Why is pedalmaking so addicting?

[WGTP]

To me, it started as an attempt to get a great tone at low volume.  I had always had such a tube amp bias,  :shock: that I never tried distortions and had been convinced they were uncool.  "Just goes to show how wrong you can be."  

It started with access to the internet and finding schematics and this place.  It's Aron's fault, he is the pusher.

I wanted gorgeous tones at volumes from 80db to 120db and I wanted a bunch of them.  I was too cheap to by 4 or 5 comercial pedals, so I started this and have build many with the bread board stuff.

I had heard the Rat and wasn't impressed, but when I re-built one and modded it to my taste, it is way cool.

I was also traumatized by the ancient and %^&*( sounding Vox Tonebender I had used in my youth.  For some reason when the TS and Dist+ came along, I wasn't impressed with those either.  Now, I can build them as I like.  

I'm not sure if my tastes have changed, or the boxes have gotten better.

[petemoore]

Tone Pallete...those who build and modify here have a definite edge over those who dont' and don't have access to a builder/modder...IMVBO.
 High Gain / Low Noise...I remeber trying everything I could manage to do non-DIY [short of actually Gettingthe noise gate] to reduce noise...was ALWAYS a ProBlem !!! now it isn't a much smaller problem I can manage...my noise floor is generally acceptable to very low.
 Because it's the only way any of us could reasonably manage a great sounding Tonebender.
 Because after even years of doing it, I'm still adding 'colors' to the tone pallette.
 I'm thinking again that I must be reaching some point of no return, as far as improvements to be made, though my building rate has slowed even more since I used to build two, even three boards up in one day, I'm still building.
 I'm still finding stuff that's news to me. New areas of interest such as the Diode Compression Op Amp and Simple Sim [Joe Davisson] and others such as this are finding applications where the beauty of the desing is well recieved by other circuits IMO.
 I have been spending more time enjoying the flavors of the fruits of my labor lately...perfectly juicy, sweet, sour, I have developed some recipe's I really like ... many recipe's.
 Because your amp sounds different than mine ?...Yes.

[davebungo]

My wife craves attention every night (you know what I mean) - I was worn out until I discovered DIY pedal making in the garage until 3 in the morning at which point I creep ever so silently into bed...but you know what women are like - their ability to be woken seems to be directly proportional to the amount of effort you put in trying not to wake them up in the first place and then they always check the clock to remember what time you came to bed at, so they can give you a good ticking off in the morning.  Come on admit it - how many of you have a mental map of the creaky floorboards in your bedroom which you try to avoid in the pitch darkness as you stub you big toe into the wardrobe and try not to cry out.....

Now I'm doubly knackered.  Let this be a lesson to you all.  Don't mix pleasure with.. er.. pleasure

[Paul Marossy]

their ability to be woken seems to be directly proportional to the amount of effort you put in trying not to wake them up in the first place and then they always check the clock to remember what time you came to bed at, so they can give you a good ticking off in the morning.

I'm screwed. The bed squeaks when I get in it! My wife doesn't believe me when I tell her that I had to get up to go to the bathroom. I'm going to have to find the source of that squeak...  :lol:

[David]

their ability to be woken seems to be directly proportional to the amount of effort you put in trying not to wake them up in the first place and then they always check the clock to remember what time you came to bed at, so they can give you a good ticking off in the morning.

I'm screwed. The bed squeaks when I get in it! My wife doesn't believe me when I tell her that I had to get up to go to the bathroom. I'm going to have to find the source of that squeak...  :lol:

Two words, Grasshopper:  "Select Comfort"...  air...  doesn't squeak.

[jmusser]

I did find out the other day, that biggest part of us fail in geekdom compared to the guy I saw on the history channel the other night. I forget his name, but he got an addiction of wanting to beat Vegas with a homemade computer. This was back in the 70s. He built and wore this massive thing around his waist like somebody making a bomb threat, and he had wires down to his shoes. He worked switches with his toes to calculate what cards had been played, and what ones to play (card counting), and he had LEDs mounted in the inside of a pair of sun glasses, that told him when and what to play somehow that were also wired to the mess around his waist. He eventually wired up his whole family except his wife and got involved with the local mob to bank roll him. I don't believe I've ever seen anything like this bunch. They looked like they could be Jehova's Witnesses or something, and were real churchy. They just like to see how their theories would proove out, and make a little money. No, we really lack in our degree of geekiness!

[Paul Marossy]

I think the casinos would kick out anyone wearing a contraption like that if it were today...

[Dragonfly]

I think the casinos would kick out anyone wearing a contraption like that if it were today...

hey Paul...weren't you gonna "take a break" for a while ?   :wink:  

<sure....take a break..i hear ya....>

Andy

[puretube]

not an addiction - rather a nasty habit...

[Dragonfly]

not an addiction - rather a nasty habit...

thats what i keep telling myself.....

[Paul Marossy]

hey Paul...weren't you gonna "take a break" for a while ?

I am taking a break of undetermined length from building stuff, but I'm still hanging out here.  Burning the candle at both ends for several years has caught up with me now... :wink:

[Doug_H]

My wife craves attention every night (you know what I mean) - I was worn out until I discovered DIY pedal making in the garage until 3 in the morning at which point I creep ever so silently into bed...

The funny thing about that is many of us started playing guitar in order to get that kind of "attention" in the first place...

Doug

[smashinator]

The funny thing about that is many of us started playing guitar in order to get that kind of "attention" in the first place...

Doug

Wait a second, you had an ulterior motive?  It wasn't all about the music??

:shock:

[squidsquad]

Yeah,  The Beatles appeared...and shy little me said> " Ah-Haaa...I can make the girls come to ME!"
I'm not really addicted to making boxes...only do one every few months. But I AM addicted to this forum (the only one I might add)...because it's so educational...and you guys amuse me!

[Connoisseur of Distortion]

Yeah,  The Beatles appeared...and shy little me said> " Ah-Haaa...I can make the girls come to ME!"
I'm not really addicted to making boxes...only do one every few months. But I AM addicted to this forum (the only one I might add)...because it's so educational...and you guys amuse me!

first time seeing this forum... i was kind of weirded out, because everyone was friendly and willing to lend a hand. go to any other forum (yes, i mean any) and you'll run into self-appointed gods and all kinds of spiteful talk.

and yes, addiction is a good way to describe it. we pay hundreds to feed it, no one else gets what's so great about it, and years later we'll all be sitting on street corners asking for broken radios.