Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: Twinfan on January 31, 2010, 06:47:09 PM

Title: NPD - JuanSolo "Hot Sholicon"
Post by: Twinfan on January 31, 2010, 06:47:09 PM
This arrived on Friday, but I've not had much chance to play with it until today as I've been gigging all weekend.

I'm loving it  :D

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4015/4306317443_42d60c0182.jpg)


Some of you may remember a thread I started about a Fuzz/Boost pedal (http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=19561), and our very own JuanSolo offered to build me one.  Here's the blurb on it, taken from his website:  http://www.juansolo.demon.co.uk/geetah/stompage.html

What it does: Fuzz with Boost
What it is: Hot Silicon & SHO

"As this is the first pedal that's being let out into the wild, I've gone about making it more bit more robust than our usual cheap and cheerful, stuff. Hence the posh pots, battery provision and switch back to proper stomps for this one. It's not painted either, as the paint we use chips quite easily and it'd start looking rough pretty quickly. So it's just lacquered. Plus I really like the finish we get when we do that with certain decals. This one is Afro Samurai. The only thing about it that annoys me is that I should have replaced the hilt of his sword with the head of a guitar and that I didn't have a white LED for the glinting of the sword.

To the pedal itself. He wanted a thickish fuzz, one that was not too ill defined, and that could be boosted sharp and thick. Having a fair old collection of pedals, we came to the conclusion the Hot Silicon just about met that brief, which boosts really well with a SHO on the end of it."

Basically it's a fuzzy distortion, that can be set really thick and fuzz-like or thinner and sharper.  Great for 70s blues/rock tones, which is my main tone, or anything else really!  The boost side is superb too, doing just what you'd expect.

Very, very happy with it.  One of my favourite pedals ever!
Title: Re: NPD - JuanSolo "Hot Sholicon"
Post by: Keven on January 31, 2010, 08:04:13 PM
wow. very nice looking. clips incoming?
Title: Re: NPD - JuanSolo "Hot Sholicon"
Post by: juansolo on January 31, 2010, 08:12:35 PM
I was actually quite nervous to find out what someone completely unbiased thought of it. I'm really glad you like it.
Title: Re: NPD - JuanSolo "Hot Sholicon"
Post by: Matt77 on January 31, 2010, 08:45:25 PM
That looks great.
Fuzz and an SHO will give you enough boost to launch your Orion to the moon
Title: Re: NPD - JuanSolo "Hot Sholicon"
Post by: Twinfan on January 31, 2010, 10:07:15 PM
It's fantastic.  Sounds incredible into my M45.

I'll try and get some clips done tomorrow, maybe with "Francine"  ;)
Title: Re: NPD - JuanSolo "Hot Sholicon"
Post by: horsehead on February 01, 2010, 09:11:02 AM
Juan is this going to be available to other peeps?
Title: Re: NPD - JuanSolo "Hot Sholicon"
Post by: Ian Price on February 01, 2010, 10:43:23 AM
Juan is this going to be available to other peeps?

Good question!
Title: Re: NPD - JuanSolo "Hot Sholicon"
Post by: juansolo on February 01, 2010, 12:24:42 PM
This was mainly a one off just because it piqued my interest. I'm still making pedals for me and Marauder (who paints, lacquers and in the case of one that we're doing at the moment, designs them). The problem is that it's very much a hobby for me and a secondary one at that (if you visit my site you'll get an idea what the primary one is!). I certainly haven't the time to do this as any sort of money making enterprise. Indeed, the stuff we make is generally quite complex so I don't even think it's possible to make any money out of it realistically given how long it takes us to make a single pedal.

Luckily I enjoy doing it so while it's unlikely that I'll have a chance to make anything soon, it's not implausible for us to eventually get to the stage where we might knock a few out for people for shiteees and giggles. It'll be a while though and certainly the build times can be quite protracted depending on work commitments and wotnot.

Plus I'll have to be careful about what I put in anything that I do for members (I'd been looking at the Sholicon as a one off)... I wouldn't want to step on anyone's toes and where things like the Hot Silicon are out there for anyone to build, the SHO really isn't, so that'd have to be something else. Luckily there's plenty of stuff out there like it that isn't a current commercial pedal.

Hmmm, I seem to be talking myself into this. Maybe... Possibly... Got a few to get out of the way first. Gimmie a month or so. I need to build myself a Hot Sholicon for a start!
Title: Re: NPD - JuanSolo "Hot Sholicon"
Post by: Frank Z on February 01, 2010, 01:59:35 PM
If you ever decide to do something based on the MI Audio Crunchbox, I'd be interested, your stuff looks awesome haha.  :lol:
Title: Re: NPD - JuanSolo "Hot Sholicon"
Post by: sgmypod on February 01, 2010, 02:21:43 PM
been waiting to see/hear this one
Title: Re: NPD - JuanSolo "Hot Sholicon"
Post by: juansolo on February 01, 2010, 03:36:11 PM
If you ever decide to do something based on the MI Audio Crunchbox, I'd be interested, your stuff looks awesome haha.  :lol:

If I do go down that route it'd have to be a non-production pedal. Maybe BSIAB or a Marshall Shredmaster would get similar Marshall-like tones without treading on anyone's toes. I particularly rate the Shredmaster. With a couple of choice mods it's a storming pedal.
Title: Re: NPD - JuanSolo "Hot Sholicon"
Post by: marauder on February 01, 2010, 06:17:50 PM
I've got a feeling that the ROG Thor is gonna be the Marshall in a box of choice, we've just got to get round to building one.
Glad you like the pedal Twinfan. 
Title: Re: NPD - JuanSolo "Hot Sholicon"
Post by: shobet on February 01, 2010, 06:31:08 PM
I really do like the graphics you have on your builds.
Title: Re: NPD - JuanSolo "Hot Sholicon"
Post by: 38thBeatle on February 01, 2010, 07:08:06 PM
I really do like the graphics you have on your builds.

Me too. Good luck with whatever you decide.
Title: Re: NPD - JuanSolo "Hot Sholicon"
Post by: juansolo on February 01, 2010, 07:13:14 PM
I've got a feeling that the ROG Thor is gonna be the Marshall in a box of choice, we've just got to get round to building one.
Glad you like the pedal Twinfan. 

Forgot about that :)

One day we'll catch up...
Title: Re: NPD - JuanSolo "Hot Sholicon"
Post by: Twinfan on February 01, 2010, 07:17:20 PM
Yeah, I love it guys!  It's fantastic!
Title: Re: NPD - JuanSolo "Hot Sholicon"
Post by: sgmypod on February 01, 2010, 07:18:29 PM
clips..clips
Title: Re: NPD - JuanSolo "Hot Sholicon"
Post by: Matt77 on February 01, 2010, 11:04:02 PM
If you could up the numbers I think you would have a market for pedals looking like that
Title: Re: NPD - JuanSolo "Hot Sholicon"
Post by: juansolo on February 02, 2010, 06:46:22 AM
If you could up the numbers I think you would have a market for pedals looking like that

Thought about it, even did the sums as an alternative for when my job inevitably goes to India and they decide I'm too expensive. The problem is to actually make enough money out of this you've either got to come up with something incredibly simple (Meathead/SHO) as the huge mark up then doesn't seem too bad. Or, you've got to charge massive money for them. Enough so that expectations are raised beyond our meagre production skills.

Raw materials aren't the issue. There's about £50 of stuff that goes into a pedal like the Sholicon. Which would be fine if I could knock one out in a couple of hours. The problem is that, even with all the bits and life not getting in the way, it takes about a week end to end. Given what I get paid for sitting at a desk and hammering away at a keyboard, and the fact that it's not just me that'd need paying, the price I'd have to charge to quit my day job would be astronomical.

So sadly no, it'll have to remain a hobby I'm afraid. There would certainly be a market if I could knock them out cheaply... But boutique pedals made by one-man-bands are expensive for a very good reason.
Title: Re: NPD - JuanSolo "Hot Sholicon"
Post by: Frank Z on February 02, 2010, 10:15:15 AM
If you ever decide to do something based on the MI Audio Crunchbox, I'd be interested, your stuff looks awesome haha.  :lol:

If I do go down that route it'd have to be a non-production pedal. Maybe BSIAB or a Marshall Shredmaster would get similar Marshall-like tones without treading on anyone's toes. I particularly rate the Shredmaster. With a couple of choice mods it's a storming pedal.

Well Shredmasters sound nice too, it's a shame they've been discontinued. That said, god they looked horrible!
Title: Re: NPD - JuanSolo "Hot Sholicon"
Post by: marauder on February 02, 2010, 11:02:32 AM
Well Shredmasters sound nice too, it's a shame they've been discontinued. That said, god they looked horrible!

Mine doesn't :)
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2751/4081310358_3e79978c0f.jpg)
Title: Re: NPD - JuanSolo "Hot Sholicon"
Post by: juansolo on February 02, 2010, 12:34:42 PM
That stretched decal still pisses me off. It's from a time when we used waterslides, which are an almighty pain in the arse.

I prefer mine still mind you. Master Shredder FTW!

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2456/4079939001_3d10f05676_o.jpg)
Title: Re: NPD - JuanSolo "Hot Sholicon"
Post by: dave_mc on February 02, 2010, 09:43:53 PM
sweet :D nice graphics, too
Title: Re: NPD - JuanSolo "Hot Sholicon"
Post by: maverickf1jockey on February 02, 2010, 11:12:13 PM
Am I the only one who finds the position of the footswitch a bit distracting?
Title: Re: NPD - JuanSolo "Hot Sholicon"
Post by: juansolo on February 03, 2010, 08:58:35 AM
Am I the only one who finds the position of the footswitch a bit distracting?

:D That may have been slightly intentional...
Title: Re: NPD - JuanSolo "Hot Sholicon"
Post by: maverickf1jockey on February 03, 2010, 09:35:24 AM
Ouch! :?
 :lol: