Does anyone NOT use 1590xx boxes?

[clockman]

I do, but not every time. 1590xx and such are industry standards for a reason. but sometimes you just have to try something else. I saw this plastic- poly/vinyl tortoise one day and just ran with the idea. I jokingly call it  "Distortise" (that name has already been used on some plug-in pedal sim somewhere). Pedal humor.
 Was actually inspired by Dr. No's Ford Fairlaine fuzz. Love thinking outside the "boxes"
 I built this a couple of years ago and it still always seems to get the most smiles from friends. Thought I'd share with some new friends.

It is a Red Lama inside. not a bad little circuit.
It is not RF shielded being "Plastic". Fortunately it does not seem to be picking up radio or any noise.
It is remarkably durable, doesn't feel bad at all when clicking the footswitch.
It was a little challenging at times working on it. cutting it open with an X-acto knife was definitely hard to do and then Figuring out how to keep it closed. not elegant but functional.
labors of love.



This was a fun project. I've got a couple more "oddball" artsy stuff finished and in the works.
...So, any other screwballs out there?

[Silver Blues]

That is hilarious and kind of awesome. Unfortunately no, I only use 1590 boxes and I try to get the actual Hammond ones instead of the Asian lookalikes (not that there's much wrong with them).

[clockman]

thanks Silver. I like the Hammonds as well. they are worth the little bit extra, though I do use the knock-offs.

[rocket88]

Dude. That's great. I've been thinking of doing the exact same thing actually, as I was joking with a friend about making a fuzz inside a shark, it was during shark week and sharks are awesome no matter how old you get, and been talking about doing them in some dinosaurs. Btw, you could use some metal tape inside to sheild it.

[Kinski]

Awesome!

I always think about building things in strange enclosures but I always end up using a standard Hammond style. I did build an attenuator inside an old reverb pan once and some little 386 amps in some cigar boxes and an old 50's radio. But that's about it.

[Frank_NH]

That's pretty cool!

I actually have standardized on the 125B for most effects with the exception of large builds like the Thunderbird, where I use 1590BB.  I like the extra depth the 125B has, especially since some components (like large electrolytics) can make fitting in a 1590B a challenge.

[clockman]

My honey and I always catch shark week! Have you found a candidate to be fuzz-ified? what odd taxidermy. please do it!
I checked into foil tapes and iron particled spray paints. luckily,  RF noise hasn't been an issue.
 I am working on "distortise MKII" metal edition. (silly, I know) this one is old cast iron, hinged on the back. heavy lil'bugger. I'm building a Rat of some kind to put in it. No guts yet.

may be done this week.

[rocket88]

Have not yet, but I haven't had time to look. I've got some ideas, just like the dinosaurs, but I've got to think of some rediculous names first. Lol

That's good that you didn't need to use anything. My understanding, at least for instrument builds, the metal paint is junk, I always use copper tape to suppress any RF and it's a god send. I me a in one of my jazz bass builds I didn't use anything and I a as picking up everything, even russian radio. Hand to god, weirdest fucking thing. As soon as I put a nice layover of copper tape, gone. All I get is the normal 60 cycle hum from single coil jbass pickups.

Side note, like frank I use 125b's unless I need soemthign bigger, then I grab a 1590bb. I do have a few bigger enclosures 1790ns and 1590dd for some crazy 3 or 4 effects in one elcosure builds. Definitely prefer the 125b for my sausage fingers. Much easier to work in and I love that little extra depth and all around size, make it super easy to get an effect inside without being too tight.

[clockman]

Agree with both of you on the 125b size. more room is a good thing. mostly what I use.
I did go nuts once with putting 3 drives in a 1590DD, Catalinbread Naga viper-Barber gain changer-Cochrane Timmy, Barber and Cochrane running at 18V.
I don't gig anymore so pedalboard space isn't an issue, just plug in what I need to record demos.

[Muadzin]

+1 on the 125B. Not only more room, but the bigger size allows for topmounted jacks, which makes for more efficient pedalboard space usage. Side mounts are so inefficient! For anything bigger 1590BB's usually suffice, although my topmount OCD has caused me to buy even bigger boxes. Anything to avoid side mounts basically.

Oddly enough 125B's are also cheaper then 1590B's when I order them from Tayda. Go figure.

[Travis]

I get why we like top mounted jacks, but having your pedals super squeezed together is just annoying for me. When I'm rockin out, I step on the wrong pedals on accident if they're too crammed together. For that reason side mounted jacks on my 1590b builds don't bother me at all. I do top mounted jacks when I can just because I know everyone wants it

[clockman]

I tried the top mounted jacks on odd builds before. The Lotus snow job.
http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/2014/01/lotus-pedals-snowjob.html
A great electra style boost/drive, here in a chrome plated brass keepsake/ ring box I picked up in a second hand store (engraved with someone's name and a date) think it was around $6. It's compact. same height as a 125B but 2/3 the length. Hinged on the back, sadly no latch. oh well.

 Really I'll try just about anything for a unique looking pedal, Why not salvage and recycle something?

[Travis]

Those knobs are totally awesome. Where did you get them?

[clockman]

Given to me by a friend. I collect old knobs wherever I can. Old machines, stereos etc. wish  I had more of those too. Try yard sales flea markets second hand shops. Treasures can be found if one is wiliing and perseverant. i've traded .50 cent tayda knobs to people so they wouldn't be without something. Well worth it.

[Travis]

I just found a bunch of cool Davies knobs in the hardware store and got a bunch of them. Haven't come across any aluminum beauties like those yet, but I'll keep my eyes peeled

[Silver Blues]

That pedal is awesome! I gotta keep an eye out for stuff like that now

[clockman]

Thanx man!  Are you State side, UK, elsewhere? i'm north east U.S. We have a great chain of second hand stores around here called Savers. Never know what you'll find.

[fenderguy79]

That tortoise is awesome!  I'd love to do more unique enclosure builds.
The only non 1590 build I've done is from a tuna can, called the "Tuna Drive".

[Silver Blues]

I'm in Canada, we have a similar thing called Value Village. Sometimes you find cool things there (found a basically brand-new infrared thermometer there for $8, among other things) and other times it's a bunch of useless junk.

[clockman]

@Fenderguy79- Thank you much. would love to see your tuna can drive ,always nice to see something different. what circuit did you use in it?

@silver blues-  it always amazes me the amount of junk around these stores. one often has little transistor radios. I always want to rip the backs open to see if there is some rare or prized parts in it. Ha!

just to keep the madness going, I offer you all another odd beast... inside and out.
Tim Escebedo's PWM with some mods. Toggles for LFO on/off, speed range, input cap select and a 4way select knob for LFO depth.
I don't have a good explanation for this one. I just liked the shape and the pin stripe engraving. I bought two so another "something" has yet to be built. maybe.
I do build normal stuff. I swear.