Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: tomjackson on January 10, 2011, 12:30:34 PM

Title: Boost / Overdrive / Distortion pedal build
Post by: tomjackson on January 10, 2011, 12:30:34 PM

I'm thinking of building a single pedal that covers all my dirt and boost needs by getting a few kits and putting them in the same enclosure.  So just after some ideas on the order and what might be good choices for the clones to use.

I'm thinking:-

SHO or LPB-1 clone (How do they compare, I presume the SHO is more full range with more sparkle?)
Either a Screamer a Marshall Bluesbreaker Clone  (noy tried the Bluesbreaker, how does it compare?)
A shredmaster Clone - Any other ideas for the distortion, what are MXR / Dod250 clones like.

I was thinking of Boost>Overdrive>Distortion but it might also be nice to install a switch to put the boost at the end.

Kits I'm looking at are GGG, BYOC and Musikding.

Has anybody tried Musikding, they look very cheap?

Another option I was thinking of was a switchable buffer but I'm not sure if t would be worth it??

Title: Re: Boost / Overdrive / Distortion pedal build
Post by: marauder on January 10, 2011, 01:49:07 PM
Not kits, but you should check out the boards from http://www.madbeanpedals.com and http://www.guitarpcb.com.

I'd have the SHO over the LPB-1 anyday. Much more dynamic, the LBP-1 always a little bassy and flat to me.

If not buying kits, then send either me or Juansolo a PM, I'm sure we'll have 99% of what you need in our stash.
Title: Re: Boost / Overdrive / Distortion pedal build
Post by: tomjackson on January 10, 2011, 03:33:37 PM

That mad bean site has stopped me doing work wor an hour!

I think I'll get some boards from there and take it from there, just need to decide what to order.
I'll drop you a line when I know what I'm ordering marauder.  I'm thinking SHO, BB and Distortron in the same box!
Title: Re: Boost / Overdrive / Distortion pedal build
Post by: juansolo on January 10, 2011, 03:34:31 PM
The SHO is a magnificent (if fragile) thing. My favorite boost and it just loves being used after fuzz and distortion pedals.
Title: Re: Boost / Overdrive / Distortion pedal build
Post by: juansolo on January 10, 2011, 03:36:22 PM

That mad bean site has stopped me doing work wor an hour!

I think I'll get some boards from there and take it from there, just need to decide what to order.
I'll drop you a line when I know what I'm ordering marauder.  I'm thinking SHO, BB and Distortron in the same box!

Have the SHO as the last in the chain in that case. BB and Distortron probably won't work too well together but both will probably work well with the SHO.
Title: Re: Boost / Overdrive / Distortion pedal build
Post by: St.James on January 10, 2011, 03:37:32 PM
 8)

Title: Re: Boost / Overdrive / Distortion pedal build
Post by: Transcend on January 10, 2011, 03:41:09 PM
you can actually get a kit with a clean boost & a OD in one from

http://www.diypedalkits.com/

its uk based and its listed in the shop as ADD & Boost and its £60 with the unpainted enclosure or £65 painted to a colour of your choice
Title: Re: Boost / Overdrive / Distortion pedal build
Post by: St.James on January 10, 2011, 04:16:05 PM
1
Title: Re: Boost / Overdrive / Distortion pedal build
Post by: forestcaver on January 10, 2011, 04:18:42 PM
Other websites that are a must for DIY pedals:

www.diystompboxes.com
www.freestompboxes.org


(Feel like I must also mention my website as well :-) :
www.batguitars.co.uk

Andy
Title: Re: Boost / Overdrive / Distortion pedal build
Post by: juansolo on January 10, 2011, 04:36:08 PM
Oh and hands down I'd stick a Madbean Sunking board in there as the Overdrive.
Title: Re: Boost / Overdrive / Distortion pedal build
Post by: tomjackson on January 10, 2011, 05:19:26 PM

So Sunking into BB into SHO?

Do you build the Sunking as True bypass or is the buffer decent?

Have you tried the Fatpants BTW?
Title: Re: Boost / Overdrive / Distortion pedal build
Post by: JacksonRR on January 10, 2011, 05:44:44 PM
I built the ITS8 Tubescreamer clone from GGG and love it much more than the Maxon OD-9. Needless to say it kicks the cr@p out of the Bad Monkey. It really beats sourcing all the parts yourself, buying a kit. I used the boutique mod parts and chose germanium diodes and red LEDs for clippers. I use it in front of high-gain heads mostly, but the sound into a clean amp is wonderful and convincing, with less noise than either of the ODs I mentioned before. I did end up doing a separate board for a Baxandall EQ. The Xotic AC Booster is mostly TS topology with a Baxandall EQ, so I guess that's what my pedal is now.
Title: Re: Boost / Overdrive / Distortion pedal build
Post by: forestcaver on January 10, 2011, 05:47:49 PM

So Sunking into BB into SHO?

Do you build the Sunking as True bypass or is the buffer decent?

Have you tried the Fatpants BTW?

I've built it with buffer and am happy with it...

Title: Re: Boost / Overdrive / Distortion pedal build
Post by: St.James on January 11, 2011, 12:20:11 PM
 8)

\
Title: Re: Boost / Overdrive / Distortion pedal build
Post by: juansolo on January 12, 2011, 01:01:44 PM

So Sunking into BB into SHO?

Do you build the Sunking as True bypass or is the buffer decent?

Have you tried the Fatpants BTW?

Not tried a fatpants. Buffer is excellent, I don't bypass it and yup, that's the order I'd go for.

Just looked at your original post also. I do rate the Shredmaster quite a bit (you can get the BYOC board separate from vibe-o-tronic) and if you do go down that route I'd advise putting a switch on the output cap as you can make it suit both single coils and humbuckers rather that one or the other. For distortions though I think my favourite is the twincaster. We're about to build a new one of those for someone with a few mods on it. Twinfan had a go of it (it was the 2 valved pedal) at the meet and I think he liked it lots. Needs a beast of a PSU, but I think our source for those still might have some left and we were picking them up for peanuts.

EDIT: Infact, this is what I'd stuff in a box if I was doing what you're doing (including the Hot Silicon fuzz that's the other half of the SHO). If I had to choose between all my OD/Boost/Distortion/Fuzz pedals, this is what I'd end up with.  Though I'd still want to keep a couple of the really dirty fuzzes...

(http://www.juansolo.demon.co.uk/misc/stompage.jpg)
Title: Re: Boost / Overdrive / Distortion pedal build
Post by: marauder on January 12, 2011, 01:26:50 PM
I don't think any BYOC boards are available anymore, just kits :(

I've got a vero layout of the Shredmaster.
Title: Re: Boost / Overdrive / Distortion pedal build
Post by: St.James on January 13, 2011, 12:52:01 AM
 8)
Title: Re: Boost / Overdrive / Distortion pedal build
Post by: juansolo on January 13, 2011, 06:13:25 PM
Cheers dude.

The pickle is a muff based thing with a massive mid scoop. I have a cmos muff with switchable scoop that almost gets down to pickle levels of scoopiness. I love it.
Title: Re: Boost / Overdrive / Distortion pedal build
Post by: tomjackson on January 14, 2011, 09:01:20 AM

So Sunking into BB into SHO?

Do you build the Sunking as True bypass or is the buffer decent?

Have you tried the Fatpants BTW?

Not tried a fatpants. Buffer is excellent, I don't bypass it and yup, that's the order I'd go for.

Just looked at your original post also. I do rate the Shredmaster quite a bit (you can get the BYOC board separate from vibe-o-tronic) and if you do go down that route I'd advise putting a switch on the output cap as you can make it suit both single coils and humbuckers rather that one or the other. For distortions though I think my favourite is the twincaster. We're about to build a new one of those for someone with a few mods on it. Twinfan had a go of it (it was the 2 valved pedal) at the meet and I think he liked it lots. Needs a beast of a PSU, but I think our source for those still might have some left and we were picking them up for peanuts.

EDIT: Infact, this is what I'd stuff in a box if I was doing what you're doing (including the Hot Silicon fuzz that's the other half of the SHO). If I had to choose between all my OD/Boost/Distortion/Fuzz pedals, this is what I'd end up with.  Though I'd still want to keep a couple of the really dirty fuzzes...

(http://www.juansolo.demon.co.uk/misc/stompage.jpg)

Thanks, the twincaster looks ace!  Not too pedalboard frendly though, I think I'll start with some transistor stuff that can fit on my small board and use existng power.  I think I'll just buy a few boards (2 boosts and a couple of od's) from madbean and make them then see what I like best before putting them in the case.  I've thought about space a bit too and I think I can only squezze a BB enclosure there so will be limited to 1 boost 1 od for now.
But following that I can get making the off board fun stuff :D
Title: Re: Boost / Overdrive / Distortion pedal build
Post by: juansolo on January 14, 2011, 05:02:08 PM
Thanks, the twincaster looks ace!  Not too pedalboard frendly though, I think I'll start with some transistor stuff that can fit on my small board and use existng power.  I think I'll just buy a few boards (2 boosts and a couple of od's) from madbean and make them then see what I like best before putting them in the case.  I've thought about space a bit too and I think I can only squezze a BB enclosure there so will be limited to 1 boost 1 od for now.
But following that I can get making the off board fun stuff :D

We're building a new twincaster shortly that'll be much more board friendly and be a little different to that. I'm actually quite excited for how that might turn out...
Title: Re: Boost / Overdrive / Distortion pedal build
Post by: marauder on January 14, 2011, 05:30:00 PM
Thanks, the twincaster looks ace!  Not too pedalboard frendly though, I think I'll start with some transistor stuff that can fit on my small board and use existng power.  I think I'll just buy a few boards (2 boosts and a couple of od's) from madbean and make them then see what I like best before putting them in the case.  I've thought about space a bit too and I think I can only squezze a BB enclosure there so will be limited to 1 boost 1 od for now.
But following that I can get making the off board fun stuff :D

We're building a new twincaster shortly that'll be much more board friendly and be a little different to that. I'm actually quite excited for how that might turn out...


Some parts are on the way...
Title: Re: Boost / Overdrive / Distortion pedal build
Post by: tomjackson on January 14, 2011, 05:56:55 PM

Sounds good, keep us posted.