Pedal Mods

A place where you can find easy and simple mods. My other blog is: pedalguru89. Feel free to ask me any questions and of course, spread the word.

[pedalmods]

I see you've posted something about the mods for the Danelectro Cool Cat Vibe. My problem is if I run the vibe before my MJM London Fuzz 2 i get a lot of white noise and hiss when I turn on the fuzz. But if I put it after my wah I get white noise out of the vibe and the previously mentioned 10db volume boost. My pedal order is guitar, fuzz, boss tuner, way(cry baby), vibe, delay out.  

[pedalmods]

Do you know anything about the external tap mod for the tc electronic nova delay? I've wanted to send mine out to get modded but I can't be 6 weeks without the delay.

Sorry for taking a while to answer back. I do believe there are a couple of YouTube videos that thoroughly explain how to do this. It's fairly simple and doesn't require much experience, if any. I hope that helps...

[pedalmods]

Update...

I know it's been a while since I've posted mods, but I plan on returning soon. The economy is tough and I simply can't afford to buy new pedals or break more by accident, though I do plan on building a boost or an overdrive in the near future. Thanks for following me and I will keep you posted! 

[pedalmods]

EHX LPB-1 mod (clarity and true-bypass)

A lot of people rave about the vintage LPB-1, but is this an accurate reissue? When I first plugged this in, the amount of high-end loss was almost unbearable, forcing it to stay off my board for good. Knowing that this pedal is just a simple boost with a low parts count, I knew there had to be some kind of mod out there to fix this problem. Here's a mod that makes this pedal actually true-bypass, and that keeps your signal nice and crisp without any high-end loss:

http://www.muzique.com/news/modding-the-eh-lpb-1-nano/

You can also change the LED to whichever color you prefer. You know, to make it more "personal" and to get rid of that boring red LED.

This mod wasn't really for the "beginner." There were a lot of tight spots to get into and the components were soldered to both sides of the PCB. Also, the conductor ribbon can easily be frayed, causing you to re-strip the entire thing and re-solder it, so be very careful!

Gut shot: 

http://distilleryimage10.s3.amazonaws.com/efd9c1ba479911e19896123138142014_7.jpg

Finished product:

http://distilleryimage8.s3.amazonaws.com/f495f270329d11e19e4a12313813ffc0_7.jpg

[pedalmods]

Arion "Fuzz Master" Mod.

[pedalmods]

Arion "Fuzz Master" Mod

Today was one of those days where I felt like messing with a cheap, old pedal. In its stock form, the Metal Master pedal isn't too bad, but there were a lot of key ingredients missing. The most important one was dynamics. With this mod, most of the dynamics were restored and some of the clean signal even comes through for a tighter sound. Also, it seems to me like some of the high-end was tamed. I think that this pedal is now somewhat use-able for a gritty, 60s' type of fuzz tone. I'm not sure why they called it Metal Master to begin with since its sound resembled more of a fuzz. Anyway, here's the mod for this pedal:

1. replace D9 with a 100k ohm resistor

2. replace D1 with a jumper wire

3. replace C3 to a .22uf capacitor

4. replace C5 to a 47uf capacitor.

Finished product: 

http://distilleryimage9.instagram.com/a41ed14e5c1f11e1abb01231381b65e3_7.jpg

That's it! It's a very simple mod but one thing you should always be careful with is over-heating. The track pads on this circuit board seem to be weak and can easily come off, so be careful. I hope you enjoy the "fuzz master" mod and as always, spread the word to other pedal junkies and musicians. 

[pedalmods]

Cables

A huge tone secret that I discovered recently but should have found out sooner, are shorter cables. And I'm not talking about the little 3, 6, or 12 inch patch cables in between your pedals. All this time I've been running a 20 foot cable from the output of my board to my amp, which is necessary, but I was also doing the same for the input of my board. I don't ever walk around or jump on stage, usually stationary, so I thought of replacing the cable length.

I replaced the 20 foot cable with a 3ft and my signal became very clean, crisp, and more dynamic. The cleans were sparkling again and the overdrives were no longer muddy. Now, a 3 foot cable might seem a little short so you might want to go up to 6 feet cable if desired. You can either buy a cable or make one yourself (recommended) using quality parts from Mammoth Electronics. They sell Klotz, Mogami, Neutrik, and other cabling. You can choose from angled or straight jacks, or even pancake-style jacks, my personal favorite.

Subconsciously, I always knew that having a shorter cable meant a greater and cleaner signal, I just don't know why I haven't utilized it previously. 

[pedalmods]

So you know how the LED on the vibe mod flashes? Do you know if that could apply do any pedal?

I don't know. I was thinking of trying it on my Danelectro Cool Cat Tremolo, but I don't really use it much. If I go through with it, you know I'll post it on here! :)

[pedalmods]

Changing knobs

This goes hand in hand with changing LEDs. Customizing your pedal by changing its knobs can add a nice personal touch and could also color-coordinate it with others. Also, you sometimes get cheap-feeling knobs that are a bit unpleasant to touch, especially for you experimentalists out there. Small Bear Electronics and Mammoth Electronics is a good source for knobs and even other parts.

1. Mammoth Electronics

2. Small Bear Electronics

[pedalmods]

Pedal Mod Crash Course

Here's a great PDF file I found by joining the GuitarPCB forum. It's a crash course that they've complied from different threads explaining what tools you need, how to solder, wire a 3PDT switch, populate a circuit board, etc.

http://www.guitarpcb.com/PDF%20Files/Crash%20Course.pdf

[pedalmods]

Changing LEDs

Some might argue that this mod is pointless, but it can really transform your dull, stock, LED. A lot of cheaper pedals, even the more high-end pedals, have weak LEDs or they're just plain boring to look at. By changing your LEDs, you can also color code your pedals, making them more visible on a dark stage. For example, you can change the LED in an MXR Phase 90 to an orange color or you can change the LED in a Tube Screamer to green.

While this mod is obviously just for aesthetic purposes, it can serve a purpose. It requires minimal soldering skills and you can't really go wrong. Be careful with some pedals, as they have microchips sometimes surrounding the LED. Most pedals have a 5mm LED, which is usually the largest size, while others have a slightly smaller - 3mm LED. De-solder the existing LED using a desoldering braid. Note the orientation of the LED and install the new LED the same way. If you'd like to test out an LED before you install it in your pedal, use a DEAD (or close to dead) 9-volt battery. Again, USE A DEAD 9-VOLT BATTERY or else you will burn out the LED right away, rendering it useless. Here's a great starting point for modding pedals and changing LEDs:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/c.walker420/how-to-mod-105.pdf

[pedalmods]

Danelectro Cool Cat Vibe Mod

This pedal is just such a great value being at such a low cost. It has a very warm analog sound to it, lush vibrato, and it’s actually true bypass. You can get one for $40, with free shipping, on Amazon. Of course, the cheap pedals always have their down-sides. This one gives a nice volume boost and takes about 2-3 seconds to hear the effect after it’s engaged. The volume boost might not be a problem to some, like if you’re using it post-drive for a solo or something, but the real problem is the delay time. Here's the very first mod that I did that does not get any easier. All you have to do is solder a 10K resistor to the 3PDT true bypass switch. After you do this, you’ll have a flashing LED that corresponds to the set tempo and no more delay when the pedal is engaged. This is the video that I found a few months ago showing you the instructions: http://aperioguitar.com/2011/06/13/a-better-mod-for-cool-cat-vibe/