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Buildin A Pedal


Haggard Cky

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ok i just got some resistors from my school and i decided to build a pedal. here are the values and amount i have of each

six 24ohms +/- 5%

five 30ohms +/-5%

six 20ohms +/-5%

four 130ohms +/-5%

three 43ohms +/-5%

six 91ohms +/-5%

wuts the difference between them, like would a higher value give me more gain or something like that? i plan of building a distortion pedal. could i get the rest of the parts i need from radio shack or frys? i no radio shack is way over priced but i dont feel like dealing with ordering them off the internet

what else would i need?

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Figure out what pedal you wanna build first, then you'll know what parts to get. I'm not sure how eccelekticalley minded you are, but I'd recommend starting by building a simple od250 or distortion+, I went big the first time and ended up wasting $50 on components.

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isnt there a way where u can add them together? i dont no where i heard that but is it true

Yeah but you going to need a whole range of resistor values from low (10ohms) to high (4M7 or so). I'd recomend something even simpler for a first build, build an Electra Distortion with a volume control but no switch, thats probably the cheapest and simplest circuit that has a noticable effect on your tone. As always it is much cheaper to buy than to build.

Checkout Aron's Stompbox Forum but if you have a question use the search function at the top of the page before posting it.

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I think you need to study a little more electronics theory before you go anywhere near a soldering iron. Resistors alone will do nothing to "distort" your signal. You need some solid-state components like transistors and integrated circuits and an assemblage of other discrete components to make it all work.

BTW, if you swiped those resistors from your school, take them back. More studying, less posting for you.

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Basically, the questions you're asking are analogous to, "Hey, I wanna build a guitar neck - I've got a nice piece of plywood, what do I do next?" I don't mean to sound harsh, but you don't currently know enough to build anything unless you can find a paint-by-number style kit like the old Heathkits. You might want to check out Steve Daniels' Tweak-O kit, or maybe one of the PAIA guitar effects kits to get your feet wet, since they come with pretty simple clear instructions that will almost ensure good results (nothing is foolproof). Even with a well-documented kit, at your level of experience, expect a pretty steep learning curve. Good luck! :D It ain't near as easy as guys like Paul make it look!

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It ain't near as easy as guys like Paul make it look!

Yeah, I've been at it four about four years now, starting out with virtually no knowledge of electronics other than knowing what basic components look like. Anyhow, since then, I've built all kinds of stuff including three tube amps. :D

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try an lpb1 its two caps one transistor and four resistors and a pot.

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Yeah, I've been at it four about four years now, starting out with virtually no knowledge of electronics other than knowing what basic components look like.  Anyhow, since then, I've built all kinds of stuff including three tube amps.  :D

well how did u get started cuz i really want to try building a pedal.

ive been looking at the tweako kit but i dont have a whole lot of money and i thought buying stuff from radio shack would be cheaper. if its not i will get the tweako

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Yeah, I've been at it four about four years now, starting out with virtually no knowledge of electronics other than knowing what basic components look like.  Anyhow, since then, I've built all kinds of stuff including three tube amps.  :D

well how did u get started cuz i really want to try building a pedal.

ive been looking at the tweako kit but i dont have a whole lot of money and i thought buying stuff from radio shack would be cheaper. if its not i will get the tweako

I did a lot of reading, and more reading, and more reading. Then I starting building simple circuits and worked my way up from there with the knowledge I gained along the way. Read the "Electronics" portion at http://www.geofex.com , that will get you started. :D

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I learnt most of what I know about electronics (its not much, but enough to get started) from messing with a 130 in one electronic project kit. You'll learn electronic basics, how to read a schematic, and how to troubleshoot. Keep at it and with the help of geofx the way pedals work will slowly come into focus.

I'm not as experienced, imaginative or as neat as Paul. (My pedals are all horrible ratsnests) However I have made about two dozen pedals, and two soild state (chip) amps as well as a immesurable amount of mistakes which I generally learn from. Generally.

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I went to vo-tech in high school and majored in Industrial Electronics. Given the fact that it was a long time ago and I've forgotten a great deal of what I've learned, I can still troubleshoot my amps and effects just as well as any tech can.

Best way to learn about basic electronics theory is to get your ham radio license or take a class like it sounds like your high school offers.

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