.oO (thinking to myself a couple of weeks ago...
How about a fuzz pedal? Here is one that I could build, that's simple enough I don't really need to buy the PCB, though it would have looked neater if I had; I see there are some PCBs in stock right now...there were none of that model a few weeks ago.)
So, off I go to Mammoth electronics to find and order all the pieces (plus a few extras). Wait a few days, get a box in the mail. Yay! Open it as soon as I get inside from the mailbox. Breadboard out and test the circuit, nominally so I can say "I'm trying to find the best sound by swapping in and out different diodes and transistors", but mostly to build confidence that I can connect the dots. Dig out the iron and solder, and away I go!
Wait, I need to have some semblance of a plan for the enclosure. Where do I drill to mount the hardware components? How big do I make the holes? What about "cool graphics"? Hmm...how about this?
OK, that will work. Let's get out the drill! (Sure wish I had a drill press...)
(I'm futzing the order of my stream-of-thought and the actual events...after all, I had thought "white enclosure, purple knob" before I ordered the parts, right?)
So, the basic circuit is soldered to perfboard at this point, and I've tested it out w/alligator clips, the un-attached sockets, and a 9V battery. I even dry-fit the sockets, pot, LED, and switch:
Great, I drilled the holes in the right spots. (Dramatic lighting too...I just turned off all the lights in the room, leaving only the computer monitor to light the scene.)
Next is painting and finishing the enclosure. Rattle cans are fun...reminds me of building a pinewood derby car oh-so-long ago in Cub Scouts, or building model cars, planes, and rockets when I was a young teenager, except that I'm a little more patient with how many coats it actually takes to look halfway decent. Primer. Primer. Primer. Sand. Primer. Primer. Primer. Sand. 3 color coats. Sand. 3 more color coats...no sanding this time. Here's how that looks:
(Muttley wasn't kidding when he said that white is the hardest color to paint guitars...same goes for pedals. Not bad, but see the pinholing on the top surface? And there are runs on the sides.)
What's left? Print off those fancy graphics I "designed" on water-slide decal paper, attach that, clear, clear, clear, sand, clear, clear, maybe one more clear. Then attach all the jacks/sockets/etc. and wire it up. Play. Yay!
