Anybody ever get TIRED of building effects and just want to play....?

Started by Bucksears, February 06, 2006, 09:06:55 AM

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Bucksears

I know it's sacrilege, but do any of you just say 'To heck with it, I can't get it working the way I want, so I'll just go look at some commercial effects for a while'?
Long story short: I was at GC on Saturday and was quite taken with the Boss ME-50's ability to have nice chorus, phaser, rotary, flanger, uni-v effects plus killer delay options and even some decent sounding distortions all in one box.
The wah features were simply a plus, not really mandatory, so all in all, the ME-50 is a useful little tool. I'm even considering selling my (original) Ibanez CS-9, Boss PH-1R, GE-7 and TU-2 Tuner to help pay for it.

Lately I've just reached a bit of frustration with constantly working on pedals when I have free time instead of just playing.
My Dr. Boogey is at a great place that I'd like to keep it at, but my JCM800 is acting up again and I think I screwed up the PCB from working on it so much (now it's fuzzy-sounding and not staying biased). The Thunderchief needs a little work and it should be fine. My BSIAB II is going to be re-cased with the midrange mods and I'm cringing now at the thought of starting on any new pedals. They just eat up so much TIME.
Maybe I'm doing too much? Maybe I should focus on ONE, finish it and move on to the next?

I'm sure it's just temporary as I have taken time off before, but am I the only one that has gone back to looking at commercial stuff with a sigh of relief?

- Buck

Steben

I reached that feeling too over and over, but since I am "between bands" for over a year, the time spent in pedals doesn't hurt anything.
The fact is I playd on many multi-effects and every time I got bored with them. Chorus too synthy, not synthy enough, bad distortions, etc...
I always go back to pedals. At home, I never played on anything but SS amps too. That will change this spring. I guess the pedals will really come to life with hot bulbs (talking about fuzzers that is).
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nelson

Isnt the whole point of this hobby to make your playing sound better?

So logically if pedal building is hurting your playing, play more.

I still buy manufactured effects, although only those I cant build for less, even then I am usually thinking of ways to make them sound better.

DIY is alot about getting the sounds you want, not alot about convenience. If you can get those sounds from an ME-50 and not compromise, go for it.

My project site
Winner of Mar 2009 FX-X

BMF Effects

Between my full time and building effects, there seems to be little time for anything else. Every time I set aside time to play on a weekend, something always seems to come up. I can't remember the last time I just holed up in my music room and rocked out for an afternoon.

Melanhead

Hmmm .... I got into this because I couldn't find the right pedals to give me the tones I wanted ... The only commercial pedals on my board now are my Diamond Analog Delay and my Diamond J-Drive ...  I'm only using the J-drive for the boost at the moment and will replace it with my own booster when I have time. I seem to stick to the easier/tweakable/tone shaping designs ( boost/overdrive/distortion) and leave the comlex stuff to the real techs ;)

If the ME-50 is what you want then go for it ...

Personally the only added " FX " I use is a delay so stompboxes, for the tones, are great for me ... I'll probably slow down on building once I have my board finished ... I play on the weekends as it is, so I rarely play at home.

Paul Marossy

About 1-1/2 years ago, I decided that I was building too much and my playing was really suffering. So I made a concerted effort to play more and build less. I'm glad that I did! I am back to where I used to be. Now I only build stuff once in a while. I guess you could say "I'm all built out".  :icon_eek:

Mark Hammer

All the time.  On the other hand, building is quieter and requires less cooperation from others.  On the other hand again, not even the rattiest Al-Qaeda-planted fret tangs have ever done to my fingers what slips of the pliers, soldering iron, and utility knife do to my fingers.

Ge_Whiz

Hell no! I am at heart a poor and lazy guitarist, and it's much easier to impress my friends with a homebrew pedal than any amount of practice will achieve.  :icon_biggrin:

vanhansen

This thought has gone on in my head several times.  With a little one around, it's hard to find time to make anything let alone play.  When the chance arises though, I take full advantage.  Can't sleep?  Play on the breadboard.  Wife is out and the kid is in bed?  Perf it.  :D  It's worked for me several times.  I tend to work on one though and get it finished before moving on to the next.  I'll tweak a few at a time but when it comes to building and/or troubleshooting, it's one at a time.
Erik

pi22seven

If building gets in the way of playing, stop building.

I think sometimes we get too wrapped up in the whole quest for tone thing that we forget why we're doing it.

Tom Morrello was in GP not too long ago and he was talking about how he was caught in the trap of finding his tone until one day he spent some time with his guitar and amp and after spinning knobs for a few hours stopped and finally settled on a sound. The whole settling on sound allowed him to concentrate on playing.

You can have the best tone in the world but it doesn't carp if no one gets to hear it.

Joecool85

haha, thats funny Ge_whiz, me too.  I play when I feel like it though, normally an hour or two a week.
Life is what you make it.
https://www.ssguitar.com

phostenix

For me, these things have "seasons". I'm ready to put more time into the guitar as well. I'd say it should be normal to want to play - isn't that what this is all about anyway?  :)

I've got an ME-50. If you want my detailed review, let me know. I've posted pieces in places before, but I need to put it all together for HC anyway. ;)

Grace and peace,

Steve
There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

King Solomon

WGTP

I find that I get lots of practice in while tweaking and getting a really good sound inspires new riffs.

When I do play with friends, I use my PV Bravo which is all tube and my only effects are an Echoplex

What I feel I need to spend more time doing is digital recording and less buiding.   :icon_cool:
Stomping Out Sparks & Flames

analogmike

DIY has unpleasant realities, such as that an operating soldering iron has two ends differing markedly in the degree of comfort with which they can be grasped. - J. Smith

mike  ~^v^~ aNaLoG.MaN ~^v^~   vintage guitar effects

http://www.analogman.com

alteredsounds

Yep me too, trouble is there's always that 1 build that needs finishing or tweaking or 'i'll quickly build that to see what it's like.......'  Self Restraint is needed!

twabelljr

QuoteHell no! I am at heart a poor and lazy guitarist, and it's much easier to impress my friends with a homebrew pedal than any amount of practice will achieve.  
Quotehaha, thats funny Ge_whiz, me too.  I play when I feel like it though, normally an hour or two a week.
I'm in the same boat as you 2. I play guitar for fun and I am not a gigging musician. My progress as a player has slowed down since I discovered E.P.F.M. and all the great web sites associated with this forum. I love to create things, and electronics too. DIY guitar effects, what a perfect hobby!!!
Shine On !!!

Melanhead

Quote from: vanhansen on February 06, 2006, 11:27:01 AM
This thought has gone on in my head several times.  With a little on around, it's hard to find time to make anything let alone play.  When the chance arises though, I take full advantage.  Can't sleep?  Play on the breadboard.  Wife is out and the kid is in bed?  Perf it.  :D  It's worked for me several times.  I tend to work on one though and get it finished before moving on to the next.  I'll tweak a few at a time but when it comes to building and/or troubleshooting, it's one at a time.

Yup ... Kids and wife in bed, in front of the hockey game, designing tweaking in my head etc ... .... although I've never actually used a bread board ... Just socket anything I may change on the vero layout ... My weekend band fills my need to play. I've spent 23 years learning how to play, now I'm learning how to get the tones I hear in my head... it's very rewarding ;)

Bucksears

Steve,
Yes, I'd love a detaile review of the ME-50. It's the one piece of commercial gear that I've been really impressed with lately.

Thanks,
- Buck

Plectrum

I think *many* people get stuck in the big tone search, (myself included) DIY stompers or not.
Guitarists are heavily encouraged to fixate on the equipment, the marketing man has long won that game.
The revealing aspect is that there are some who've managed to create an idividual style, who you'd still recognize if they were playing someone elses rig. For me, that's the holy grail: People like Dave Gilmour don't have one tone, but you always know it's him.
(sorry if this is too obvious a point).
In a way though, DIY is a way for some people to reclaim some degree of individuality, and opt-out of the generic "consumer-guitarist" caste:- and to learn a hell of a lot in the process.
As always, it's a just question of getting the balance right.

Grant.

phaeton

I have issues with tendonitis and carpal tunnel, so i'm unfortunately never going to be able to achieve any great playing ability again.  Sometimes, the more I practice, the sloppier i get.  On top of that, in my head, or soul, or whatever, I don't really hear or feel music the way I used to when I was up to snuff.  I used to scrutinize every detail, nuance of tone, chirp of the pick, tick of the 60hz hum, etc, blah pish.   Nowadays I start jamming on stuff and get bored after about six chords....

...so building pedals and amps is something I failed at miserably about 15 years ago, but with the modern parts sources, helpful forums and people (like this one) and schematics and how-tos all over the freakin' internet, I'm (mostly) succeeding at this while I'm failing miserably at playing the guitar.

I might be taking the slightly "wrong" path at this though.  I seem more motivated to design my own circuits and try all my own crazy ideas to "see what happens" instead of building the tried and true "classics" or any of the "new boutiques" like the BSIABII.  I'm probably going to greatly impede my learning progress by doing this, but well..... it's how I am with everything.  It kinda knocks my enthusiasm down when I consider that "everything's already been done before"/"I'm not likely to stumble upon any *magic* holy grail setup" and that pretty much nobody will ever have any interest, tonally, financially, or otherwise in the circuits I come up with.

So I guess I'm starting to tire of it too, before I get started, no less. :(
Stark Raving Mad Scientist