First Time Builder- What do I "Need"

[JustinFun]

I'd go for things that you can't easily buy a Chinese clone of for £15, but are fairly simple, distinctive and fun.

Vox repeat percussion - very distinctive choppy sawtooth 'tremolo' which almost sounds like a delay. An acquired taste, maybe, but it will turn heads at a gig.
Green ringer - super simple octave effect
Bazz fuss - the best 'quality vs number parts ratio' circuit you will ever build, and everyone needs a fuzz.

[matopotato]

I really like this article. You will too. In the end you will have a working pedal and learn a lot along the way.
PS, Don't forget to download the pdf file to get the full instructions.  Look for it in the following link...

https://www.premierguitar.com/diy/pedal-projects/build-your-own-guitar-pedal

Great article. Clear and to the point with very good coverage. Wish I had read it a year ago 

[matopotato]

I started watching my friend build a King of Tone clone. I just couldn't imagine waiting 5 years, but wanted to try it out.
He then built me a Rangemaster clone from a kit with all included.
The article mentioned by @Phend above could be that friend "step".
I then got ready kits from Das Musikding ( wprks well for me here in Europe). The KoT first build was a challenge to assemble all parts with no experience.
After a few builds I decided to make  Fuzz Face ("Franken Face") out of 70's TV and radio sets on stripboard.
Simce then it is a mix of kits and "free builds"
I like taking something "basic" like Dist + and add different stuff like caps and diodes.
I got good help from Jack Ormans site http://www.muzique.com/lab/sat.htm (google jack orman and saturation or clipping or dist plus etc and you find more)
I also really liked Brian Wampler's video showing the steps and functions in design. Also used as basis for an "All in" build https://youtu.be/F-WHBgIowmU
Hope this is useful to you as well.

[andy-h-h]

I like 70/80's Rock, Metal... Boston, Ozzy, Guns'n'Roses, Deep Purple, Queen, Scorpions, etc...

Any suggestions?

STEP #1
Grow your hair, get a perm, cut sleeves off your shirts and wear tight jeans (tattoos optional)   

STEP #2
Build a RAT

[Hairstyle]

Build a kit or two to get your beak wet, but for me the fun really started once i got a breadboard.

[amptramp]

I would not recommend using the standard breadboard design because if it can hold small resistor leads, it will almost never be able to hold thicker leads for electrolytic capacitors and if the circuit doesn't work, you don't know if it is a connection problem or a design issue.



Half the problems you run into with breadboards are solved by using a prototyping board where you can guarantee the connections because you solder them.  The board in the picture is set up so you can use normal 0.3" lead spacing on IC's and have power rails run under the IC's for convenience.  You can get them with 3, 4 or 5 holes in each side pad (three shown in the image above) and this makes it more convenient.  The board in the image would suffice for 95% of the stompbox builds as it allows four rows of IC's and it is also useful for discrete components.  For small builds, you can cut the boards down with a coping saw or Dremel rotary blade.

I don't find soldering to be more of a hassle than trying to prevent components from falling out of a breadboard.  I have used breadboards in the past and find they are more trouble than they are worth.

[iainpunk]

i have had quite the polar opposite of an experience with breadboards, the one im currently using was a cheap chinese one, in clear plastic, and it doesnt have problems with 1W resistor leads, big electrolytic capacitor pins or even the 1N400x series of thicc chonkers. loads of people seem to just keep the board on its double-tape backing surface with the 'lid' on the tape, but mounting it to a more sturdy surface does seem to have fixed the trouble i had with my other bread board.

i think breadboards are the singel greatest tool out there for electronic hobbying. i tend to have my projects on the BB for months at a time, tinkering away in to the night.

cheers