giovanni
Well-known member
This build gave me some trouble. First, when I drilled the enclosure, I used painters tape to protect it from aluminum shavings, like I always do. However, the paint took off a few of the UV printed details, mostly thin lines around the foot switches but also in a couple other places (started a thread for that - still haven’t heard from Hugo). That was very annoying but I guess the lesson learned is to either use the gloss layer over the whole thing to protect it (Cees’s file didn’t have a gloss layer) or maybe just use their drilling service so I don’t have to risk it.
Second, I had some trouble with two of the four switches which apparently failed. The trails switch didn’t make good contact in one of the poles/throws and the 3PDT bypass foot switch was shorting. This is strange because I’m pretty sure I tested both before installing them. I wonder if they got damaged by too much heat, although I don’t usually have this kind of problem as I only apply heat for 3-5 seconds at a time. For the trails switch I noticed that the holes on the PCB are a bit too snug for a solder lug switch, maybe the force applied to fit it in misplaced one of the pole which may explain the issue. I bent the lugs with pliers before installing the second one to make sure it fit. I’m gonna have to find a different switch for my next build.
Now to the pedal: this thing is really nice sounding, although the noise floor of the 2399s is pretty high (haven’t had time to test a few different ones). You can get some very interesting ambient sounds, almost like a reverb, and cranking the swell all the way is a pleasure. I built this for a friend I haven’t seen in a few years whom I’ll see in Italy in a few days (so the timeliness of finishing this build was important), and I will build one for myself after I’m back. I highly recommend this pedal if you are not afraid of troubleshooting, although hopefully my experience was not the norm. I used Cees’s UV print file for the graphics, on Tayda gold enclosure, with Tayda black aluminum knobs. It looks really nice.
Second, I had some trouble with two of the four switches which apparently failed. The trails switch didn’t make good contact in one of the poles/throws and the 3PDT bypass foot switch was shorting. This is strange because I’m pretty sure I tested both before installing them. I wonder if they got damaged by too much heat, although I don’t usually have this kind of problem as I only apply heat for 3-5 seconds at a time. For the trails switch I noticed that the holes on the PCB are a bit too snug for a solder lug switch, maybe the force applied to fit it in misplaced one of the pole which may explain the issue. I bent the lugs with pliers before installing the second one to make sure it fit. I’m gonna have to find a different switch for my next build.
Now to the pedal: this thing is really nice sounding, although the noise floor of the 2399s is pretty high (haven’t had time to test a few different ones). You can get some very interesting ambient sounds, almost like a reverb, and cranking the swell all the way is a pleasure. I built this for a friend I haven’t seen in a few years whom I’ll see in Italy in a few days (so the timeliness of finishing this build was important), and I will build one for myself after I’m back. I highly recommend this pedal if you are not afraid of troubleshooting, although hopefully my experience was not the norm. I used Cees’s UV print file for the graphics, on Tayda gold enclosure, with Tayda black aluminum knobs. It looks really nice.
