What are the best or your favorite DIY fuzz or overdrive pedals?

[TeslaTrain]

I like DIY projects and modding.

I really like fuzzy things and overdrive.

Any DIY pedal kits:

• Complete packs
• Basic components only (shell, plans, few important parts, etc.)
• Kits that allow you to select components from a range of values to really personalize your sound
• Dedicated clones

And cheap is always better!

I would like to hear about your experiences and your favorite DIY pedals. Was it a great value? Nastiest tones? Imitations true to legends? Lay it on me!

 

[Tevilspek]

I am a fan of this thread.
I look forward to any helpful replies.
Unlike this one.

 

[snaredrum]

i'm snaredrum, and i approve of Tevilspek's message

 

[snaredrum]

a simple breadboard Mk II Tonebender takes some beating though, right?

 

[TeaForTwo]

I'm TeaForTwo, and I approve of Snaredrum approving Tevilspek's approval of this message......

As per pedals, I own enough dirt to start a community garden.......
....

 

[Batman]

I am the Batman. . .I am the night. . .

I approve of all things even remotely related to dirt!

I have build a GGG kit and scratch built a couple of Fuzz and Boost Pedals.

The GGG kit was the Red Llama clone. Their kits are relatively inexpensive and have fantastic instructions.

Scratch building is a lot more work but is far more rewarding. I've built a Muff Fuzz, a Fuzz Face and a Dallas Rangemaster. The Fuzz Face and Rangemaster are presently on my board and sound fantastic. The Muff Fuzz is OK sounding; I tweaked it to sound more like a distortion than a Fuzz but my taste in dirt has evolved so its not on my board at present.

 

[Tobacco Worm]

Where does a worm live? In the DIRT!! We love dirt. We live dirt. We EAT DIRT!! Being a Tobacco Worm , I get to have a smoke after eating dirt though. A perk of the job!

Yes, building your own is just too cool. Me and the Batman have a leg up on most as we understand eletronics and look at schmatics like most view a page from Playboy. We know what we're looking at. Understand the build. Admire how it's laid out. But most of all we know just what's there to play with...Batman, this is a strange analogy yes? But I knew that you would approve of this message!

Really, if one is starting out and has some understanding of how to do simple wiring, I believe a kit should be the path to take. I can take a schematic and build anything in it by looking at it, but I've had over 40 years of doing so and went to school for this as well. To me, it's no big deal. For a beginner, I'd say get a kit and give it a whril! What'd'ya got to loose? Most come with simply instructions and show the layout as well as the schematic. The layouts just make it easier for new commers to the game. It shows where everything goes.

Built a scratch copy of the 1st. Gen. Vox Tonebender a while back. Even with substituting the transistors and such, its fuzzy as a week's growth of beard on guy in the woods gone hunting. That's fuzzy!

So take a peek at the kits and have a go at it. You'll have some fun!

I am the Worm, and I approve this message on dirt, as dirt is my home!

Wade

 

[rybass]

My favorites I've built are:
BYOC tonebender
Madbean Gruntbox (muff)
Random Red llama

I don't build indiscriminately though, I carefully pick what I want to build. I did build a TS clone that just seemed redundant since I have 4 other TS based pedals...

 

[Quill]

I am Quill, and I approve of each and every approval, and of this thread, and of all beautiful dirty things. From dirt, comes life, and to the dirt does life return. From dirt, and for dirt - we build.

Block. Slab. Hilarious.

 

[slapshot]

the mosrite Fuzzrite kits/clones/copies

 

[bluesguitar65]

Well, at the moment, this Marshall Guv'nor clone is my favorite. Its a kit from GGG and its pretty cheap, $45. This is about how much it would cost you if you purchased the parts seperately including the shipping charges for parts. I did the clipping mod and it sounds great!

Yup...had some spare time after work so I decided to build this Marshall Guv'nor clone with a clipping mod switch.

 

[bluesguitar65]

Here is another pedal I built last week. Its a PT2399 based delay pedal. Man, this one sounds really warm and close to my old Echoplex tape echo unit.

 

[kboman]

Beautiful stuff man!

 

[mockingbird4life]

Great thread !!! .I always wanted to build some effects ,I guess I will do some digging what to build

 

[TeslaTrain]

Great responses and info.

My pedal addiction will slow down a little due to grabbing a new amp. Was out of my price range but was a really good deal. Couldn't resist...

I'm definitely going to look into these recommendations. Bluesguitar you have some really clean wire management. Looks great.

I went to school for this kind of thing as well. I don't have the miles logged but I'm not afraid of tricky projects. Building a pedal, especially from a kit, isn't exactly difficult. Where expertise comes into play is when the pedal doesn't work and you have to debug it on your own and figure out why. I'm currently at that stage with a Wah I'm modding :Grrrrr:

Thanks again thus far. Interesting info. Looking forward to where this thread goes