Two questions: scavenging parts and prices

[Ponchus]

Hi all,
I have a Tube Screamer 10, which has a good sound (IMHO), but whose switch is really crappy (as is common with these pedals). I've been getting really annoyed at the pedal and have been using it less and less as a result. One day I stumbled across www.buildyourownclone.com, which got me interested in building my own pedals. I haven't built anything just yet, though. I also stumbled across this site, then GeoFex, and so on. Anyway, I'm totally itching to get started, I've been reading a lot and trying to get acclimated, etc. I figured my first project could be a replacement Tube Screamer (figured I'd get the 808). So anyway, I could either buy the kit from Build Your Own Clone, I could buy new parts outright (through Mouser and Small Bear and others), or I could scavenge parts from my TS10 (I'd just pick up the circuit board from BYOC and pick up anything extra that I needed).

Does this sound logical? If so, what parts would I scavenge? Should I keep the old transistors and capacitors and so on? The reason I ask is when I look at build instructions (such as on BYOC), it seems like you take your cap or tranny, put the nice long leads through the circuit board holes, solder them in place, and clip the extra length of the lead. The extra long lead seems like it helps make the soldering process easier. If I'd scavenge parts, I won't have the benefit of this. Also, do caps and transistors and all that go bad?

Another question I had is regarding prices. I did a search on this forum to see what people thought of BYOC. In several instances, some of the posters on this forum seemed shocked at how expensive BYOC is. However, I looked at the parts list for the BYOC Phase 90 clone, and I started shopping for all the parts on Mouser Electronics, adding all the parts into my "cart", just to do a comparison. It didn't seem that much cheaper to buy each part separate rather than to buy the kit. I was up to like $40 or so, and I'd still need to buy the circuit board ($15 from BYOC), plus I'd need to drill the enclosure, plus I'd need to pick up a bunch of JFETs and match them (which I have no idea how to do).  So just for my own knowledge, the BYOC Tube Screamer clone is $75...how much would you guys estimate the parts would cost you? And are you buying in bulk to achieve those prices?

Thanks for your help, you guys are really knowledgable and helpful to us newbies :-)

[nelson]

Do you have a laser printer or access to a photocopier? If so, etch your own board!

plenty of places like Generalguitargadgets.com and tonepad.com have PCB graphics you can etch.

I dont think that this hobby is really cost effective for just one project.

I get my pots from www.futurlec.com, 50 cents each cheap shipping, knobs 45 cents each.

I would get the JRC4558D opamp there too. say 40 cents.

resistors 3 cents each.

caps 20 cents each.

They have jack sockets too, 50 cents each.

Press n peel blue from www.Smallbearelec.com

copper blank you can buy in radioshack aswell as etchant to save on shipping costs, solder and an iron too.

buy hammond enclosures and 3PDT switches here www.effectsconnection.com
or switches from Aron.

Will come to considerably less than $75

alternatively, you could buy all the necassery parts at smallbear....bit more expensive but more convenient.

either way will come to alot less than $75 if you etch your own board.

20 resistors $0.60
20 caps       $4.00
3PDT           $4.00
Hammond    $6.00
Jrc4558D     $0.40
board          $2.00
etchant        $5.00
Wire            $1.00
Solder         $2.00
Iron             $15.00
Pots             $1.50
trans            $1.50
Diodes          $1.00
Knobs           $1.50
$45.50 + shipping.

Shipping will not = $29.50

you would have to buy the soldering iron + solder anyway.

[petemoore]

  I'ts like one 'Dorito'...nobody can eat just one.
  Pricing aside, it's the ability to build and tweek circuits that is the 'value' which is hard to relate to a dollar amount. If a circuit has a chance that you'll like it, the ability to tweek is what will let you find what you do like, and hopefully rid it of most of what you don't like.
  I built an OA BMP a couple days ago, used mostly sockets for the caps, and then set about revoicing the circuit, much more to my liking, much less to my disliking !!!
  I would be alot less inclined to do such experimenting on an already built and soldered down to stock values pedal.

[Hal]

how did the parts get up to $40 on mouser - an enclosure?

the hammonds there are super expensive.  You can get an enclosure and switch shipped for like $13.00 at effectsconnection.com  While you're there, he also has decent prices on jacks.

[dosmun]

I wouldn't scavenge any parts from the TS10.  Most likely you would damage more than you would save.  You could always use the TS board in a different enclosure.

[PenPen]

I would not recommending scavenging from one pedal for another. Not cost effective. Sell the pedal and buy parts.

Guide to being a scavenger:

1. Go through friend's and family's (with permission!) junk pile. Maybe this is just me, but I get a lot of crap VCR's (well, the ones that I haven't gotten drunk and tossed off a bridge for fun with my friends), TV's, cordless phones, alarm clocks, etc. These have salvagable transformers, diodes, caps, resistors, and a few transistors, and if you are really lucky, some useful opamps. Some of those you really have to be careful with removing. Resistors are so damn cheap it isn't really worth salvaging for your whole supply, but if you are removing everything else, why not, they are really easy to pop out with an iron.  Diodes, transistors, chips, and some caps are sensitive to heat, you need to use a heat sink when removing.

2. Check with local small computer repair shops. I used to work at one, so I go in there to say hi, and usually ask if they have any burnt out power supplies. These contain a good wealth of parts, HV caps, transformers, power diodes, voltage regulator chips, and LOTS of useful wire. Some places, if you ask, may give you burnt out (or obsolete, like AT style) PSUs or whatever. Of course, you know that something in them is dead, possibly many things, but you can test the parts, there's bound to be some usuable stuff in there. It doesn't hurt to ask. Buy a little something while you are there too, just to be courteous.

3. The classic dumpster diving. Could be illegal where you live. I don't do this myself (except when my friend's and I are drunk and looking for stuff to throw off the aforementioned bridge).

4. Tools: Solder pump (or braid), Good wattage soldering iron w/ both small pencil and wide flat tips. Clippable heat sink (could be just some forceps or needlenose pliers, or a real one from Radio Shack). Time and patience.

There are of course several other sources of electronic junk, just keep an eye out.

BUT.......DO NOT EXPECT TO GET EVERY PART YOU NEED FROM SCAVENGING. I suppliment my stock of parts with salvage parts, but I have bought a great deal of stuff too. Chips are hard to come by, or at least the chip you really need.

[Ponchus]

hey great advice, thanks all!