Hey, fuck you Gorva 🙃

[xefned]

…for your non-standard, 1mm-shy-of-standard box size.

Now, what should I put in this?

 

[jessenator]

Sorry you've had this happen, too

I've complained about this before (on the mbp forum) about how Gorva's stuff is marketed. They throw "125B" or "1590BB" or whatever around but they are NOT the same dimensions in or out.

I don't recall if I called out the vendor in that post as well, but I don't mind throwing them under the bus anymore—they're complicit. The first time it was a friend of mine bought one for an Aion compressor board which was very tight in a 1590N1 Hammond enclosure already, and same as this, just won't fit in the C20x6 nomenclatural rubbish. If you're marketing a product deceptively/ignorantly, you're going to piss people off.

Dunno who you got that from, but call them out. Whether it's LMS or SBP, call them out. Put the pressure on [deceptive vendors] to change the marketing verbiage, because that dog don't hunt.

edit: I need to clarify that I'm pointing a finger at a vendor who doesn't make it clear for the buyer, not all vendors. Mea culpa.

 

[xefned]

I'm not actually mad about it. I should've put a smiley face on there.

This is meant to be a lighthearted public service announcement before folks drill your fancy gørvä boxen.

I purchased the Octarock PCB specifically for this box. The Gorva was a gift anyway. My fault for assuming these were a standard size.

But seriously, are there any PedalPCB projects that fit in these? I'll build just about anything.

 

[DGWVI]

This sucks, but thank you for the PSA.
I was about to grab one of their silver powder boxes for this exact circuit

 

[xefned]

But seriously, are there any PedalPCB projects that fit in these? I'll build just about anything.

Perusing the catalog, it appears these PedalPCB projects will fit: (under 3.2" wide.)

• Arkaim Fuzz
• Brown Betty
• VHS
• Valve Stem Overdrive
• Leprechaun

And a few of the sideways-oriented projects:

• Kliché Overdrive
• Mystery Machine
• Paragon

There may be others.

 

[ianmarks]

If You had already drilled it and didnt want to waste the enclosure, you could take a sander to that left side (if there isn't a trace running down it) and shave a mm or 2 off

 

[RetiredUnit1]

If You had already drilled it and didnt want to waste the enclosure, you could take a sander to that left side (if there isn't a trace running down it) and shave a mm or 2 off

...and just bypass the etching with a wire if need be......

 

[Nostradoomus]

Sorry you've had this happen, too

I've complained about this before (on the mbp forum) about how Gorva's stuff is marketed. They throw "125B" or "1590BB" or whatever around but they are NOT the same dimensions in or out.

I don't recall if I called out the vendor in that post as well, but I don't mind throwing them under the bus anymore—they're complicit. The first time it was a friend of mine bought one for an Aion compressor board which was very tight in a 1590N1 Hammond enclosure already, and same as this, just won't fit in the C20x6 nomenclatural rubbish. If you're marketing a product deceptively/ignorantly, you're going to piss people off.

Dunno who you got that from, but call them out. Whether it's LMS or SBP, call them out. Put the pressure on to change the marketing verbiage, because that dog don't hunt.

The dimensions aren’t some hidden secret, they have them listed plain as day on the Gorva site.



“similar” not exact.

 

[music6000]

…for your non-standard, 1mm-shy-of-standard box size.

Now, what should I put in this?

With a bit of manipulation I got it to fit! :

 

[jessenator]

Nah, I get it. Gorva spells it out on their own site. Not trying to cause a war. And it seems that there's verbiage that calls it out in red on LMS's site, for example now. It's been a while so I don't recall when that was there, if it was there when my friend ordered. I'm going to use the 1590N1 as an example—yes, I know 125B is shorthand, has been for over a decade. I'll get to that.

Someone in a hurry might skip by it on a vendor's site (not Gorva's) if they're in a rush and just assume "this is a 125B". I can't speak to everyone's experience, just the limited few I'm aware of. It's on the details page, but the main products listing is just "125B enclosure - Gorva Design C65…"



But I get it: if someone misses the specs, they'll end up in this situation, but, caveat emptor, the onus is on the buyer.

I can see them simply wanting to associate it with something DIYers know off-hand "yeah, it's a 125B"

I'm just a weirdo who examines the technicalities. In the first lines of the item details page description (yes, I know the red text is above it):

The Specs:
125B Hammond clone enclosure
Manufactured by Gorva Design

Followed by the specs with measurements of their box.

Here's where my pedantry gets the best of me. Strap in. I covered this in a thread some folks didn't see the point of on the MBP forum.

"125B" is not in any way a Hammond SKU**, strictly speaking (going all the way back as far as I can find a catalog). To cut it very, very short (there's a lot in this trail I went on...): the 125B / 4S125B spec/SKU/name most seem to trace back to Mammoth, but was actually itself commissioned by Circuit Specialists in the late 1990s, produced in Taiwan, as a clone of the Hammond 1590N (no "1" yet). It originally had PCB ribs, but eventually lost them, probably around the time Hammond made the 1590N1 version: no ribs. (yes, that's the short,short version)

So "clone of 125B" might be DIYer shorthand, but I'm driving home that manufacturers—in some cases—are making derivatives of derivatives and it's possible it's not doing anyone any favors.

Yeah, I'm splitting hairs… I have no stake in a company's interests, but my pedantic nature compels me to lay this all out. Be different, but be aware and considerate of your customer base that they're used to "clones" being the same. When I think "clone" I think "a drop-in replacement" like Dorman car parts vs OEM: the Dorman radiator hose might have slightly different curve tapering, but it better h*ckin fit the inlet/outlet of my radiator/water pump.

I'm fully aware that many suppliers have clone enclosures in this size that don't conform 100%, absolutely, precisely (even with margins of error) to the OG Hammond IEGS files for the 1590N1, but I haven't seen one be quite this different; i.e. those other clone enclosures still fit an already snug "125B" project board in them, the Gorva C65, it appears, sometimes doesn't.

I like the smoother tapering of it, I like the look of their finishes, I just don't like the marketing language.

 

[hamerfan]

It looks a bit like a metric vs imperial size thing. I am on the metric side of the planet and often have to use my calculator to get it straight. … and rounding up the results to fit.

 

[xefned]

If You had already drilled it and didnt want to waste the enclosure, you could take a sander to that left side (if there isn't a trace running down it) and shave a mm or 2 off

Yeah, I thought about that. There are traces on both sides close to the edge. One is about 20 mil from the edge so I'd have to be careful with that dremmel.

I'd try that except the enclosure gradually tapers inward—from 3.38" to about 3.2" closer to the front.

No biggie. I'll wait for the next LMS powder drop and get a proper 1590BB.

 

[xefned]

"125B" is not in any way a Hammond SKU, strictly speaking (going all the way back as far as I can find a catalog). To cut it very, very short (there's a lot in this trail I went on...): the 125B / 4S125B spec/SKU/name most seem to trace back to Mammoth, but was actually itself commissioned by Circuit Specialists in the late 1990s, produced in Taiwan, as a clone of the Hammond 1590N (no "1" yet). It originally had PCB ribs, but eventually lost them, probably around the time Hammond made the 1590N1 version: no ribs. (yes, that's the short,short version)

So "clone of 125B" might be DIYer shorthand, but I'm driving home that manufacturers—in some cases—are making derivatives of derivatives and it's possible it's not doing anyone any favors.

I actually appreciate this level of detail. I use a lot of shorthand without much thought.

When I started building, “Hammond” was the only name I knew. They sold them at Fry's and they were a major splurge over using hardware-store enclosures and repurposing other found items out of frugality.

Then I bought a load of Mammoth's blemished stock. Some of them had the brand "4 site" engraved inside. The screw thread was sometimes metric, sometimes not.

 

[jessenator]

"125B" is not in any way a Hammond SKU

**Okay, I need to get pedantic on myself. It's not a SKU for enclosures.

It's a SKU fot a 5W push pull audio transformer

125B

Audio transformer, universal push-pull tube output, 5 watts

www.hammfg.com

 

[Band of Dans]

I had this exact experience with an octarock and S90. I bought the S90 on sale a long time ago and was stoked to finally have a project for it. Thankfully I have a habit of putting my "on deck" boards inside their enclosures and noticed the discrepancy before drilling, but still disappointed this "fancy" enclosure won't have a use for a while. It wouldn't be so maddening if the fit wasn't so close!

 

[Harry Klippton]

Not a conquerer:

https://forum.pedalpcb.com/threads/what-circuit-should-i-build-in-this-g%C3%B8rva-enclosure.12267/

 

[Robert]

the 125B / 4S125B spec/SKU/name most seem to trace back to Mammoth,

4S125B was actually the 4Site part number. If I recall correctly 4Site was a separate company that predates Mammoth, but Mammoth later bought them out them before StompBoxParts acquired Mammoth.

 

[jessenator]

4S125B was actually the 4Site part number. If I recall correctly 4Site was a separate company that predates Mammoth, but Mammoth later bought them out them before StompBoxParts acquired Mammoth.

I wish I could find the original link I posted (sadly mbp forum is down), but you're right. The circuit specialists SKU is different, but had "125B" in it. Bugger, I wish I had it on hand

 

[jessenator]

I wish I had it on hand

Thank you, based wayback machine. Circuit Specialists / Web-Tronics


Also found a cached version of my mbp forum post... a few nuggets

These 03-125 series enclosures have an "A" "B" and "C" designation, which also had channeled (ribbed) walls like Hammond's series:
125A appears to be a clone of the 1590L
125B, appears to be a clone of the the 1590N
125C, appears to be a clone of the 1590R

[oldest URL captured by the wayback machine shows the section on the left alongside a contemporary Hammond product listing]

maybe this'll all be out of my system now

 

[ICTRock]

4S125B was actually the 4Site part number. If I recall correctly 4Site was a separate company that predates Mammoth, but Mammoth later bought them out them before StompBoxParts acquired Mammoth.

that time it took them three tries to get me the right size enclosure ...