Miscellaneous pedal projects

[JohnH]

It's just the straight valvecaster, no mods.

Good question, and I would probably say no (though I've only played around with it for an hour or two). Like all these things it depends on what you want I guess - I enjoyed building it, and it sounds good. It was much more fiddly and expensive than an op-amp or FET based build, and for the small amount of noodling around I do it doesn't add anything groundbreaking. I like it though, particularly with the gain all the way up. I really dig the Purgatory one from the other thread (which I built without Doc's mods), and would definitely recommend it.

[jugglindan]

Thanks for the info. I am pausing my pedal building efforts for the moment while I finish the blueycaster, but I have started planning some new builds. First will probably be the Deep Blue Delay and then more drive pedals of some sort

[JohnH]

I'm keen to see how you go with the delay.

I really need to take a break from pedals too. I have an exhibition in November and I'm wholly unprepared, but when I get home from work the guitars and pedals are kind of fun whereas preping for a show feels like work lol. Once I get some paint down and can see the show start to come together I'll be into it, but it's pretty tedious when it's just putting gesso on paper.

[jugglindan]

Ah, the old Procrastination as a Productivity Tool (for other things) strategy. otherwise known as getting things done while avoiding doing that other thing I really should be doing

I do a fair bit of that. I built 8 or 9 pedals while avoiding finishing my tele because the guitar build is much further out of my comfort zone.

Is your exhibition going to be in Canberra?

[JohnH]

Ha ha, yeah, that is exactly what it is.

The exhibition will be in Goulburn, at the regional gallery. They have a small project space at the front, so it's not actually that big an exhibition. Maybe 12 - 20 small paintings.

I'm painting my collection of vacuum tubes, so it will at least be tangentially related to electronics

[Simon Barden]

I really don't like that exposed valve from a H&S point of view. I know it's got a screening can around it, but it's just soft aluminium and I still wouldn't consider it safe from misplaced feet.

[JohnH]

I really don't like that exposed valve from a H&S point of view. I know it's got a screening can around it, but it's just soft aluminium and I still wouldn't consider it safe from misplaced feet.

Yeah, I agree. I figured for this one it wouldn't matter, given it's not likely to be in high use and I don't gig.

I think I'm likely to use the one from the other thread quite a bit more, so I'm planning on putting the socket inside the box, though I still need to think a bit about how to tackle it. My brother showed me a tube pedal that had a neat acrylic window so you could still see the tube, which I'm tempted to try.

It's a pity because I do enjoy seeing the tube poking out the top, but it's a bit different if it's a stereo preamp or something sitting on a shelf.

[WeirdBits]

Maybe a U Bolt of some sort as protection? If you can get one tall enough to still allow removal of the tube when needed.

[Simon Barden]

A U-bolt either side would probably do it, though the extra weight high-up would make the pedal less balanced.

Acrylic windows look nice but don't really add anything, and certainly not ventilation. A lot of that sort of pedal use lower voltages for the valve and use a red LED to obtain the valve 'glow' for show.

[JohnH]

Maybe a U Bolt of some sort as protection? If you can get one tall enough to still allow removal of the tube when needed.

Yeah, I reckon that's the ticket, thanks WeirdBits. Will have a look online and see what I can find.

Acrylic windows look nice but don't really add anything, and certainly not ventilation. A lot of that sort of pedal use lower voltages for the valve and use a red LED to obtain the valve 'glow' for show.

I think looking nice is an ok justification. People like to see tubes, so even if it's not utilitarian it still adds something. In the end it will probably come down to how much time I have spare, and what design I come up with for the enclosure. Given Lawry's choice of Purgatory for the name I was thinking of maybe ripping some Durer engravings to print on the box, and a window will probably be inconvenient to navigate around.