Build your own guitar effects Part II assembling the circuit

[The1970sInfatuate]

How do you wire up the "ring" part of the stereo input jack? Does it go to the circuit board, or does it have to be connected to the foot switch? Also, with the stereo input jack, does it matter if your actual guitar lead cable has a "tip" "ring" and "sleeve?" I looked at all the cables I have and they only have the "tip" and "sleeve" on the plugs. Will anything bad happen if you use a standard mono cable with only the tip and sleeve with the stereo input jack?

[Twinhit]

How about a video that explains how to design these basic effects and what each component and their specfied values do? 

[wnorcott]

@Twinhit Brother that is teaching you electronics and I am not going to do that LOL. Not only that but I have my own company that sells guitar effects I have designed, The Fillmore Pedal Company. I am not giving away my business either haha. Thanks for watching.

Bill

[guitarslf132]

how does a few capacitors and resistors make it sound different?????

[hasanathar]

suck americans i can do this shit better.

[warlordzephyr]

IT'S SOLDER GODDAMN IT, NOT SODDER

[wnorcott]

Not according to the dictionary. Click on the reference in the Info section above "How to pronounce the word solder" if you need any more convincing.

[warlordzephyr]

@wnorcott Not according to the oxford dictionary, which is really the one to go for, seeing as the english invented english.

[wnorcott]

@warlordzephyr That's nice ... and the Americans invented the transistor and the integrated circuit. Not to mention Americans also invented the electric guitar and the electric bass. Thanks for watching.

[urworstnightmare22]

@warlordzephyr Yes but according to the English, American english is closer to old english than british english. This is because they were highly influenced by the French after the colonies were in play

[todddoyl]

hey where can i buy those plastic pedal cases??

[The1970sInfatuate]

If you have time, could you make an instructional video explaining how all 9 poles work on a 3PDT foot switch? I just want to know how the 9 poles work together etc.

[wnorcott]

@The1970sInfatuate Good suggestion I will keep this in mind. Maybe I can get to it this week.

Bill

[wnorcott]

@The1970sInfatuate I just did the video hope you like it. Check out my channel page for my newest video.

[mayakanthineela]

Hi brother needs to chat a, Asian women busizz4me.info



[19871nonoy]

can make a tutorial from dod 250 overdrive pedal?

[19871nonoy]

tnxx men now i know........think you very much

[19871nonoy]

i have a question to you the resistor they have pasitive and negative?

[wnorcott]

@19871nonoy No, resisistor do not have a positive and negative.

[daxweb]

c'mon ... be happy

[5Spekter]

i am an inspired guitar effects maker, i was hoping you help me with sum web pages with all the info and knowledge i need for making beginning and advance pedals!? i sent you a message more in depth! it would mean the world to me!

[carduck16]

i like the video a lot.can i know how and where to wiring up the LED indicator?i would like to use bright light red LED.picture diagram would much help Plzzzz..

[akel1984]

what is a rosin core solder? think this is my first time seinge one. is this the lead you use? sory for the question

[wnorcott]

@akel1984 Yes, "rosin core solder" is the lead wire that you heat up with the soldering iron to make the electronic parts stick together. The rosin is a chemical inside the solder that cleans the metal surfaces so the melted solder will stick. Thank you for watching my video.

Bill

[mysteryhippyguy]

@akel1984 You can also get lead free better for the environment :)

[jonovaz]

I made an mxr distortion+, but when i turn on the effect it's very very silent. What could it be? A short circuit or problem with power?

[wnorcott]

@jonovaz It could be either. Usually for the beginner it is a short circuit caused by a "solder bridge". That just means you used too much solder on one of the connections and it is short circuiting. Check all the solder joints to make sure they are not touching the wrong part of the board. An inexpensive digital mulitmeter (DMM) like I show in the video is very useful for finding short circuits and power problems. Pin 7 of the IC should read about 9 volts.

bill

[1xDRCx]

@jonovaz its pretty likely that for your input, you connected the wrong leads. the tip of a 1/4 inch jack caries the signal, and the shaft is ground, make sure that for the female input the lead you solder to is connected to the tab that touches the tip of the jack, and connect it to positive, and the other lead connect it to ground or negative.

[jonovaz]

So the effect you were making in the video was ampeg scrambler?

[wnorcott]

@jonovaz Yes it is the Ampeg Scrambler

[ChrisONGuitar1]

now we toggle up... lol

[habadibidoe]

is it possible to make an effect with 8 bit sound effects (like in old video games)

[wnorcott]

You can still obtain old sound-generator chips like Yamaha and a few other brands but I am not interested in digital electronics so I never did anything like that.

But yes, it is possible.

[44eelz]

i dont get what makes different pedals of the same category sound different, is it voltage? different parts? i know very little about electronics.

[wnorcott]

@44eelz It is because they are designed with different parts. Sometimes just changing a couple of parts in an existing pedal changes the sound a lot too. Picking the right 'values' of electronic parts gets into electronic theory, but the short answer is changing the parts changes the sound (a lot).

Bill

[clewi1091]

can you make them where they run off of electricity instead of batteries? also, i have an electra guitar too. mine is a pro endorser i bought new around 1982. i have the cherry sunburst and my brother has the black burst.

[wnorcott]

@clewi1091 Yes you can make them run off of electricity instead of batteries. I build mine with a jack on the side that is "9 volt negative tip" that means it is the style used by all Boss pedals. When not plugged in the pedal runs on batteries. However when you plug in the tip, it switches off the battery and runs off of electricity instead.

Those old Electras from the 70's & early 80's are really fine guitars I play them more than my old Gibsons. That is saying something.

Bill

[Bandwiches]

Thanks for the video man. I am definitely considering building this but I want to add a volume knob. Where would I put it? And how many K's should it be? Thanks for the help.

[wnorcott]

You are welcome. A volume knob can be placed differently on different circuits but an easy way to do it is like this. Get a 50K or a 100K pot. Look at it from the bottom, and the 3 solder lugs are numbered 3, 2, and 1

Solder the output wire of the effect to 3. Solder another wire from 1 to "ground" on the circuit, you can use the ground lug of the output jack for this.  Now the #2 spot on the pot, you solder a wire to that, it become the new "output" wire. Turn the pot and voume changes.

[DarkHypocrisy]

Amazing video! I really want to pick pedal making up... I guess a good way to start is to buy a complete effect kit with all the components, instructions and so forth ?

[wnorcott]

Thank you. Yes buying a kit might be the best way to get started you need to practice soldering and with a kit you know you will have all the right parts and instructions.

Bill

[DarkHypocrisy]

Yes, i guess that will be the best thing to do. Do you know any clone that is pretty easy to put together? Isn't an Octave fuzz or tremelo clone pretty basic? But i don't know anything about this kind of stuff so i am sorry for my ignorance!

[wnorcott]

A simple two-transistor fuzz like a silicon transistor Fuzz Face is very simple to build and useful when you build it. Octave Fuzz like the Super Fuzz are actually more complicated. The EA tremolo is supposed to be pretty easy to build too. A Tremulus Lune tremelo is much more advanced. Better to try something simple and be successful.

The easiest kit of all and very useful when you are done is the LPB-1 booster it is just 1 transistor 6 simple components and a volume control pot.

[DanFSD]

Thanks for the video wnorcott. One day, i'll make this.

[wnorcott]

Thanks for listening brother. Have faith, you will get there when the time is right.

Bill

[wnorcott]

Thanks.

The board needs to be etched somehow so if you don't use acid you would need another etchant like nasty ferric chloride.

You can use perfboard or stripboard, which means you build on a ready made board. On stripboard (velo board) all the copper is on strips and you scratch away copper from points you do not want to be connected. That requires no chemicals.

Potentiometers the same style but the resistance is different ie 50K ohms, 100K, 250K, linear or log taper etc.

Bill

Bill

[RATM4LIF3]

Hey wnorcott, thanks for uploading these videos, I am ordering all my parts from small bear electronics and am wondering, can I etch one of the boards that they have, or do I need to find a completely clean board.

[97036]

You sound like Arnold Schwarzenegger :)

[wnorcott]

Thanks. :)

Bill

[jakedenos]

does anyone know what the most inportant mistakes are you can make?

I made a fuz face but it does not work and i just can't figure out what's wrong

nice vids btw

[wnorcott]

The most common mistakes are both about the soldering iron: 1) using too much solder so is causes a :"solder bridge" that connects two parts of the circuit that should not be connected and 2) a "cold solder joint" that does not make a good connection. Putting in a transistor in backwards is common but really the most common mistake is probably the solder bridge. Thanks for watching.

Bill

[TheHalo3creed]

How do you make different effects?

[wnorcott]

Each different sounding effect uses a different set of plans, called a schematic. Kind of like if you were building a boat, a truck and a sled you would use three different sets of plans. If you watch Part III of this 3-part series, I tell you where to find the schematics for many different types of effects pedals.

The same construction techniques I show here work for all kinds of pedals.

[KaossPadGuitars]

why do you use flick switches instead of stomp switches?

[wnorcott]

Good question. I use both types. In my earlier effects I used the toggle (flick) switches. Now I use the foot switches. Only for small effects in tiny cases like preamps, that are on all the time, I use the toggle switches.

Bill

[Jetman1284]

When searching for resistors, I found that there are several wattages available and I'm not sure what to get. My logic tells me that (like a guitar amp) the higher the wattage, the better. Is that so?  If I buy one resistor at 2 watts, must everything else be 2 watts?

[wnorcott]

For effects pedals you really only need to buy 1/4 watt resistors, or in rare cases when the circuit calls for it, 1/2 watt resistors. It is a waste of money buying anything else. Effects pedals do not draw a lot of current.

[Jetman1284]

Thanks for the helpful videos and all the responding that you do. We viewers appreciate it. Thanks!

[TheAgOdAmOnGiNsEcTs]

WHAT IS THAT Q3 thing im soo confused what is is that a capacitor im makin my own so can u get back to me asap

[wnorcott]

If you see a Q like Q3 on a schematic that is a transistor.

A capacitor is labelled with a C, for example C2

Bill

[dddudeyeaa87]

so how much does everything cost?

[wnorcott]

Figure on about $35 plus the cost of your labor.

[psychacelicblues]

hey man, is there any chance you could make a map, showing the whole circuit system, with colors? just having a bit of trouble seeing where everything goes. if not, that's cool.

[TheCynicalAtheist]

Fantastic video, i plan on doing this kind of thing very soon.. Im no stranger to some soldering and basic circuitry, but still these videos will be very helpful, thank you very much.

[wnorcott]

Thanks for listening. I just created a playlist that has all 3 parts of the video series. Check out my channel page for the list.

Bill

[jazzytv8]

i looked at radioshack for a blank board and all i could find is one's with lined up holes. how do i use one of those boards??

[wnorcott]

The boards with the predrilled holes are useful if you know how to read a schematic and lay it a pattern on one of their boards. But that is a more advanced technique.

[brandon5pennies]

have you ever attempted to build a tube overdrive? and where do you get your boxes to house the effects??

[soulcutterx13]

Thanks for the video! I had figured this would have been a much harder process, all told. But I've been wrong before. :p

It might be kinda rude, but what state (or province) are you from?

[Esbanez]

gah, its pronounced sol-der

Not so-der

[wnorcott]

Not in my country it isn't.

Aye, there's the rub.

[xEN0NASSASSYN9x]

what kind of toggle switches do you use?

[(on-off-on), (on-on), etc.]

[wnorcott]

Usually I use on-on type switches

thanks for listening

Bill

[inotissallov]

3:11 did you mean to say transistors not resistors

[wnorcott]

You are correct I meant transistors

[foxthewolfie]

are you kevin from the office? watch ... uhm, i mean, listen /watch?v=LL7i9OEgFr0 xDDD

[ElDopa420]

I know a guy from Boston. When he says "shots" and "shorts", it sounds exactly the same. Why do you guys do that ? He does the same thing with "beer" and "bear." I think you can see how this could be a problem when I go to a bar with him. Great videos ! Your sharing of your knowledge will be a great help when I build my effect pedal.

[diegokmoraes]

thank you! :)

[jakedenos]

if you solder the parts in the wrong spot can it bring damage to your parts

[wnorcott]

Usually it will not hurt the parts, but the effect will not work properly.

[pixulonko]

MAN! that's a amazing guitar!

regards

=D

[jakedenos]

hey i made my own electric guitar but something is wrong with the wiring becouse it buzzes. would shielded whire help here ?

[puppetmetal]

How do you know where all the parts go and need to be and which part goes where and all that?

[wnorcott]

I studied electronics and built a lot of pedals. So it is part learning and part experience. Now I am at the point where I design my own pedals and have started a company to sell them. There are a lot of pedals you can buy as kits or plans, and they tell you what parts to buy and where to put them. Or the kit comes with all the parts you need.

Bill

[Wattsy97]

does each resistor and capacitor have to go on in a certain spot, if so what happens if there not in the correct spot

[wnorcott]

Yes all the parts have to be arranged a certain pattern. Kind of like letters of the alphabet go together to make words and words are arranged to make sentences or else it makes no sense. If you do it all random it would not be an electronic circuit that does anything useful.

Bill

[danny239]

how do u get the effect u want?

[Pelleman666]

check his first video

[Damien6ix]

Yeah i ve tried that but I can't find the ones shown on Tonepad. I know you built a tube screamer, do you think I can use "any" 1uF capacitors, even if they have polarity? Thanks

[wnorcott]

Try mouser part number 80-T356A105K25AT

[Damien6ix]

Ok. The capacitors shown in TP is like a blue rectangular box, I thought it had to be the same thing. Thanks for your replies!!

[Damien6ix]

Hi! I'm trying to build a Tube Screamer but cant find the 2x capacitors 1μF / NP, any help? Thanks

[wnorcott]

Try Mouser Electronics they have everything

[yamitanomura]

Nice job. I enjoy the video!

But I have a question... Everybody uses metal boxes (aluminium or others), why you choose to use plastic ?

Maybe metal box will give you more isolation against noise.

[yogaprasseno]

And what about the sound....??..where is the sound from the homemade effect???

[wnorcott]

Please click on my youtube user ID wnorcott and visit my channel. I have 130 videos I have made using effects I built myself. I probably have made more effects demo videos than anybody on YouTube.

[aandwrootb33r]

What am I looking for in a "good quality" multimeter? I see prices from $4-$885. That MS8229 is something like $150 list. Best price I've seen for it is about $90.

I wouldn't really be using a multimeter for any other sort of electronics work, so what all would/wouldn't I be using in something like yours? What's the least I can get away with? Thanks in advance, by the way. :D

[wnorcott]

I have a brand new in the box, unused, never opened MS8264 for sale that measures resistance, voltage, continuity, current, capacitance, diodes, transistors, temperature, frequency, 30 range digital multimeter and I will sell it for $27 shipped to US customers only. Or you can go to eBay and pay $40 for the same thing.

First $27 takes it and that is from you or from anybody else who is interested.

Bill

[NorthernSoulLeon]

So, If i use audio cables, solder the shield as ground and use the sleeved wire as the in/out put wire?

Wicked! Humming is the main problem i seem to be having!

Nice one Bill! Will give it a whirl!

*****

[wnorcott]

Yes, I solder the shield on one end of the input cable to the ground lugof the guitar jack. The shielding on the other end of that same cable does not connect to anything. Just trim it off or wrap with electrical tape. It is all technique.

Bill

[ClayEdmondson]

thats awesome but i couldnt understand any of it

[wnyiac]

just a question because im thinking of making my own effects pedal, but would it be possible to make an effects pedal that sounds like an 8-bit nes sound?

[wnorcott]

You could use a sound effects chip like the TI SN76477 or the Yamaha YMZ284-D but those are kind of advanced chips to work it. It will not make your guitar sound like a NES but it will make crazy sounds. Or you could try a "theramin" kit, Velleman makes one for about $15.

[thefuckestuppest]

wnyiac, youd need a bitcrusher for that, it would presumably be very difficult to build

[conor1148]

what gauge of wire do i need generally?

[wnorcott]

Good question. I have been using 26 gauge solid wire but I am switching over to 24 gauge stranded wire. The solid wire has made some pedals unreliable and I had to resolder them. It is too stiff.

Bill

[toxto]

"You wanna test it NAO!"

I like your vids, man.

[TurboTRob]

man you got talent, nice job

[atimholt]

I was hoping to hear the finished product.

[wnorcott]

Thanks for listening. Search youtube for Ampeg Scrambler because I made 2 demos of this pedal

Check out my channel page two I just made a custom build pedal I call El Saguaro and have recorded three demos of that in the past few days.

Bill

[lckenrules]

hey.. wonder if you can help me. i'm building a amz overdrive pro. i did all the wiring correctly and i used a dpdt switch. bt it does not work and the ic went real hot. wonder wad is the prob.. thx

[wnorcott]

It sounds like you have a short circuit. Check all the solder connections to make sure you do not have a blob of solder shorting across two of the traces.

Hot op amp is almost always due to a short circuit.

[lckenrules]

i figure out the problem. Too high current from my adapter. now there's another problem. i hav solder everything. but nothing seems to work. only the bypass is working.i followed the diagram in tonepad but still having the same prob.. thx

[probablyjoel]

This is something i've wondered for a while... I make pedals too, but i use a DPDT switch, but you used a 3PDT. Any reason a 3PDT would be better for true bypass? I saw you didn't connect anything to the third poles, so basically it was wired like a DPDT right?

[wnorcott]

The third set of poles on the 3PDT is used for switching the LED on when you step on the footswitch. If you do not need an LED which many pedals do not need, you can just use DPDT and still get true bypass on the sound.

[toxto]

I have built a pedal with Millenium Bypass which used a DPDT switch (6 legs) and still have a working LED.

[magnusFTW]

I really appreciate how you share exactly which products you are using.

Thanks! :)

[naruchiha2323]

there r 2 green wires one goes back to the battery but where does the other go?

thnx

[wnorcott]

The green wires connect to the Ground plane on the circuit board, also to the ground side of the input jack and the output jack.

[xDisclaimerx]

very nice video

great tutorial

looks like little hard but i will try it

thanks :)

[rootpass87]

nice vid,, i learned a lot.. just wanna ask,, where should the white shielded wire from toogle switch connected to?? thanks for the nyc vid..

[wnorcott]

If you look at the switch at 6:23 in the video the red shielded wire in the "left middle" pole of the switch is the input jack. The white shieled cable at the "left bottom" pole of the switch is the input cable that goes to the circuit board of the effect. So when the switch is in the "Effect On" position the sound comes in from the input jack (red shieled cable) and is switched to the "Effect input" which is the white shielded cable. In the "Bypass" position input & output are connected.

[akagie]

Is there any premade cicuit bords? because i dont want to deal with the acids

[wnorcott]

Yes! you should view Part III in this series it tells you where to get premade circuit boards as well as all the other parts you will need. I often order premade boards myself to save time.

Bill

[Mitraeltheprophet]

Thnx dude your video totaly rocks!!!! it combines 2 of my pasions: Guitars and messing up with electronics.. But one question (which is from the first part actually) where did you find the circuit (i mean which site)?

[killitb]

I dont see where the LED falls into place, is it mounted on the circuit board or connected by wires?

[wnorcott]

The LED is connected by wires from the case to the circuit board.

Bill

[altus2]

Thanks for this video, I`ve found it really helpfull :)

[wnorcott]

You are welcome! I am glad to help

Bill

[killitb]

Ive heard alot of people saying that you should use a 15-20 watt soldering iron when you solder this or guitar pickups.

But I have a 100-140 watt soldering gun. with up to 900 degrees. Do you think that could possibly hurt?

[wnorcott]

Yes I think a 110-140 watt iron is way too powerful for building effects.  The gun size are big and heavy too and harder to handle than a pencil iron. The Radio Shack model I use is 20 watts on low and 40 watts on high, but I only use it on low to solder the components. The only time I use high (40 watts) is to solder the guitar jacks which take more heat.

[yaksox]

Hi. Great video. I am thinking of starting to build pedals and this help visualise what I would need to do. I'll be watching for anything else you put up.

[wnorcott]

Thanks. Make sure to watch part I and Part III of this same series it is 3 parts.

[yaksox]

Hi. Yeah I did have a look, but I'd be going for a pre-printed circuit board and kit. That acid bit freaked me out a bit.

[natedogg45]

I can get the BB for $9.99 in a local shop and its not too hard to drill if you get the right bits the first time around. I think all you really need is the high quality shielded patch cord, once you jack into the aluminum case, the ground goes right into the chassis anyways. For this you need the metal jacks to make sure they connect to the casing.

Anyways, Thanks for the series, your stuff sounds good!

[wnorcott]

OK well I am not telling you to avoid aluminum cases. I test my effects for hum before I even install it in the case.

[natedogg45]

I don't want to be rude, but I don't understand why you use plastic enclosures if you are so concerned about noise (you say input line must be shielded). I think if you were putting these in metal enclosures that would make more of a difference.

[wnorcott]

Good question Nate. In my experience input shielding is the biggest factor in reducing hum. Also, using high quality patch cords. I built pedals with unshielded inputs in aluminum Hammond 1590BB cases that still hummed. Using shielded wire and a plastic case solves it. The plastic cases cost $10 less, are colorful, lighter than aluminum, and are easier to machine. Aluminum is a pain to drill. Aluminum cases are sturdier though. If I ever build one that needs aluminum I will mention that.

[wofh]

thanks greetings from mexico

[wnorcott]

Hi, thanks for watching. I am making friends from all over the world now.

[zelost]

awesome...

[wnorcott]

thanks

[02nothing]

why a lot of wire colours? well, simply put, they're pretty lol. (jk, I know that it makes it easier to tell them apart... the first guitar I overhauled only used red and black wire for EVERYTHING, so I know that colour is important).

[dreamsareweird]

This is a really great series that you have posted. Thanks!

[wnorcott]

Thanks for watching.

[wnorcott]

Part III is posted above as a video response. Part III is where to buy parts. One of the few things I advise you to buy at Radio Shack is their 500 piece resistor assortment it has pretty much all the pieces you need:

500-Piece 1/4-Watt Carbon-Film Resistor Assortment

$12.99

Model: 271-312

Catalog #: 271-312

I put a link to it in About This Video

[30003012345]

thanx 4 the info. Im gonna make myself a distortion pedal!

[wnorcott]

Great! Take your time and be neat with the soldering and you will do fine. Good luck.

[SevenSins25]

where do you get all the parts

[wnorcott]

You have to wait for Part III to find that out! It will be about components and where to get them.

[wnorcott]

I just posted Part III which covers how to find the parts and how to find the guitar effects pedal designs. Hope you like it. Check out the video response above.

[wnorcott]

To hear the Demo of the completed Ampeg Scrambler that I build in this video, please do a YouTube search for the words "Ampeg Scrambler"

[wnorcott]

Somebody asked "Why don't you put heavy duty DPDTs in your stompboxes?" Good question.

My guitar work is "studio only" so I don't need fast "foot switching".

The 3PDT toggle switches I use only cost $1.50 not $10-$15! I'm a cheapskate!

Using 3PDT switches: 2 poles are for the "true bypass" switching shown in the video. The 3rd pole of the switch turns on the LED when you switch the effect to the ON position. There are 3PDT foot switches sold but they are pricey and a bit hard to find.

[theekoolaidman]

so you go and find a real schematic, not just add whatever you want?? thats gay

[wnorcott]

Well if you are asking do I just build everyting stock? The answer is no. If you listen to my Rebote 2.5 echo demo I heavily modded that one by changing 9 of the components. But I don't just toss a bunch or random parts together by trial and error and pray for a miracle either.

[wnorcott]

Part III when I can get to it, will cover the different kind of components and how & where to buy the stuff you need.

[PLUMBdogg]

Great stuff! All the kit makers should link to this video for their customers.

[wnorcott]

Thanks! I just posted a Demo of the Ampeg Scrambler guitar effect that I built in this series.