Newb wanting to build SD-1

[jchrisf]

Hello, I am new to stomp box building and love the SD-1 in front of a JCM800.  What SD-1 Kit should I get to build as a newb?  I've heard they are easy builds.  I found the OD-1 kit on Amazon for $25 dollars and heard the OD-1 is the SD-1 without the tone knob and sounds like the SD with the tone knob at noon?  Would this be a good kit?

I took a course on electronics my last semester of college 20 years ago and loved it but never considered it again until recently so I've forgotten a lot.  I wish I could find an inexpensive school that teaches electronics and take some night classes but I can't find any that aren't part of a college that charges an arm and a leg.

[caspercody]

Generalguitargadgets.com

Buildyourownclone.com

For great kits

Pedalpcb.com for great PCBs and get parts from Taydaelectronics.com and Mouser.com

[antonis]

Hi & Welcome..

This kid of kits https://www.amazon.com/Overdrive-Effect-pedal-Hammond-Aluminum/dp/B072F5SVD5 are perfect for beginners both for their items loose proximity and particular value marking on PCB (instead of schematic respective marking).

[PRR]

Welcome!

Hello, I am new to stomp box building and love the SD-1 in front of a JCM800.  What SD-1 Kit should I get to build as a newb?....
....I wish I could find an inexpensive school that teaches electronics and take some night classes but I can't find any that aren't part of a college that charges an arm and a leg.

I don't see the Boss SD-1 as an "easy build". Lot of parts to get wrong. But see what other folks say.

Finding a class may depend on where you are. In the US most counties have community college; mine does but there are so few people in my woods that they can't teach house-wiring every year, certainly not fine electronics. OTOH back in urban NJ there were a lot more courses. And amateur radio clubs are a good resource, if they are around you (some countries limit such activity).

[Electron Tornado]

Welcome to the forum!

I took a course on electronics my last semester of college 20 years ago and loved it but never considered it again until recently so I've forgotten a lot.  I wish I could find an inexpensive school that teaches electronics and take some night classes but I can't find any that aren't part of a college that charges an arm and a leg.

Search on You Tube. There are some good videos on there for learning electronics.

As someone already mentioned, General Guitar Gadgets and Build Your Own Clone sell very good kits.

[jchrisf]

Thanks everyone for your comments.

Generalguitargadgets.com

Buildyourownclone.com

For great kits

Pedalpcb.com for great PCBs and get parts from Taydaelectronics.com and Mouser.com

I've got the Green Pony from BYOC arriving on Tuesday.  It will be my first pedal build so I am hoping this will be the ultimate Tubescreamer build.

[jchrisf]

Hi & Welcome..

This kid of kits https://www.amazon.com/Overdrive-Effect-pedal-Hammond-Aluminum/dp/B072F5SVD5 are perfect for beginners both for their items loose proximity and particular value marking on PCB (instead of schematic respective marking).

That is the one I was refering too. Is this a true Boss OD-1 and is that the same as the SD-1?

[Electron Tornado]

That is the one I was refering too. Is this a true Boss OD-1 and is that the same as the SD-1?

Take a look at these to compare the OD-1 and SD-1:

https://www.hobby-hour.com/electronics/s/od1-overdrive.php

https://www.hobby-hour.com/electronics/s/sd1-super-overdrive.php

Looking at the schematics in those links, it looks like the major differences between the two pedals are:

- the values of R1 and C2

- in the OD-1 there is no resistor on the output of Q1 or Q2

- the tone control circuit.


While the PC board seems to be marked to show where each component goes, the kit on Amazon does not come with any directions. If you are new to building, you might be better off getting a kit from General Guitar Gadgets or Build Your Own Clone. Both places also have their PC boards marked to show where each component goes, and they provide instructions that can be downloaded for free.

General Guitar Gadgets has an SD-1 kit as well as an OD-1 kit.

[jchrisf]

Thanks everyone for your responses.  It's very helpful. 

How can I know I am getting a used SD-1 online that I will be able to mod and it won't be SMD without seeing inside?

Anyone ever dealt with guitar-electronics.eu?  They seem to have a lot of nice kits and great prices. 

[caspercody]

Here is a link about modding a sd-1

https://www.diystompboxes.com/DIYFiles/up/Build_Your_Own_DS-1_Distortion.pdf

If you intend to mod a sd-1 buy a kit and not the actual pedal. It will be easier to make it how you want

[jchrisf]

Here is a link about modding a sd-1

https://www.diystompboxes.com/DIYFiles/up/Build_Your_Own_DS-1_Distortion.pdf

If you intend to mod a sd-1 buy a kit and not the actual pedal. It will be easier to make it how you want

Thanks for the tip.. I'll get the sd-1 kit.  I can't seem to find one anywhere but guitar-electronics.eu.  The I can find instructions on general guitar gadgets, but no kit.  Also, the kit at BYOC has two tone controls and not three?

I know I'm a newb but that pdf you linked is for the DS-1.

[Steben]

Welcome and good luck!

Just my 5 cents...
Personally I'ld never make an SD-1. A second hand one is a high quality build of a pedal and comes for a price below the parts.
I'ld rather go for a BluesBreaker etc since that one costs fortunes. Even the copies.

[schrectacular]

I wish I could find an inexpensive school that teaches electronics and take some night classes but I can't find any that aren't part of a college that charges an arm and a leg.

Here's a free, well-regarded book. I hear the real gem is the accompanying lab manual with tons of builds, but I don't think it's available without cost. And then you'd also need to buy the components and tools to do the labs... hope it helps.

https://archive.org/details/art-of-electronics-3e/mode/2up

[jchrisf]

Welcome and good luck!

Just my 5 cents...
Personally I'ld never make an SD-1. A second hand one is a high quality build of a pedal and comes for a price below the parts.
I'ld rather go for a BluesBreaker etc since that one costs fortunes. Even the copies.

Thanks.. how about the blues driver?

[jchrisf]

I wish I could find an inexpensive school that teaches electronics and take some night classes but I can't find any that aren't part of a college that charges an arm and a leg.

Here's a free, well-regarded book. I hear the real gem is the accompanying lab manual with tons of builds, but I don't think it's available without cost. And then you'd also need to buy the components and tools to do the labs... hope it helps.

https://archive.org/details/art-of-electronics-3e/mode/2up

Thanks.. I just found the lab manual to download.  Two days ago I received this book that I purchased from Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1484259785?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

It appears to teach similarly to the great electronics instructor I had that one class in college.  He had us hands on most of the class and we learned a lot very quickly.  I remember I could identify what certain parts did together in a circuit and I can't for the life of me remember how these circuits worked or what they did now.  I could quickly calculate values and had all these projects in my head after the semester was over but no breadboard or parts to work with.. seems it was expensive and hard to get back then and I was working full time as a network admin so I never did anything with it again.  Wish I would have changed my career to electrical engineering at the time but I had a great job.

[Ben N]

Here's another piece of unsolicited advice:
First, I agree with you about the SD-1, my favorite pedal of the Tubescreamer type.

But might I recommend a simplified tubescreamer variant DIY project? There are a few out there, which keep the essentials of the pedal while reducing parts count by removing input and output buffers and switching circuits. One that comes to mind is Jack Orman's Son of Screamer, which already features asymmetrical clipping like the SD-1. Jack sells a ready made pcb for it, but there are also perf and stripboard layouts available. Still maybe not the ideal first project, but fairly simple, and if you do blow it on the first try, well, the parts are all pretty cheap, so no biggie.

Another even simpler such DIY project is the ROG Tube Reamer, which is like a tubescreamer with a fixed tone control, and very easy to change to SD-1 specs with just a few component changes.

[Electron Tornado]

Here is a link about modding a sd-1

https://www.diystompboxes.com/DIYFiles/up/Build_Your_Own_DS-1_Distortion.pdf

If you intend to mod a sd-1 buy a kit and not the actual pedal. It will be easier to make it how you want

That link is for a DS-1, not the SD-1. They are completely different.

[jchrisf]

Here's another piece of unsolicited advice:
First, I agree with you about the SD-1, my favorite pedal of the Tubescreamer type.

But might I recommend a simplified tubescreamer variant DIY project? There are a few out there, which keep the essentials of the pedal while reducing parts count by removing input and output buffers and switching circuits. One that comes to mind is Jack Orman's Son of Screamer, which already features asymmetrical clipping like the SD-1. Jack sells a ready made pcb for it, but there are also perf and stripboard layouts available. Still maybe not the ideal first project, but fairly simple, and if you do blow it on the first try, well, the parts are all pretty cheap, so no biggie.

Another even simpler such DIY project is the ROG Tube Reamer, which is like a tubescreamer with a fixed tone control, and very easy to change to SD-1 specs with just a few component changes.

Thanks.. right now if I end up enjoying this I'll probably try to build every type of pedal I can.. especially those that are similar to this circuit so I can find the perfect match for me.  I wouldn't mind working on Perf board some day and will probably give these a go when I know more about what I am doing.

I just got the Green Pony in yesterday so we will see how my first kit goes