eventually.

[nzCdog]

Wow, your bro sure scored a sweet pedal, love the etch on that one!
I've never built a brassmaster, but I used to love its sim on my old PODxt.
*edit spelling

[benny_profane]

Those look killer! The combo sounds really interesting. You definitely should look into the VFE Woodchipper if you haven't already.

[Netnnk]

What do the switches do? One is an EQ.

[EBK]

What do the switches do? One is an EQ.

One switch essentially affects mids cut/boost-ish, and the other is essentially a low/high boost to octave-up, but they both depend somewhat on the sensitivity (gain) pot. 

[bigmufffuzzwizz]

Good job! Love that circuit, its complete madness.
Did you fill the etch with gold paint?

[EBK]

Thanks!
Yes, that etch is filled with gold paint.  I really liked how it turned out.  I tried to repeat it, but I can't do a toner transfer to save my life now, so Build #3 will be a decal.  I'm finalizing the enclosure design for it now.

[EBK]

This is my mock up of the labeling for Build #3.  The paint is from the same can of gold that filled the etch, but here I'm calling it metallic brown hammertone to make it sound like I intended for it to turn out this way. 
It has grown on me. 

The mock labels are just a black and white printout.  The actual decals will probably be cream and some sort of slate gray, I think.

[benny_profane]

That looks great! I think the paint effect has a great texture. Do you think that it'll be prone to chipping?

[EBK]

The paint has primer underneath and a couple layers of clear coat on top, all thoroughly baked on.  The outside temperature was quite low when I was painting, but the enclosure was warm, and I tried to be quick getting it back into my outdoor toaster oven between coats.  Once the decals go on, there will be more clear coat.  I won't guarantee the paint will hold up until more time passes, but so far so good.

[thomasha]

That looks nice, is that the primer or some sort of hammer paint?

[EBK]

The paint is supposed to be a smooth, high gloss metallic gold.  The hammertone texture is user error.

[EBK]

I printed a test sheet with many variations of the dark color for the labels, but in the end, black won.  The light color is cream, but the camera seems to have auto-balanced it to mostly white.
The decals conformed quite well to the textured surface, which is why this enclosure doesn't photograph well.  I guess I'm saying it looks better in person. 

I'll clear coat it this weekend and probably assemble it so I can get closer to Build #4 (but my Chaos Agent build will definitely get done sooner).

[benny_profane]

That looks great! Really digging the texture.

[jimilee]

It really looks great. Was it too humid when you painted it? To be able to control something like that would be killer.


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