ShortScale.org

I know several of you guys build pedals and I recently have started a physics research project at University. I am basically being given everything I need to build pedals and everything I need to build an amp (with the exception of the tubes) and I was wondering what kind of pedals have simple circuits that I can get my feet wet in. I basically have two years to build whatever the hell I want for free!

Are there sites I should be looking at? Sites with schematics that are accurate? Any help would be much appreciated. I'm super excited for this project!

freestompboxes.org is a good resource for this sort of thing.
I'd recommend definitely starting with a simple circuit (maybe a booster, od or a feedback looper). Sounds exciting...good luck on your journey sir!

Do what most boutiquers do- connect a load of boosters in series and give it a stupid name.

If you're just looking to start with a basic build, I'd do an fuzz face, you'd probably have to order some transistors for that though.

I'm building my bypass looper in the next few days (finally dug out my electric drill) and I have a clone of an EHX Mole on its way to me as well. Musikding sells kits of these pedals, but they also have the wiring diagrams on the site as well, simplistic as they are. Check it out.

I expect to wire something badly wrong on my first go and kill myself, but we live and learn, eh?

Cool, thanks for the help guys.

I figured easier would be better but kits really aren't an option because I don't think it would fly to pay for any of those. I really want to build some kind of fuzz/dirt. Maybe start out with a Big Muff? Or would that be setting the hopes too high?

Lots of bits in a big muff. I'd start with an MXR Dist+.

yeah, build something easy like an LPB1 or a fuzz face. there's a good amount of fun to be had with tweaking different values in the fuzz face too. here's a good introductory article: http://www.geofex.com/article_folders/f ... fffram.htm

Sweet, thanks.

To me, it all seems the same. I mean there are like three pots how complicated could it be? haha, I really wanted to build a compressor but I looked at the schematic. Are there any fairly simple delays that can be built or is that something to try after a few successful builds?

fuzz face is good, the SHO is simple enough

If you do a Fuzz Face, I would do an NPN version and not a PNP version so you don't have to deal with positive ground. That's just a suggestion though. They aren't any harder to build but a lot of people get confused by the wiring of the positive ground and you have to use a battery or it's own dedicated power supply.

Big Muff is probably a little to ambitious for a first build.

Here are some suggestions:
EH LPB-1 - Booster
Silicon Fuzz Face
Ross Distortion
and there's a stripped down Tube Screamer called the Son of a Screamer.

Not sure about the tube amp. Pretty much building a tube amp is building a tube amp weather it's 18w or 100w.

If you want any help with layouts, schematics, or anything, let me know.

Bill Oakley wrote:If you do a Fuzz Face, I would do an NPN version and not a PNP version so you don't have to deal with positive ground. That's just a suggestion though. They aren't any harder to build but a lot of people get confused by the wiring of the positive ground and you have to use a battery or it's own dedicated power supply.

Big Muff is probably a little to ambitious for a first build.

Here are some suggestions:
EH LPB-1 - Booster
Silicon Fuzz Face
Ross Distortion
and there's a stripped down Tube Screamer called the Son of a Screamer.

Not sure about the tube amp. Pretty much building a tube amp is building a tube amp weather it's 18w or 100w.

If you want any help with layouts, schematics, or anything, let me know.

awesome!

Where is there a schematic of the stripped down tube screamer? Those have always been my favorite pedal.

Not sure if there is one online. I can draw you one up though. I may get to it tonight but I'll probably have time tomorrow.

Bill Oakley wrote:Not sure if there is one online. I can draw you one up though. I may get to it tonight but I'll probably have time tomorrow.

Sweet! that would be awesome. I don't have a place to work on it until the end of the week so no rush.

Here you go. If you need anything else, just ask. How are you doing the board? Etching, strip, perf?

Bill Oakley wrote: Not sure about the tube amp. Pretty much building a tube amp is building a tube amp weather it's 18w or 100w.

That's not true. Higher wattage amps are much more complicated circuits than a smaller amp. I built a 3.5 watt amp, based off the 5e3 Tweed Deluxe circuit which was fairly simple. I couldn't go straight from that to building a 100 watt Marshall clone.

Billy3000 wrote:

Bill Oakley wrote: Not sure about the tube amp. Pretty much building a tube amp is building a tube amp weather it's 18w or 100w.

That's not true. Higher wattage amps are much more complicated circuits than a smaller amp. I built a 3.5 watt amp, based off the 5e3 Tweed Deluxe circuit which was fairly simple. I couldn't go straight from that to building a 100 watt Marshall clone.

It is not necessarily the wattage that makes it complicated though, is it? Generally speaking they'll be more complicated but couldn't you build a bigger version of an Epiphone Value Junior amp that produces 100 tube watts and it would be a simpler circuit then lets say, an Egnator Tweaker that is 15 watts.

portugalwillie wrote:

Billy3000 wrote:

Bill Oakley wrote: Not sure about the tube amp. Pretty much building a tube amp is building a tube amp weather it's 18w or 100w.

That's not true. Higher wattage amps are much more complicated circuits than a smaller amp. I built a 3.5 watt amp, based off the 5e3 Tweed Deluxe circuit which was fairly simple. I couldn't go straight from that to building a 100 watt Marshall clone.

It is not necessarily the wattage that makes it complicated though, is it? Generally speaking they'll be more complicated but couldn't you build a bigger version of an Epiphone Value Junior amp that produces 100 tube watts and it would be a simpler circuit then lets say, an Egnator Tweaker that is 15 watts.

From what I understand you could do something like that and still have it be pretty simple. The instructor of my class was saying that we could make the amp we built 50 watts by just cascading power tubes, It would make it more powerful while maintaining the simplicity but it would be noisy as hell he said.

Billy3000 wrote:

Bill Oakley wrote: Not sure about the tube amp. Pretty much building a tube amp is building a tube amp weather it's 18w or 100w.

That's not true. Higher wattage amps are much more complicated circuits than a smaller amp. I built a 3.5 watt amp, based off the 5e3 Tweed Deluxe circuit which was fairly simple. I couldn't go straight from that to building a 100 watt Marshall clone.

More complicated how? Because of more parts? Maybe on a design perspective but I don't think he's designing one and then building it. I think he's building from an already existing design.

Bill Oakley wrote:How are you doing the board? Etching, strip, perf?

To be honest, I don't the difference between any of those. We haven't even started looking at anything yet. Our first "assignment" was to find something to build.