Status on pedal build

HooRU

For those who weren’t in the other site forum: Weeks ago I almost completed a complex pedal build for guitar. The pedal is an advanced univibe (listen to the song Bridge of Sighs by Robin Trower) and is one that I’ve longed for for years.

I built it and tested it before stuffing in the box and, because the kit had a poor design with the LED wiring and my impatience and stupidity, I shorted wires that I wrapped with tape that slipped when putting in the case.

My EE brother in law has been troubleshooting it and so far, every single transistor and FET is fine, the Charge Pump IC emits a good square wave, however, the 18V part is under volted. He’s going to look at Caps next.

It’s called the Angel’s Univiibe by JED’s Peds of Great Britain.

https://www.jedspeds.co.uk/product-page/angels-univibe

HooRU

I have made some criticisms of the documentation for the build by the maker. The parts list is not a proper BOM and lacks important info, and the graphic for the final wiring is a little lacking.

The design is great until you get to doing the resistor-LED series part. No LED mount, nothing for insulating the long bare wires (I should have had heat shrink.

The Vender also shorted me LDRs, Nuts, and other parts. They got angry with me when I expressed frustration, but explained that they had been going through some bad times. They weren’t very receptive on my comments about the build documentation. I’m not a EE, just a technician, but I have written a hundred labs reports and I could have done better. They did a good job in many ways, but it was incomplete.

Sparkchaser

HooRU

The board looks decent but a bit crowded, especially for a kit. Hope your BIL gets it functioning the way you want.

HooRU

It was working, so he’ll get it working again. I learned a lesson here. I’m a technician and I was a very good one (I didn’t do electronics though) and I NEVER would have made that kind of error in judgement back in my day.

I have plenty of heat shrink now and I now need to get some wire reels and a couple other thing, like a batter lamp for my work.

HooRU

He’s changing out the IC to see whats what.

HooRU

IC ordered but shipment delayed, still in Texas. Maybe this weekend he can work on it. I’m patient. He has to repopulate the board with the Qs he removed for testing. I think this will fix it.

I can’t wait to try the pedal out, when it’s fixed and I have it and test it, I’ll post in the music forum, maybe I’ll put up a sound bite. I’m still very shy about my guitar playing.

HooRU

Ok, update: My brother in law got the pedal working, he was rushed to give me all the details but two things so far:

Using a 9V battery is inadequate being that 4001 diodes are using rather than Schottkys which have a lover voltage drop.

Second thing is he replaced the IC and that made a difference.

He is critical of the pedal kit maker’s execution in design, says it should run on 12 Volts to work well, which I figured. I have a high-quality high-current pedal power supply, so that will be a good thing.

Also the design for the LED is cheesy.

HooRU

Peddle here tomorrow, yay!

HooRU

Pedal is here and working like a charm. We need to swap the input and output and put an on/off switch on it to conserve the lamps life though. What a sound! Now to figure out how to do the songs, yikes, it’s gonna be difficult.

Bombtrad

HooRU A demo would be nice. From an old acoustic 6/12 string guitar player who plays for his own pleasure.

HooRU

Bombtrad I’m really shy, but give me some time and I’ll try and do it eventually. I’m pretty insecure about my playing (aren’t we all?)

Let me get better used to the pedal first.

I still have to buy knobs for it. I’ve got some gold aluminum ones picked out.

The mod my brother in law did makes the pedal sound even better. He has a B.S. but works at an M.S. level EE. He’s kind of a genius, like how I once was, that is why we are close.

HooRU

I used to have a Guild F512BLD 12 String. What an amazing and valuable guitar! I had to sell it which to this day breaks my heart.

HooRU

My biggest problem with sound now is my amp. All I have is a Fender Champion 100, it’s not that great sounding, not like the 64 Dual Showman I had as a kid. Boy was I popular with that amp.

I lack the technique of my youth, but I have more knowledge and understanding now. My sister wants me to start relearning songs instead of just noodling, I’m slowly picking it up.

Kids today really have it made. When I was a kid you would buy 3 copies of an LP because you would tear up the vinyl lifting and dropping the tone arm to figure out licks. I picked up on a lot of stuff pretty well, but I didn’t understand squat.

For last last few years I’ve been focused on building a foundation first. I’m working on the minor scales now. As a kid I dreamed of getting out of the pentatonic trap, and I’m starting to do that.

HooRU

When I have the where with all and confidence to post, I’ll do so in the music forum here.

We still have to work on the pedal some more:

1 Add a power switch
2 Adjust the 2 trim pots
3 swap the input and output positions (he got it wrong as he’s not familiar with top mounted jacks).
4 Add knobs.
5 Get where I can do artwork on all these home built pedals, 3 done by my brother in law, 3 by me with some help.

He built me a FuzzFaz Germanium
A Big Muff Pi
A Rat (man I love this one)

I built the Univibe
A really nice Parametric EQ
and
A pseudo analogue Delay that he helped stuff in the case, I want to build a better one and give this one to my music pal.

I plan on building:

A Leslie Pedal
A couple Synth Pedals
An OCD knock off
A good Boost Pedal

And I want to build for my friend
A drive pedal
A synth

I have to use my investment in hardware to make these things, why else buy these tools!!!

I still need a floor mounted work lamp that is very bright
a Signal Generator
A Bench Supply

And I need a second desk to put at 90 degrees to my current fold out table for more workspace.

What Bench Supply Kits are there?

HooRU

Is there a kit for something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Adjustable-Switching-Regulated-Adjustments-Jesverty/dp/B09YSJQWRG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=8C6XVNNGZRPS&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.AIBT0pk4R1eZvXjoD2HvpgSk1cqMvAPRhXLGA1ZJu5x7x9SA7ALC9iLJ4jcfK7UBRKvsI4WUJzFwP3QWhrjXgxLRSun-stZU1TNWW8ePiU0la8VPFeUOt2zeQgV99p2L2Iet6HjqMCBn_dLfO6rx2owqMyeE5yuif6Loe10B7aq5rSr19n8_WuSr9yu-LahkOOQAJFxYymBGMfvA-qtDwt81NcSRZUCLUwf5LsqEc94.lsixx8YbNdR8vj1iNot3r6tPi0svEUzsz4Pbh54xRvk&dib_tag=se&keywords=bench%2Bpower%2Bsupply&qid=1742726893&sprefix=bench%2Bpower%2Bsupply%2Caps%2C101&sr=8-1&th=1

real_aurgathor

HooRU Is there a kit for something like this:

i.e.: https://www.ebay.com/itm/387083162136
but you’re better off buying one if you really need it
https://www.ebay.com/itm/127008008596

HooRU

ah good advice

HooRU

My knobs came today, but I didn’t look close enough at my pot’s stems, one of them isn’t sterrated and need a pot that can be tighter in place, so I ordered one.

I still hope to get to where I can do artwork on the pedal cases at some point.

Sparkchaser

HooRU one of them isn’t serrated and need a pot that can be tighter in place, so I ordered one.

Is the shaft split or solid? Does it have a flat for a set screw? Just trying to picture what you have.

HooRU

Ok, I redid the input and output, just barely enough wire for it. It’s really difficult getting everything in the case and to fit, you need 5 hands to do it. At first it didn’t work, but I repositioned a jack and boom!

I cut my thumb so I can’t really play right now. Sucks.