I found some awesome new knobs!

Hey guys,
    So a while ago I got a couple of freebie knobs from a forum member on the MBF. I LOVED them! I have been trying to find the manufacturer of them for a while and after countless Google searches I finally found what I was looking for. Here are a few of the options that they offer.

Here is a picture of the knobs with no insert. There is a set screw in the middle of the knob that tightens onto the shaft of the pot. The insert (or pointer) then goes over the set screw concealing it completely. Its a pretty sleek design. The knobs and inserts are made from a textured plastic.

There are some of the insert / pointer options. They have a few more available theses are just the ones I found to be more appealing.

This is one of the original knobs I got from the forum member. It has a 31mm diameter and uses the blue insert like in the picture above.

Here are what some of the inserts look like on the knobs. I really like the disk insert (the one on the right) and will probably use it on Darren's Reverb build.

Well that's all for now but I just figured I'd share these with you. Thanks!

-Mike-

Previous Pedal Boards

Hey guys, My wife and I are in the process of buying a house and I don't have a ton of time to build right now. Plus all my stuff is in a box buried among the chaos right now. I thought it would be fun to give you a "filler" post. I am going to post all my different pedal boards over the years (past 6 or 7 years I think). This isn't the first but it's the oldest the I can find a picture of.

Version 1
This was a crappy guitar case I cut in half and put split hinges on. The pedals are as follows.

Top (left to right)
Line 6 Otto Filter, Boss FZ5 Planet Waves PW40.

Bottom (left to right)
Dunlop High Gain Volume, MXR Phase 90, Electro Harmonics Memory Toy, Boss CH1, Boss BF2, Hand Built AB switch (built by me)

Version 1.1

Top (left to right)

MXR Phase 90, Line 6 Otto Filter, Boss FZ 5 Planet Waves PW40. 

Bottom (left to right)

Dunlop High Gain Volume, AKAI Head Rush II, Electro Harmonics Memory Toy, Boss CH1, Boss BF2, Hand Built AB switch (built by me)

Version 2.1

Top (left to right)

AKAI Head Rush II,Boss FZ5, Line 6 Otto Filter, Planet Waves PW40. Hand Built AB switch (built by me)

Bottom (left to right)

Dunlop High Gain Volume, MXR Phase 90, Boss CH1, Boss BF2,  Electro Harmonics Memory Toy, Peavey Amp Switch

Version 2.2

Top (left to right)

AKAI Head Rush II, Line 6 FM4 Filter Modler, Boss FZ5, TC Electronics Poly Tune

Bottom (left to right)

Dunlop High Gain Volume, Boss CH1, MXR Phase 90, Boss BF2, DeltaLab Rock Distortion, Peavey Amp Switch

Version 3.1

Top (left to right) 

Line 6 DL4 Delay Modler, Signal Flex Power Supply,  Line 6 FM4 Filter Modler, 

Middle (left to right) 

Behringer Reverb/delay, Boss NS2, Boss FZ5, ElectroHarmonics #1 Echo, Custom Amp switch

Bottom (left to right)

Dunlop High Gain Volume, MXR Phase 90, Boss BF2, Boss CE5, DeltaLab Rock Distortion, TC Electronics Poly Tune

Version 3.2

Top (left to right) 

Behringer Pitch Shifter, Boss RC2, Boss PS3 Pitch Shifter/Delay, Line 6 DL4 Delay Modler,

Bottom (left to right)

Dunlop High Gain Volume, DeltaLab DD1, Boss CE5, Boss BF2, MXR Phase 90, DeltaLab Rock Distortion, TC Electronics Poly Tune

Version 3.3

Top (left to right) 

Peavey Amp Switch, Behringer Pitch Shifter, Line 6 DL4 Delay Modler,

Bottom (left to right)

Dunlop High Gain Volume, DeltaLab DD1, Boss CE5, Boss BF2, MXR Phase 90, DeltaLab Rock Distortion, TC Electronics Poly Tune

Version 3.3

Top (left to right) 

Ibanez DE7, Behringer Vintage Phaser, Boss DS1

Bottom (left to right)

Ernie Ball Volume, Peavey Amp Switch, TC Electronics Poly Tune

Version 3.4 (Current)

Top (left to right) 

Ibanez DE7, Custom Built Phase 45 Clone (built by me), Boss DS1

Bottom (left to right)

Ernie Ball Volume, Peavey Amp Switch, Custom Built signal buffer (built by me) TC Electronics Poly Tune

Well there you go guys, hope you enjoyed the show!

-Mike-

Just another update...

So I am just writing an update to keep everyone that reads up...well, to date. I haven't had much time to build or populate in the past couple weeks. My wife and I are currently trying to buy a house and it is a very taxing and time consuming process. That being said I did paint and decal a couple of enclosures but when I applied the clear coat the paint did some weird texture/wrinkle thing. So, I had to strip the enclosures and still haven't repainted them yet. I am hopping to repaint them this weekend weather and cold permitting. I also had a request for another build. My pal Darren from Mask & Raid requested a 1590A Reverb pedal. It's doable, gonna be tight but doable. I have a layout and everything, just need the enclosure. Then once I get the board built its time to paint and drill the enclosure. I'm going to try a "reverse etch" for the art on this. The 1590A is kinda small and hard to get graphics on so it might be a good candidate for an etch. Well there you have it just a quick update. See ya!

-Mike-

P.S. I think i found a better way to "fix" a miss drilled hole. But, more on this later.

Updates and things...

Hello Readers,

    So it's been a long time, not really but, I figured I'd give you an update. My Customer Tom (the guy who I built the Elephuzz for) loved his pedal. Just after that was posted my buddy Matt asked for a clone of the Boss ML-2. To that I said "yeah I could do that OR...build you something WAY better!" So I have etched the board and populated it. I have also drilled the enclosure and started painting. He wanted a charcoal color and orange and purple LEDs. As he said "kind of an ode to Portal" the video game. I had the decal all laid out before he told me that and wait till you see what I came up with! it's pretty bitchin'! I'm not gonna spoil the art but here are a couple pictures of the board.

 

I did etch an extra board for myself (the white one on top is for me) and created a switch board as well. Keith on MBPF did a wiring diagram and I decided to make a board for it. More updates on this to come. I'll do a separate write up, as I always do, once I am finished with the build. 

    Second I have been working on my own PCB design. This has been the thorn in my side for a couple of weeks now. I did the design (what I thought would work) and ordered the prototype pack from OSH PARK. Needless to say, once populated it didn't work. I have been trouble shooting and testing this thing for 2-3 weeks now. I have 3 pages of hand written notes, attempted 6 or 7 different things, and even went as far as to redesign the board. I have taken a break here and there from it but, DAMN is it frustrating! I guess that's one of the pains of doing your own desing tho. Maybe i should have started with something a little less painstaking. Perhaps a fuzz or distortion NOT A FUCKING RING MOD. Sorry just venting. More to come on this too.

     While taking a break for the ring mod madness I decided to populate another board and take my mind off it. I went with the "Kracken" by Madbeans. This is a modified version of the Mutron Micro V envelope filter. The Mutron was a one knober, this has controls for "Attack, Decay, and Range" It also features a Hi/Lo frequency switch. This is a GREAT filter! It sounds awesome and was fun and easy to build, I have the art done and the enclosure drilled. Just need to finish painting and apply the decal and clear coat. Here is the artwork I used on the pedal. The LED indicator will be where the eye is.

This will be in a Hammond 1590B enclosure. It will also be a permanent fixture on my board. Can't wait to finish this and post it. 

     Finally, I also finished up a Hamlet Delay. This is a fabricated board by Jon Patton. This has to be one of my favorite PT2399 delays. It's the most analog sounding and cleanest I have built. It does take a little dialing in but it is worth it! The PT2399 delay is often advertised as an "analog" delay...LIES, ALL LIES! They are analog voiced, That is the difference. Any ways no pictures for that yet, I'll post them ASAP. Thanks for reading guys. See you soon.

-Mike-

Finished Customer Build (Elephuzz)

Hey Everyone,
    I finally finished the customer build I posted about a few weeks ago. This was a lot of fun for me. I love fuzz pedals so I put quite a bit of effort into it. I think you'll be able to tell by the pictures below. This pedal had a few of "first times" that went along with it. It was my first time; using water slide decals,using boards etched by me, using stranded wire, building for someone I didn't know (friend of a friend). The board is a Madbaens Sabertooth etched by me. I used the 3PDT designed by Cody on the MB forum, it makes everything easier. I had to substitute a couple of resistors for different values but it made no tonal difference on the effect. There is one more first on this pedal and it is the finishing process. So instead of just letting the spray paint dry I baked it in the oven for 30 min at 200 degrees. This hardens the paint and makes it more durable, It also does the same for the clear coat. The pedal is a clone of the Zvex Woolly Mammoth, so naturally I named it the Elephuzz. It has four controls; Phuzz, Pitch, Eq, and Bite. The pedal is quite dynamic and a ton of fun to mess around with. You can get everything from screaming high pitched fuzz tones, to deep muddy muck tones. Great pedal and a boat load of fun to play and build. Here are a few pictures of it.

So there you are...The Elephuzz. Hope you guys like it. I did a quick video and will try and get it up on the tubes later this week. If you have any questions let me know. Thanks again for reading.

-Mike-

PS. HUGE props to Cody for the 3pdt daughter board design and the water slide decals!!!
VIDEO!!!!

How I fill a miss-drilled hole

Hey Guys,
     This is kind of a instructional on how i fill a miss drilled hole in a pedal enclosure. Recentley I ordered a bunch of enclosures that were "Oops" enclosures. They were either miss drilled or scratch and dent. They were a really good deal and I couldn't pass it up. So below should help you out if you have an "oops" drilled enclosure kicking around.

Supplies needed:
-J.B. Weld: I used this stuff. It's industrial strength and works really well. The Quick set should work just as good.

-Sanding Block and wet sand paper: I recommend using a block, it's easier on the hands. I used a few different grit ratings. I found that 150-220 grit worked best. I also just used the Harbor Freight wet/dry sand paper, nothing special.

This is the sanding block I used. The top un-clips and the sandpaper wraps around the bottom part. The the top clips back on and holds the sand paper in place. Once again Harbor Freight (I think), nothing special.







-Something to mix the J.B. Weld on and with. I used cardboard and a broken pick.
-Something to apply the J.B.Weld. Once again I just used cardboard.
-Toaster Oven (optional). I say optional because the J.B. Weld will dry and harden on its own. I use this to speed up the process and have it "cure" at a higher temp.
-Coffee... LOTS AND LOTS OF COFFEE!!!


The Process:
1. Clean the enclosure and tape the backside (inside the enclosure) of the hole or holes you are needing to fill. I used a generic blue painters tape. Make sure it is on there pretty good. I had a piece fall of and it was not fun to try and clean up. So, just make sure the tape is securely on the inside of the enclosure. Like so:

2. Now that you have tapped off the holes It's time to mix the J.B.Weld. Get out the mixing surface, utensil, and applicator (cardboard). Then put equal parts liquid steel and hardener on the surface and begin mixing. Make sure the J.B. Weld is mixed all the way through before applying. What I do is let it sit for 2 min before going onto the next step.This allows the J.B. Weld to start to thicken. It makes filling larger holes easier. 

3. Now It's time to fill. Take the applicator and scoop a good amount of the mixture up. Then start to fill the holes, Try to use as little as possible, this will prevent lots of sanding later. My "technique" is to fill the hole the then level it out with the applicator. I also kind of "mound it in there so there is a convex shape to where the hole is. This helps ensure the hole is filled.

4. Let the J.B. Weld harden. You should let it sit over night at least before you even think of sanding it. This will ensure that it hardens fully and is not still soft in spots. To speed the process up I baked my enclosures at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 min. I read on a couple of automotive forums that some people do this so it will not remelt at lower temps. I'm not sure if remelting is even possible but, I am not very patient and I know this will make the product cure faster and stronger. So in the toaster oven for 20 min at 350. This is also a good idea for primer adhesion, If you bake your enclosures after you paint them you need to cure the J.B. Weld at a higher temp than you bake your paint at. It helps the primer adhere to the filler.

5.Time to sand! After you either let the enclosure sit to dry or bake it (make sure you let this cool down for at least an hour after baking) its time to sand the J.B. Weld flush. I tried a bunch of different sand paper grits. The most successful was a 220 grit wet sand. I sanded until it was flush then I used a 500 grit to "clean up" the surrounding area. I will scuff up the rest of the finish before I paint it but this worked well. As you can see from the pictures, There were a few air bubbles in the J. B. Weld that showed up when sanding. Ho Hum, you will need to fill those by repeating the process of if you don't care then continue forward with the painting process. I still need to fill other holes on these so I will probably fill the air bubble holes and repeat the process.

Before sanding / after baking

After Sanding

 

Photos showing air bubbles

 These enclosures need a little more work so like I said I will probably try filling the air bubbles and see how it goes.

     I hope this helps guys. I saw a couple of questions on the MB forum about "How do I fix a miss drilled hole??" So feel free to stea...um, adopt this method. If you have any tips for me PLEASE comment or email me. Thanks again for reading!

-Mike-

First Customer Build in a wihle

     So the other day my buddy Darren Hawe tagged me in a Facebook Post with someone else mentioning that I build pedals. The guy he tagged me with said that he was looking for a fuzz pedal. I LOVE FUZZ!!! I with out a doubt took the build on. After talking to him he mentioned that he played bass and not guitar. I thought "what a wonderful opportunity to build a Madbean Sabertooth" This is a Mastodon clone. I already have the art worked out and I also already etched the board. I also have most of the parts for the build too! Just waiting on Pots from Tayda now. I am VERY excited to do this. Not only will I make a little scratch (not much, I typically don't charge much at all and will give Darren a "finders Fee") but i get to play with water slide decals for the first time. HUGE shout out to Cody (self destroyer on the MB forum) for the water slides!
     Cody's Blog (linked on the right) has been the BIGGEST help to me. It has inspired me to etch my own boards and really clean up my wiring. He was also kind enough to share his 3PDT design with me so I could make those awesome daughter boards myself. If anyone is reading this go to his blog and check out his pedal builds. They are BEAUTIFUL! they them selves are works of art.
     Now time to get busy and build a SABERTOOTH!! I'll be back with the final build report. For now here is the artwork I came up with. Hope you dig it.

Phasers Set To Stun!

Hey Guys,
    Is it possible?? I got two put together in a week? I'm on a role. Anyways, This is a MXR Phase 45 clone build. The board is from Madbeans, one of the best sites for all this DIY pedal stuff I do. That's where i get all my ideas and network with a TON of other builds. I digress, The phaser: one of my favorite pedals. Probably #2 on my list, Just under the Delay pedal. This one was designed after the MXR Phase 45 which was used by...just about everyone. It's kind of a subtle Phase shifter but still a great sound for anyone's board. This was an easy build but at the same time Very fun, maybe it's because I knew what the outcome was going to be but still. The enclosure is one of the 12 I got in the batch of pre-drilled. It is a 1590B that was powder coated black. I had to drill the DC jack hole and the LED hole but the rest was already done. The 3PDT Daughter board (a shared project by a members on one of the forums I'm on) was etched by me. I will demo this and post a demo soon. Thanks for reading.

Top                                                                                                  Top

Guts

Video Coming Soon!

VIDEO!!!

-Mike-

Decided to Re-House the Rebote 2.5

Hey guys,
    So after my last post I was demoing the pedals and found that the Delay was not working. It took three attempts and multiple cuss words but I figured out the issue...my wiring was a MESS! I kept breaking wires while attempting to get it in the enclosure. I certainly have learned my lesson about solid core wire, basically DON"T FUCKING USE IT!! I am almost at the point where I need to order more so I will source my wire elsewhere from now on and save this shit for personal builds and freebies. After coming to the above realization I decided I was going to use a different enclosure too. So I cut it out of the worn black one and put it in this copper 1590BB. This is one of the blemished enclosure I posted about a month or two back. The drill pattern is for a Klon Centaur (it was written in sharpie in the enclosure). The pattern had the correct amount of holes need for this delay too (1 switch, 1 footswitch, 2 jacks, 1 dc, and 3 knobs), I drilled the LED hole. So it all worked perfectly, pre-drilled / powder-coated enclosure = great wiring exercise. Thanks for reading.
-Mike-

Here are a couple of the top

(left is with the LED on right is off)

And for course the "centerfold spread" GUTS!!!

Once again thanks for reading and feel free to ask questions or comment.

VIDEO!!!