Getting Started

Someone asked me about getting started building stompboxes, so I thought I’d put it all in a forum post, for your enjoyment and edification.

Become a member of both of these forums. Search, and read what’s posted there. Post your work, and your questions. Lot’s nice knowledgable people.

Probably the oldest stompbox forum around. Really friendly and helpful people. Lots of good info.

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/

Another great forum, this one has been around for a while.

http://freestompboxes.org/

This forum, ostensibly, caters to the subject Madbean PCB projects, but the people here talk about everything. Not much traffic as the other two forums.

http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/

Kits

Probably the best kits out there. This would be a good place to start.

www.byocelectronics.com

Parts

While you were able to get enough parts to make a couple stompbox projects at RadioShack in the past, these you can’t really get more than a cell phone’s there. Sadly there are no brick and mortar stores that cell stompbox parts. Then again you can

Mouser All purpose electronics supply.

SmallBear The original stompbox supply

Mammoth They have everything, good quality, order boxes in colors, and pre-drilled

Pedal Parts Good prices for boxes

Tayda Cheap, good range of parts.

Futurlec Good prices, slow shipping.

Bitches Love My Switches (Yes, that really the name) great prices, prompt shipping. Good for switches, knobs, and jacks.

PCB

After building a few kits try building from just the PCB. You’ll have to source your own parts.

http://www.madbeanpedals.com/projects/index.html

These are very well done PCBs. I have built the the delays.

http://1776effects.com/

Home

Here are a few more sources for PCBs, I haven’t tried these

http://lectric-fx.com/

http://diyeffects.com/products.htm

After you make a few projects you might want to try making your own PCB.

http://dirtypcbs.com/

This site is something special. It allows people to upload their PCB designs, and open sources them to the greater community. The prices look good.

https://www.oshpark.com/

Experimenting and making your designs

Get yourself some parts and a breadboard. Build a test rig, and an audio probe, and you’re in business. Besides the forums above, these sites have some information and projects to try.

http://www.runoffgroove.com/articles.html

Download the Stomboxology Article: Going Discreet. This is a great primer on transistors.

http://www.moosapotamus.net/

Sort of the grand daddy of stompbox info

http://www.geofex.com/