My scabbiness must end!

[cakeworks]

For too long I've put off delays, and most overdrives, and fuzzes, and never had an led in any of my (few) projects. I relied too strongly on Jaycar and dse. They carry a couple of usable op-amps... maybe some usable trannies.. but really I want to get to work on building up a half decent rig for myself (as we all do... except for those who already have them...)

So I've broke down and I'm going to order some parts from overseas finally. The main things I'm looking at are a couple of PT2399s from smallbear, and some J201s and some 3PDT footswitches from aron.

I am wondering if anyone has some advice as to what else I should get while I'm spending my parents money online so it can all come in two orders rather than ordering for each coming project. I know you and I can't predict what I'll be building in the future but I am wondering if there are any folk out there who would be able to advise me as to some other essentials which are across-the-board standard parts (like the PT2399 for delays) which I might need to get while i'm at it.

thanks once more

-Jack

[343 Salty Beans]

some standard op-amps:

4558
TL072
LM386

Some standard trannies:

(NPN) 2N3904
(PNP) 2N3906
(NPN) 2N5088 or 2N5089 (89 is a higher-gain, lower-noise version of the 88)
(PNP) 2N5087
(N-channel switching FET) BS170
You've already got J201s in there.
Maybe a few germaniums from smallbear.

A few of each standard pot value in both audio and linear tapers. Get more of the 10K, 100K, and 500K. In my (limited) experience, they get used a lot.

go to [urlhttp://www.futurlec.com/ValuePacks.shtml[/url] and get a 1/4w resistor pack, a ceramic cap pack, an electrolytic cap pack, a mylar cap pack, and the diode pack is worth looking into.

Some good, bright LEDs and maybe LED bezels as power indicators, delay/chorus/trem time indicators, etc, etc.

Some toggle switches (DPDT and SPST).

Get a good amount of 8-pin IC sockets for those opamps, as well as some 16-pins for your 2399s. you'll also want to get a few extra sockets to cut into transistor, diode, and cap sockets so you can play with values/parts in the circuits till you find the sound you like best.

Get a bunch of mono and stereo 1/4" jacks, and some DC power jacks or battery snaps, depending on the way you power your effects. If you want DC power jacks, make sure to get 5.5 x 2.1mm (it's size 'M').

Am I missing anything, guys?

PS: This is, of course, assuming that you're going to stay in DIY for quite a while, and you won't want to order a bunch of parts and wait a week every time you want to do a project.

Futurlec carries most of the stuff in here, but they have a rep for taking a long time to ship and messing up orders (they correct the orders 99% of the time for free, and let you keep the stuff they screwed up, but the shipping time means you could be waiting quite a while for the right parts).

[blanik]

in my limited experience (only 8 DIY effects so far), i now prefer to order everything i need before starting a project... i used to go to the local shop to hunt in a depot for pots, caps and resistors and it always turns out that they don't have all the values i need, pots are too big/small for a stompbox, etc... so for the price of caps and resistors i buy there, it cost me roughly 2$ or 3$ dollars more to order them all in one shot from Small Bear, for what i save on gas from going ther, hunt for parts for hours, settling (and buying) for parts that are not the exact value, getting huge WW2 surplus parts  it's well worth the 2-3 bucks!!!

if you want to build a delay with the PT2399 (i built the Rebote 2.5, modded it for stereo, i just love it!!!) don't forget to order de 5V power regulator transistor ( part No: 78L05 ) it must be hard to get in most stores but it's quite cheap at Small Bear, a couple of cents, and you need it to power the PT 2399...

R.

[cakeworks]

if you want to build a delay with the PT2399 (i built the Rebote 2.5, modded it for stereo, i just love it!!!) don't forget to order de 5V power regulator transistor ( part No: 78L05 ) it must be hard to get in most stores but it's quite cheap at Small Bear, a couple of cents, and you need it to power the PT 2399...

R.

How'd you do that bro? thanks for the tips guys. Order shall be placed soon... later rather than sooner since dad has decided i need to spend my own money not his 

[funkbass187]

Futurlec carries most of the stuff in here, but they have a rep for taking a long time to ship and messing up orders (they correct the orders 99% of the time for free, and let you keep the stuff they screwed up, but the shipping time means you could be waiting quite a while for the right parts).

from my experiences, futurlec has been very reliable. on one occasion a switch was out of stock so i had to wait a few extra days, but thats about the extent of the problems i've experienced with them.

[Mark Hammer]

Everyone has their favourite build technique.  Some use only PCB, some stripboard, some perfboard.  Small Bear carries these pad-per-hole boards which have the flexibility of perfboard in terms of layout, but the structural rigidity of a copper trace adhered to the board (i.e., no shaky parts once soldered).  They also come with mounting holes in the corners and an alphanumeric code for noting tiepoint coordinates.  You CAN buy these at Radio Shack and its international equivalents, but the ones Steve has made for Small Bear are really and truly a cut above anything I've seen of that sort.  Just exquisite quality in terms of materials and finish.

Other things he carries which seem to be relatively unique are the powder-coated Toadworks boxes and the pre-bonded 24AWG wire.  If you don't live in the sort of place where spraypainting is appreciated, pre-coated boxes will be nice and save a step or two.  The wire is also a pleasure to work with.  Tins and strips as easy as breathing, fits in tight places and turns corners really nicely.  A great mix of sturdiness and convenient diameter.

So, if you were going to place an order to Small Bear for stuff that would be hard or next to impossible to find, and which would speed up build time, these would be my 3 recommendations.

[mjones99]

Other Opamps you will thank yourself for getting.
Get some OP275, TLC2262, TLC2252, OPA2134, OPA2111, OPA2604, TL052, RC4559P

[donald stringer]

I too only  have a limited amount to spend on this but 20.00 a week goes a long way at small bear. Plenty of 100k pots are a must.

[mjones99]

if you are needing resistors caps and pots these are cheapest at futurlec.com, for pedal specific stuff I'd say smallbear, aron.