Breadboarding - things to have on hand

[CheapSuitG]

Hi!

Still a new builder, started in September. I am looking to get into breadboarding to learn more about how circuits work more so than the paint by numbers I am doing now. For the way I learn, I think breadboarding will be the best. Also will keep me busy between orders!

While I have a decent stock of standard resistors, capacitors and pots, it is the diodes, ic and transistors I am typically just buying those for what I am building at that time.

Is there some that I ***HAVE*** to have? I want to hear and learn the differences, see how they interact within the circuit.

Or do I just go to Tayda and buy a handful of everything?

Thanks!

 

[jcpst]

If you didn’t want to just start buying a large variety of stuff, and you want to do more than just order spares when you source parts…

Pick a few schematics of (simple) circuits you want to breadboard, and treat it like another pedal you are buying parts for.

The tutorials in The Test Kitchen sub forum are great, that’s how I got started.

 

[Erik S]

What @jcpst said.

Make lists and order the stuff you need. If you want to have extra stuff around to play with, get extras of whatever you're ordering for projects.

 

[CheapSuitG]

If you didn’t want to just start buying a large variety of stuff, and you want to do more than just order spares when you source parts…

Pick a few schematics of (simple) circuits you want to breadboard, and treat it like another pedal you are buying parts for.

The tutorials in The Test Kitchen sub forum are great, that’s how I got started.

I have a handful of spares from previous builds, just curious if there are any "must try" items. I did get a couple germaniums that I am super excited to try.

 

[Erik S]

You might get some useful suggestions if you settle on a specific project.

People definitely have opinions about what opamp you should try in a rat build, or what you should look for in fuzz face transistors, but "what parts should I try in pedals?" is way too broad a question.

 

[CheapSuitG]

Gotcha. No project in particular yet, just learning the fundamentals.

Like I mentioned, just seeing if there is anything like a BAT41 etc that is a must hear.

I’ll do some more research and see what pops up on circuits like and grab them.

Thanks!

 

[BuddytheReow]

TUTORIAL Thread 'Inventory For Breadboarding - The Beginners List'

Aug 25, 2022

You've spent hours trolling this forum and have wandered into the Test Kitchen and want to start breadboarding, huh? If you're relatively new to this hobby, then you probably don't have a lot of spare inventory. BuddytheReow is here to help you get your shopping list together. This guide is a beginners list of items to stock up on if you want to experiment and build basic circuits, but not sure where to get.

There are generally 2 routes you can go here: find a specific project or projects that you want to build and stock up on those components. Or, take a read below and stock up on a lot...

• BuddytheReow
• Replies: 0
• Forum: The Test Kitchen

• 
• 

 

[CheapSuitG]

TUTORIAL Thread 'Inventory For Breadboarding - The Beginners List'

Aug 25, 2022

You've spent hours trolling this forum and have wandered into the Test Kitchen and want to start breadboarding, huh? If you're relatively new to this hobby, then you probably don't have a lot of spare inventory. BuddytheReow is here to help you get your shopping list together. This guide is a beginners list of items to stock up on if you want to experiment and build basic circuits, but not sure where to get.

There are generally 2 routes you can go here: find a specific project or projects that you want to build and stock up on those components. Or, take a read below and stock up on a lot...

• BuddytheReow
• Replies: 0
• Forum: The Test Kitchen

• 
• 

This is perfect!

 

[CheapSuitG]

Got my order in with a ton of transistors and diodes, super excited to try them all out.

With that said, I have been working on a cheapy amazon breadboard, they had one day shipping and I had copious amounts of time on my hands over Thanksgiving break.

Had a blast working on it, I have a bunch of resistors and transistors already left over from other projects, I like to buy spares.

One thing was switches. I would love a way to switch between diodes to hear the difference but nothing I have will fit in. (That's what she said.) I ordered a couple switches from Tayda that looked like the leads were small enough but curious what everyone is using for switches.

Thanks!

 

[lowpitch]

Just solder some solid core wire to the switch lugs and plug those into the breadboard.

 

[CheapSuitG]

Great idea!

I saw Copper Sound had some adapters as well and someone here dip traced some.

But small leads would be perfect, especially if I get desperate and need a switch for a build.

 

[BuddytheReow]

These worked pretty well for me. I installed sockets everywhere except the switch and color coded the traces with posca pens or colored nail polish (both work well).

DPDT Wiring Board = 100's of Mod options. - GuitarPCB

The best mod board for your DPDT switch. Adding it to a 3PDT gives you an LED row!

guitarpcb.com

Post in thread 'Buddy's Breadboard and Circuit Design Notes'

Aug 17, 2021

Took some time last night to put together my 2 mod boards. One is a dpdt mod board, the other is a 2p4t rotary mod board. I've got 2 extra dpdt boards and maybe bring them out at a later time. I socketed everything and took a lot more time than I thought. Since the board itself had the wiring/pinout diagram on it and got covered up with all the sockets I decided to color coordinate everything with a bit of nail polish (thanks, Babe ). I've been interested in mosfet clipping for a bit now so maybe I'll rebuild the Dist + with tons of clipping options to see what sounds good/bad.

• BuddytheReow

• 

 

[CheapSuitG]

Awesome.

Waiting for the proto board to get here, ordered it yesterday, it will be nice not having power and input jacks pop out when I accidently move the board! Electrical tape helped a little but spent 20 minutes yesterday trying to figure out why there was no sound, it was the input jack out of socket.

 

[BuddytheReow]

Awesome.

Waiting for the proto board to get here, ordered it yesterday, it will be nice not having power and input jacks pop out when I accidently move the board! Electrical tape helped a little but spent 20 minutes yesterday trying to figure out why there was no sound, it was the input jack out of socket.

The protoboard takes a lot of headache out of breadboarding. All that's left is the fun part

 

[CheapSuitG]

Very excited for it.

Almost went with the copper sound one since it is on sale for black friday but went with the PPCB since it has so many options and I can velcro boards on, change them out if I have something I want to keep and work on later while starting a new project.

 

[Feral Feline]

Gotcha. No project in particular yet, just learning the fundamentals.

Like I mentioned, just seeing if there is anything like a BAT41 etc that is a must hear.

I’ll do some more research and see what pops up on circuits like and grab them.

Thanks!

Buddy’s got you well covered, nonetheless…

Here’s a few little project ideas for your breadboarding endeavours:

CLIP-SWITCH
A scrap of vero or perf with a dipswitch system of about 8 or 10 different kinds of diodes (use sockets so you’re not stuck with just those eight diodes — for example you could try 8 different coloured LEDs).
Or you can use a 12-pole rotary switch instead of dipswitch-arrays.
Plans for both kinds are online.
Decide quickly whether you like 1N914, red&green LEDs, or Bat46+ 2N7000-as-diode;
symmetrical vs asymmetrical
Hard vs soft clipping…




DECADE BOX
My amp-sifu said not to waste time on building tools when you can just buy them, get on with building amps not tools.
I disagree for some things, such as a decade box for resistors and another for capacitors — there’s a lot to learn and understand through building your own decade boxes, and knowledge IS power.
Can’t decide what resistir to put on that breadboarded (or PCB-build!) Muff input? Hook up your decade box, flip switches and listen for what’s best; take measurements and calc out how each value affects input-impedance…
Beats swapping out that resistor for each time you need to A/B or A/B/C compare something.
Dial in how much bass you want in a circ with the cap decade-box, Or tailor your Circ’s EQ…
Again plans are online, Parasit has a cool PCB that I got that takes a lot of the pain iut of making a decade-box.

BREADBOARD POWER SUPPLY UNIT
Stand-alone charge-pump so you can easily test +ground circs, 18v circs, +/- virt-gnd etc.
Check PPCB and Madbean’s charge-pump boards to fashion your own dedicated BB PSU…



Do NOT plug pots straight in to the breadboard — I use jumper wires with a female-end and pin male-end, but alligator clips and ather methods work well, too.

 

[CheapSuitG]

Great suggestions. Quick search not seeing a perf version but will keep poking. The parasit looks cool. Saw the copper sound version recently as well, they have a box for every type of component.

Buddy’s got you well covered, nonetheless…

Here’s a few little project ideas for your breadboarding endeavours:

CLIP-SWITCH
A scrap of vero or perf with a dipswitch system of about 8 or 10 different kinds of diodes (use sockets so you’re not stuck with just those eight diodes — for example you could try 8 different coloured LEDs).
Or you can use a 12-pole rotary switch instead of dipswitch-arrays.
Plans for both kinds are online.
Decide quickly whether you like 1N914, red&green LEDs, or Bat46+ 2N7000-as-diode;
symmetrical vs asymmetrical
Hard vs soft clipping…




DECADE BOX
My amp-sifu said not to waste time on building tools when you can just buy them, get on with building amps not tools.
I disagree for some things, such as a decade box for resistors and another for capacitors — there’s a lot to learn and understand through building your own decade boxes, and knowledge IS power.
Can’t decide what resistir to put on that breadboarded (or PCB-build!) Muff input? Hook up your decade box, flip switches and listen for what’s best; take measurements and calc out how each value affects input-impedance…
Beats swapping out that resistor for each time you need to A/B or A/B/C compare something.
Dial in how much bass you want in a circ with the cap decade-box, Or tailor your Circ’s EQ…
Again plans are online, Parasit has a cool PCB that I got that takes a lot of the pain iut of making a decade-box.

BREADBOARD POWER SUPPLY UNIT
Stand-alone charge-pump so you can easily test +ground circs, 18v circs, +/- virt-gnd etc.
Check PPCB and Madbean’s charge-pump boards to fashion your own dedicated BB PSU…



Do NOT plug pots straight in to the breadboard — I use jumper wires with a female-end and pin male-end, but alligator clips and ather methods work well, too.

 

[Feral Feline]

Isn’t the Coppersound version pre-fabbed for you, though?

I’ll go take another look at it…

 

[CheapSuitG]

Colorsound is prefabbed, correct

 

[CheapSuitG]

You mentioned a decade box/clip switch, maybe I am googling the wrong thing but not seeing those.

Have a link?

Buddy’s got you well covered, nonetheless…

Here’s a few little project ideas for your breadboarding endeavours:

CLIP-SWITCH
A scrap of vero or perf with a dipswitch system of about 8 or 10 different kinds of diodes (use sockets so you’re not stuck with just those eight diodes — for example you could try 8 different coloured LEDs).
Or you can use a 12-pole rotary switch instead of dipswitch-arrays.
Plans for both kinds are online.
Decide quickly whether you like 1N914, red&green LEDs, or Bat46+ 2N7000-as-diode;
symmetrical vs asymmetrical
Hard vs soft clipping…




DECADE BOX
My amp-sifu said not to waste time on building tools when you can just buy them, get on with building amps not tools.
I disagree for some things, such as a decade box for resistors and another for capacitors — there’s a lot to learn and understand through building your own decade boxes, and knowledge IS power.
Can’t decide what resistir to put on that breadboarded (or PCB-build!) Muff input? Hook up your decade box, flip switches and listen for what’s best; take measurements and calc out how each value affects input-impedance…
Beats swapping out that resistor for each time you need to A/B or A/B/C compare something.
Dial in how much bass you want in a circ with the cap decade-box, Or tailor your Circ’s EQ…
Again plans are online, Parasit has a cool PCB that I got that takes a lot of the pain iut of making a decade-box.

BREADBOARD POWER SUPPLY UNIT
Stand-alone charge-pump so you can easily test +ground circs, 18v circs, +/- virt-gnd etc.
Check PPCB and Madbean’s charge-pump boards to fashion your own dedicated BB PSU…



Do NOT plug pots straight in to the breadboard — I use jumper wires with a female-end and pin male-end, but alligator clips and

ather methods work well, too.