New Pedal Day

I got bored a few nights ago and remembered that I had been trying (unsuccessfully) to match Chris Wolstenholme's tone on Muse's song, Hysteria. So I did some searching on Talkbass and I kept coming across people saying that the Zvex Woolly Mammoth would get me where I wanted to be. After I saw the price of the woolly mammoth though, I thought something along the lines of "Forget that!" Then I briefly thought, "I wonder how complex the circuit is?" A quick google search found me some schematics and I went to Mouser.com to price out the parts. The total came up to $14 so I decided it would be worth a try. I got all the parts in yesterday and spent about three hours soldering it together. Much to my surprise, it worked (and man, does it do a good job of getting that Hysteria sound)! Just thought I'd share some pictures of it with all of you. The metal enclosure is in the mail still, so that's why it's all arranged on my crappy piece of acrylic.




More pictures to come when I've assembled everything in the enclosure.

Very cool, I need to try that sometime!

That's pretty damn neat, man! Fulltone has an A/B box schematic and detailed instructions pertaining to its assembly on their website. I want to build one just to say I did it! Looks cheap enough.

Thanks for the compliments! I could send you the schematics if you'd like to try it, Darkstrike. And you definitely should give an A/B box a shot if you want to get into this kind of stuff, I bet the wiring for that would be really good for beginners (says the person whose last pedal attempt did nothing but smell like burning plastic when plugged in )!

Yvarg wrote:

And you definitely should give an A/B box a shot if you want to get into this kind of stuff, I bet the wiring for that would be really good for beginners (says the person whose last pedal attempt did nothing but smell like burning plastic when plugged in )!

Haha I've been there. The reason why it looks appealing is because the instructions are so clearly laid out. That and I like Fulltone stuff...it all seems very well thought through.

Yvarg wrote:

Thanks for the compliments! I could send you the schematics if you'd like to try it, Darkstrike. And you definitely should give an A/B box a shot if you want to get into this kind of stuff, I bet the wiring for that would be really good for beginners (says the person whose last pedal attempt did nothing but smell like burning plastic when plugged in )!

If you could dude, it'd be awesome, I'll see if I can find the parts here, I should be able to, if not I have people in the US who could send it over.

Man I wish we had Radioshacks!

You don't have anything where you can buy electronic parts/tools?

^ And if you don't there's plenty of places to buy electronics on the internet. Radioshack is overpriced anyway

Chowderboots wrote:

You don't have anything where you can buy electronic parts/tools?

Not pots, capacitors, resistors, etc, there's one place about 40 mins away, that may, jusy may, be able to help.

Then again, I know an electrician, I could ask him.

Darkstrike wrote:

Chowderboots wrote:

You don't have anything where you can buy electronic parts/tools?

Not pots, capacitors, resistors, etc, there's one place about 40 mins away, that may, jusy may, be able to help.

Then again, I know an electrician, I could ask him.

Mhmm I know what you mean. Good luck finding parts.

Downsides to living out of the way...

Yeah I guess so. I know you've told me before, but where do you live?

The Kerry coastline.

Okey dokey. I remember your photos of the beaches were beautiful.

Shame we get the weather for that stuff like twice a year!

Yeah I feel you. This week has been the first of many grey, drippy ones to come...

Chowderboots wrote:

Yeah I feel you. This week has been the first of many grey, drippy ones to come...

Time to make bleak, dark music...

Mhmm...cold hands, warm tubes.

I don't even listen to Cryptopsy that much.

thanx yvarg. buying a house and moving has financially put my other projects on hold. this is something that looks like ittl cheaply keep me busy for a while, with great rewards.

i've never attempted to build a pedal ... so i gotta weigh out my skill level with what i would want.

when i get on it, i'll post something.

You have to paint the box blue.

For those interested, here are the schematics: http://analogguru.an.ohost.de/193/schematics/Zvex_WoollyMammoth.gif

If you don't understand any of that, the best advice I have is to google search for schematic symbols and what they mean (that was really helpful for me at least). If you guys want, I can even try to post a link to the list of components needed from various sites.

And madmike, I've never (successfully) built a pedal before I made this one. The only substantial knowledge I have of electronics is how to wire guitars and that I should never stick a fork into a European outlet.

Yvarg wrote:

For those interested, here are the schematics: http://analogguru.an.ohost.de/193/schematics/Zvex_WoollyMammoth.gif

If you don't understand any of that, the best advice I have is to google search for schematic symbols and what they mean (that was really helpful for me at least). If you guys want, I can even try to post a link to the list of components needed from various sites.

And madmike, I've never (successfully) built a pedal before I made this one. The only substantial knowledge I have of electronics is how to wire guitars and that I should never stick a fork into a European outlet.

Cheers man, I'll have to figure out how to read it, can't be that complicated, but I only have wired guitars before.

Here's a great page I just found that should help with understanding the basics of schematics:
http://www.beavisaudio.com/techpages/SchematicToReality/

The rest of the site is really useful as well, and it focuses mainly on building effects.

Very cool, very cool indeed, makes it a lot simpler.

Wow! Awesome job, Yvarg!

this has been an awesome thread!

thanx yvarg ... beavis audio is a goldmine of information and gadgetry for a mad scientist such as myself. i didnt know products were produced to simplify experimentation like the beavis board.

extremely informative website as well .........

has urged my drive to diy with stuff like this to obsession.

show me more stuff i dont know ....