What's Your Main Motivation For Building Effects

[Jason Stout]

Viva DIY!

I agree!


This place makes it so easy to love audio electronics, long live diystompboxes.com as well!

[NaBo]

way cheaper than buying when you're building a lot.  
i crunched some numbers and realized i could get a 1500$ effects setup for about 400$.  
about 20 pedals.  i have time to learn and work for that

[David]

I got (back) into it because I thought I could save money by building the effects I needed.  I've since learned that it probably won't save any money, but it WILL get me the exact features and tonality I need.

[Ge_Whiz]

Because it impresses the hell out of my guitar-playing chums, something my playing is unlikely ever to do!  

[BILLYL]

I like the puzzle.  I like the challenge of take a schematic - flowing out the PCB and then putting it all together.

What I don't like is putting into the enclosure.  I must have 3 or 4 projects - all done and tested waiting for me to finish the enclosure.  

BILL

[jayp5150]

I replied with all of the above (except because "everyone's doing it" and to "make money").

I think it rests heavily on learning something new, but most of all, I've been jonesing for a Univibe for years, and one day I stumbled across here and was like, "Dude, I can make one?!?!  Sweet!"

I have yet to make that, but have completed the NPN boost, and a couple distortions.  I figured a tremolo, then on to some kinda' 'vibe clone.

This place rocks.  Thanks everyone.

[Mark Hammer]

Apologies to Frank Sinatra, Paul Anka, and Sid Vicious

And now.....the pedal's done,
The chassis's drilled, and nicely labelled.
I've nailed those tones so rare, with tones to spare,
both sick and fabled.

I've made that pedal do, some spiffy tricks,
and in a sly way.....
Oh yes, I've rolled my own, I did it MYYYYYYYYYYYYYY WAY.

For what is a geek, what has s/he got?
Op-amps to spare, a knob for each pot.
To sound the way s/he truly feels,
making those boards, with press and peels.

My bypass is true, my stompswitch blue....
(Drum roll please)  I did it MYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY   WAYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!


:lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol: (I'm not waiting for you guys)

[Hevimies]

I make them, because it's cheaper, for me, because I've not seen any FX I want to build for under $ 100. For example, my first FX project, an FF clone cost $ 44, and the original's about $ 200 here in Finland, so it's cheaper. And because it's cheap, I can and I will build some effects I would never buy because I don't have a real use for them.
I also like building them, and the fact that I can tweak them exactly to my tastes.

[MartyMart]

Apologies to Frank Sinatra, Paul Anka, and Sid Vicious

And now.....the pedal's done,
The chassis's drilled, and nicely labelled.
I've nailed those tones so rare, with tones to spare,
both sick and fabled.

I've made that pedal do, some spiffy tricks,
and in a sly way.....
Oh yes, I've rolled my own, I did it MYYYYYYYYYYYYYY WAY.

For what is a geek, what has s/he got?
Op-amps to spare, a knob for each pot.
To sound the way s/he truly feels,
making those boards, with press and peels.

My bypass is true, my stompswitch blue....
(Drum roll please)  I did it MYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY   WAYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

VERY FUNNY INDEED!  :lol:  :lol:  :roll:  :lol:  :lol:

[Paul Marossy]

What I don't like is putting into the enclosure

Yeah, that used to be where I would fall down. The enclosure always looks nice, but since I use a wall wart for almost everything that I have built, the insides aren't ever terribly neat. But, there are times when it is a necessity. Like my Shaka Tube build or a couple of other things that I have built.

Here's my Shaka Tube build:
http://www.diyguitarist.com/DIYStompboxes/ST1590BB.htm
I think this is the best project I have done to date in terms of layout, etc.  

So far, the results of the poll are about what I expected.

[smashinator]

I voted all of the above, because all but a couple of 'em applied to me.    I don't really care what my fav. guitarists use (except for the dude from Clutch.  Elephant Riders caused my lust for all amps Orange.), but I sure like building stuff.

[dv8]

I stumbled onto DIY after trying to fix a broken effect.  Now DIY is totally cool.  It is such a learning process.  Learning how to put circuits together, how to box them, how to paint boxes, and how to tweak.  I haven't made it to the design your own effects though.

Also I've built effects out of my price range, like the Ross Compressor.  I have built several effects which are now part of my gigging pedal board; Orange Squeezer, FTM, EA tremolo, and Rebote2 Delay.

I've also learned (from this board) how certain effects interact with your guitar controls, and how to get certain tones with various combos of guitar volume and tone.

All this has really fun and a real learning process.  This is all eased due to the fact that there are some really helpful people around here too!

[squidsquad]

TOO funny Mr. Hammer!  I always enjoy waking to a good laugh.

*My way* = components wired point to point...hanging in space....a rat nest of wires...scavenged pots....and tuna cans or cookie tins.  Always amazing when the the damn things actually WORK...HA!

Dammit Jim, I'm a guitarist not a craftsman!   :wink:

[Paul Marossy]

Dammit Jim, I'm a guitarist not a craftsman!

Yes Bones, I know.   :wink:

[runmikeyrun]

i do it because i want to get really messed up sounding effects, ones that cant be found in stores because no one else wants them.

That's what i'm talkin about.  I also started building effects because i needed a good bass distortion and no one makes one.  Now i have one

[Phorhas]

And now.....the pedal's done,
The chassis's drilled, and nicely labelled.
I've nailed those tones so rare, with tones to spare,
both sick and fabled.

I've made that pedal do, some spiffy tricks,
and in a sly way.....
Oh yes, I've rolled my own, I did it MYYYYYYYYYYYYYY WAY.

For what is a geek, what has s/he got?
Op-amps to spare, a knob for each pot.
To sound the way s/he truly feels,
making those boards, with press and peels.

My bypass is true, my stompswitch blue....
(Drum roll please) I did it MYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY WAYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!

Mark - you're a genius

[Johan]

..I have a confession to make... :cry:  I dont build much at all..I usually buy something that is close to what I'm after, then tweak it untill happy. I really only build from scratch when I cant find what I want or it is out of my budget.
if it's something specific I am after, I look at schematics for hours, then design/redesign something that will do what I want, such as using simplified buildingblocks of the LA2A, to make a light version..

Johan

[Transmogrifox]

I think the addiction thing fits me best, but the "learn and have fun" option was right up there.

I have learned a lot from looking at schematics, reading these threads and just building some stuff.  It's interesting to see some of my old stompbox "bones"--ugly looking perf projects with solder 1/8 inch thick on the bottom and ratsnest on top.  Most are still bones because they had a high-pitched instability problem when put in a box.

Now as time progresses I'm actually starting to get some useable pedals that don't annoy the heck out of the sound guy because of noise or oscillations.

I definitely fit into the category of "looking for weird stuff that isn't available commercially and hard and/or expensive to acquire otherwise".

[RDV]

For the chicks!

Yeah Baby!!

RDV

[Hal]

For the chicks!

Yeah Baby!!

RDV

girls look at my room and are like "what do you do" and im like uh...i build guitar effects...and they're like "whats that?  Do me"

actually, all that, except the do me part