OT: You know you're an FX geek when...

[A.S.P.]

...you have try to log out of a forum, in order to try to post a reply...

[JimRayden]

...when you start talking to ordinary citizens about what you're doing and they look at you like you've grown a second grotesque head.

RDV

So I'm at school, making a to-buy-list, having all the schemos and stuff in front of me. The usual conversation in this situation:
-"What yer doin'?"
-"Parts list."
-"For what?"
-"Guitar stuff."
-"Oh, electronic guitar stuff? What's that?"
-"That's a schematic of a guitar pedal."
-"What's that?"
-"It's like signal modulating circuit."
-"Wha?"

etc etc etc, until I have explained the principles of audio electronics and the guitar gear. But usually I tell them to piss off before the conversation gets too rediculous.

------------
Jimbo

[octafish]

...when you boss walks into the office when you're designing a PCB and says "Are you still at that?".  You're closing application windows as fast as you can and avoiding his glare and say, truthfully, "yes".  And it was three weeks ago that he last saw you...

I have more stompboxes than the a guy a few blocks away from my place who plays in a band. I have 5 distortions and 2 wahs and the guy only has a distortion and a delay or flanger.

...yeah, a common symptom.  I got 20 boxes and can hardly even play the guitar.

Guitar? What guitar? I just play my pedals now. 

[nelson]

You realise soldering naked hurts.

A sharp blob of solder jabs you in the bum when you sit on the couch.

I have looked at car plates and noticed part numbers 

You look at CCTV wire boxes and wonder if the camera can see you if you steal it.

You walk near your workbench and a component lead embeds itself in the sole of your foot.

You get component leads in your shoes and dont notice till your halfway to work.

You run out of component storage.

Your cat runs away when you turn on your amp.

The neighbours complain about you drilling at 4am.

You constantly go into charity shops looking for strange enclosures on the way to work.

You get all your dishcloths stained with ferric chloride.

Your g/f says "Not that brown shit again".

Your iron hits PnP blue more than clothes.

You think beer and a new circuit is a good saturday night.

[Paul Marossy]

I got a good laugh out those ones nelson. 

Here's one to add to the list: When your 3-1/2 year old girl asks, "Daddy, are you etching another board again?" and your 1-1/2 year old boy wants to help you with your Dremel tool equipped with a 1/32" drill bit or sit on your lap while you're soldering up a board.

[Fp-www.Tonepad.com]

 You know you're an FX geek when...



... You reply to a post that is 1.5 years old!

Fp

[Processaurus]

  thats hilarious, Nelson.  You're a geek if you've ever tried modding a pedal in the middle of cooking dinner...

[KORGULL]

You know you're an FX geek when...

You're reading this.

[nightingale]

right now in my mozilla tabs:

diystompboxes.com/forum

18watt.com/forum

mouser.com/view order

thats pretty rough?

[petemoore]

  When you have to look at the same closeout aisles at Marcs, hoping that some silly doo dad can be an inexpensive and cool enclosure, or something to put on one...I found probably the worlds cheapest DMM there today, has HFE and diode checker on it too...worked when I tried it out
  These 'Doctor Martens' shoes have 'slots' for 10uf 25v electrolytic caps and other items of that size, I know I'm a geek because I leave an actual trail that leads from the computer, to the TV, to the bed, to the lab...GEEEeeeeekkkkkker...oh what's that...hmmm NTE158...cool!!

[milkwasabadchoice]

Im gonna go with Nightingale.

"When 11 of the 14 like in your favs are primary DIY effect links or amps."

-J

[Wimpy]

 ...cold turkey almost got me when the forum was down...

[petemoore]

  When you're thinking up new lyrics for the UB40 song "Red Red Wire"...

[petemoore]

  When you leave the snow shovel in the lab because you know you're going to have to 'clean up around the bench' again before winter...

[gloryboy]

...When you actively decide to listen to Tonefrenzy audio demos of rare effects instead of ACTUAL SONGS.

...When you check about 5 times a day at several web sites to see if they have any Flanger Hoax sound clips yet. (Guilty as charged!)

...When you actually type the words "Ludwig Phase II Synthesizer" into a Google search.

...When your wife informs you that you were talking about stompboxes in your sleep. (This actually happened)

I would just like to say that I have only known about this fourm for a few months, but I'm allready an addict. And I haven't even built anything yet! I look forward to my first project, modding my crappy Crybaby wah to Clyde McCoy specs. But first I'll need to find a custom "Halo type" inductor..............

[Steben]

... about EVERYONE you know tells you you are.

... you walk around in charity shops and try to convince your wife to buy that 50 years old tweakable tube radio (that probably won't work, but...)

... oh yes car license plates, tell me about it ...

... you get potatoe chips in an alu bowl at friends and start turning it around and do some mind measuring...

... biscuit tin, hey! that would actually make a good preamp box you know!

[milkwasabadchoice]

OK this might top them all.

"You know your an effects geek" when your 18 and have 6 effects and two amps built.  Without any help besides this forum!

Which I know by the way that this forum is a huge abd help and there is NO WAY I would be half this far with out you guys. So thanks a lot! I've even been known to give advice. (VERY VERY Rare)

Jason

[Paul Marossy]

How about when you spend half of your workday cruising the DIY forums? 

[petemoore]

  When every day it is something new, but still the same...Coffee, Cigarettes and Checkout the Forum...
  I don't know why, but the Buzz hasn't worn off.

[wampcat1]

So many of these are so true!!

For the builders:
You anxiously await the day when you are all caught up building other people's pedals so you can build some for yourself!