Guitar Effects Pedal Builds

This gallery showcases a selection of the pedals that I've built, for myself and for others. I also have an insane number of completed PCBs waiting to be boxed and maybe I'll get around to them one day, but the boards are still fun to play through a couple of pedal testers. The PCBs are mainly from small, brilliant and generously helpful UK companies, I highly recommend them - 
Fuzzdog (FD, Jeds Peds (JP), Five Cats (FC), Bitsbox (BB).

I source the components and enclosures from these guys and from Gapco, Amazon & eBay.

I built my first guitar pedal around 2014. It was a Klon Centaur knock-off from China, and it sort of worked as a boost but I couldn’t get it to distort*, but was a brilliant Tone Bender clone (a basic tagboard kit purchased for 20 quid on eBay) that made me realise it was possible to build almost exact sounding replicas of many of those iconic effects pedals from the 60’s and 70’s and at a fraction of the cost of buying them second-hand. For my birthday my better half bought me a copy of Brian Wampler’s classic (and now stupidly expensive) book ‘How To Modify Guitar Pedals’. Following these guides I began tweaking a few of my own Boss pedals and on the way I began to understand a bit more how these bad-boys actually work!

During the Covid lock-downs of 2020/21 the obsession really took hold. Initially I bought a few complete kits, but then, because it was more interesting (okay and quite a bit cheaper!), I began to source all the components, parts and enclosures on-line, learning along the way not to risk buying dud IC’s from dodgy feckers on eBay!

Another fun part of this is designing and decorating the enclosures. I use spray paints, inkjet printed waterslides, overhead projection acetates, adhesive vinyl and a lot of clearcoat.

* Now that I'm a Ninja with a soldering iron, I popped open the Chinese Klon, refreshed a few solder joints so the diodes clip as they should and it sounds great!

All enclosure designs are mine. I'm not sponsored by any of the companies named.

Click on an image below for the larger view

Name: Rattus Mufficus
Effect: Distortion/Fuzz
Inspired by: Pro-Co Rat/Big Muff
PCB Source: FD
Notes: The ultimate doomy Rat, the front end gnawing its sensational signal through a chewy Big Muff Pi tone stack. Right lovely!

Name: Faze Filter
Effect: Phaser/vibrato,
Based on: Deadastronautfx design
PCB Source: DA
Notes: Classic phaser to vibrato, with unique manual LFO OFF control of the phase to act as a set filter

Name: Watermelon Sugar
Effect: Overdrive
Based on: Free the Tone String Slinger
PCB Source: JP
Notes: American-esque blues tones w/boost

Name: Cthulhu Fuzz
Effect: One knob fuzz
Based on: Dunwich Cthulhu Fuzz
PCB Source: FC
Notes: A high gain Silicon Fuzz

Name: REVV G4
Effect: Distortion
Based on: Revv Amplification G4
PCB Source: FC
Notes: Thick gain monster, tube amp tones.

Name: OakCrow
Effect: Tonebender/Hyper Fluff Fuzz
Based on: JHS Bun Runner.
PCB Source: JP
Notes: Rich creamy germanium fuzz, kick in the Hyper Fluff for laser focused tones.

Name: Squeezer
Effect: Compressor
Based on: Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer
PCB Source: FD
Notes: Permanently on my board

Name: Pig
Effect: Fuzz
Based on: Skreddy P19
PCB Source: JP
Notes: Gilmour-esque tones galore

Name: RAT
Effect: Distortion
Based on: Pro-Co Rat
PCB Source: JP
Notes: I've built 3 for myself and friends

Name: Tremshifter
Effect: Optical Tremolo & Filter
Based on: Deadastronaut design
PCB Source: DA
Notes: My favourite tremolo … ever!

Name: Stinky Cheese
Effect: Fuzz
Based on: Lovetone Big Cheese
PCB Source: FD
Notes: Variations of pure filth in a box

Name: Tubebender
Effect: Distortion / Fuzz
Based on: Dinosaural Tbe Bender
PCB Source: FD
Notes: I'm contractually obliged to make one

Name: Vesuvius
Effect: Fuzz
Based on: EQD Erupter
PCB Source: FC
Notes: One knob loud fuzzy goodness

Name: King Tut
Effect: Fuzz
Based on: Pharaoh
PCB Source: FD
Notes: Graphics based my fav pinball table

Name: Lemon Drop
Effect: Overdrive
Based on: Lumpy's Lemon Drop / ZII
PCB Source: FD
Notes: Vox 4 and 7 series amp emulation, think Revolver and Led Zeppelin II

Name: Echo Blue
Effect: Analog Delay
Based on: Deep Blue Delay
PCB Source: FD
Notes: Warm vintage tape echo + screaming oscillation

Name: Lord of This World
Effect: Distortion / Fuzz
Based on: Sabbra Cadabra by CatalinBread
PCB Source: FC
Notes: Demonic Sabbath tones

Name: Mix Tape Fuzz
Effect: Distortion / Fuzz
Based on: Demo Tape Fuzz
PCB Source: JP
Notes: Tascam tape deck fuzz

Name: Fuzzroom
Effect: Fuzz
Based on: Fallout Cloud
PCB Source: JP
Notes: A modern, improved version of the triangle era Big Muff

Name: Fuzzrite
Effect: Fuzz
Based on: Mosrite Fuzz Rite
PCB Source: FD
Notes: 60's skanky fuzzy goodness

Name: Morning Wood
Effect: Distortion / Fuzz
Based on: JHS Morning Glory
PCB Source: FD
Notes: A cheeky beefed up Blues Breaker with extra gain and more headroom

Name: Guv
Effect: Distortion
Based on: Marshall Guv'nor
PCB Source: FD
Notes: Stunningly good, my go to overdrive, cuts through the mix like a hot monkey knife

Name: Phase 90
Effect: Phaser
Based on: MXR Phase 90
PCB Source: FD
Notes: A classic one knob smooth phaser

Name: Color Sound Fuzz
Effect: Fuzz
Based on: Coloursound One Knob Fuzz
PCB Source: JP
Notes: Legendary, rich creamy fuzz

Name: FoxxTave Dave
Effect: Octave Fuzz
Based on: Foxx Tone Machine
PCB Source: FD
Notes: Octave fuzz with fat / bright switch

Name: FoxxTone Fuzz
Effect: Octave Fuzz
Based on: Foxx Tone Machine
PCB Source: Music Circuits
Notes: Octave fuzz (love 'em!)

Name: Nobels Andy
Effect: Overdrive
Based on: Nobels ODR-1
PCB Source: JP
Notes: Improved Tubscreamer

Name: White Light
Effect: Distortion
Based on: EQD White Light DOD/OD250
PCB Source: FD
Notes: Aww it surely do moves me

Name: Super Klone
Effect: Overdrive / distortion
Based on: Klon Centaur
PCB Source: JP
Notes: 3 knobs, 3 toggles, pure gold

Name: Gobbles
Effect: Overdrive
Based on: Paul Cochrane Timmy
PCB Source: JP
Notes: Stacks well

Name: Dirt Dealer
Effect: Fuzz
Based on: EQD Dirt Transmitter
PCB Source: FD
Notes: Biting, ripsaw fuzz

Name: Deep Vibes
Effect: Optical Uni-vibe
Based on: EQD The Depths
PCB Source: FD
Notes: Tweakable, rich optical vibe

Name: Crazy Horse
Effect: Overdrive / fuzz
Based on: Durham Crazy Horse
PCB Source: JP
Notes: Neil Young's live and loud tone?

Name: Big Marsh
Effect: Fuzz
Based on: EHX Op Amp Big Muff Pi
PCB Source: FD
Notes: Heavy, grungy, fuzzy, a bit like me!

Name: English Gent
Effect: Overdrive
Based on: Lovepedal Englishman
PCB Source: JP
Notes: Vox AC15/30 emulator doncha know

Name: Foggy Twin
Effect: Dual Distortion
Based on: EQD Gray Channel
PCB Source: JP
Notes: 4 clipping options, all the tones

Name: The Hive
Effect: Overdrive
Based on: Mad Professor Sweet Honey
PCB Source: JP
Notes: Bright with the sweetest sting

Name: 3 Band Rat
Effect: Overdrive / fuzz
Based on: Pro-Co Rat
PCB Source: FD
Notes: Everything you could want from a rat

Name: ODD Overdrive
Effect: Overdrive
Based on: DOD Distortion+OD250
PCB Source: FD
Notes: Had to be done, a legendary overdrive

Name: Clone Bender
Effect: Fuzz
Based on: Sola Sound Tone Bender MkIII
PCB Source: FD
Notes: Classic 60's creamy Germanium fuzz

Name: Dr Boogie
Effect: Distortion
Based on: Doc Boogie
PCB Source: JP
Notes: Emulates a Mesa Dual Rectifier head, I'll take their word for it

Name: Rat 81
Effect: Overdrive/Distortion
Based on: 1981 Inventions DRV
PCB Source: FD
Notes: Moded Whiteface Rat, love rats

Name: Bittern Fuzz
Effect: Fuzz
Based on: Anasounds Bitoun Fuzz
PCB Source: JP
Notes: Fuzz Face into a Shin-ei Super Fuzz

Name: Gunshot
Effect: Overdrive
Based on: Thorpy Gunshot
PCB Source: JP
Notes: Tonal Pulp Fiction perfection

Name: Death Rat Mini
Effect: Octave Fuzz
Based on: Sunn O))) Life Pedal
PCB Source: FD
Notes: A nasty, cutting, filthy little fuzzer

Name: Not Clear ! Knot
Effect: Tape machine delay simulator
Based on: Clarinot
PCB Source: JP
Notes: Slight vibrato to totally bonkers

Name: Supa-J Fuzz
Effect: Overdrive
Based on: Fuzz / Distortion
PCB Source: FD/Reeves Electro
Notes: 1970 Jen Fuzz / Marshall Supa Fuzz

Name: Erase-Record-Play Tape Delay
Effect: 4 head delay
Based on: No specific marketed pedal
PCB Source: JP
Notes: A cool sounding analog delay. A complex build, a job to fit it all in the box. Nailed it!

Name: Bad Mofo
Effect: Bass distortion /fuzz
Based on: Ezekiel 25-17
PCB Source: FD
Notes: I've built two of these for bass boys

Name: Granny's Fuzzy Box
Effect: Fuzz
Based on: FuzzHugger Doom Bloom fuzz
PCB Source: JP
Notes: "Oh my lordy levels of fuzz!"

Name: Granny's Fuzzy Box
Alternative fuzzier graphics

(finally went with this, 'cos the other one is just weird)

Name: Lunar Shot Tremolo
Effect: Optical Tremolo
Based on: Shoot the Moon Tremolo
PCB Source: FD
Notes: Trems? Love 'em!

Name: Ghoster
Effect: Sweepable-Mids EQ
Based on: JHS Haunting Mids
PCB Source: Music Circuits
Notes: Used as a versatile mids EQ

Name: Mammoth Fuzz
Effect: Fuzz
Based on: ZVEX Woolly Mammoth
PCB Source: BB
Notes: Ear-splitting creamy fuzz

Name: Magna Vibes
Effect: Magnatone Vibrato
Based on: Bigfoot Magnavibe
PCB Source: JP
Notes: Simply lovely vibey tones