Easy way to source components, etc?

S

Steve973

Member
Hello. I am brand new to building pedals, and also brand new to this forum. I bought a kit from a well-known website, and I had some issues with it (missing components, components with different part numbers than called for on the parts list, and fitment issues with the box). It is a good kit, and I have full confidence that the vendor will make things right. But it has me thinking...

To get to the point, I was considering purchasing boards for some pedals directly from PedalPCB. But I don't really know how I should source the components for the build. There are websites like Mouser, but I might not necessarily want to buy a whole bunch of every component when I only need 1 or 2 for the build. As a silly example, I may or may not build other pedals that use these components, so it doesn't really make sense for me to start with a pack of 50 and have 48 10K resistors left over. What do most of you do when sourcing your components? How do you determine which components are of high enough quality for audio applications?

Also, I specifically want to build the Muzzle noise gate pedal. I have not been able to find a source for the THAT4305. Mouser has a demo kit, but it is already on a board. The last part is how people normally drill out their boxes. What types of bits, etc., do you use, particularly for holes with the diameter needed for components like an XLR jack?

Also, I'd like to keep this really open-ended. I might not know enough, yet, to ask questions about things I might need to know. So, feel free to also offer unsolicited advice, if there is something you feel especially strongly about. Thanks in advance!
 
This question has been asked many times on this forum. Use the search feature but I’ll put my 2 cents in here.

For most components either on or offboard I would suggest Tayda as your first spot. They are pretty cheap for most items. Stock up on resistors, pots, enclosures, and capacitors here. Resistors are $0.015 each and you’ll need to buy in sets of 10. Shipping may take a while depending on where you are (about 2 weeks for me in the US). Like I said this should be your first stop for most standard components.

Also, depending on how deep down this rabbit hole you’d like to go I would highly suggest buying extras of everything. Need only 1 resistor of a certain value? Get 10 at a minimum. Only need 1 enclosure? Get 2. I’m suggesting this for 2 reasons: you’ll have spares in case you screw up and you won’t need to buy so many things for your next build. If you get lucky you may only need to buy just the pcb for a future build from all the stockpiling you’ve done!

For your more quirky items like the THAT4305 you’ll have to dig around or ask people here.

There is a great step by step build guide here on this forum. Check it out

Basic Workflow Tips for Building a PedalPCB

Hello! This is my method for building a PedalPCB from start to finish. Is it the right way? Not necessarily. It's just what works for me and I hope it sheds some light on certain steps in the process along the way. I created this as a reference guide for anyone to use if needed. Thanks for...
forum.pedalpcb.com forum.pedalpcb.com
 
BuddytheReow said:
This question has been asked many times on this forum. Use the search feature but I’ll put my 2 cents in here.
Click to expand...
Thanks for including the advice. I did some searching, but either I used the wrong terms, or the search results were presented in a way that didn't clearly give me the info that I was looking for. I'm checking out Tayda now, by your recommendation. Thanks again!
 
I think it’s fair to say most us use tayda for the majority of the parts (capacitors/resistors/enclosures etc), then it unfortunately takes quite a bit of searching the internet to find some parts. You’ll make lots of mistakes ordering the wrong parts but it’s a great way to get know the hobby in greater detail than buying kits.
 
In all seriousness, there are a variety of vendors with some being more used than others: Tayda, Mouser, StompBoxParts, AmplifiedParts, and others. Some are cheaper than others but might not give you the highest quality of components you’re looking for.

For instance, I get virtually all my resistors from Tayda. I’m fine with them being in increments of 10. Means I have a tidy stash of different values for future projects as well as extras for screwups. I’m usually fine with most of their capacitors. They usually have Wima for most film values and, if they don’t, a decent brand for others. Electrolytics are usually ok and they even have tantalum for many values too. Ceramics are their weakest point though. I usually end up ordering those elsewhere…usually Mouser.
 
I pretty much use Tayda for everything, except switches and jacks which I prefer Love My Switches. For the occasional harder to get parts I've used mouser and (now defunct) smallbear.

I have to admit I've never used StompBoxParts yet--they look great but always seem to have a minimum order size for something I don't want duplicates of.
 
ive generally found success by doing the following:

- find 4 to 6 boards i’d like to build
- make a master spreadsheet of all components
- order extras of everything
- look through the parts lists of other pedals - notice some components are ever present and add a few more of those to the orders
- accept that i will always not have some esoteric part on hand and it will cause a delay
- put everything on a testing platform for a few days before committing to boxing it up
- be at peace with the idea i won’t love them all

the patience to wait for shipments is key. once small bear is back up and running it will cut down on the number of vendors but hunting for parts can be fun in its own way.

also check the AionFX site for tips on ordering supplies

- chris
 
PedalPCB, Beavis Audio, aforementioned Aion, Madbean, GuitarPCB and many other vendors all have FAQs for where and how to source parts — I recommend reading them all and then you’ll be better equipped to make the decisions that are right for you.


I knew I wanted to dive in the deep end and commit to building a lot of pedals, so I bought in bulk and followed advice to get lots of 10k & 100k resisters and other common-to-pedals sizes, lots of 100k pots in both linear and audio tapers, etc — sure I ordered some oddball stuff, and wrong stuff (watch those cap voltages!), but in the end I’ve even found uses for the “incorrect” orders, eventually.

Kits are great, but sometimes they’re missing a part, or you want to mod it to taste — that’s when it’s great to have a modest parts stash.


Rule#1 of ordering parts is there is no one-stop shop — there will always be that one bit that’s out of stock or not even carried by a vendor that another vendor has.

Ordering a few pennies worth of resistors every time you need some and paying tens of dollars in shipping fees doesn’t make sense to me. Buying in bulk reduces shipping costs.

There’s some great advice in the thread, but you’ll still have to do your own homework.
 
I built about 8 pedals from kits before I decided I wanted d to continue the hobby. So I bought a dozen PCBs from our Great Leader and have been sourcing components for the last couple of months.

I made a tabbed spreadsheet of all the parts needed and then started looking for parts.

I live in Poland so I've been buying locally to save on shipping.

I bought a 2600-pack of resistors and then multiples of the common values like 4.7k.

Building your first stash is exhausting and expensive upfront.
You need a ton of different parts and values and a bunch of accessories like pin headers, sockets, wires, tools etc.
Electromechanical parts are not cheap. Dozens of pots, jacks, switches etc.
Then all the weird parts that are constantly out everywhere.
Finally you will get reamed with shipping because you'll have to order from several vendors.

The thing is once you've unlocked the superpower of building effects there will be no stopping you.
And if your musician friends hear your DIY phaser on bass during While My Guitar Gently Weeps, they will ask you to build them one :)
 
I would like to thank all of you who took the time out of your day to offer these extremely helpful replies, even though I might have been able to search these forums better than I did. So... Thank you! It is a great idea to try to plan these pedals in batches and buy in bulk, all at once, and from as few vendors as possible. I will try to do that. I am a bass player, and I have only been playing for slightly over 2 years. I don't yet jam with a band, and I mostly play through Rocksmith, as well as learning from a member of one of the prominent bass families. So it may be hard for me to pick multiples that I can imagine myself using anytime in the near future. But I will try! Thanks again to everyone.
 
Some other tips if you are impatient and don't have the exact component you need. Resistance adds in series, so you can put two resistors together to make a larger value. Resistance drops in parallel but with the following (R1+R2)/(R1*R2). Capacitance adds in parallel and drops in series. You can either measure and do the math or just stick 'em together and measure the total if you are lazy. You can also solder a resistor across the outer legs of a pot to change the total resistance, but it will, in my experience affect the taper a bit. Use the tantalum from tayda in place of the electrolytics if you like. They tend to last longer. The ceramic capacitors can very pretty wildly in spec, so measure them but know they usually are in the power filtering section of the circuit and will be okay anyay.
 
Steve973 said:
I am a bass player,
Click to expand...
I’ll suggest looking into the following, see if anything grabs your interest…


Unicab

Leprechaun
Unison Double-Tracker

Delegate (Boneyard Ed)
Creamery
Thumbsucker

EQ 6-band (adjusted for bass)
EQ Box and All
CDXL (2 to choose from)
Duck Box
Waddle Box
Pro Filter
XC Phase
Zapper

Byzantium flanger
Caesar chorus
Duo-phase
Moonshot trem
Woodpecker trem

PS: Wasn’t done yet…

Aloysius fuzz
Arkaim fuzz
Awful Waffle fuzz/dist
Bayonette fuzzmuff
Calamity Fuzz
Captain Bit
Carcass Fuzz
Chop Shop OD
Cream Pie fuzz
Death Cap fuzz
Ember Boost
Fat Piggy dist
Fuzz Aldrin
Gerkin Fuzz
Mantle fuzz
Muffin fuzz
Muroidea dist
Obsidius preamp
Parenthesis
Snuffy fuzz
SOFTii OD
Teddy Rupture fuzz
Transcendence Boost
Two Sticks of Derm fuzz
Uberfuzz

Ocelot Octave
Organ Donor

Tear Jerker

Of course the above is a fraction of bass-sick possibilities; of the above, I’ve bolded ones I really want to build — though I will eventually get around to them all.
I could add a lot more and wanted to bold more of the above, but I’ve gotta hold back somewhere somehow…
😹
 
Last edited:
TravisM said:
Some other tips if you are impatient and don't have the exact component you need. Resistance adds in series, so you can put two resistors together to make a larger value. Resistance drops in parallel but with the following (R1+R2)/(R1*R2). Capacitance adds in parallel and drops in series. You can either measure and do the math or just stick 'em together and measure the total if you are lazy. You can also solder a resistor across the outer legs of a pot to change the total resistance, but it will, in my experience affect the taper a bit. Use the tantalum from tayda in place of the electrolytics if you like. They tend to last longer. The ceramic capacitors can very pretty wildly in spec, so measure them but know they usually are in the power filtering section of the circuit and will be okay anyay.
Click to expand...
Or consider the fact that hitting any of the component values within ±20% will work in 99% of the situations. Paralleling pots may or may not work, depends on the circuit. Reducing a pot value 50% by paralleling has a chance of working. Reducing a pot value by 90% has almost zero chance of producing the desired effect.
 
Don’t forget the Obsidius and the “arriving soon” Aloysius and Snuffy fuzzes for bass dirt. I also like the Chaos Machine and Pitch Witch on bass and def grab an Ocelot (oc-2) board.
 
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