Calling DIY builders

Discussion in 'Guitar Gear Talk Forum' started by tallkien, Apr 8, 2007.

  1. tallkien

    tallkien DIY GURU

    I'm in need of a 3PDT footswitch for a stomp i'm making but I can't seem to find one anywhere, Any ideas?
     
  2. nebuchadnezzar

    nebuchadnezzar G34r G33k

    Try www.arielfx.com, its an Israeli site and they ship to India IIRC.Also contact Ronnie, he might be having some spare Carling switches.

    What are you making BTW? Do post progress pics/soundclips in this thread.
     
  3. tallkien

    tallkien DIY GURU

    It's a tube screamer. I need something to slam the front of a tube amp I built. Well maybe not quite slam but push over the edge. I read somewhere that these are particularly well suited for the job. Still can't decide whether I should try to make an etched pcb or wire it point-to-point like I normally do. Anyone tried to make their own pcb? Does this toner transfer thing actually work? Thought I'd give it a go.

    BTW that site is under construction right now, I've registered with small bear electronics so lets see how that goes.

    On the question of sound clips, I need some advice. I'm a complete moron when it comes to home recording so what would you suggest as a solution. I'm making a DI box also soon so I'd like to be able to use it in future. I made a hybrid tube/SS preamp with balanced outputs earlier but the tube amp sounds so amazing I want to record it mic'ed. So what mic and how should I go about recording. I have a Yamaha XG soundcard. Anyone know much about it?
     
  4. nebuchadnezzar

    nebuchadnezzar G34r G33k

    Wow.. whats the tube amp modelled after..some Fender Tweed or a Marshall? If you could shed some light on how you went about the design and where you got the components, it would be an interesting read:). Also check out ceriatone.com if you havent done so yet. Its based in Singapore and he has all sorts of amp kits and parts.

    Make sure you like the Tubescramer sound before you make it.There are other kinds of boosts/overdrive too, like clean boost, treble booster etc although nothing touches a TS in popularity.Check out runoffgroove.com or Aron Nelson's DIY stompbox pages for tons of schematics and layouts.

    For misc questions on recording/DIY stuff, PM Ronnieanand. He has some experience in these things.
     
  5. yazi

    yazi Banned

    Hey tallkien, bro, let us have a run-through of how you got about building that tube amp.

    I was modding a solid state into tube version but stopped as my cab was not large enough for ventilation.
     
  6. tallkien

    tallkien DIY GURU

    Aaahh... the plot thickens... :)

    Nothing special guys, I just hung around these wonderful sites for a few months, read up quite a bit on how these things work and then just went for it :) You can too, Oh... just don't die...

    www.ax84.com
    www.18watt.com

    BTW my next amp is a 18watt TMB just like the ceriatone one (actually its slightly modded for Indian conditions :) ). If only I was a better carpenter I'd make me some cool cabs too

    The amp I built is a Hi Octane from ax84, basically a JCM 800 preamp with a 5 watt power stage. Mine's around 12-15 watts though. Definitely giggable


    Parts are all available anywhere in India. The tubes are obviously hard to find good ones and transformers have to be custom made or imported. (I love the sound of the local ones)
     
  7. tallkien

    tallkien DIY GURU

    I actually have a Quadrafuzz which is very versatile but also a fair bit noisy (poor layout on my part) so I thought of building something smaller and simpler. I've played an SD-1 and the TS-808 is almost identical to it except for one diode. Love the SD-1

    I've also bought parts for a Rangemaster, which is a treble boost, either way I still need switches.

    The Octane is a very high gain preamp so most gain comes from there, the TS is just meant to be a lift for soloing

    Another reason for choosing the TS is for a mod called Asymmetrical clipping which enhances Harmonics (not sure which order though), probably even
     
  8. nebuchadnezzar

    nebuchadnezzar G34r G33k

    Ok dude, you got me all excited:)

    We are talking about an amp here - so quality resistors,caps,jacks,pots and sockets are needed. Do the locally available components have sufficient quality and longevity? Its not like a pedal where you make a mistake and get a burnt out IC as the worst damage.

    Also, which Ge transistor are you using for that Rangemaster?

    And finally...

    THIS THREAD IS USELESS WITHOUT PICS AND CLIPS!
     
  9. felix.ragav

    felix.ragav New Member

    @tallkien:
    yeah i had tried etchin by that toner method man.......it sux bigtime...... use enamel paint to copy your artwork onto the pcb and etch it off.....point to point may not work well as a lot of hum is produced.....

    good luck!

    ragav
     
  10. felix.ragav

    felix.ragav New Member

    where do ya get da tOObs from guys!.......dont telll me its from japan/russia......old new stock.....im in search of tubes for some receiver projects....(am a HAM radio op)

    ragav
     
  11. tallkien

    tallkien DIY GURU

    raghav, you need to be specific about what tubes you're looking for

    Nebu,

    Yes caps and resistors are available of very high quality although you'll need to go to a hub (like sjp rd. in your case) to procure them. Use metal film resitors and Film caps where possible avoid ceramics) , You're basically spoon fed with layouts and such, all you gotta do is keep it tidy and get it right. A little time on learning the theory is always a good idea. Most importantly Don't rush it, These truly are LETHAL numbers

    Might be worthwhile to import things like input jacks, tube sockets, pots etc. but the rest is all A one stuff around here, although I haven't had any problems that other people from around the globe haven't ( i did fry one resistor but I'm told that's common, although not normal :) ) .... and Cheeeeapp!
    If I told you I built a tube amp for less money than you spent on your last stomp box you'd think I was mad, yet lo and behold...

    And here's the killer. My Octane i quieter than my Marshall MG250 :) In fact the marshall has come into its own as a wonderful 2x12 speaker cabinet. I'm sold. Just want to get a set of new tubes so I can gig with it confidently.
     
  12. tallkien

    tallkien DIY GURU

    raghav, how do you get the enamel paint off afterward? Nice idea there, hah!

    thanks

    Nebu, I have a 2N527 PNP germanium transistor for the rangemaster
     
  13. nebuchadnezzar

    nebuchadnezzar G34r G33k

    Not really,I feel most stomp boxes are crazily overpriced. And you can find electronic stuff real cheap in India. The tubes will actually be cheaper than any US site can offer. The funny part is that they are most probably NOS too:)

    Thanks for all the info:beer:
     
  14. felix.ragav

    felix.ragav New Member

    using thinner/ alcohol
     
  15. felix.ragav

    felix.ragav New Member

    what toobs did ya use ofr da amp?
     
  16. tallkien

    tallkien DIY GURU

  17. felix.ragav

    felix.ragav New Member

    nice........where did ya get the tubes ,.........have some electronics knowledge b4 huh ???
     
  18. tallkien

    tallkien DIY GURU

    Not a lot actually, just got hooked some time back. Used to fool around with modding and stuff, Past year has been interesting... and looks like its going to get even more so.

    I'm thinking of powder coating it black, what do you guys think?
     
  19. felix.ragav

    felix.ragav New Member

    black .... itll absorb more radiation.....can you pls tell me where ya got the tubes(+Fallin to his feeeet+)
     
  20. tallkien

    tallkien DIY GURU

    Where are you situated? I have no Idea. In mumbai you need to go to lamington road. Actually one of the lanes off Lamington road, not sure which one but you can ask around.

    If you're in some other town you need to go to where all electronics shops are located. Trust me, they're everywhere, start with the old radio shops, just ask for specific tubes. I went around asking for a rectifier tube and this guy pulls out a whole box, Of course I had no idea which one at the time so I had to make another trip

    cheers and all the best
     

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