What to do first

[Burrie]

Hello Everybody at Pedal PCB,

So I have been playing Bass for 40 years and have never been happy with the pedals they offer. So I would like to build my own and was wondering if I could get people here to chime in on something. I was thinking what is the best way to get started? Buy some used pedals ( Rat 2 and Little big muff Ect) and modify them to work better for bass or buy a kit and components and build from the ground up? Also I am from BC Canada and looking for suggestions on getting kits/ components from the USA or else where. Thanks for taking your time and Looking forward to your answers/help. Some background, I worked in Automotive for years , lots of wiring, reading schematics and soldering experience.

 

[xconverge]

A lot of options here! A lot of us started by modding what we had of course and that is certainly a great place to start

If you can swing it and are interested in trying out the hobby, I would start with a kit for a pedal you think is what you want. Put it together. And then mod that. The reason I say this is because it gets you the single box/package to your house, and you can figure out when/how you want to go through the journey. Breadboarding a circuit and modding it from there is fantastic but definitely intimidating vs a kit. Getting a PCB, then sourcing parts, forgetting something, making another additional order, getting a huge capacitor that doesnt fit because you chose the wrong specifications, then making another additional order, etc all can be frustrating for a first timer as well (although we all go through it and learn from it).

Here are some rat kits:

"RAT" Style DIY Distortion Pedal Kit

Rat DIY Effects Pedal Kit - Pedal PCB Muroidea

stompboxparts.com

Helios Vintage Distortion / Pro Co RAT

Based on the Pro Co RAT Distortion, a distortion pedal with a very distinctive and tight mid-to-high-gain character made iconic by 1980s hard rock bands.

aionfx.com

If you have enough hobbies, and really just want the cheapest solution to your sound, then I would suggest a different route, but based on your wording, I think its worth trying a kit!

 

[Dostradamas]

Welcome
I started with kits and recommend this

Product Type: Full Kit

aionfx.com

KITS - StompBoxParts

stompboxparts.com

Kits

DIY Stompboxes, DIY Electronics, DIY Guitar Effects Kits and Projects

store.generalguitargadgets.com

https://www.jedspeds.co.uk/category/diy-guitar-pedals-all-products

https://www.amplifiedparts.com/products/pedals-pedal-kits

Guitar Pedal Kits

smallbear-electronics.mybigcommerce.com

Kits — Analog Noir

analognoirelectric.com

https://shop.pedalparts.co.uk/category/kits

Lots more, these are some I started with

 

[falco_femoralis]

Get a couple kits to start out with so you can get a feel for how they go together. The ones from AionFX are nice since they have very detailed instructions and are put thoughtfully put together.

I made a Bootlegger (JHS Moonshine) on here for a bass player recently and he loves it. It's like a Tube Screamer with a clean blend so you can retain the clean low end while still getting some grind to come thru in the mids. I'd pick up a couple boards here after following along with a few kits. Just try to enjoy it.