Building Stompboxes

[Geoff]

I dont know if this is the right forum for this, but i'm currently making my own distortion pedal, just as a little project to get my electronics back up to scratch, however I cant find a box to house the circuit in.

Has anyone here ever made thier own stompboxes and knows where I can get the boxes from?

Another question ive got is whether Germanium diodes are really that much smoother sounding distortion wise, then a Silicon one?

[paul_5]

[quote name='Geoff' post='994760' date='Oct 20 2010, 01:23 PM']I dont know if this is the right forum for this, but i'm currently making my own distortion pedal, just as a little project to get my electronics back up to scratch, however I cant find a box to house the circuit in.

Has anyone here ever made thier own stompboxes and knows where I can get the boxes from?

Another question ive got is whether Germanium diodes are really that much smoother sounding distortion wise, then a Silicon one?[/quote]

I've bought cast metal boxes from maplin before now, but there are cheaper places to shop. On the subject of Ge vs Si diodes then yes. I first fell into electronics by modding a Russian Big Muff (replacing input cap etc..) but the BIG difference was swapping the stock diodes for germanium ones. The difference was like night and day - a really smooth, rich fuzz. Careful though, the germanium diodes are housed in a little glass case of Arsenic. My better half wasn't too pleased when I cracked one at the kitchen table...

[Mottlefeeder]

[quote name='Geoff' post='994760' date='Oct 20 2010, 01:23 PM']...Has anyone here ever made thier own stompboxes and knows where I can get the boxes from?...[/quote]
You can get a cast-aluminium box from Maplin, CPC, and several other UK sources. If you want something shaped like a commercial stomp box, the best advice I have seen is to buy a cheap commercial stomp box (e.g. a source selector), rip out its electronics, and build-in your own.

David

[blind pilot]

[url="http://www.doctortweek.co.uk/"]http://www.doctortweek.co.uk/[/url]

[Geoff]

Thanks for the replies guys!

I like the idea about buying a cheap commercial stomp box and using that. I'll bear that in mind about the Germanium diodes as well paul_5, even though i'm probably more deadly with a soldering iron at the moment

[blind pilot]

as a base, you cant really beat this for value! [url="http://www.doctortweek.co.uk/shop/article_229/Enclosure-**-Doctor-Tweek's-Enclosure-Kit-No-1b-**---Aluminium-111-*-60-*-30mm.html?shop_param=cid%3D26%26aid%3D229%26"]http://www.doctortweek.co.uk/shop/article_...%26aid%3D229%26[/url]

[Geoff]

Yeah that enclosure kit looks really good. After having a quick look on that site, i've now got a list of things to order when I get home tonight. So much easier then scrolling through Maplin too. Cheers for the link to that!

[GarethFlatlands]

Let us know how you get on with the build(s)!

A friend of mine makes his own pedals so he's hooking me up with 5 enclosures which he's drilling for me. I'm going to make a bunch of fuzz pedals in my week off on Nov 1st. You want me to ask where he gets them from?

[Geoff]

Yeah go for it, cheers! Ive just ordered an enclosure and some diodes off that Doctor Tweek site, so i'll see how that enclosure is.

Ive got a week off coming up too, so will try and get the pedal done then. My electronics skills are pretty rubbish at the moment, but things like this are a good way of picking things up quickly.

Let me know how your build goes too!

[GarethFlatlands]

My soldering isn't great but I reckon I could knock together a fuzz or something similarly easy. Got a jiffy bag full of transistors, including 4 NOS AC127s, going to order the rest of the parts this weekend. I might do a build diary and post it up here, see how it goes.