GuitarJack
New member
After playing for years using a PodXT and ultimately being unhappy with my tone, I decided last year to break out of the digital world some and build up a pedalboard. Even without getting into the limitations of the PodXT, having to dive into menus for everything just didn't fit me, I wanted to get my hands on knobs and be able to see all the setting in one view. After seeing the prices of pedals nowadays, I dove into the deep end and opted into building several between March and May. I have a mechanical bent for projects, but this was my first time soldering, working with PCBs and components, and drilling enclosures, so you'll see (hopefully) improvements as I went along. Maybe eventually I'll learn how to add proper graphics to these and future pedals, but I enjoy the DIY look for my personal use.
#1 Isosceles Boost - I play mostly high gain metal, and had to get one after learning about the whole TC PreAmp/Fortin pedal tightening up detuned guitars. Tonally it matches pretty well with the NeuralDSP Nameless Grind, although the level doesn't match due to how the plugin normalizes inputs. Played cranked through my 5150 though and the effect is very noticeable. For E/E-flat tuning I prefer an SD-1 overall, and the Isosceles for C# and lower. I can't really tell a difference between the two Fortin modes, but seems like there isn't much of one after watching some frequency response videos and other comments. If you look closely you can see three resistors that are high off the board - when soldering the bottom they moved and I didn't catch it, and didn't think at the time that I could just reflow the leads and push them back down. The transistor was swapped for a reversed 2N5210. I also didn't use a breakout board for this one - I proved to myself I can do a true-bypass 3PDT and understand that circuit, in the future I'm taking the easy route.
#2 Kliche - After seeing how the obsession in the last couple of years with the original pedal caused worldwide inflation and crashed crypto markets, I thought this would be a fun klone to make next and see what the hype is like. It does make the tone seem more expansive, and works great driving another boost/preamp pedal. Nothing special with the germanium diodes.
#3 Muroidea - Simple build for a classic sound. Starting with this pedal I stopped trimming down the wires coming from the LED.
#4 Angry Charles - This pairs really well after the Kliche or Muroidea for me. Don't know how it compares to either the JHS or a JCM800, but it sounds good for rock.
#5 Spatialist - This was the last one I built, and oh man was it a pain. Not the FV1 chip so much, but drilling the enclosure. I was off when making my center punches, and it seems like all the holes were spaced too close together and required me to oval them out some - thankfully hidden for the most part by the knobs. I added in the mod that I read about from @MichaelW in this thread and the links contained. Again, more difficulties in that the toggle switch I ordered was accidentally on-off-on instead of on-on, and the shaft height is too too and can get hit when stepping on the footswitch. It was the first time working with SMD, I couldn't get drag soldering or using a chisel tip to work so I ended up doing it point-by-point with fine tip. Looking at the pictures I see I should've spent time cleaning the top of the PCB around the rotary switch and FV1, instead of just the bottom. I will eventually either clean the board, replace the switch, and rehouse in a properly drilled enclosure, or just make another. It's a really fun pedal a lot of options available
One question I have after building these - I used prewired LEDs with integral resistor, however reading the schematics it looks like for PedalPCB boards space for a 4k7 resistor is included already. In the future I can use just a plain LED, correct?
Really great information I've learned reading these forums on building and techniques. Absolutely happy that they all worked first time plugged in, and how straightforward it was to follow the documentation and work on these boards. Hats off to the people behind this site and the boards!
#1 Isosceles Boost - I play mostly high gain metal, and had to get one after learning about the whole TC PreAmp/Fortin pedal tightening up detuned guitars. Tonally it matches pretty well with the NeuralDSP Nameless Grind, although the level doesn't match due to how the plugin normalizes inputs. Played cranked through my 5150 though and the effect is very noticeable. For E/E-flat tuning I prefer an SD-1 overall, and the Isosceles for C# and lower. I can't really tell a difference between the two Fortin modes, but seems like there isn't much of one after watching some frequency response videos and other comments. If you look closely you can see three resistors that are high off the board - when soldering the bottom they moved and I didn't catch it, and didn't think at the time that I could just reflow the leads and push them back down. The transistor was swapped for a reversed 2N5210. I also didn't use a breakout board for this one - I proved to myself I can do a true-bypass 3PDT and understand that circuit, in the future I'm taking the easy route.
#2 Kliche - After seeing how the obsession in the last couple of years with the original pedal caused worldwide inflation and crashed crypto markets, I thought this would be a fun klone to make next and see what the hype is like. It does make the tone seem more expansive, and works great driving another boost/preamp pedal. Nothing special with the germanium diodes.
#3 Muroidea - Simple build for a classic sound. Starting with this pedal I stopped trimming down the wires coming from the LED.
#4 Angry Charles - This pairs really well after the Kliche or Muroidea for me. Don't know how it compares to either the JHS or a JCM800, but it sounds good for rock.
#5 Spatialist - This was the last one I built, and oh man was it a pain. Not the FV1 chip so much, but drilling the enclosure. I was off when making my center punches, and it seems like all the holes were spaced too close together and required me to oval them out some - thankfully hidden for the most part by the knobs. I added in the mod that I read about from @MichaelW in this thread and the links contained. Again, more difficulties in that the toggle switch I ordered was accidentally on-off-on instead of on-on, and the shaft height is too too and can get hit when stepping on the footswitch. It was the first time working with SMD, I couldn't get drag soldering or using a chisel tip to work so I ended up doing it point-by-point with fine tip. Looking at the pictures I see I should've spent time cleaning the top of the PCB around the rotary switch and FV1, instead of just the bottom. I will eventually either clean the board, replace the switch, and rehouse in a properly drilled enclosure, or just make another. It's a really fun pedal a lot of options available
One question I have after building these - I used prewired LEDs with integral resistor, however reading the schematics it looks like for PedalPCB boards space for a 4k7 resistor is included already. In the future I can use just a plain LED, correct?
Really great information I've learned reading these forums on building and techniques. Absolutely happy that they all worked first time plugged in, and how straightforward it was to follow the documentation and work on these boards. Hats off to the people behind this site and the boards!
