February 16, 2014

Clomipramine (OCD Clone)

I built this on the Madbean EgoDriver layout and left in the Hi/Low switch and the Clipping switch. I am loving this overdrive at the moment and it will find a place on my board.

As for the finish of this pedal, it was a mess up and I ended up liking the results. It stated as a light baby blue but you were unable to see the etch and I did not want to paint the etched area. So I shot it with metallic blue but it wore through even with just 1000 grit wet sandpaper. So instead of risking sanding the etch away I decided to keep it with the worn look. It has grown on me.

The name is from the first drug that was developed in the 60’s to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder. I tossed the 2D molecular structure on it also for fun.

February 3, 2014

Tested a few builds

Just got done testing a couple builds and I can’t wait to box them up.

First up was a Fat Fuzz Factory that Brian (Madbean) laid out. I have a standard horizontal mount Fuzz Factory that I love but I have the pedal placement and wanted a vertical built. I tossed a couple old 2SA72 transistors I had and they sound great.

PCB Picture:

Next is to etch an enclosure and get this beast boxed up.

Next up is a Fulltone OCD built from the Egodriver layout by Madbean. I really missed out on the whole OCD overdrive band wagon but I am glad I have it a try. I will choose this OD over a Hotcake any day. The Egodriver has a clipping diode mod on it where you can choose from the 2N7000 MOSFET clipping or 2 diffused red LEDs. Both have their place but I find the LEDs to be a bit clearer on chords and better sustain.

PCB picture:

I will work on boxing both of these up this week so they can find a home on my board.

February 1, 2014

New strap for the SG

My wife ordered me a new Couch strap for my Gibson SG and I think she picked out a perfect one. I was very surprised when it showed up today as I was not expecting it yet. I simply love the quality of Couch straps and they are so comfortable.

Time for new knobs and truss rod cover.

January 29, 2014

Enclosure Etching Tutorial/Pictorial

I have been asked to document my enclosure etching method by a few people. I documented one of my last etches last week and finally got it all layed out and created a page just like my PCB etching tutorial. Let me know if you have any questions or comments about my process. You can either click on the link below or from the button in my top menu bar. Enjoy

Etching Tutorial Page

January 26, 2014

Build tip: Unibit quick gauge

I have a very bad short term memory and I hate trying to remember how many drill step downs it is for a foot switch or a 1/4″ jack.

Before I go any further, this is a Unibit if you were unsure.

I had a messed up enclosure and I made a visual guide for each piece of hardware. The numbers next to the hole represent how many steps down I need to drill with the Unibit.

Hope this makes sense and helps someone else.

January 26, 2014

NGD: My Gibson SG is here

Got my new Gibson SG from Sweetwater today. This thing is really fun to play and setup surprisingly well from the factory. Now I’m off to the work bench to finish my Marshall Plexi pedal and these will be a perfect match.

January 24, 2014

Univox SuperFuzz

To continue my week of builds I present a Univox Superfuzz. This is a great “wall of sound” fuzz with a nice octave sound to it. I am very happy to retire my older 1590bb (larger) build and move to this gem.

The PCB was bought from Nucleon on the Madbean forums.

Etched the enclosure

Assembled

Under the skirt

January 23, 2014

Modded Bluesbreaker Build

Got a PCB from a Madbean board member and decided to check it out. I am pretty happy with the sound of this pedal. Gets a nice low-gain and is very dynamic with picking. I am also able to roll back the guitar volume and get a great warm tube sound. Overall I am happy I built this guy.

Etched enclosure

After first coat of paint and a wet sand.

Almost done at this point. Just need to pick out some knobs. Looking at some aluminum ones.

Inside shot

January 22, 2014

Why do I love Sweetwater?

I have been ordering from online audio equipment stores since the internet was just a baby and I think I finally found a company that has customer service nailed down. I have ordered from MusiciansFriend, ZZounds, GuitarCenter just to name a few and I finally gave Sweetwater a try this year. I have now placed 3 orders with them ranging from $150 to $800 and received the same service for each order. In fact, I now have my own rep that I can call for any question and he is very helpful.

Their website is very easy to use and to find wanted items and the check out process was a snap. When my orders are placed, I receive a call from my rep confining the purchase and to give me a ship date. Out of the 3 orders, 2 were for guitars and my rep emailed me high quality photos of MY guitar with matching serial number. I love the fact that I see the actual product I am buying and not some stock photo.

Shipping seems to take a week with FedEx ground (free) shipping to California but that’s not a huge problem. I am accustomed to this due to all the parts ordered I do from New York, Florida and China. Today I got an email from my rep telling me that FedEx notified him that my order was delivered and wanted to make sure the package got there ok and to enjoy the contents. Scripted or not, I really enjoy the human element from Sweetwater and have never seen it from a online store. I opened my box up and was greeted with this.

That’s right CANDY. And good ones at that. Sweetwater, we are friends for life.

January 21, 2014

Waiting to build

Like other builder I know, I’m impatient. I have a short attention span when it comes to building. I want to keep building at all costs. When I’m missing a part I just start another project while I’m waiting for parts to come in. I can accumulate quite a few unfinished builds and not to count the builds that I thought sounded cool but when tested they just didn’t wow me one way or another. The box has getting pretty big over the last few months and wanted a way to organize it a bit. I found that some Cat6 cables I was buying at work came in cool ziplock bags that looked perfect for a unfinished build and documentation. Here is an example.

Nothing to exciting but it’s better than everything tossed in a box or left on the bench.