First Overdrive Pedal

[d4v1d5hu13r]

Where would I start/What parts do I need to buy to produce an MI sounding overdrive pedal? What stuff do I need other than just a soldering tool[I have a torch with various heads]? I'm eager to sit down and start making my own brand of pedals and things to experiment with different types of effects I can make.

[syndromet]

Pedal-building is a great hobby, but unfortunatly many people start building thinking they can build pedals for free. You can't! Like any hobby, it cost a few bucks to build a peddal, and you are lucky if you can make a pedal for less than $50. Thats twice as expensive as the new line of behringer and danelectro pedals, wich sounds exelent. A lot of people seems to belive that it's easy to make it as a butique builder too. It's not. You gotta design all your stuff from scratch, and be carefull not to stepp other people on their toes.

If you think building sounds like a lot of fun, and you are eager to learn about electronics and electric sound, you are in for a ride! Pedal-building is a very rewarding hobby, and nothing feels as good as plugging in your diy effect for the first time. After a few project you probbably begin to understand the basics of the circuits, and you can maybe design your own. I love the feeling of playing something I've designed all the way through, and I know others do to. (Right Joecool85? I tried your 5th gear the other day. Sounds great! :tu:)

If you want to build something MI sounding, I suggest you start with exactly that.
Here you'll find the schematic for the MI Crunch, including the layout for both PCB and veroboard. I suggest you start with vero, as Pcb-making is an entire procces by itself. The Crunch is basicly a modded dist+, and a fairly simple place to start.

For ofboard wiring, I suggest you check the "offboard wiring" PDF over at www.tonepad.com. While you're at it, you should visit www.geofex.com and www.diystompboxes.com as well.

When it comes to tools all you really need is a set of good pliers and a soldering iron. Then you need components, veroboard, switches and jacks. check the store at diystompboxes for that.

Good luck with whatever project you decide to build, and let us know if you need some help.

[teemuk]

I just have to comment on this because I feel the expense of building pedals is a big myth: I don't know about local prizes in certain countries etc. but last time I built a pedal with a nice Hammond aluminum case (12e ~ 16$), two potentiometers (1e ~ 1.4$), circuit board (1e) and a good quality footswitch (1e) the cost was approximately 25$. Granted that I didn't have to buy most of the tools like a total beginner has to but one would still have to spend a lot on parts before homebuilt pedals start to cost as much as gear sold in the store. (Most pedal prizes here start from 80e and 150e is more like the usual price...).

Amps (especially tube ones) are a different matter as they contain a lot of "iron" (note that the aluminum case was almost 50% of the pedal's cost) but (at least here) you really can't burn 50$ on parts of a pedal. Oh well, you could but then either the component vendor would have cheated you or the pedal would be like a complete preamp with a dozens of potentiometers, expensive chicken head knobs and slider potentiometers etc.

"...nothing feels as good as plugging in your diy effect for the first time."

Brings me pleasant memories. Luckily I was not confident enough to trust my DIY skills when I plugged in my first DIY pedal (I still ain't) and I had the amp's volume control at zero - from which I gradually increased it. (I recommend this practice to all). The pedal oscillated like hell and I almost busted my ears! It was a nice way to learn about the importance of close vicinity decoupling of opamps and high frequency NFB - especially in high gain pedals. After few mods it worked better. It's pretty educative when things don't work. 

Syndromet, how come you forgot important tools like drill with various size bits (for drilling holes) and screwdrivers and spanners for tightening all those potentiometers and circuit board stands? If the circuit has trimmers you will likely also need a very small screwdriver for adjusting them. Practically, you can't have enough tools in this hobby.

[syndromet]

I just have to comment on this because I feel the expense of building pedals is a big myth: I don't know about local prizes in certain countries etc. but last time I built a pedal with a nice Hammond aluminum case (12e ~ 16$), two potentiometers (1e ~ 1.4$), circuit board (1e) and a good quality footswitch (1e) the cost was approximately 25$. Granted that I didn't have to buy most of the tools like a total beginner has to but one would still have to spend a lot on parts before homebuilt pedals start to cost as much as gear sold in the store. (Most pedal prizes here start from 80e and 150e is more like the usual price...)

I wrote the reply 15 minutes after I woke up, so I guess my head wasn't where it was supposed to be at the moment. For me, living in Norway, building a pedal it usually cost a lot more than 50$. Parts are impossible to source localy, so I have to import stuff from places like Germany, Thailand and USA. That means a lot extra just for the shipping.
An example of a tube screamer type box (prices from musikding.com):
Hammond BB box:             6.50EUR
Footswitch:                     7.50EUR
Pots:                             3.90EUR
Jacks:                            1.50EUR
Components:                   5.00EUR
Wire:                              0.50EUR
Veroboard:                      1.70EUR
Mounting brackets:           1.40EUR
Chickenhead knobs:          3.30EUR
Battery snap:                  0.40EUR
DC-jack:                         0.70EUR
----------------------------------
Total                             32,40EUR   =    45,53$

In addition to this there is the cost of tools, shipping, labeling, solder, etc, etc, etc.... For the price of just parts, you can buy 3 of this or two of this , wich are both TS clones.

Syndromet, how come you forgot important tools like drill with various size bits (for drilling holes) and screwdrivers and spanners for tightening all those potentiometers and circuit board stands? If the circuit has trimmers you will likely also need a very small screwdriver for adjusting them. Practically, you can't have enough tools in this hobby.

Well, again, it was early when I wrote that. You should look into those vari-bits, which let you drill several holesizes without changing the bits. A small screwdriver is good for trimpots  as well as fastening knobs. One of the most important tools to have is a multimeter, preferably one that lets you meassure Hfe on transistors. If you plan on making PCB's you should have access to a laser printer. That's about it, I guess.

[joecool85]

Depends on what you are building.  To build one of my 5th Gear Overdrive pedals it costs about $35 in parts from smallbearelec.com

[Raulgrell]

I had an initial investment of about 40€ (just about 50$), with which I bought:
A digital multimeter (with ohm, A, V, hfe and forward drop voltage measurments);
A soldering Iron;
60/40 solder;
a length of wire;
crocodile clips;
and a de-soldering pump.

Then, I cheated a bit- took apart an old computer, an old radio, a few other random electronic devices and kept some switches, wire, jacks and speakers... saved some money XD