Post-Lockdown pedal building

Winny_Pooh · September 2022

Jeds peds Whirlwind (Expandora) finished with Posca pens and Envirotex Lite.

Sounds great! But the tone control does nothing. Thread here asking for help!

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/234327/need-help-with-tone-control-on-expandora-clone

roberty · September 2022

Cookiemonster said:

Yeah I wonder if the title can be changed

Lockdown pedal building (may contain traces of nuts)

stickyfiddle · September 2022

Cookiemonster said:

Yeah I wonder if the title can be changed

Done

Cookiemonster · September 2022

roberty said:

Cookiemonster said:

Yeah I wonder if the title can be changed

Lockdown pedal building (may contain traces of nuts)

Definitely a few nuts lol. I tried the Walrus lore today. I wonder if one if the frv kits can get close to that

roberty · September 2022

Cookiemonster said:

roberty said:

Cookiemonster said:

Yeah I wonder if the title can be changed

Lockdown pedal building (may contain traces of nuts)

Definitely a few nuts lol. I tried the Walrus lore today. I wonder if one if the frv kits can get close to that

Nuts and washers for sure

Just seen that the EQD Eruptor is £190 at Thomann. Reminds me why I got into this hobby in the first place

Cookiemonster · September 2022

roberty said:

Cookiemonster said:

roberty said:

Cookiemonster said:

Yeah I wonder if the title can be changed

Lockdown pedal building (may contain traces of nuts)

Definitely a few nuts lol. I tried the Walrus lore today. I wonder if one if the frv kits can get close to that

Nuts and washers for sure

Just seen that the EQD Eruptor is £190 at Thomann. Reminds me why I got into this hobby in the first place

Thats a fuzz face right with a buffer. I need to try one of those.

roberty · September 2022

Cookiemonster said:

roberty said:

Cookiemonster said:

roberty said:

Cookiemonster said:

Yeah I wonder if the title can be changed

Lockdown pedal building (may contain traces of nuts)

Definitely a few nuts lol. I tried the Walrus lore today. I wonder if one if the frv kits can get close to that

Nuts and washers for sure

Just seen that the EQD Eruptor is £190 at Thomann. Reminds me why I got into this hobby in the first place

Thats a fuzz face right with a buffer. I need to try one of those.

Yeah I built one ages ago but only just got around to finishing and play testing it properly. It's an instant favourite, I wish I hadn't waited so long. It does the velcro thing, it's fat but it's also sizzly and clear. The only thing I'd say is it's not really designed to be subtle. The factory ones don't have volume controls either which is silly imo, the buffer implies you can use it in complex signal chains. Why would you add that and then force it to wear the trousers

Cookiemonster · September 2022

Inagreeroberty said:

Cookiemonster said:

roberty said:

Cookiemonster said:

roberty said:

Cookiemonster said:

Yeah I wonder if the title can be changed

Lockdown pedal building (may contain traces of nuts)

Definitely a few nuts lol. I tried the Walrus lore today. I wonder if one if the frv kits can get close to that

Nuts and washers for sure

Just seen that the EQD Eruptor is £190 at Thomann. Reminds me why I got into this hobby in the first place

Thats a fuzz face right with a buffer. I need to try one of those.

Yeah I built one ages ago but only just got around to finishing and play testing it properly. It's an instant favourite, I wish I hadn't waited so long. It does the velcro thing, it's fat but it's also sizzly and clear. The only thing I'd say is it's not really designed to be subtle. The factory ones don't have volume controls either which is silly imo, the buffer implies you can use it in complex signal chains. Why would you add that and then force it to wear the trousers

I need to work up a circuit that's has the transformer as putting that before a fuzz would make any of them more useable.

roberty · September 2022

@Cookiemonster loads of schematics for pickup sims online. I'd like to make one too tbh it would make life a lot easier http://www.muzique.com/lab/pickups.htm

Cookiemonster · September 2022

roberty said:

@Cookiemonster loads of schematics for pickup sims online. I'd like to make one too tbh it would make life a lot easier http://www.muzique.com/lab/pickups.htm

We need to get a Vero together. I fairly new to doing my own designs though

roberty · September 2022

Cookiemonster said:

roberty said:

@Cookiemonster loads of schematics for pickup sims online. I'd like to make one too tbh it would make life a lot easier http://www.muzique.com/lab/pickups.htm

We need to get a Vero together. I fairly new to doing my own designs though

Might not even need Vero, it's just a few bits

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/anyone-use-pickup-emulator-pedal-for-germanium-fuzzes-that-are-behind-buffers.2060445/#post-28838733

roberty · September 2022

Mouser have the transformers in stock. Might get a few to play with

I'd love to be able to use my Hudson Broadcast clone with my ES-8

https://www.mouser.co.uk/ProductDetail/Xicon/42TM019-RC?qs=LQJGOuQCHKQk/aBX9yNCGw==

roberty · September 2022

Tried the Exploder/Erupter tonight in rehearsal, it's good but it didn't quite beat my Carcosa clone. I think my big amp is a bit too crunchy for it to show its best. The Carcosa circuit is genius honestly, you can dial in just the right amount of everything. Tom Cram is a bloody legend

Keefy · September 2022

roberty said:

Tried the Exploder/Erupter tonight in rehearsal, it's good but it didn't quite beat my Carcosa clone. I think my big amp is a bit too crunchy for it to show its best. The Carcosa circuit is genius honestly, you can dial in just the right amount of everything. Tom Cram is a bloody legend

Where did you get the board and schematic for the Carcosa clone?

english_bob · September 2022

Keefy said:

roberty said:

Tried the Exploder/Erupter tonight in rehearsal, it's good but it didn't quite beat my Carcosa clone. I think my big amp is a bit too crunchy for it to show its best. The Carcosa circuit is genius honestly, you can dial in just the right amount of everything. Tom Cram is a bloody legend

Where did you get the board and schematic for the Carcosa clone?

There's one here:

https://www.musikding.de/Carcass-Fuzz-kit

Or if you want to do it the hard way:

http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/2017/12/dod-carcosa-fuzz.html

roberty · September 2022

Keefy said:

roberty said:

Tried the Exploder/Erupter tonight in rehearsal, it's good but it didn't quite beat my Carcosa clone. I think my big amp is a bit too crunchy for it to show its best. The Carcosa circuit is genius honestly, you can dial in just the right amount of everything. Tom Cram is a bloody legend

Where did you get the board and schematic for the Carcosa clone?

It's this one mate. Shipping is €5 and there's no import duty on anything worth less than £135 so it works out quite decent

I find these ones more fiddly to box up than Fuzz Dog. Also the wiring is a bit funny, I can't remember how I tested it or even if I tested it at all

https://www.musikding.de/Carcass-Fuzz-kit

Keefy · September 2022

english_bob said:

Keefy said:

roberty said:

Tried the Exploder/Erupter tonight in rehearsal, it's good but it didn't quite beat my Carcosa clone. I think my big amp is a bit too crunchy for it to show its best. The Carcosa circuit is genius honestly, you can dial in just the right amount of everything. Tom Cram is a bloody legend

Where did you get the board and schematic for the Carcosa clone?

There's one here:

https://www.musikding.de/Carcass-Fuzz-kit

Or if you want to do it the hard way:

http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/2017/12/dod-carcosa-fuzz.html

roberty said:

Keefy said:

roberty said:

Tried the Exploder/Erupter tonight in rehearsal, it's good but it didn't quite beat my Carcosa clone. I think my big amp is a bit too crunchy for it to show its best. The Carcosa circuit is genius honestly, you can dial in just the right amount of everything. Tom Cram is a bloody legend

Where did you get the board and schematic for the Carcosa clone?

It's this one mate. Shipping is €5 and there's no import duty on anything worth less than £135 so it works out quite decent

I find these ones more fiddly to box up than Fuzz Dog. Also the wiring is a bit funny, I can't remember how I tested it or even if I tested it at all

https://www.musikding.de/Carcass-Fuzz-kit

Thanks chaps. Also considering a phaser kit form Musikding...

markblack · September 2022

i built a fuzz... but it ain't very fuzzy. So wanted to pick the brains on here...

It's a Jeds Peds Axis Fuzz I built a while back... and while it works it's dosn't have much volume or 'fuzzy-ness' compared to the online demos I've heard. It does work, it does fuzz but seem a bit lacklustre.

I know it's hard to judge anything from a pic but just wondered if there was anything obvious to try? Or anything I could of damaged in the build?

I have build other kits and they work fine so while I'm not the best at this kind of stuff I'm not a complete novice but that still dosn't rule out my lack of ability

Image: https://i.imgur.com/VwMsdZF.jpg?1

roberty · September 2022

@markblack looks like the transistors are oriented in the opposite direction to the silkscreen on the PCB, I think they may be in backwards. The Axis fuzz is a silicon fuzz, so I think it's likely that the orientation shown is for modern transistors

Some of the solder joins look a little dirty, I would reflow these with a clean, hot iron

I had an original red rocket ship Axis and it was not at all tame. One of the pot shafts snapped so I emailed the company and they asked me to send a book of first class stamps to their address to cover the cost of a replacement. I was odd but I did it anyway. A few days later a replacement pot arrived in a hand addressed envelope from Roger Mayer. I was a bit starstruck. I kept the envelope for a while but I think I lost it in a house move. I eventually sold the pedal too when I realised I could build my own and pocket £100+

english_bob · September 2022

I'd start by re-flowing the solder joints. Just put the tip of your iron on each joint until the solder melts, then remove the iron and wait until it re-solidifies. You may need to add a bit more solder to a couple of them.

While you're doing that, check that you haven't accidentally bridged any joints that shouldn't be connected. You may need a solder sucker tool to get rid of any excess. They're dirt cheap.

There's some burns on the board and on some of the components (esp. the large cap on the lower left)- it's possible you've damaged something but I'd re-do the solder joints first before you do anything else.

roberty · September 2022

Is it me or does this switch look like it's not soldered in properly? I cement the entire hole with solder when I do mine

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265832562220

Image: https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/VbAAAOSwoENi1Xl3/s-l500.jpg

english_bob · September 2022

roberty said:

Is it me or does this switch look like it's not soldered in properly? I cement the entire hole with solder when I do mine

That's what I do too, but not through any sort of expertise. I figure the stronger the bond between the switch and the PCB the less chance there is that it won't make contact. Easy enough to do yourself later I guess...

roberty · September 2022

english_bob said:

roberty said:

Is it me or does this switch look like it's not soldered in properly? I cement the entire hole with solder when I do mine

That's what I do too, but not through any sort of expertise. I figure the stronger the bond between the switch and the PCB the less chance there is that it won't make contact. Easy enough to do yourself later I guess...

I'm genuinely curious. Maybe I'm overdoing it, but filling it in completely would seem more solid to me

Looks like we're double posting each other today :-)

markblack · September 2022

@roberty @english_bob thanks for that - I have a go at that and see if there's any joy. I know it's going to be 100% my lack of ability but you live and learn

roberty · September 2022

markblack said:

@roberty @english_bob thanks for that - I have a go at that and see if there's any joy. I know it's going to be 100% my lack of ability but you live and learn

It does look like the transistors are in backwards unfortunately

https://www.jedspeds.co.uk/product-page/axis-fuzz-roger-mayer

They are sensitive to heat, and having 3 legs are tricky to desolder and remove. If you can get them out with the legs intact you still run the risk of frying them in the process

If it's any consolation I fried a couple of semi-precious Russian germanium transistors a couple of years ago. I have a mini-graveyard of borked PCBs beyond resuscitation

Image: https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a9cab5_b1178ce8b999414082ab046749668ccd~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_551,h_551,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/a9cab5_b1178ce8b999414082ab046749668ccd~mv2.webp

roberty · September 2022

Sorry @markblack that was a bit fatalistic

I would snip the transistor off its legs and desolder the legs from the PCB one by one. Anything more than that and you risk damaging the tracks on the PCB

The transistors are common modern ones, you need a 3906 and a 3904, about 20p each:

https://www.bitsbox.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=140_151_153&products_id=1069

https://www.bitsbox.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=140_151_152&products_id=1068

Bitsbox are good for small orders because the lowest shipping tier is £1.90

euan · September 2022

Always try and socket your transistors. For this very reason.

Side note something that just popped into my head that isn’t related, don’t get your TL071s mixed up with your 72s otherwise you’ll end up troubleshooting something that isn’t broken

english_bob · September 2022

Good spot @roberty - that'll definitely stop it working the way it's supposed to.

@markblack - it's tricky to get transistors out of a PCB without damaging them but it's not impossible.

It looks like the transistors are one 2N3904 and one 2N3906- if you need to replace them I've generally found that it's most economical to buy from eBay- you'll probably need to buy more than one of each, but it'll cost less than placing a tiny order with any of the big electronics suppliers (who are geared to fulfilling big orders) because you'll pay much less in postage.
https://www.bitsbox.co.uk/ are good for small orders too.

Worst case scenario, you can just order the whole lot again from Jeds Peds, just go for the "PCB and components" option and re-use the box.

@roberty - double posted again!

roberty · September 2022

euan said:

Always try and socket your transistors. For this very reason.

Sometimes the sockets are more valuable than the transistors. For unobtanium transistors I solder them in directly but leave a lot of leg so they can be repurposed. I'm not really a fan of sockets but that's probably just my bias (no pun intended), I've had a couple go bad on me. I do socket ICs though

Cookiemonster · September 2022

If you use a solder sucker the engineer one is good. It's not to bad removing parts. I have very few times now where I burn a pad.

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Post-Lockdown pedal building

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