NAD (sorta)

[Andrew W]

Having never wired up anything trickier than a Strat I thought I'd have a go at making something a bit more complicated. After a bit of searching around I found the Noisy Cricket amp on the Beavis Audio website. I tracked down the parts I needed from local electrical suppliers and a couple of bits from Radio Shack. I did a lot of the work about a year ago and then, what with moving flats and work, I put it to one side and haven't touched it until this weekend. So yesterday afternoon I finally completed the build and screwed it all into the case I'd made:

With all the knobs on zero and plugged into the speaker on my Cornell amp, all I got was a loud hum. Bugger. I unplugged it and scrawled this on it:

Then I thought I'd fiddle about with it a bit more and lo and behold I got some noises out of it. It's really harsh, the signal drops out every so often, it's really noisy, some of the controls don't do anything and the LED doesn't work but it did make an amplified sound. So in the end it's:

I uploaded a little video of it to show its "unique" qualities:

Be afraid Alexander Dumble, I am coming for you...

Still I've learned quite a bit and I'll try and make it better. The main thing it's done is reinforce my respect for amp and pedal builders who construct things that actually work AND sound good!

[Twinfan]

Nice work!  I've enjoyed building a few pedals in the past and dare say I will again.

[juansolo]

I reckon everyone who's made a pedal has made a noisy cricket at some point. For what it's worth, mine didn't work quite right either. The Dr Boogie is considered a right of passage pedal... My first one of them was complete shite. Took 3 to get it nailed on right (and quiet).

As an aside, I notice your telemaster has a pair of strat front pups... Does it have a tele rear? If so, what did you use? I'm just getting ideas, you know, maybe for something... I've had Tim's suggestion, but I'm open to options

[Andrew W]

I reckon everyone who's made a pedal has made a noisy cricket at some point. For what it's worth, mine didn't work quite right either. The Dr Boogie is considered a right of passage pedal... My first one of them was complete shitee. Took 3 to get it nailed on right (and quiet).

I might well take a look at that and it's encouraging to hear that everyone starts off with questionable results :). Having sunk my teeth into the Noisy Cricket I'm keen to try and figure out what I buggered up as well as trying to understand what the parts of the circuit actually do rather than just copying it blind as I am now. I am suspecting that my cr@ppy soldering is the main culprit for the nastiness in the current version. But I may well try a Dr Boogie too.

As an aside, I notice your telemaster has a pair of strat front pups... Does it have a tele rear? If so, what did you use? I'm just getting ideas, you know, maybe for something... I've had Tim's suggestion, but I'm open to options

It has a TV Jones Powertron in the bridge and Mothers Milks in the neck and middle positions, which were Tim's suggestions to balance the Powertron in a rosewood boarded guitar. Sounds like this if that's any use?

[Matt77]

Nice telephone.
Old school

[juansolo]

I reckon everyone who's made a pedal has made a noisy cricket at some point. For what it's worth, mine didn't work quite right either. The Dr Boogie is considered a right of passage pedal... My first one of them was complete shiteee. Took 3 to get it nailed on right (and quiet).

I might well take a look at that and it's encouraging to hear that everyone starts off with questionable results :). Having sunk my teeth into the Noisy Cricket I'm keen to try and figure out what I buggered up as well as trying to understand what the parts of the circuit actually do rather than just copying it blind as I am now. I am suspecting that my cr@ppy soldering is the main culprit for the nastiness in the current version. But I may well try a Dr Boogie too.

As an aside, I notice your telemaster has a pair of strat front pups... Does it have a tele rear? If so, what did you use? I'm just getting ideas, you know, maybe for something... I've had Tim's suggestion, but I'm open to options

It has a TV Jones Powertron in the bridge and Mothers Milks in the neck and middle positions, which were Tim's suggestions to balance the Powertron in a rosewood boarded guitar. Sounds like this if that's any use?

The Dr Boogie is a real swine. It's just one of those that everyone wants to build. It'll teach you more about wire routing than any pedal. If you decide to have a crack, I strongly reccomend keeping your wiring to your pots as short as you possibly can, and what you do have, keep it away from everything else.

Ah, that's the other Telemaster ;) Gotcha, indeed one of your vids of that one is the reason the black one now has a Powertron in it ;) Magnificent pup.

[WezV]

my noisy cricket is also a little unpredictable, i am not sure the controls actually do what they are supposed to

but plug it into a proper speaker and it sounds pretty damn good

[Andrew W]

Ah, that's the other Telemaster ;) Gotcha, indeed one of your vids of that one is the reason the black one now has a Powertron in it ;) Magnificent pup.

It is a great pickup, I think it partners the Mothers Milks really well too. The Powertron gives great Rev Willie G and Malcolm Young tones I find, even through my very Fenderish amp.

my noisy cricket is also a little unpredictable, i am not sure the controls actually do what they are supposed to

but plug it into a proper speaker and it sounds pretty damn good

I think a lot of the issues with mine could be fixed by proper insulation of parts and better soldering. I reckon I may try and build another Noisy Cricket and see if I end up with a better, neater result. It's equal parts fun and screaming frustration at present. Right now I have that highly coveted "wasp farting in a glass jar" tone nailed but I think I want more :). Maybe I need to tweak the electrons in the crystal lattices..?