Hey, so, I saw we had a new member and thought I'd look for an introduce yourself thread. Much to my surprise there wasn't one, so I thought I'd make my post.
I'm Allen, but you can call me Al. I started playing guitar in 1967 at the age of 11 but prior to that would mess with my sister's Hammond organ starting around age 8. I have no formal training in electronics, and spent my career as a business programmer specializing in manufacturing, distribution, forecasting and sales analysis. I've been building tube amps for about 20 years, my friend Bob had a master's degree in electronic engineering and was an audio/visual tech at Paramount studios - he taught me how to solder and showed me the ropes of building tube amps.
I built my first pedal in 2022 using a StewMac kit which used a PedalPCB board with the name emblazoned on it, which is how I found my way here!!!!
I'm retired now and living the good life in Southern California, enjoying each day to the maximum. Love gardening, cooking, SciFi and of course playing guitar and singing. I still mess with keyboards too. Oh, and I'm exactly 8 days older than @Chuck D. Bones, lol...
I hope everyone is having a great day and joins me in introductions!!! I'm going to go outside now and clean up more of Hurricane Hilary's destruction of my garden. doh....
Great idea! We had an “introduce yourself” thread a while back, but it’s been gone for a few months. I’ll re-introduce myself in a bit, when I have time to type more than just a pair of sentences.
I'm game too. I apologize in advance for what should be a forum post, and is instead a memoire.
My name is also Alan, but I've never liked being called Al, except by one of my best friends, Albert, who liked to do that just to confuse everyone.
I'm retired now, but from 20 years on, I spent the bulk of everyday working in shops. Initially, this was in college, in Theatrical scene shops; I went to Grad school in the same field, where I ended up partially running the shop, and taught courses in stage technology. After a few years "on the road" as a Scenic designer and stage lighting person, I decided it was time to get married (well, I had met someone I wanted to marry) and realized that I knew no one in my field that had a family life, other than those working in education. So—I went cold turkey. We moved to the SF Bay, jobless (oh to be 30 again!) and on the way out I thought about what kind of jobs I'd either be good at or could learn something from. One of them was modelmaking—I had used models to both design my sets and sell the designs to directors and producers; was very comfortable working with scales, and felt that my main flaw with my craft was a lack of patience—something I thought modelmaking would help me with. In any case, ourfirst day in town, staying at a friend's apartment, there was a classified ad for a model maker. I went in, and got hired, $6.00 an hour, 1981.
It was great work, but an absolute shity place to work. (In all fairness, I was used to being contracted, free agent; pretty much my own boss, and I would come into a theater and have control of the shop (unless it was union)—so I was spoiled. But the owners were nasty people, nasty to everyone. It was out of Charles Dickens. A fellow co-worker and I "got fired" after a year, so we could open up a completing business. We were an unusual model shop, in that we worked with pretty much any industry that needed models or prototypes made. Mainly Industrial design, architecture, packaging, advertising, and legal. Almost every project was something a bit new, which kept it interesting. I don't think I was cut out for production work.
Started playing guitar when I was 12. My first good guitar was a Goya 12 string. (Don't ask—I still love 12s, but have no idea why that's what I wanted.) By 14 most of my friends had electrics, and I sold the Goya, and got a Gretsch Nashville and a Fender Super (this would've been a '65 Super Black Face.) Yes—I wish I never sold any of it! By 20 I had dropped out of engineering school and taken up theater, and realized I wasn't playing electric much, And, I had a dream! I was old, with a long white beard, sitting in some sort of nice room, with tall gothic style windows, playing Bach 2 part inventions on guitar. So—I sold the Gretsch (I had sold the Fender a few years before), and got a classical and a few method books, and started teaching myself the various student etudes. But theater was taking up any free time I had, and after while, I realized that I was mostly playing Beatles, etc. on it.
I did play several times a week, and kept that guitar until it needed a neck reset. I sold it, and bought a used Taylor 812 that had a 1 7/8 nut width on it. That was my only guitar until the late 80's when I got the need to make more noise. I bought a G&L Broadcaster from a pawn shop, and a Gibson GA-2 (?) from someone local. Great pair! Somehow my "one electric, one acoustic" rule slipped. I have no idea how.
As a kid, I messed around with electronics a bit; built a few Heath Kits and other projects. This blossomed when I began wanting a better stereo. Because of my machining experience, I began to modify expensive turntables for a local high end shop, and rather than being paid in cash, turned my mods into "high end" audio stuff, at the dealer's cost. This worked out great, until I began to really want a preamp that was $8K or so (and this was 1990 dollars!) so it seemed the only way was to build one. There were magazines—Glass Audio being the one I remember best, along with Audio Amateur, that had great articles, and sometimes circuit boards were available. I built a 6 tube preamp (4 tubes for the phono stage), all 6DJ8 variants, that had full regulated DC supplies at each tube, etc. I machined the enclosure, and made a floating sub-chassis that the board was on to help deal with vibrations. The consensus at the high end store was that I had at least matched the Conrad Johnson unit I had lusted after. The first power amp I built was a Nelson Pass design, 40 watt mono amps, pure class A. I had started making all my own interconnects, etc. also. (I never tried machining plugs, etc, except for one pair of speakers where I made the binding posts from machinable copper.) Eventually, I discovered DIYAudio.com, and started to make the switch to SMD, which seemed pretty necessary. At this point, the only thing in my stereo that I didn't have a major role in building is my vinyl set up, although I have modified most of it.
I think I must've built my first pedles based on the Electronics for Musicians book. I no longer have any of them, except for the Tube Sound Fuzz. I also built a few circuit board based pedals, but remember having trouble getting them to work; and just replicated the circuits on veroboard, which worked fine. I think that until I discovered PedalPCB, all my pedals were veroboard. I still really like the exercise of going from a schematic to veroboard; seeing how compact I can make everything. I've really enjoyed the quality (and layouts) of Robert's boards.
A few years ago I also assembled two Warmoth guitars, a thin line Tele Baritone, and a straight up strat. My first Strat ever! My experiences with machining, and working in thousandths of an inch, made full set ups, which I had never tried, pretty easy. I often have a friend's guitar over that I'm doing something to. (Right now, a lovely older Strat; just got it's frets leveled, and as soon as I can convince him to move UP to 009s, I'll cut the nut and get it ready for him.) And while I still love the TopHat that I've had since about 2005, I got a strong yen for "Fender clean" and after a bit of research, built an Allen kit. I completed that between the Baritone and the Strat, and the Strat through the Allen was exactly what I was hoping for.
What;'s next? I don't know. I've been playing more, on a daily basis, than pretty much anytime in my life, and it brings me much joy. While I tend to be less attracted to high gian, I do love the phase and temporal distortions of mod pedals, and have built more "low gain" boosts than any other type of pedal. Like many here, I seem to have more pedals in the queue than I should, especially while I keep ordering more boards. I love this community.
I'm Steve but i'm known as Stevie. I am the 3rd Steve in my family, we need a way to distinguish each other lol. Ever since I could remember I loved music in general. I grew up with a Father that was a hobbyist at heart. Everything from R/C cars to airsoft, to dirt biking, motorcycles, I mean you name it. Graduated high school but not college, mostly because i really didn't know what i wanted to do. Maybe not a smart move but one that lead me here. Therefore i do not have a background in electronics or circuits, but i am currently learning.
I didn't pick up a guitar until 2007 but was on and off for about 2 years. I then took a 13 year break from playing......just kind of forgot about it and lived life from there. It wasn't until last year that I had picked the guitar back up and started messing with it again and the very real but forgotten feeling of having your finger tips ripped apart came back lol. Not soon after i bought a PackRat and just fell in love with the overall appeal of a guitar pedal. During a conversation with my brother, we talked about how cool it would be to make a guitar pedal. I then did some research and found Jeds Peds. They're based in the UK and I had bought 2 kits from them.To my surprise with no experience and very very little understanding of how to solder (never did) I successfully built my first pedal. It was an addiction from there. Right after i found PEDAL PCB and the rest is history. Met THE coolest people on the planet, in the coolest community you can be apart of. Almost all my mess-ups, learning experiences and even embarrassments are all documented here. Wouldn't have it any other way.
@Bricksnbeatles
I totally love Steely Dan (purportedly named after a chrome dildo in a sex shop in NoHo). When an interviewer asked Eddie Van Halen what his favorite guitar lead was he said "Reeling in the years" !!!!! He said more stuff after that but my memory isn't that good, I mean it was like 4+ decades ago....
@Bricksnbeatles
I totally love Steely Dan (purportedly named after a chrome dildo in a sex shop in NoHo). When an interviewer asked Eddie Van Halen what his favorite guitar lead was he said "Reeling in the years" !!!!! He said more stuff after that but my memory isn't that good, I mean it was like 4+ decades ago....
I hadn’t though this through before, but Steely Dan albums are almost too perfect for rock. Much like a lot of Zappa, in that regard. That is a phenomenal solo, more like a great jazz solo to me. I need to go put it on now, to see how close my re-imaginings of it are. I’m sure it’s even better than what I just heard in my head.
very close! It's the name of a dildo from William S. Burroughs novel, Naked Lunch. The device in question from the book is referred to as "Steely Dan III, from Yokohama," and the rest is history! My XC Phase build, when I eventually get to it, is actually a nod to Steely Dan in that regard, since Donald Fagen's use of a Phase 90 on his Fender Rhodes is why I love the effect so much– I won't spoil what that'll be just yet though.
I hadn’t though this through before, but Steely Dan albums are almost too perfect for rock. Much like a lot of Zappa, in that regard. That is a phenomenal solo, more like a great jazz solo to me. I need to go put it on now, to see how close my re-imaginings of it are. I’m sure it’s even better than what I just heard in my head.
Reelin is an incredible solo from the wonderful Elliot Randall, but despite being one of the greatest solos ever, and an absolute masterpiece of phrasing and subverting expectations (especially that second solo), it doesn't even touch some of the more underrated SD solos imo. After you listen to that one, let me know what you think of these solos:
Sometimes I think the obnoxious fans are what makes me go from tolerating an artist to hating them. Can't you just like them, do you have to base your whole personality on them? Like get a life Zappa, Floyd, SD and so many of those type of bands have those fans. Even if they are good you can't change my mind at this point
very close! It's the name of a dildo from William S. Burroughs novel, Naked Lunch. The device in question from the book is referred to as "Steely Dan III, from Yokohama," and the rest is history! My XC Phase build, when I eventually get to it, is actually a nod to Steely Dan in that regard, since Donald Fagen's use of a Phase 90 on his Fender Rhodes is why I love the effect so much– I won't spoil what that'll be just yet though.
Sometimes I think the obnoxious fans are what makes me go from tolerating an artist to hating them. Can't you just like them, do you have to base your whole personality on them? Like get a life Zappa, Floyd, SD and so many of those type of bands have those fans. Even if they are good you can't change my mind at this point
My name is David. I have a small workspace in my laundry room. I’ve played guitar for 33 years. I’ve done a bunch of different kinds of work, owned my own business for over a decade till the pandemic and other factors made it untenable. Now I’m just another drone from sector 7G and happy to be there. Used to drink, quit that years ago. Never smoked. Never did drugs. I like coffee a lot though.
I have varied musical experience. I haven’t played in anything resembling a band in a damn long time, but I recently started jamming with a like-minded dude so who knows. Joy Division meets Helmet with a dash of the Clash and some Pixies on top? What could go wrong?
Anyway, I like you folks an awful lot. Nice place you got here, @Robert
I'm Nathan. I run a small pedal company nobody has heard of unless you're also on the Talkbass forum in which case you may have seen me around. I was born and raised in southern California but for some reason live in the Chicago suburbs now. I started building pedals because I suck at the guitar and still wanted a way to stay relevant to the local music scene so musicians would still talk to me, and it's worked out pretty well.
As I said I suck at guitar, I'm mediocre on bass, but I used to play drums professionally (did the cruise ship gig for a bit) and currently play drums in a local band as well as occasionally on youtube.
Also I'm at least 40 years too young to be considered a vacuum tube expert, so I consider myself a vacuum tube enthusiast.
Zappa, Floyd, SD and so many of those type of bands have those fans. Even if they are good you can't change my mind at this point 
