I'm currently teaching myself how to make pedals with no guidance aside from the internet. With my first pedal, i wired everything up before putting it into the enclosure, and then it was very difficult to fit all the wires into the box. I'm so glad you posted this video. It has really helped me understand what to do next time.
Just to say thanks for the pair of video's, I love to tinker on my breadboard while I watch, in fact I'm doing it right now and have a four transistor,four clipping leds, red ,green, red ,blue, and an op amp - ba546 and three pots, one tone ,one volume and one fuzz/sustain. Its about my tenth,my first was from your bass fuzz video, but I have yet to mount one in a stompbox.Thanks again!
thanks for making these videos. im working on a diode selector mod for a TS clone and its kicking my ass trying to figure out how to do 3 selections with a SPDT switch. somebody suggested doing the highest Vf diode and also the output on the common, and then i guess i do no diode or input on the outside, and lowest Vf diode on the other outside, all in parallel. so 1 is no diode, with the input bypassing lets say an LED, 2 is common with the LED diodes going to the output, and 3 is Ge diodes coming from the input. thaks for all your videos over a decade, you have the best content
This video is exactly what I was looking for as I'm brand new to pedal build and am about to take on your 7min fuzz. Also looking to build a test box in the form of a 1590A enclosure so some good practice wiring in tight spots. Thanks so much for this!
Nice one. Wish I'd had this video when I started out. A couple of things that I do that you might find interesting: I don't use wire strippers at this stage as I find the jerking sometimes breaks the wires that are connected - especially to the pots or board. I use a sharp craft knife to cut the insulation and then pull that off. To prevent those errant strands, I twist and tin my wires first, before putting them thru the lugs.
Thanks for doing these videos. I bought one of those switched. There is a little connector coming off that powers the light. I don’t want to use the light. What do I do with that connector?
Loved the video! But I was so curious as to how you mounted the PC board there? Double sided tape or ….? I’ve been using standoffs but would like other options. I am making a treble boost (my first treble boost) and decided to also go with terminal connections on my strip board so all connections to and from are not soldered but I can make a few other prototypes and just change out the ckt board. Fun!
Hi I watched your video on repairing an old Color Sound Wah, and I enjoyed that. I have a question about such a Wah pedal. The old Color Sound Wah that I have works well, but the sweep is reverse to a normal Wah, and I would like to change it to a normal sweep which is more treble as pedal moves forward, instead of more bass when moved forward as this old Wah does. I suppose it could be called a reverse sweep wah. Can it be easily converted to a normal sweep Wah? Thanks in advance for any suggestions on solving this problem.
Hello! Can you please explain how you soldered the ground to the DC jack? Do you have to rotate the jack to get to it? This video has been extremely helpful, thank you!
Interesting video. I have an 1967 Vox Tone Bender where the 9 volt battery leads have come off. I am trying to figure out where to resolder them. (I have looked at many photos of the wiring and there were apparently many changes Vox made back then to the wiring), so it is difficult to know how that input jack is wired... The reason I am finding it difficult, is my unit does not have a TRS stereo input jack, but uses a jack more like they would use in a patch-bay with a contact that will be interrupted when a guitar jack is inserted. I can't find a photo of a Vox unit with this patch-bay style jack, so how I wire the input jack is elusive.. Nice video... Phil NYC Area
Leaving the wires straight and not bending them over when you put them in the lugs, do you ever have the shielding/coating push through the lug when you heat it up? That crap ALWAYS happens to me. I use 24ga wire and I always have to bend it over. Any ideas?
Hey, thanks for all your videos, they are the best source for information about pedals. However, this may seem stupid, but it isn't specified anywhere; What do I wire the negative end of the power source to?
a noob question but what is the difference between a dc power jack that has 3 points to solder onto, as opposed to others that have 2? also, with the 3pdt, how do you tell which poles are which on it from 1 to 9? does it matter which way it is as long as the holes arent facing out to the sides?
Thank you so much for these videos! Two and half questions- You mentioned while soldering the foot switch the wire has to be touching the top of the lug? if its not but solder is still holding it in (it is in the center of the solder) will it still work? How do you solder the foot switch exactly? I've been just getting lucky till the hole gets filled but I've had some trouble with it. last question. Where can I get pre-tinned hook up wire like you are using. Thank you I hope to get some answers!
Thanks again Arya. I think what helps my cause is that i usually use VERY SHORT wire to the board and jacks. Something with 4-5 gain stages would benefit from shielded wire though. And any less noise is good right? :)
Thanks Micheal! Depends what the power source is :) For the DC jack you wire it the start ground on the input jack. For the battery, the ring lug on the input jack. Look up the offboard wiring diagrams on madbean / tonepad. They show the wiring layed out nice and clearly for you.
If you 'tin' the lugs first you can then just heat the wire/lug to connect it. Adding solder as necessary (not always). Oh yes, just salvaged a load of wire from a SCART-lead (as you mentioned in an earlier video, btw)
so if you already wired the input and output jacks to the board do u just wire the switch to that solder connection. is it ok if your pots are already connected to the joint also
The pedal is just a fuzz face, if your after the schematic, google image 'fuzz face' theres a tonne of them. The offboard wiring diagram is over a tonepad ("offboard wiring diagram 5" in the project file). Cheers!
search forums for something along the lines of "pulldown resistor". I can't remember off the top of my head but there are a number of posts on various forums about how the addition of an extra resistor can kill the pop made by the switch
thanks mate. Yeah you can hot glue it down (where possible) or use cardboard and tape etc. I dont recommend solely using tape as sharp cut leads can puncture the tape and make contact with the enclosure. Cheers.
FandangleTechery I'd recommend stranded wires preferably made out of copper and not too thin. Tin the ends and use cable ties. It''ll look great and will be of high quality. Also use that shrink material for safety.
Thanks Arya. I know alot of people that use shielded wire and for certain builds (fuzz factory, dr boogey etc) it can help. I've never bother. Maybe i should start? :)
I just bought a custom pedal from a U.K. (not directly but through reverb)builder and I opened the back and it was a mess.the circuit boards are just thrown in.What can I use to give them a solid set in the box so that they don’t move around?
Hi there! I need help on my Boss HM-2 on the power supply section. It won't light up when power supply is used,but works with battery. I guess the wire on the DC Jack is messed up.
Thanks for the help, yup ! it really needs 12v power supply. I didn't remove the diode and resistor. I just made a 12v regulated power supply using LM7812. Thanks a lot for your help!
Hi there, big fan from Portugal! Can you point me to the wiring diagram of your preference on off board 3PDT? I'm having such a hard time finding one that works! Cheers!
Thanks Andre! Google "madbean standardised wiring diagram" you will get a pdf showing the wiring. Also, tonepad.com has one as well "offboard wiring diagram". Cheers
+Martin V.s Lawrence Hi Martin, my pedal kits come with 6 colors, this must have been from somewhere else. Either way, you can just use white wire. It all works the same, the color is just for identification. Cheers
I do all of mu soldering out side the pedal then just slip it in... but I'm one of the odd balls that doesn't might the DC jacks that fit through from the inside
oh also, do you not twist and/or tin your wires? I notice in this video when your wiring up the power switch, the wires aren't twisted. Should I be doing that?
No worries May! You can twist but you must be careful what you are twisting together. Ground and input is beneficial for example. Have a read on the forums for more detailed info.
+glen demon I always use a piece of an old postcard taped to the bottom of the pcb to make sure nothing can poke through (which has happened to me before when i used tape only...). It's quite funny to discover what sort of postcard I used in case I need to reopen the pedal sometime later :D
What kind of epoxy do you use? Have any brand names or specifications that are good for using in electronics? I was also looking to coat a piezo disc with an epoxy but I'm not sure what kind to get... Thanks again!
Hi there again. Just wondering but is the LED (and wire) going to any positive connection as I am trying to make the 7 min fuzz on viro (or vero as I dont know how to spell it lol) with a pot and the foot switch. I cant find any schematics anywhere but I am as far as the installing of the pot. Totally irrelevant but I know that your the guy to talk to about pedals and stomp boxes :)
Hi Aran, you can find a offboard wiring diagram on Tonepad,com (wiring diagram 5 I think it is). It will show you how to wire up the pedal. Also one on the madbean project page as well (new standardized offboard wiring or something like that). Cheers.
aran everitt That's too complicated a question for me to answer. You will need to ask your question on one of the forums (madbean, freestompboxes, diystompboxes, etc).
i'm modding a Boss DD3 to have a more analogue feel and the guy on the forum said to connect a capacitor between the feedback pot and "ground". Where exactly would ground be, on the metal case? Somewhere on the I/O port?
Wow I was really getting confused by you using a white wire as output. For me the white wire always resembled clean signal, and so I used it as an input wire :D Can't imagine using a white wire as an output ^^
This is a problem with pots wired to pcbs and not mounted. With that said there usually isn't much room left over inside for the pcb to flap around anyway, it doesn't usually cause a problem.
+Junjun Gimpao make sure input and output wires are as far apart and kept as short as possible. In case you have a circuit with an lfo that is being problematic with ticking noise, you can also use shielded wire for input and output or twist a grounded wire around them yourself.
What stranded 24 awg type? also what size on the pcb would you recommend for it? I was thinking 24awg stranded, but cant seem to make a clear choice on hole diameter needed on the board with enough clearance, 0.8mm or 1.0mm
Be sure to check out our store for all your diy guitar pedal needs. Thank you for your support! www.diyguitarpedals.com.au/shop/
I'm currently teaching myself how to make pedals with no guidance aside from the internet. With my first pedal, i wired everything up before putting it into the enclosure, and then it was very difficult to fit all the wires into the box. I'm so glad you posted this video. It has really helped me understand what to do next time.
nice
Just to say thanks for the pair of video's, I love to tinker on my breadboard while I watch, in fact I'm doing it right now and have a four transistor,four clipping leds, red ,green, red ,blue, and an op amp - ba546 and three pots, one tone ,one volume and one fuzz/sustain. Its about my tenth,my first was from your bass fuzz video, but I have yet to mount one in a stompbox.Thanks again!
Thank you so much for your videos! They’ve helped me so much! Helps that you seem like such a solid dude. Best!
thanks for making these videos. im working on a diode selector mod for a TS clone and its kicking my ass trying to figure out how to do 3 selections with a SPDT switch. somebody suggested doing the highest Vf diode and also the output on the common, and then i guess i do no diode or input on the outside, and lowest Vf diode on the other outside, all in parallel. so 1 is no diode, with the input bypassing lets say an LED, 2 is common with the LED diodes going to the output, and 3 is Ge diodes coming from the input.
thaks for all your videos over a decade, you have the best content
Thanks for making these videos. Helps me a lot !,
Love your channel, bro!
This video is exactly what I was looking for as I'm brand new to pedal build and am about to take on your 7min fuzz. Also looking to build a test box in the form of a 1590A enclosure so some good practice wiring in tight spots. Thanks so much for this!
Thanks Tom, good luck with the 7 min fuzz
Nice one. Wish I'd had this video when I started out. A couple of things that I do that you might find interesting: I don't use wire strippers at this stage as I find the jerking sometimes breaks the wires that are connected - especially to the pots or board. I use a sharp craft knife to cut the insulation and then pull that off. To prevent those errant strands, I twist and tin my wires first, before putting them thru the lugs.
Great help, thank you.
Thanks for doing these videos. I bought one of those switched. There is a little connector coming off that powers the light. I don’t want to use the light. What do I do with that connector?
Hey, nice to see tour videos. If the input and out put jacks are touching the case, do i have to conect anyway to ground?
Loved the video! But I was so curious as to how you mounted the PC board there? Double sided tape or ….? I’ve been using standoffs but would like other options. I am making a treble boost (my first treble boost) and decided to also go with terminal connections on my strip board so all connections to and from are not soldered but I can make a few other prototypes and just change out the ckt board. Fun!
Nice one Carson, thanks for the comment!
Hi I watched your video on repairing an old Color Sound Wah, and I enjoyed that. I have a question about such a Wah pedal. The old Color Sound Wah that I have works well, but the sweep is reverse to a normal Wah, and I would like to change it to a normal sweep which is more treble as pedal moves forward, instead of more bass when moved forward as this old Wah does. I suppose it could be called a reverse sweep wah. Can it be easily converted to a normal sweep Wah? Thanks in advance for any suggestions on solving this problem.
the work is great, can i get the circuit diagram? thanks
Hello! Can you please explain how you soldered the ground to the DC jack? Do you have to rotate the jack to get to it? This video has been extremely helpful, thank you!
I wish I watched this yesterday before I went to jaycar in search of 24 awg wire! Alarm cable looks like it will do the trick nicely!
Interesting video.
I have an 1967 Vox Tone Bender where the 9 volt battery leads have come off. I am trying to figure out where to resolder them. (I have looked at many photos of the wiring and there were apparently many changes Vox made back then to the wiring), so it is difficult to know how that input jack is wired...
The reason I am finding it difficult, is my unit does not have a TRS stereo input jack, but uses a jack more like they would use in a patch-bay with a contact that will be interrupted when a guitar jack is inserted. I can't find a photo of a Vox unit with this patch-bay style jack, so how I wire the input jack is elusive.. Nice video...
Phil
NYC Area
Leaving the wires straight and not bending them over when you put them in the lugs, do you ever have the shielding/coating push through the lug when you heat it up? That crap ALWAYS happens to me. I use 24ga wire and I always have to bend it over. Any ideas?
Hey, thanks for all your videos, they are the best source for information about pedals. However, this may seem stupid, but it isn't specified anywhere; What do I wire the negative end of the power source to?
Can you make a video about ground loops on pedal wirings?
a noob question but what is the difference between a dc power jack that has 3 points to solder onto, as opposed to others that have 2?
also, with the 3pdt, how do you tell which poles are which on it from 1 to 9? does it matter which way it is as long as the holes arent facing out to the sides?
Thank you so much for these videos! Two and half questions- You mentioned while soldering the foot switch the wire has to be touching the top of the lug? if its not but solder is still holding it in (it is in the center of the solder) will it still work? How do you solder the foot switch exactly? I've been just getting lucky till the hole gets filled but I've had some trouble with it. last question. Where can I get pre-tinned hook up wire like you are using. Thank you I hope to get some answers!
Thanks again Arya. I think what helps my cause is that i usually use VERY SHORT wire to the board and jacks. Something with 4-5 gain stages would benefit from shielded wire though. And any less noise is good right? :)
My fuzzrite is oscilating badly. Can it be because i have more than one ground on the circuit board? Isnt that a no-no?
a quick question, what is a good way to hold the pcb in place, so it doesnt stay loose inside the pedal? hot glue, like the led?
Thanks Micheal! Depends what the power source is :) For the DC jack you wire it the start ground on the input jack. For the battery, the ring lug on the input jack. Look up the offboard wiring diagrams on madbean / tonepad. They show the wiring layed out nice and clearly for you.
Thanks. This is extremely helpful. What gauge wire are you using?
what temp do you set your iron to for pedals?
If you 'tin' the lugs first you can then just heat the wire/lug to connect it. Adding solder as necessary (not always). Oh yes, just salvaged a load of wire from a SCART-lead (as you mentioned in an earlier video, btw)
so if you already wired the input and output jacks to the board do u just wire the switch to that solder connection. is it ok if your pots are already connected to the joint also
The pedal is just a fuzz face, if your after the schematic, google image 'fuzz face' theres a tonne of them. The offboard wiring diagram is over a tonepad ("offboard wiring diagram 5" in the project file). Cheers!
Hi! great video! do you have any advice on how to get rid off the pop noise when you turn on a pedal?
search forums for something along the lines of "pulldown resistor". I can't remember off the top of my head but there are a number of posts on various forums about how the addition of an extra resistor can kill the pop made by the switch
Great video. Do you use anything to insulate the pcb from the box? Glue, plastic sheets, blu tack etc?
thanks mate. Yeah you can hot glue it down (where possible) or use cardboard and tape etc. I dont recommend solely using tape as sharp cut leads can puncture the tape and make contact with the enclosure. Cheers.
I've just started using the solid core wire and find it much handier for neatness but I'm a bit OCD with that sort of thing
FandangleTechery
I'd recommend stranded wires preferably made out of copper and not too thin. Tin the ends and use cable ties. It''ll look great and will be of high quality. Also use that shrink material for safety.
Could you tell why I can't get a sound out of my pedal?
Why is there an opamp and two transistors in that fuzz face? I love opamp fuzzes but options are limited
hey buddy... you mention towards the beginning that the LED is prone to being pushed into the pedal. how come you put it so close to the footswitch??
Thanks Arya. I know alot of people that use shielded wire and for certain builds (fuzz factory, dr boogey etc) it can help. I've never bother. Maybe i should start? :)
I just bought a custom pedal from a U.K. (not directly but through reverb)builder and I opened the back and it was a mess.the circuit boards are just thrown in.What can I use to give them a solid set in the box so that they don’t move around?
stand offs can be tricky, maybe electrical tape, wont look pretty but should stop it from knocking around in the case.
Can the PCB actually touch the enclosure?
Sorry if you already mentioned it, I'm not too alert today, but what kind of solder do you use? What do you think of the lead free stuff? Is it crap?
Do you use solid or stranded wire?
Ohh... Ok! Thanks anyway for answering!
Hi there! I need help on my Boss HM-2 on the power supply section. It won't light up when power supply is used,but works with battery. I guess the wire on the DC Jack is messed up.
Thanks for the help, yup ! it really needs 12v power supply. I didn't remove the diode and resistor. I just made a 12v regulated power supply using LM7812. Thanks a lot for your help!
Hi there, big fan from Portugal! Can you point me to the wiring diagram of your preference on off board 3PDT? I'm having such a hard time finding one that works! Cheers!
Thanks Andre! Google "madbean standardised wiring diagram" you will get a pdf showing the wiring. Also, tonepad.com has one as well "offboard wiring diagram". Cheers
Thanks, you're a great help as usual! Yesterday I managed to get a fuzz working, turned out to be a bad ground connection. Duh...
And by the way, I've only now realized you talk about these two wiring schemes on the beginning of the video, sorry for troubling you!
How hot do you typically run your iron? thanks - Love the videos!
Hey Abram thanks for the compliment! My iron doesnt have a temperature setting, from memory i think it may be 30w. Cheers
350C with Pb, 450C without ;-)
I ordered A full fuzz pedal kit. But it only came with white wire. Can i use that to connect everything?
+Martin V.s Lawrence Hi Martin, my pedal kits come with 6 colors, this must have been from somewhere else. Either way, you can just use white wire. It all works the same, the color is just for identification. Cheers
Great tips! How did you paint your pedal ?
Cheers! I think its 'metal effect' paint from the hardware store. Cant recall the brand.
Ahh, Sorry I was thining of a different pedal. its actually powder coating "granny smith" with a holographic flick.
I do all of mu soldering out side the pedal then just slip it in... but I'm one of the odd balls that doesn't might the DC jacks that fit through from the inside
oh also, do you not twist and/or tin your wires? I notice in this video when your wiring up the power switch, the wires aren't twisted. Should I be doing that?
No worries May! You can twist but you must be careful what you are twisting together. Ground and input is beneficial for example. Have a read on the forums for more detailed info.
What do you use under the perf board to avoid the solder from getting shorted?
glen demon You can use tape, double sided foam tape, stand offs, hot glue, there are a number of options, but yeah, you definitely want to do this :)
+glen demon I always use a piece of an old postcard taped to the bottom of the pcb to make sure nothing can poke through (which has happened to me before when i used tape only...). It's quite funny to discover what sort of postcard I used in case I need to reopen the pedal sometime later :D
What kind of epoxy do you use? Have any brand names or specifications that are good for using in electronics? I was also looking to coat a piezo disc with an epoxy but I'm not sure what kind to get...
Thanks again!
the brand WEST ive found is THE best epoxy possible, the only UV stable product out there that wont deteriorate. hope it helps?
Hi Michael, what AWG size for your wiring are you using?
I dont always use the right AWG wire, but when i do its AWG24 ;-)
Thanks!
The enclosure is ground, you basically don't want anything on the pcb that conducts to touch it (component leads, tracks, solder points etc)
Hi there again. Just wondering but is the LED (and wire) going to any positive connection as I am trying to make the 7 min fuzz on viro (or vero as I dont know how to spell it lol) with a pot and the foot switch. I cant find any schematics anywhere but I am as far as the installing of the pot. Totally irrelevant but I know that your the guy to talk to about pedals and stomp boxes :)
Hi Aran, you can find a offboard wiring diagram on Tonepad,com (wiring diagram 5 I think it is). It will show you how to wire up the pedal. Also one on the madbean project page as well (new standardized offboard wiring or something like that). Cheers.
Also should I use a DPDT foot switch or follow your wiring in the video and use the foot switch you used. Thanks
aran everitt DPDT for buffered bypass with LED, 3pdt for truebypass with LEd.
Thanks I want to nake a fuzz with an option of clean aswell. Should I wire mine up like you did in the video? Thanks
aran everitt That's too complicated a question for me to answer. You will need to ask your question on one of the forums (madbean, freestompboxes, diystompboxes, etc).
i'm modding a Boss DD3 to have a more analogue feel and the guy on the forum said to connect a capacitor between the feedback pot and "ground". Where exactly would ground be, on the metal case? Somewhere on the I/O port?
ground is the negative charge. Use the sleeve lug on one of the input/output jacks.
Sir can i have the diagram of this pedal:-)? Thanks from hongkong!!!bless you:-)!!
Currently, pretty sure its 24 awg. Most people use between 22-26 awg from what ive seen.
How do I test my circuit before wiring
+Jesse Belanger Hi Jesse, check out this video, should answer your question! ua-cam.com/video/YECig-vgvek/v-deo.html
Wow I was really getting confused by you using a white wire as output. For me the white wire always resembled clean signal, and so I used it as an input wire :D Can't imagine using a white wire as an output ^^
The PCB just floats around in there?
This is a problem with pots wired to pcbs and not mounted. With that said there usually isn't much room left over inside for the pcb to flap around anyway, it doesn't usually cause a problem.
I bought the Jaycar 'good for kits' wire, utter rubbish. I will try the alarm wore
but how about the crosstalks between wires?
+Junjun Gimpao make sure input and output wires are as far apart and kept as short as possible. In case you have a circuit with an lfo that is being problematic with ticking noise, you can also use shielded wire for input and output or twist a grounded wire around them yourself.
My personal preference is stranded
What stranded 24 awg type? also what size on the pcb would you recommend for it? I was thinking 24awg stranded, but cant seem to make a clear choice on hole diameter needed on the board with enough clearance, 0.8mm or 1.0mm
Unless your a soldering pro do not use lead free. Very difficult to work with. Use 60/40.
I know a certain australian that wont like this at all. Can you guess him?
Dundee or Shepherd:P
Yeah not ideal position. If your going to put it close like i've done, definitely want to glue that sucker in!
Search CBFX in ebay.com.au