Two Great Books For Beginners

[Kondor]

I am new to the DIY stompbox building world and have been fortunate enough to run across two great books that I found extremely helpful to get me started in this stompbox addicting world.  They are by Brian Wampler at indyguitarist.com - a great guy and supporter of this sight and others.  The book I built my stompbox from is titled, "How To build Your Own Effect Pedals - A Step By Step Guide" and the other is titled, "How To Modify Guitar Pedals...To Get Great Tone!"  Both are in easy to understand everyday language and give you enough information to give you a basic understanding of the components, the tools you need, where to get the parts for your project, where to place and solder the components on the board and how to put it all together to make your first stompbox.  And to make sure you and others that hear it pay attention!  My pedal worked the first time I plugged it in!  I searched the internet after I had visited this sight and other forums to see if there was a book or books out there that covered the topic of step by step stompbox building and only stompbox building specifically, and I came up empty handed.  So, I accidentially found Brian Wampler's books. If you are a beginner check them out because you won't be disappointed.  He also gives technical support for us ground zero beginners and answered all his emails with all the questions I had for him, within a day or two!     

[Dirk_Hendrik]

I got a copy of the mod book a little after christmas (thanks Brian). Although I had some remarks to make (which I feedbacked to Brian) it was and still is a definite good read. I especially had a joy when finding one of my own schematics which I drawn up some 10 years ago and scanned 1.5 yrs ago in there. It's a strange experience to see that drawing style which I had then come back at you that way all of a sudden.

Thanks Brian! You definitely help making DIY a fun hobby!

[wampcat1]

Thanks guys - glad you liked the book!
And a special thanks to Dirk - somewhere along the line I picked up the cs-3 schem on the internet and when writing the book I could not find who was the owner of it -- if anyone sees a drawing that says "found on internet" in the book and you know who is the owner, please let me know so I can give them credit (after getting their permission) and make it right with them. : )

Thanks,
Brian

[SteveFromBerlin]

Hi there,

I just learned about Brians Books and now am desperately searching the web to get hold of a copy - but can't find it anywhere. 

Does anyone of you have a copy to sell or know where I can get one? I'd LOVE to have the "How To build Your Own Effect Pedals - A Step By Step Guide"!!!!!!

[StereoKills]

Have you asked Brian yet via his website http://www.wamplerpedals.com/, his forum, facebook page, etc? That's where I would start.

No need to resurrect TWO 5 year old threads in half an hour asking the same question.

That said, I got "How To Modify Guitar Pedals...To Get Great Tone!" when I started. Great book.

[SteveFromBerlin]

Well,

since he points it out very clearly on his website that the books are no longer in print and won't be supported anymore, I thought I'd better not send the same question for the millionth time to him and instead ask you guys for a used copy. Sorry for digging out dead-old posts, but I was hoping the more subscribers the better, you know.

Thanks for your answer, I'll think about bugging him when this is a dead end.

[ORK]

They say it is out there somewhere: http://www.mediafire.com/?lnlu6q237fmsw3n

"Found on Web"

[alparent]

So is Brian giving away this book? (electronic copy I mean?)

'Cause if he is not......

[wampcat1]

no, I didn't "release them" for free... someone else (a customers at some point maybe? I don't know) uploaded them to a file service and posted the link to the files on fsb.
http://....org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14953&start=80

(edit note: seriously? the website url is blocked?    Ask someone what fsb is. Then go to this thread: .org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14953&start=80 )
Officially, here is our stance on this:

I understand that you guys want the information in the books, and I'm tentatively okay with you having access to it. But I'm not making them public domain, I'm just sharing them to help you if it will help, because I do value FSB and the DIY scene. A lot of great pedal builders start out this way. If I'm making future competitors I guess that is what it is, but I'd rather address this than have to see it happen under my nose and not say something.

I will not offer any support for the material, a lot of which is simplified, some of which is outright in error. The books are several years old, there have probably been circuit revisions which make the "color by numbers" way I wrote them no longer work. That's up to you to work through, I can't help you. No time to do so. And honestly guys it is pretty simple explanations, so don't expect a college degree in electronics after reading them or anything like that.

Now for the important part... I self-published the books. The books remain my intellectual property. This isn't me giving them up, just recognizing that you can't stop copyright infringement and so rather than going crazy with legal action, I'm just being okay with sharing them with you guys. People who may get something out of them. You may download those if you think it will help you on the DIY path (with the understanding that I provide zero support for them now), but I am not giving up my right to my intellectual property. I retain all applicable copyrights. Please don't do anything with them that violates mine or any other intellectual property. This is similar to sharing them under a creative commons license - a restrictive one, which does not permit anything other than redistribution. All other rights reserved.

This ought to go without saying but obviously do not sell them. Redistribution for free only, in the form of electronic downloads or file transfers. That includes not selling physical media with the files on them and claiming you're selling the CD and not what's on it. This should be obvious and probably is, but if anyone didn't get that, now you do, cool?

Enjoy

[DavenPaget]

Brian , greetings .
Yes , the "other" forum is blocked .

[alparent]

Thanks for that Brian.
Just wanted to be sure!

What can I say? I have integrity!

[SteveFromBerlin]

Wow,

that is true commitment to the DIY-Scene!

Thank you so much!!! If you come up with a donate-button someday, I'll be the first one to click on it!

Also thanks everybody for answering me!

[Rick899]

Did you all find  out what fsb  is?     I googled it and almost all results say "front side bus"   and there is a fsb.org   but  no thread  relating to the pedal building book.   the media fire web site had the book on modifying pedals and the advanced book on building pedals but not  "How To build Your Own Effect Pedals - A Step By Step Guide";  I've had the modifying pedals book for awhile and after modifying a bunch of pedals I have graduated to building pedals. I have been trying to build a fuzz face and that book would really be helpful.

Can anyone  provide the language that goes before  "org"   on this:    

                                                                                                           http://....org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14953&start=80

Or the address of the website that has that book.   Thanks.

[artifus]

***free***stomp***boxes***dot***org

remove *'s

dot = .

[DavenPaget]

If you google FSB Forums , that is .