General State of the Hobby

[gordo]

During lockdown I binge built everything I could get my hands on, which meant everything I'd been "meaning" to build or something even close.  I got used to churning out orders for parts and boards and robotically kicked out finished boards in a paint by number fashion.  Was like an addiction.  It kept me sane and got me thru being isolated in my basement/office/workbench/proving ground/whipping post

Strangely enough out of that there's just a crazy rebirth of old projects that are just amazing these days:
-killer versions of Univibes in tiny enclosures
-killer versions of DMM's in tiny enclosures and the backlog of old EH products (including some insanely obscure products)
-old school sleepers like the MPF-1 and PS1-A and major players like the CE-1
-visions of sleeper amps like Norlin's Lab Series L5

And thru it all the major players: Bugg over at PedalPCB, Kevin at Aion, Brian here at MadBean, and Scruff and Keefe over at LectricFX, along with JMK and THcustom and a myriad of other players (AMZ, Castledine, Coda, Dead End, Delyk, ElectroSmash, GuitarPCB, Parasit, et all) have been plugging away at some seriously cool projects.  I'd submit that we're in somewhat of a golden age of DIY and given that even with the godfather of all vendors - Small Bear going under we still are building stuff at a level that rivals the major pedal companies.

Opinions?  Anyone I missed that needs a shoutout?  To be honest the key vendors that have made this niche industry really need to be recognized.  I think that Steve at SB is pretty much the godfather of this industry and I wish him well in his retirement, although I wouldn't be totally surprised to see him back in some form, if nothing else a tour guide to whats cool about retirement.  I totally applaud the small players like StompboxParts, Tayda (hardly small), LMS (nice transition thru a questionable name change and perhaps the best shipping times in the industry...thanks Lawrence), and the big guys like Mouser, DigiKey, and anyone I've forgotten.

Admittedly this is kind of like giving a shoutout to a crack dealer but I really want to stress how important this niche industry has been through a decidedly difficult time.

And I'll likely be having a yard sale.

Who am I kidding, I could never let these beauties go...

[jimilee]

I built so many as well, it's just ridiculous. How do you feel about a neighborhood yard sale?


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[Bio77]

Agreed Gordo, there are so many cool new things happening now.  Projects for sure and the Tayda UV printing and other improvements has been awesome.  I built a bazillion pedals during the lockdown, and share your appreciation for this hobby and MB.  A little slice of sanity in insane times. 

I have often wondered what will be the fate of my pedal hoard.  I give a lot of pedals to friends, but even they are like "no thanks bro, I'm good on pedals", lol

[madbean]

A few of us provided the framework, but the builders made the home we're enjoying.

[jimilee]

A few of us provided the framework, but the builders made the home we're enjoying.

It's nice to see new builders not only coming in but moving things forward, pushing the envelope.

[Thewintersoldier]

Like many who were building prior to the pandemic, I kicked it into overdrive once it started. I used that time to get better and branch my skill set out and refine it. I agree it's the golden age of diy. Through supply chain issues, shut downs and shipping nightmares many awesome builds have come to fruition. Some of the best projects have come out the last 24 months and I'm really grateful for that. I'm glad to see the community grow and see new talent coming forward. After 4 years of heavy building I've built almost everything I could get my hands on and I'm more selective about what I build but it's great to see so many new projects to choose from. Gotta keep working to improve to skills!

[peccary]

I'm pretty new to this hobby, having only really building two or so years ago.

The PCBs and small parts suppliers we have access to is amazing. I can have just about anything I need within a week or two with where I live which is pretty incredible. But honestly the thing that really makes all this so possible and so accessible is the knowledge base that the community developed online over all of these years. I have read helpful threads in old forums that have had decade long conversations about topics that are still useful today.

It's really incredible to see what has developed over the years (just from reading old DIY effects forums) and it's come to a point where it's developed enough and where the buy-in is low enough that it's something that a lot of people have access to, which is super rad.

At least that's this noobs opinion.

[Thewintersoldier]

I'm pretty new to this hobby, having only really building two or so years ago.

The PCBs and small parts suppliers we have access to is amazing. I can have just about anything I need within a week or two with where I live which is pretty incredible. But honestly the thing that really makes all this so possible and so accessible is the knowledge base that the community developed online over all of these years. I have read helpful threads in old forums that have had decade long conversations about topics that are still useful today.

It's really incredible to see what has developed over the years (just from reading old DIY effects forums) and it's come to a point where it's developed enough and where the buy-in is low enough that it's something that a lot of people have access to, which is super rad.

At least that's this noobs opinion.

The knowledge base that was started years ago online by a select few really did make this all possible today. From a handleful of sites to forums littered with knowledgeable people it's pretty amazing how it's gotten to where it is today.  It's almost weird if your a musician and don't diy one thing, either guitars or Amos/pedals.

[BrianS]

What kind of hold does this hobby have on you?  I all but gave it up after doing what most everyone did during COVID (build like a Mad Man) and just burnt out.  I had some big fails, one after another, that sort of drove me in the stop direction.  Bought a couple of boards last month (Charlatan and Degenerator) and I was expecting the same results as before but HOLY COW they worked.  First time fire ups get the iron burning and solder flowing in your blood 😆.  Bad news is I bought a Tourbus yesterday trying to overcome the Total Recall fail of several years ago so if this one goes south I would appreciate some help.  This is a great hobby that seems to just draw you back in but more than that it's the great people here.  Even though I wasn't building I always checked in to see the projects Brian was producing and look at the awesome builds you guys made. 

And Jimilee I checked in enough to see you haven't tamed that guitar buying addiction at all!!!

[madbean]

What kind of hold does this hobby have on you?  I all but gave it up after doing what most everyone did during COVID (build like a Mad Man) and just burnt out.  I had some big fails, one after another, that sort of drove me in the stop direction.  Bought a couple of boards last month (Charlatan and Degenerator) and I was expecting the same results as before but HOLY COW they worked.  First time fire ups get the iron burning and solder flowing in your blood 😆.  Bad news is I bought a Tourbus yesterday trying to overcome the Total Recall fail of several years ago so if this one goes south I would appreciate some help.  This is a great hobby that seems to just draw you back in but more than that it's the great people here.  Even though I wasn't building I always checked in to see the projects Brian was producing and look at the awesome builds you guys made. 

And Jimilee I checked in enough to see you haven't tamed that guitar buying addiction at all!!!

I've been at this for almost 18 years. The first year was on and off but after that it was a total love affair. There's never a day that goes by in the last seventeen of those that I don't think at least a little bit about what I want to do next. Why, who knows? Probably because it engages many of my interests and nearly adequate talent and intellect all at once.

Sometimes we get lucky and find "our thing". It's not my only thing but it is one of my most important.

[gordo]

You've been the most driving force for me.  I got into this thing from General Guitar Gadgets and Runoff Groove and when I got to GuitarPCB it blew most of my expectations out of the water.  Shortly after that was Tonepad that got me into tight layouts and at some point directed me to MBP, which honestly was a game changer.  I think the deal was, for me, that the environment was so conducive to goofballs like me that were at the lower end of folks at the other big sites.  Not that I didn't fit in there and have since tried to integrate but it seemed to ease the onramp.  Ever since I've had enough education that I don't feel stupid going onto other sites.

I think that's the key, everyone needs a respectable onramp into this hobby.  There's no hitchhikers guide.  That's not a bad thing because it eliminates a lot of lurkers but in my case it doesn't include a lot of semi involved seekers.  There's so much traffic on the stupid side that it might overtake the folks that are on the fence for OUR side.

[blackhatboojum]

Being a new builder myself, I feel kinda guilty for getting into this hobby when I did.  The circuits that are available, the ease of obtaining parts, the knowledge and information available on the web.  You seasoned vets laid all the groundwork.  All I had to do was hop on your coat tails and ride across the finish line.  So, to all you pioneers out there in the DIY community...   I thank you because I'm reaping the rewards of your hard work.

[madbean]

Not to keep this about me but I'm turning 50 this year so I am starting to think about the end game for the commercial aspect of MBP. I've talked it over with a couple of trusted associates and made a plan for my retirement or tragic death, lol. So, mbp will live on in some fashion for a long time. My hope is to write a book and produce a video tutorial set in the next couple of years and just give it away to the community. It would cover all aspects of diy pedal stuff and hopefully be a good capstone of what I've learned so far.

Someday this hobby may take a downturn due to part obsletation and availability. So, we should do something to preserve the craft for the next guys and gals. These things go in waves. Knowledge is a feedback loop.

[jimilee]

What kind of hold does this hobby have on you?  I all but gave it up after doing what most everyone did during COVID (build like a Mad Man) and just burnt out.  I had some big fails, one after another, that sort of drove me in the stop direction.  Bought a couple of boards last month (Charlatan and Degenerator) and I was expecting the same results as before but HOLY COW they worked.  First time fire ups get the iron burning and solder flowing in your blood .  Bad news is I bought a Tourbus yesterday trying to overcome the Total Recall fail of several years ago so if this one goes south I would appreciate some help.  This is a great hobby that seems to just draw you back in but more than that it's the great people here.  Even though I wasn't building I always checked in to see the projects Brian was producing and look at the awesome builds you guys made. 

And Jimilee I checked in enough to see you haven't tamed that guitar buying addiction at all!!!

Baahahahaha. Nope, you can't stop me, no one can!!!!

I've bought 4 in the last 6 months, imma slow down for a little while....unless I come into some money. My savings is down to a level that I should stop.

I've been doing this for at least 10 years, two bands, two marriages and one divorce. Brian probably has a better idea than I do. I did go a few years without building anything, then I got sucked back in by Keene, I blame him.

I started tinkering with etching my own boards and then eagle, that filled the last three years....anybody want to buy a pedal, I have many, the space in which to put them is not many.


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[jkokura]

What kind of hold does this hobby have on you?  I all but gave it up after doing what most everyone did during COVID (build like a Mad Man) and just burnt out.  I had some big fails, one after another, that sort of drove me in the stop direction.  Bought a couple of boards last month (Charlatan and Degenerator) and I was expecting the same results as before but HOLY COW they worked.  First time fire ups get the iron burning and solder flowing in your blood 😆.  Bad news is I bought a Tourbus yesterday trying to overcome the Total Recall fail of several years ago so if this one goes south I would appreciate some help.  This is a great hobby that seems to just draw you back in but more than that it's the great people here.  Even though I wasn't building I always checked in to see the projects Brian was producing and look at the awesome builds you guys made. 

And Jimilee I checked in enough to see you haven't tamed that guitar buying addiction at all!!!

I've been at this for almost 18 years. The first year was on and off but after that it was a total love affair. There's never a day that goes by in the last seventeen of those that I don't think at least a little bit about what I want to do next. Why, who knows? Probably because it engages many of my interests and nearly adequate talent and intellect all at once.

Sometimes we get lucky and find "our thing". It's not my only thing but it is one of my most important.

Oh man... Has it really been that long? It's been nearly 15 for me now...

Jacob