Frank Zappa Muff - Succesfull rehousing

[catoblepasso]

There are very few clones of Zappa's muff out there, and I didn't like the enclosures. I'd had this idea in my head for a few months, and I stubbornly stuck with it, creating something I couldn't buy directly lmao. It took me a few months to plan the rehousing and the logic behind the wiring, which included an ultradeep crash course on how to use vector programs, measurements, and so on.

I was in love with a friend's rectangular mini muff, so I took inspiration from that design, and the enclosure is the same size. The first one I ordered from Tayda had misaligned the LED hole and the lines on the right, but more than anything, the enclosure wasn't deep enough to hold the larger capacitors. So I ordered another one, deeper, and I was convinced I'd fixed the misalignment, but apparently I moved it even further to the right. My OCD friends, I feel sorry for you, and I'm disappointed aswell.

What I would change: LED realignment, try a different color palette, perhaps fuchsia instead of red, and figure out a way to better fit the LED into the hole, which is "floating."

Oh well, I'm very happy with the first rehousing.

 

[OD is Glorious]

I think it looks outstanding, I am becoming a fan of fuzz and I love your design. Maybe if you use a bezel for the led, the lip will make it appear more centered and the end of the stripe will be concealed. I like it as it is. Love the mustache and the colors are good.

 

[catoblepasso]

I think it looks outstanding, I am becoming a fan of fuzz and I love your design. Maybe if you use a bezel for the led the lip will make it appear more centered and the end of the stripe will be concealed. I like it as it is. Love the mustache and the colors are good.

Thanks so much for the compliments! Now I'm thinking of doing the same thing on a Bent Steel Big Muff Classic enclosure, but Tayda doesn't offer this option, and I don't feel like buying all the equipment for screen printing, so I think it'll remain a fantasy lol

Maybe if you use a bezel

can you point me one so I can see if I have it already?

 

[tegendemuur]

Good idea by OD. For your inspiration: https://lovemyswitches.com/leds/

 

[szukalski]

I love it! Don't let the FZT chase you down!

 

[catoblepasso]

I love it! Don't let the FZT chase you down!

yea I talked with a lawyer about the moustachos and he said that as long as I don't make profit with it I should be okaish. Well I'm no pedal manifacturer and this is just a one-off personal project so I hope the Zappa siblings wont come after me lmao

 

[catoblepasso]

Good idea by OD. For your inspiration: https://lovemyswitches.com/leds/

I have a few of these stashed away, including a metal one. I think the hole is too small; I should probably widen it, but I'm worried it'll ruin the EHX-style low-budget look. Those metal bezels are bougie, Chase Bliss-style. I have a plain black plastic one, but even that would be too much for that hole, as the LED is too big to fit both in the plastic bezel and in the hole at the same time. I thought I made the hole large enough to fit the LED, like in the Little Big Muff, but apparently it's a hair bigger, so the LED "floats." The light is still stuck under the PCB, so there's no way to push it all the way inside the enclosure by touching it, but touching it still makes it go up and down.

 

[Robert]

This one.

https://www.taydaelectronics.com/5mm-bezel-led-panel-cup-mounting-black-plastic-clip.html

 

[catoblepasso]

This one.
View attachment 121365

https://www.taydaelectronics.com/5mm-bezel-led-panel-cup-mounting-black-plastic-clip.html

I have it, I'll try later but I think it wont fit

 

[gonzo]

Tapered reamer.....or a rat tail

 

[derevaun]

I've gotten likeable results with hot glue, squirting a blob into the hole with the enclosure clamped on a flat surface, and quickly pressing the LED into it from inside. On a good day, the glue is flush and flat with the outside. If it isn't, I can push it out and try again.

 

[Feral Feline]

View attachment 121315

There are very few clones of Zappa's muff out there, and I didn't like the enclosures. I'd had this idea in my head for a few months, and I stubbornly stuck with it, creating something I couldn't buy directly lmao. It took me a few months to plan the rehousing and the logic behind the wiring, which included an ultradeep crash course on how to use vector programs, measurements, and so on.

I was in love with a friend's rectangular mini muff, so I took inspiration from that design, and the enclosure is the same size. The first one I ordered from Tayda had misaligned the LED hole and the lines on the right, but more than anything, the enclosure wasn't deep enough to hold the larger capacitors. So I ordered another one, deeper, and I was convinced I'd fixed the misalignment, but apparently I moved it even further to the right. My OCD friends, I feel sorry for you, and I'm disappointed aswell.

What I would change: LED realignment, try a different color palette, perhaps fuchsia instead of red, and figure out a way to better fit the LED into the hole, which is "floating."

Oh well, I'm very happy with the first rehousing.

The LED would've looked okay if the red line ran into it completely like the black one above it.
You can get a small black plastic bezel (or chrome) that would clean up its look and "floating" aspect (and the red would then run under the bezel edge). Plastic pops in, no nut to thread. Chrome and black-metal ones require a nut (and some other plastic ones).

Questions:
- Do you prefer sidejacks, if so why? Just curious.
- Why the extra "F", just a typo or...? ("MUFFFIN")


Fantastic pedal concept and execution even with the things you feel need to be "corrected".


*others beat me to posting some info in this post
For bezels to fit securely, you may need to INCREASE the hole size.