Pedal Parts Plus

Guitar Effects Pedal Parts Heaven

Let’s face it, sourcing parts for a build is a pain. What values do I need? What physical size should I choose? What brand should I buy? Metal? Ceramic? NonPolar? Polar? Shaken? Stirred?  The list goes on and on.

PedalPartsPlus.com gets you in and out with the RIGHT, GOOD parts every time.  They don’t offer fluff, only the stuff you’ll use.  Pictures of actual components, not just a white-paper sketch.

Not only do they do parts, they do enclosure drilling, powder coating and screen printing to polish off your build, making it truly one of a kind.

Their forum and gallery should get you stoked to finish your new build as well as help answer questions along the way.

And their pricing is great.  $3.80 for a 3PDT switch ain’t bad at all.  You’ll have quite the time finding a price in that ballpark, or should I say basement…

 

>> www.pedalpartsplus.com

How to etch a PCB

Don’t spill the acid!

As a guitar pedal DIY-er you’ll undoubtedly run across a pedal / design that you’ll want to build but that no one is fabricating boards for.  I came across a “Double Drive” which looked like a FullTone FullDrive 2, but no one had kits, so I ventured out to my local electronics store, picked up some copper clad and pressed my first PCB with my wife’s clothing iron.

If you need some guidance in crafting your own PCBs, I’d check out the DIY section at The Recording Art website.  They’ve got a great PCB making tutorial which is a couple steps above my caveman-like clothing iron experience.

Here’s the materials list from their guide:

• -Laser Printer
• -Copper clad board
• -Scotch pads, Brillo pads, or fine steel wool
• -Laminator (I use a GBC 9” laminator but an iron can be used with varied results)
• -Ferric chloride or ammonium persulfate
• -Plastic or glass tray
• -Sharpie marker
• -Drill press (a hand drill can work in a pinch)
• -Wire gauge drill bits
• -Magazines

As you can see, if you have a Radio Shack and a hardware store in your town, it would seem that you’ll be able to etch your own boards (assuming you have a laser printer)

I must say, there is a certain pride factor that comes into play when a “board-gawker” walks up and you explain that you built the majority of the pedals on your board down to etching the PCBs.  Hardcore DIY baby…

 >>  http://www.therecordingart.com/

Kits: BuildYourOwnClone.com

No Frills Goodness

This place does it right.  No frilly webpage with gobs of ads, just a list of pedals with awesome build guides.  We’re talking super detailed guides stepping you through the entire process.  Bravo.

They also stock some basic parts as well, enclosures, ICs, caps, resistors, and more in their store. While the store and pedal list certainly aren’t all-encompassing, it hits on solid builds that everyone should probably have on their boards.

One thing that really sets them apart, however, is their forum.  It seems to have good traffic and folks are able to connect with other builders for help/ideas and such.  DIY, while inherently a solo act is always better, more fun and easier if you have a forum of others who can pitch in a tip here and there.

I have yet to order a kit, but, I would assume by their longevity the order process is painless.

 

>> www.buildyourownclone.com

 

 

GuitarPCB.com

PCBs, Parts, Demos & More

Looking for some kits to start off your DIY journey?  GuitarPCB.com is a good place to peek at.  They’ve got hand built, hand etched boards for sale, reasonably priced as well as some parts, demos and a fairly active forum with tips and build help.

Whether you’re looking for something “Ratty” or something a bit more “Standard”, you’ll find demos, build help, diagrams and modding options for most if not all projects.

The inventory may not be pages and pages of kits, but, these guys really hit some “Big Ballers” in the guitar pedal world. Check ’em out!  You never know what you might run in to!

>> www.guitarPCB.com

SmallBear Electronics

SmallBear Electronics

Parts: Get ’em here

As DIY pedal builders we need a place to find quality parts and hard to find parts at times.  The ‘Big Guys’: Mouser, DigiKey, Parts-Express, Newark are huge and nearly impossible to search at times given the enormity of their stock.

SmallBear Electronics cuts through the noise of the Big Guys and stocks the quality/oddball parts you need to box up that new clone or custom design you’ve finalized. Enclosures, resistors, leds, wire, terminals, switches, op-amps, capacitors, ICs, tools and the list goes on.

Whether you need that Mallory 150 Series Poly Film cap or just an LED, SmallBear’s got you covered.  I’ve been satisfied every time I’ve ordered.  They even have a few books to help you out along your journey to guitar pedal DIY mastery.

 

>> www.smallbearelec.com