In starting this post, I realized that guitar effects are a point of serious music-snob contention for me. Most people (including myself, for a good portion of the time I've been playing guitar) find the use of switchable effects to be somewhat indispensable when playing on stage--even if you can afford studio-grade effects and time them properly, why let someone else control your tone? The innumerable combinations of distortion, chorus, compression, delay, and wah effects give each guitarist the ability to tailor their own tone with a finite number of pedals. Good news, right?
I want so badly to just say yes! But, the amp builder in me says, "GET YOUR TONE FROM YOUR AMP!" because this is the simplest and purest way to distill your sound. Each added bit of circuitry has the potential to suck tonality and life from your playing. And yet, who gives a s***? Music is about playing, performing, creating, and finding your OWN sound. So, even though they're not always my cup o' tea, stomp boxes have a wonderful place in the world and are a joy to build.
I want so badly to just say yes! But, the amp builder in me says, "GET YOUR TONE FROM YOUR AMP!" because this is the simplest and purest way to distill your sound. Each added bit of circuitry has the potential to suck tonality and life from your playing. And yet, who gives a s***? Music is about playing, performing, creating, and finding your OWN sound. So, even though they're not always my cup o' tea, stomp boxes have a wonderful place in the world and are a joy to build.Back in the day, guitar and amplifier manufacturers built their products to quality standards that aren't really seen in the market today. There was a clear sense of collaboration between musicians and builders (Hendrix and Jim Marshall were good pals! Leo Fender kept his designs in the public domain!). Many musicians went to builders to ask for designs, and gear endorsements became commonplace. At some point, companies were consolidated, patents were filed, and the tech involved in most gear was "closed." Luckily, most musicians crave the vintage stuff! So, with the help of some intrepid reverse-engineers, the internet is now FULL of resources for the enterprising do-it-yourself pedal enthusiast! You no longer have to buy what is available to you--as the builder, you have the opportunity to create the market and inform vendors of the revisions and changes you'd like to see.
Rather than blather on and on, I'm going to give some props to a few of the resources I've used and can personally recommend.
The Basics:
General Guitar Gadgets: This place is chock full of information, projects, and they print their own circuit boards, so even if you want to source the components yourself, their boards are high-quality and well-marked. Take a look at their links section for a comprehensive list of resources they've collected. (NOTE: If you're not a Jews-For-Jesus type, scroll past the "Good Stuff" links. If that's you're thing, you're in luck.)
The Tried-and-True Method:
Build Your Own Clone: BYOC is a great business that sells KITS. These are ready to assemble and include comprehensive building guides. Also included are instructions and suggestions for modifications. I'd check them out if you a) want a pedal in a hurry but still want to do it yourself or b) you want to get your feet wet using stuff that is pretty much guaranteed to work.
Straight Components: You guessed it. You can get all your transistors, wires, and potentiometers at these places. Mouser is a little difficult to use, as it is a general electronics site, but the other two are specifically for music applications. I have used all three successfully.
So there you are. Lots of places to start. Also, check the links on the left for pedal content--MakeZine had a re-post of an Instructables article on a project called Fuzz of 1000 Faces just yesterday. This stuff comes and goes with a rapidity only possible on the interwebs!
I will write another article later on modifications, creation of new designs, and tools for doing so. Stay tuned.
And always, if you've got questions or suggestions, write 'em in the comments!
Hey there guy,
ReplyDeleteOne thing that might be really interesting to think / write about that's been floating around in my head for a bit is licensing and freedom when it comes to pedal plans vs. pedals.
For instance, I'm building a silicon fuzz from fuzzcentral that claims that the PCB is copywritten work, so the author denies others the right to sell pedals made with it for profit. So, a few questions arise:
1. Can pedal PCB authors claim copyright or patent when many of the designs are clearly adapted from prior art?
2. When these designs fall under formal license (as they surely will), can they be defended with 'artistic' licenses like CC-NC or is pedal design - with its distinct stages of information and actualization better served by software-modeled licenses?
to clarify, by PCB are you referring to the design that would be screen-printed onto a board, or the physical PCB he has designed, manufactured, and sold?
ReplyDeleteIf it's the latter, then his claim makes sense. It's a product he's developed, and there are more steps than simple adaptation of a schematic to a physical layout.
The former is a case I think I could write an entire post about--especially if the source is obscure. I'd say that if it's obvious that a design has been in the public domain before, you can't copyright that design.
Your second question is something I'd like to look into. I think this is a big part of why Open Hardware is being "defined." The open software licensing systems are pretty good, but you're right, they're not exactly suited for hardware usage.