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tour bus driver offline 
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Anyone having problems with private messages? I got an email saying that paulieb00 sent me a private message but there is nothing in my inbox from that person and it doesn't say I have any new messages... "I ain’t sayin’ you treated me unkind. You could have done better but I don’t mind. You just kinda wasted my precious time. But don’t think twice, it’s all right." -Bob Dylan Posted 1 year ago #
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not diehard enough offline 
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Hey Mirby, Paulieb00 Posted 1 year ago #
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doorman offline 
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Mirby and Paulie, I've sent you both PMs let me know if you got them anyone else spot a prob, let me know Posted 1 year ago #
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tour bus driver offline
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I am StingyBrim. Except that name was banned/blocked. Long story. Anyways, I got the email notification because I am he. But I can't read the msg, so if you want me to reply you'll have to forward it to me. Thanks. Posted 1 year ago #
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massive fan offline 
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StingyBrim is MirbyGnits backwards, very clever. Good one. On a side note Mirby; was gonna message you as well, hopefully this will be easier. Completely different topic. Have a quick question on building some clone pedals. I've seen and heard that you obv know what the hell your doing and was hoping you might be able to point me in the right direction. I have a soldering iron, a steady hand, and feel pretty capable of trying to build my own pedals. Is it really that hard?? Do you buy the full kits with everything, or do you order by indv. pieces?? Are there any sites that you recommend?? I really appreciate anything you can shoot my way, thanks Mirby. Posted 1 year ago #
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roadie offline 
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hell i think at this rate mirby you should just do a full list of where you get your stuff and what bits do what and all these kinds of things! people round here are seriously starting to think about building there own pedals! i know i am! why might have to change the name to FUZZ CLONE FAN LOUNGE until the next album comes around! haha just kidding but yeh it sounds awesome to build your own pedals! i love pedals. Shoot first. Ask questions later. Posted 1 year ago #
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massive fan offline
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Mirby does seem to be the FUZZ PEDAL MASTER. Any advice from him seems to go a long way. He can talk the talk. Posted 1 year ago #
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massive fan offline 
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But can he walk the walk? What's that you say, he's already built over 20 pedals? Touche. Posted 1 year ago #
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tour bus driver offline
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I'm no expert, that's for sure. I'm experienced. I've built 20+ pedals yes. I've built fuzzes, boosts, tremolos. I've built from scratch using veroboard/stripboard, and I've also built from kits. The way I prefer to do it these days, is like this... 1. Go here and pick a project/pedal http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/content/section/6/26/ 2. Once you've picked out which pedal you want to build, order the ready-to-solder PCB from General Guitar Gadgets. 3. Using the parts list provided on the General Guitar Gadgets site, order all the parts you need from http://www.smallbearelec.com (don't forget the enclosure and the rubber feet and all the little details) 4. Build the damn thing. Now that is how I do it, but if you've never built before, I would suggest you order a complete kit from General Guitar Gadgets with all parts included. Then all you have to do is follow the instructions and put it together. Once you've done at least one pedal this way, feel free to do future pedals however you feel comfortable. Your first build will probably not work at all. Do not get discouraged by this. Just keep this in mind and do not try to build anything complex for your first build. Pick a cheap kit like a Rangemaster clone or something simple. You'll learn a lot while building it and you'll make mistakes and learn what NOT to do next time, and you'll learn how to prepare and which order to do things, etc. Posted 1 year ago #
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tour bus driver offline
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Most info/help/tips can be found in various places at http://www.generalguitargadgets.com I will do my best to answer any questions but do me a favor and search over there first. If you still can't find the answer, let me know and I'll help. Posted 1 year ago #
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tour bus driver offline
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Forgot to mention you'll need... Soldering Iron - I use a cheap one from Radio Shack. 15watt. But some people use 25 watt and even 35 watt. The more wattage the faster it heats up and the more likely you are to damage/melt/burn shit if you don't know what you're doing. BUT, if you go too low of wattage then you'll be waiting while it warms up. My Radio Shack cheapies usually last 5 or 6 pedals before the tip starts to get all fucked up from being heated and cooled so many times. The soldering iron is only $8 so it doesn't bother me. If you want quality that will last, buy a Weller. Desoldering braid - you need this to unsolder parts. It's a pain in the ass so try not to solder things incorrectly, but you will make mistakes as a beginner so it's tough to avoid. I also have a suction cup thingy that removes solder but the desoldering braid seems to work best. Good wire stripper, small needle-nose (hobby) pliers, electrical tape, solder, are all good things to have around. A multimeter is also good to have. And I went and bought a big grab-bag assortment of resistors from Radio Shack - this way I always have many various resistors in case I need them. You'll laugh your ass off when you see this thing but I love mine. SUPER helpful. And you need a soldering iron stand with sponge anyways, so why not have one with helping hands? I removed the magnifying glass but those two "hands" (aka roach clips) are VERY helpful when you are populating the PCB with parts. Posted 1 year ago #
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tour bus driver offline
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You will burn yourself. And it hurts. And burning flesh STINKS. BAD. Seriously it smells and hurts and blisters. Be careful with your soldering iron, and DO NOT LEAVE IT PLUGGED IN UNATTENDED. It's very easy to finsih a pedal and get excited and run away to go play guitar... but always ALWAYS unplug your iron. You will wreck your iron/tip if you don't, and you might just burn your fucking house down. Best way to get used to soldering is to practice on some shit you don't need. Find or buy some cheap parts and circuit board and start soldering shit. It takes a delicate hand to do it quickly/correctly. You should read all about it online first, and THEN try practicing on some stuff. The biggest issue I had when I started out, was that when you try to solder a leg of a part in place, it's very easy to accidentally solder things together that shouldn't be. You can't be sloppy with it - get in there and solder what needs to be done, but then get out of there so you don't overheat your components and ruin them - some components can handle more heat than others. Posted 1 year ago #
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massive fan offline
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Thanks a lot Mirby, I really appreciate it. Might throw you a few more questions down the line as I start diggin in. Posted 1 year ago #
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tour bus driver offline
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Another thing- Don't half-ass your build. When you're in there building and soldering and wiring things up, do a GOOD job. Do it nice and neat and clean. Better to take the time to do it right and do it well than to have to open up a pedal and work on it later because it's acting up. If you take your time and do it right, the pedal will last you a very long time. Just don't let yourself say "that's good enough" when you're building. Don't be lazy. If you fucked up, and have to take the time to fix it properly - DO SO. Don't just patch it up as best you can and keep moving on because you want to hear the finished product. The building is half of the fun. Be creative. Have fun with it and take your time. One shitty solder joint can cause you hours of frustration later on when you're trying to figure out why your pedal crackles and cuts in/out. Posted 1 year ago #
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drunken admirer offline
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clean and sturdy builds just look better IMO...and what fun is a pedal if it doesn't work and you have a rat's nest to search through? Posted 1 year ago #
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