Help! BYOC Tubescreamer Build

Goldtop11

Mojo & Blues
I've really been itching to try and build a tubescreamer pedal. I found the BYOC Overdrive (a direct clone of a TS-808 ) which is what I'd like. I'd love to be able to build and use my own pedal, but I know nothing about electronics (resistors, compactors, etc.) and I have never used a soldering iron.

My dad can use a soldering iron, but he only wires up guitar pickups and what not, so he has no experience with circuit boards and stuff. I figured I can get basic tips from him on how to solder.

I also looked at the instruction manual for the BYOC Overdrive, and it looks pretty cut and dry to me. It tells you what each of the parts names are and where to put them. It almost seems too cut and dry, lol. I've heard that a Tubescreamer circuit is among the easiest to build, but then again I consider a G chord to be pretty easy too, but someone who's never played guitar would struggle with it, lol.

I'm really nervous about pulling the trigger and buying one because I don't want to spend $80 and end up not being able to put it together and have a $80 pile of parts. :lol:

I did see that they have a confidence boost pedal for beginners, but the Tubescreamer doesn't look too much harder then the boost. Plus I'd like a pedal I actually want to use instead of a boost that doesn't even have an enclosure, lol.

I figured there was someone on here that has experience building pedals and could offer me advice on if they think I can handle starting out with the Tubescreamer. :Wave:
 
As HIAR said and Mark said. The Confidence Boost is just that, to help you boost your confidence in building circuits.
 
Did someone say confidence boost? Oh my circuits!

cardxc3po.jpg
 
They are far easier to do than you may think.

My first BYOC was a phaser which was pretty darned complicated as apposed to my Zen drive clone.

The trick I found when soldering the board is to start with the lowest profile parts, (Resistors) and string them through the holes on the board a few at a time. solder them and then cut off the excess cable close to the board. Then move up to the next part like the IC port and so on. Don't try to trim the leads on the caps or res. to size before soldering as you won't be able to hold them in place while holding solder and a gun.

Also, you need to make sure you know + from - on the LED, don't cut the leads to size before soldering.
 
Wait… this is it? This is a fuzz face? Dunlop charges over $125 and up for this? This looks like a monkey could build it… Am I missing something? lol.
Fuzz Insides.jpg

Sorry, I was looking through BYOC's other builds and found this, lol.
 
BYOC charges $90 for it. with the Dunlop you get it built and painted. companies have costs.

I mean, I get the whole business aspect of it. I'm just missing why it costs so much. It seems like Dunlop makes pedals that are much more complex and require more materials than a fuzz face does, and their the same price or cheaper. I mean, an MXR Distortion III is only $80, and I'd imagine it's more complex then a fuzz face.
 
I mean, I get the whole business aspect of it. I'm just missing why it costs so much. It seems like Dunlop makes pedals that are much more complex and require more materials than a fuzz face does, and their the same price or cheaper. I mean, an MXR Distortion III is only $80, and I'd imagine it's more complex then a fuzz face.

it depends. they sell at least 5 versions of the fuzz face at different prices. which one do you want?
 
I mean, I get the whole business aspect of it. I'm just missing why it costs so much. It seems like Dunlop makes pedals that are much more complex and require more materials than a fuzz face does, and their the same price or cheaper. I mean, an MXR Distortion III is only $80, and I'd imagine it's more complex then a fuzz face.

Actually not so. Easier it to build a Distortion as clipping of the waveform is much easier than to fuzz or overdrive. Fuzzes and Overdrive need a few more components to make it work.
 
True. I mean, I've watched them open the Bonamassa fuzz and Eric Johnson fuzz, and neither of them had anything vastly different then that picture I posted. Obviously they're different, I just never realized how simple the build was. Those sexy finishes must cost Dunlop a fortune. :lol: Or at least that's what they want you to think, lol. :thu:
 
Although I did just read that the signatures are handwired, which makes the price make a little more sense.
 
that's the original fuzz face circuit.

Two germanium transistors? Never saw the schematic. Irony is on an early LPB-1 (circa 77) it had just two silicon transistor's with the gain curve was linear. Fuzz face must be running assymetrical or blasting the hell out of the Germanium into saturation.

Although I did just read that the signatures are handwired, which makes the price make a little more sense.

Mass production vs. Handmade will always have a huge price adjust.
 
Back
Top