What circuits and tools would be ideal for a beginner?

[Boromedic]

Hi there, I've having played guitar for years and have always been tempted to get busy with a soldering iron and make my own fx and mod my amps.

However I've always been put off by my previous experience of soldering a speaker lead for my amp, which took me ages and led to much swearing and frustration. For the past year or so though since doing more research I can see how that would have been avoided if i'd been a lot more patient, thought about what I was doing and purchased some decent tools first!!

So my questions to you all would be:
All the info I've found suggests an iron between 20-30 watts is ideal for PCB work etc. however what tip should I get? A pencil one or chisel, and is 3mm too big for delicate electronics work? I'm based in the UK so I was looking at buying an Antex XS 25: http://www.antex.co.uk/images/File/%20Irons%20Technical%20Info.pdf

Is all 60/40 solder rosin cored? Some sites list the solder but don't say that its rosin cored.

What should I start with? I was thinking of maybe some cables, then a couple of test leads or something before starting on an actual PCB or Vero project.

All help and advice would be very much appreciated, I'm really looking forward to starting on what looks to be a great hobby!!

Cheers

Alan

P.s. : Does anyone have any experience of the clone kits from this site : http://www.uk-electronic.de/onlineshop/index.php

[runmikeyrun]

Hi Boromedic, welcome to the forum.  and the addiction 

For tools you'll need a certain bare minimum.  At most hardware stores you can buy a set of "mini" tools... small pair of sidecutters, pliers, and needlenose pliers.  You'll need a couple of screwdrivers- small straight, #1 and #2 philips.  A set of jewelers screwdrivers can come in handy too.  A package of test leads are very helpful, get a minimum of 6.  I also have a small desk mount vise to help hold things while i'm soldering.  The vise adjusts to many different angles.  A light up magnifying glass for checking soldering.  A vacuum bulb for desoldering.  Don't forget wire strippers.  You'll also need a small cabinet with many little drawers for storing all your components.  If you're making your own boxes, then you're looking at a drill, drill bits, paint, etc.  A small fine file works well for sharpening your soldering iron tip.

As for a work space, you'll want somewhere that's at a comfortable height, with a hard, burn resistant material (or a material you don't care if it gets burned).  Make sure you have good lighting- I have two banks of fluorescent lights directly above my bench.  You'll get headaches if you spend a lot of time squinting in the dark, plus it makes it easier to see mistakes.

Components- a few online retailers sell start up kits that come with a ton of resistors and caps.  I'm sorry I can't remember who off the top of my head.    You can buy packages of multicolored wire, or buy the individual colors on spools.  22ga is a good size to use.  If you have the money, you can order a "stock" of switches, jacks, battery snaps, battery clips, pots, and LEDs.  I suggest doing that if you can afford it, it makes it much easier to experiment.  I also suggest building on perfboard at first.  Small Bear makes nice perfboards of various sizes.  Vero is tricky- it's easy to not completely cut a trace, and even easier to get solder bridges especially if you're just starting off.  There's no shame in ordering PCBs for your projects from Tonepad or GGG.  They are well made and make building easier.

A breadboard is helpful.  I used mine a lot back in the day but honestly I don't use it much anymore. 

I can't comment on the soldering iron or solder, I never really paid attention to what my iron's specs were when I bought it.  It's just a cheap radio shack one and it's been going on 10 years and it's working fine.

As far as what to start with... well... simple boosters, distortions, and fuzzes are the best.  The theory isn't as complicated, debugging is easier, and they're easier to get working correctly than say a delay or chorus.  Bazz Fuss and LPB-1 are a couple I can think of.  As a recent thread here suggests, do not start with a fuzz face!  After you get some transistor circuits under your belt you can try something with a chip- Smash Drive is a good simple one.  Just start small, if you dive into huge projects you'll get frustrated quickly and quit the hobby. 

Lastly... READ!  Read the articles at geofex.com, the wiki here, i'm sure there's other places i'm forgetting.  Search the forum on projects you want to do and research them before you start building.

Good luck, and have fun!

[Boromedic]

Hi Mike, thanks for all that great advice!

I've got a few basic tools already so I shall have a look at your list and see what to add.

Also thanks for pointing out how and where to start, its always a bit confusing and it sounds like the breadboard is a great suggestion along with the small bear site (good stuff on there!).

Thanks so much again,

Al

[CynicalMan]

I also suggest building on perfboard at first.  Small Bear makes nice perfboards of various sizes.  Vero is tricky- it's easy to not completely cut a trace, and even easier to get solder bridges especially if you're just starting off.

It might be a matter of tastes, but I couldn't disagree more. Vero is easy, you just use a drill bit or a trace cutter where necessary and then use it as a PCB. Perfboard, on the other hand, requires connections underneath the board, which are a PITA.  My veros and PCBs turn out great, while my perfs look like the tin man sneezed on them.
Anyway, I think you should start out with a PCB. They are very easy to use, much easier than vero or perf. Even better would be a kit from GGG or BYOC. They are great for learning the basics or building a stompbox, and have all the parts you need. The kits from the site you linked to look alright to me.

For soldering, go with a 3mm pencil or cone tip. A 20W iron is the bare minimum I'd use. 30W would probably be best. It will hurt more when you burn yourself (and you will get burnt), but it will be easier and faster. Also remember that you will be doing off-board wiring as well as board soldering. 25W would be OK if that's what's available, but not ideal.

I don't think all 60/40 solder has a rosin core. Make sure to buy the stuff with the rosin.

I agree with Mike about the things you'll want to purchase. This is good as a resistor kit: http://www.ebay.com/itm/50-Value-1-4W-Metal-Film-Resistors-1R-10MR-1-2000pcs-/150471475772
You'll want to fill in the missing values from other sources. 33, 330, 1.5k, 3.3k, 15k, and 2.2Meg are the ones I notice.

GET A BREADBOARD. You can use it to try out circuits before building, modding circuits, debugging effects, designing circuits, etc. It will be very useful now, and extremely useful once you get going.

Also see: http://sites.google.com/site/distorque/home/articles/tips-for-beginners

PS: My first attempt was a Fuzz Face on perf using lead-free solder, which failed miserably. I know what not to do.  

Edits: I took a closer look at the UK-Electronic kits. They don't seem to include transistor sockets, so get some SIP sockets for transistors. The linear booster is a good place to start.

If you want to stock up on transistors, diodes, and ICs, here are some suggestions:
BJTs
2N5088 or 2N3904
2N5087 or 2N3906
Diodes
1N4148 or other silicon signal diodes
1N34A or other germanium signal diodes
Red LEDs
Some LDRs for use with the LEDs
FETs
2N5457
J201
2N7000
ICs
TL071
TL072
4558
LM386
CD4049UBE

[.Mike]

I don't think anyone has mentioned the absolutely, positively, without-a-doubt, must-get tool...

...a multimeter.



Mike

[Boromedic]

 

Thanks guys for your advice, its very much appreciated.

I'm looking forward to getting started now, just gotta get hold of all the basics and get on with it:)

Cheers,

Al

[Mike Burgundy]

Alan, where are you from? 5088's and 3904's are cheap and readily available in the US but might be somewhat difficult to get and/or on the pricey side in Europe. There's other run-of-the mill transistors that work just as well but are cheap and very available over here. There's more than one "generic" NPN
Watch out with filing soldering iron tips - the surface of those is designed to withstand the rigours of soldering (flux etches metal - that's how it cleans your soldering surfaces) and if you remove that surface, the tip will eat away like nobody's business.
If you seriously think you'll be doing this for a while, do yourself a huge favour and don't skimp on the DMM (Digital Multi Meter) and soldering iron. Nothing too fancy, but get a good brand (ask here if you have something in mind), get a DMM with the standard AC/DC voltage (and current is standard although you won't use it much), resitance, diode test, BEEP for conductivity, AND preferably capacitance and transistor tester (beware, doesn't really work well for germanium - search the forum for a DIY tester). Frequency is nice, inductance is fancy but not needed so don't waste your money.
As for the iron - get one that's temperature adjustable. I have one that's 40W (I think) and adjustable from 200-480 degrees C. Love it. Lower settings for small pads and component leads (so you don't fry anything), high settings for jacks, witches etc. The upshot of this is that your iron and tip live longer, soldering is way neater, and you can get a lot of temperature into switches and stuff quickly. The trick is to be in and out *quick*, and the higher temp settings combined with the higher power of the iron lets you do this. If you solder with less power/temperature, the tabs and solder take too long to heat up and you will damage either the plastic casing, switch internals, or stuff wil start moving around because of the melting housing. Too hot isn't good either, but you'll find the sweet spot very quickly. Practice on jacks.

*phew* Rant off ;P

[CynicalMan]

OT, but you're the third Mike to give him advice today. This is how conspiracy theories get started. 

[Boromedic]

Alan, where are you from? 5088's and 3904's are cheap and readily available in the US but might be somewhat difficult to get and/or on the pricey side in Europe. There's other run-of-the mill transistors that work just as well but are cheap and very available over here. There's more than one "generic" NPN
Watch out with filing soldering iron tips - the surface of those is designed to withstand the rigours of soldering (flux etches metal - that's how it cleans your soldering surfaces) and if you remove that surface, the tip will eat away like nobody's business.
If you seriously think you'll be doing this for a while, do yourself a huge favour and don't skimp on the DMM (Digital Multi Meter) and soldering iron. Nothing too fancy, but get a good brand (ask here if you have something in mind), get a DMM with the standard AC/DC voltage (and current is standard although you won't use it much), resitance, diode test, BEEP for conductivity, AND preferably capacitance and transistor tester (beware, doesn't really work well for germanium - search the forum for a DIY tester). Frequency is nice, inductance is fancy but not needed so don't waste your money.
As for the iron - get one that's temperature adjustable. I have one that's 40W (I think) and adjustable from 200-480 degrees C. Love it. Lower settings for small pads and component leads (so you don't fry anything), high settings for jacks, witches etc. The upshot of this is that your iron and tip live longer, soldering is way neater, and you can get a lot of temperature into switches and stuff quickly. The trick is to be in and out *quick*, and the higher temp settings combined with the higher power of the iron lets you do this. If you solder with less power/temperature, the tabs and solder take too long to heat up and you will damage either the plastic casing, switch internals, or stuff wil start moving around because of the melting housing. Too hot isn't good either, but you'll find the sweet spot very quickly. Practice on jacks.

*phew* Rant off ;P

Hi Mike, thanks for the info, I live in the UK and haven't checked out the cost of various parts yet. However I will be soon just to get some idea.

As for soldering irons I did think I'd be able to get away with a decent make one temperature model but its looking like I might be better off with what you suggested, I shall have a look into it. I've lucked out on a DMM as a friend has given me a Fluke one he no longer needs in good nick, (no instructions mind so I'm going to have to learn as I go)  so I think thats a good start!!!

Thanks again:)

[PRR]

> a friend has given me a Fluke one he no longer needs in good nick, (no instructions mind

Fluke has manuals for most of their products posted on their site.

http://www.fluke.com/fluke/usen/support/manuals/default.htm

[Boromedic]

> a friend has given me a Fluke one he no longer needs in good nick, (no instructions mind

Fluke has manuals for most of their products posted on their site.

http://www.fluke.com/fluke/usen/support/manuals/default.htm

Brilliant, i'll check the model number and see if its there.

Thanks

[smallbearelec]

Here's my tutorial on tools:

http://www.smallbearelec.com/HowTos/Tools/Tools.htm

Welcome to the land of the pedal-philes, and Happy Construction!

SD

[deadastronaut]

+1 breadboard ,breadboard ,breadboard...and make it true bypass with a toggle 3pdt...essential to test/design/mod/experiment..and hear in proper context...

i find its best to bread everything...(within reason of course)...otherwise you end up building something you don't actually like, soundclips can give a general idea, but that is still down to a lot of variables...

guitar/amp/recording etc...



just my 2p...  

edit: plenty of beer too...

[LucifersTrip]

I don't think an ultimate necessity was mentioned...alligator clips

I'd agree with a combo of the previous posts.

I would definitely purchase some inexpensive silicon transistors (2222, 3904, 5088, etc) and breadboard some simply (< 15 parts) distortions / fuzzes/ boosters.
http://www.taydaelectronics.com/servlet/the-45/2-2N-2N3904-3904/Detail

You will need a £2 breadboard:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1pcs-700-Points-Solderless-PCB-Bread-Board-Breadboard-w-/390330809009?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5ae1877ab1

A few £  worth of caps / resistors (10-20 each of common values)
http://www.taydaelectronics.com/servlet/the-2046/-dsh-Easy-Ceramic-Disc-Capacitor/Detail
http://www.taydaelectronics.com/servlet/the-2016/-dsh-Easy-1-fdsh-4W-5-pct--Resistor/Detail

...and a couple 1/4" jacks of this quality (don't buy cheap Asian ones)
http://www.smallbearelec.com/Detail.bok?no=568

Under £10 and you can start having a blast...

[fpaul]

The best tool I bought was a temperature controlled soldering iron. Also, a silk screened, solder masked, pretinned pcb is much easier to solder.   

[head_spaz]

For tip cleaning... I use a copper dish scrubber. It's made of pure copper, but it looks like a rats nested brillo pad. $0.99 for two at the grocery store, right next to sponges and brushes.
And pick up some rosin solder paste at smallbear, radio shack or MSC industrial while you're at it.

[Mike Burgundy]

OT, but you're the third Mike to give him advice today. This is how conspiracy theories get started. 

Hey, it wasn't us.

[Paul Marossy]

Circuitswise, there's a few places that sell ready to solder PCBs. Might be an easy way to get started. You can always expand from there. Anything that's straightforward and doesn't require tricky transistor biasing and stuff along those lines.

[artifus]

another uk supplier: http://www.bitsbox.co.uk/

no minimum order, cheap p&p

[Boromedic]

Thankyou to everyone here for all your friendly advice

You are making what seems a big step really feasible to me with all your help, I feel quite humbled actually. I shall be back here to report on how things are going and of course to pick your brains!!

Thought i'd start with this to learn some basics, breadboarding etc. : http://www.bitsbox.co.uk/select.html#ElectronicsClub

Then maybe once I've soldered a few leads etc, get myself a simple PCB fuzz or something.

Cheers Guys