Buying parts & components

Dirk_Hendrik · Post by **Dirk_Hendrik** » 04 Aug 2007, 17:34

I always wondered a little about these:
https://www.diystompboxes.com/zencart/i ... ucts_id=11

versus:
https://cgi.ebay.com/100-LOT-1-4-STEREO ... dZViewItem

(great value for the money (6 cents per jack) btw.

soulsonic · Post by **soulsonic** » 04 Aug 2007, 19:34

My favorite jacks of that style are the Neutrik/Re'an ones. They cost about 25 cents and you can get a very strong metal nut for them. They have the tightest contacts of any jack I've ever used.

bajaman · Post by **bajaman** » 04 Aug 2007, 22:58

Thanks for the info Dirk and Soulsonic.
A major consideration for me is the shipping costs to North Antarctica where i live

Aron and Steve Daniels always ship in jiffy bags by US post - they are very cheap and just as quick as DHL etc.
I just ordered some parts from Pedal Parts Plus - great prices, BUT, only one universal shipping charge - US $37.00

I have never paid more than US$12.00 for anything from Aron or Steve (including a Metal wah wah shell which Steve senrt at no shipping charge).
This is a serious consideration for me, as I don't order more than US$125.00 worth of parts at any one time

Cheers
bajaman

greenskull · Post by **greenskull** » 05 Aug 2007, 02:31

soulsonic wrote:My favorite jacks of that style are the Neutrik/Re'an ones. They cost about 25 cents and you can get a very strong metal nut for them. They have the tightest contacts of any jack I've ever used.

Where can I get those? Do you have a part/catalog # handy?

soulsonic · Post by **soulsonic** » 05 Aug 2007, 22:32

Okay here it is, they're a little more expensive than I remembered, but they're still cheap.

These are the Mouser catalog numbers.

Neutrik 1/4" Mono Jack: 550-10284
44 cents
Neutrik 1/4" Stereo Jack: 550-20311
54 cents
Fancy Knurled Metal Nut: 550-1002
59 cents
Plastic Washer: 550-MW05
5 cents

So, if you get a jack+nut+washer it's about $1.10. Still seems reasonable to me considering the quality. They have a plastic nut available too that's cheaper.

greenskull · Post by **greenskull** » 06 Aug 2007, 03:46

Thanks for the reply, Soulsonic. I've been using the Neutrik metal open jacks from Mouser lately, the ones that look like the Switch Craft ones.... I think they are about 80 cents each if you buy 10 or more. Would be good to use something smaller sometimes, though.

Oh yeah, I have a recommendation for an alternate to the big metal 5mm LED bezel that Smallbear and other sites sell. I really love these small black plastic bezels:

Mouser # 696-SSH-LX5090

10 cents each and work great. There is a one piece version, but I haven't tried it.

Lovepedal Detective · Post by **Lovepedal Detective** » 09 Nov 2007, 20:45

A good idea was brought up by Madbean in another thread. What are your preferred components for building pedals? I'll start this off.

Resistors: Mostly 1% metal film. Will sometimes use Carbon Comps in the audio path of overdrives and fuzzes.

Caps: I'm a huge fan of the Panasonic caps. I used the stacked metal films, and also their electrolytics. I feel both are very consistent and high quality. I try to avoid ceramic caps, and use silver mica when I can.

Transistors: I'm not very picky about transistors. Sometimes I will try to match them.

Opamps: I mostly use JRC and Burr Brown Op amps. Always socketed.

Pots: 16mm chassis mount Alpha pots have always worked very well for me.

Solder: WBT Silver solder. Yes I do believe it sounds better. Call me Eric Johnson.

LPD

sandstorm · Post by **sandstorm** » 09 Nov 2007, 21:26

Just depends.

Resistors: Generally I use carbon comp resistors, and it's more a habit at this point. It started when I wanted to clone a triangle knob Big Muff and just never went away. In that context, I found that metal films imparted a harsh, altogether inappropriately-modern and trebly tone, and I never went back. But lots of people use metal films in a lot of things with good results.

Transistors: The choice is always heavily influenced by what I'm trying to accomplish. The more specific my goal, the fewer choices I find open to me.

Pots: I like to use Alpha 16mm board-mounts. These have to be custom made, so for prototypes with different values, I'll use panel mounts and turn them into board-mounts with pieces of solid wire.

Opamps: I haven't made much with them, and my choices for opamps are similarly influenced by the factors involved in my transistor choices. I was planning on using a Burr Brown for a delay project, but I actually found that the JRC4558 worked much better. So surprise surprise. I'm not a big fan of the tone of fet-based opamps--just my personal preference.

Solder: Big +1 on the WBT silver solder. I don't know about any improvement in sonics, but it does flow nicely and is RoHS compliant.

Caps: This is a huge variable, again dictated by my sonic goals. I tend to use a lot of ceramics because I like their grittiness and softer attack. I have yet to find a good application for Wimas; they're just too hi fi. When used in filters, they really knock the shit out of the high end rather than just attenuating it in a natural way. When used in coupling situations, they pass so much treble it imparts a harsh, modern sound much like metal film resistors to my year. My all time favorite cap is the tropical fish, and I'm working my way through a very modest stash of them. They find their way in pretty much everything I make, and I'm in the process of finding suitable replacements.

Greg · Post by **Greg** » 10 Nov 2007, 04:29

SMD for me....

Seriously, I don't know what WBT solder is, but I've been using the Eutectic Solder that someone sells on Ebay, and it's a nice deal.
Melts at lower temp and it flows and wicks better. It's not quite as easy to de-solder as regular solder.

Ed G. · Post by **Ed G.** » 10 Nov 2007, 04:58

The 'orange drop' caps seem to be very similar in construction to the tropical fish. I think I read that the ODs were the replacements.

soulsonic · Post by **soulsonic** » 10 Nov 2007, 07:06

I like to use carbon comps sometimes for fun - usually low value resistors where any added noise won't be a factor. It's a mood thing mostly. They DO sound different regardless of what some people think, but it's not usually a drastic difference, just depends what it's being compared to.
For metal films, I definitely prefer RN55 or RN60 types - any brand will do, though the Dale ones are usually the easiest ones to get from catalogs. Basically, if it has an "RN" designator, brand isn't really and issue with me.
I use "standard" carbon films for all my breadboarding and sometimes in builds when I'm not trying to do anything special.

I like those Panasonic caps too; they're compact and sound really nice. Most of my builds use either those or those wrapped Mallory 150 style polyesters I like so much. The 150 style is what I use in most of my amp builds too - they just sound good to me.
I used to try and use Silver Mica for all smaller caps, but I've decided there's not really much gained compared to other mica types....
I use ceramics sometimes, but I've found that the large 1KV ones are definitely better than the lower voltage ones.
When it comes to highest quality sound at any cost, old Sprague paper-in-oil caps and those domino style mica caps really do sound better than anything else. I've been experimenting with both lately in some amps, and they sound so much better it's crazy.

I like using the TL07x series of opamps, and I'm wanting to get into the LF411 more. I have a few TI 4558s and they might find their way into some builds. As far as brands go, I like to stick with whatever brand originally developed the given type if possible - ie, Texas Instruments TL072s as opposed to ones made by someone else. No reason other than I just figure the inventor of that type would do the best job of making it.

I'm in love with Belton micalex tube sockets! I've found that most ceramic ones break center guide pins too easily.

I really like to use Cornell-Dubilier electrolytic caps whenever I need a big filter cap - they're great!

analogguru · Post by **analogguru** » 10 Nov 2007, 07:20

NKT 275 - you can sell them for $ 350,-- per piece:

I have a Vintage Arbiter Fuzz Face from 1967 up for sale. The real deal! It´s in very good shape but have some non-original parts:
Pots, backcover, one resistor. On the good side it has the most sought after trannys - the NKT275 and it works and sounds fabulus!

So nearly nothing original - but it´s up now for $ 700,--:
https://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Arbiter-Fu ... dZViewItem

...what means § 350,-- for one NKT 275.

I start loving this trannies....

analogguru

madbean · Post by **madbean** » 10 Nov 2007, 13:26

Resistors
Metal film for OD's and Distortions, carbon comp for fuzzes, and regular carbon film when I don't have a value in metal film. I do use carbon comp for most tone circuits now.

Capacitors
AVX or Wima boxed type for most everything now. I will throw in Orange Drop on input, output and tone caps if space allows. If not, then I'll at least use Panasonic types for the tone circuitry rather than boxed. I still have a bunch of Xicon electrolytics, but I'd really like to find something else...maybe I will try the panasonics.

Enclosures
I get my boxes (1290's, 1590's, 125's) from pedalpartsplus. They are cheap and the paint job is fine for my use. Good quality. I also buy 3DPT from them as they are well priced.

Pots
16mm Alpha, but I'd really like to try something else.

Jacks
Neutrik or Switchcraft open frame.

I try to order from Mouser when possible as it takes only a day to get to me in Austin. I've had shipments arrive next day from them! But, I still buy a lot from smallbear, as well.

MoreCowbell · Post by **MoreCowbell** » 10 Nov 2007, 15:08

I hate to give such a ridiculously stupid and broad ranging answer, but.....

"whatever works best for the circuit I'm building and the sound I'm looking for".

I have very few "rules" with regards to preferences. I've done builds where ceramic caps sounded terrible, and others where they were an integral part of the tone. Same with CC resistors. I "generally" like 2N5457's as a general purpose jfet, and for "old school fuzz" breadboarding, i'll start with 2N3903's and tweak / substitute from there. Seriously though....no actual "rules" for me.

DougH · Post by **DougH** » 10 Nov 2007, 15:40

I agree. I just grab whatever I've got, usually, and make it work.

soulsonic · Post by **soulsonic** » 10 Nov 2007, 20:34

For solder, I'm still dedicated to the old school industry standard Kester "44".

bumblebee · Post by **bumblebee** » 13 Nov 2007, 10:23

i use ceramic and mkt caps, carbon film/carbon comp resistors 2n3904,2n2222,bc109c,2n5088,2n5089,mpsa18,mpsa13.ac128 trannies (various brands) .16mm alpha pots,switchcraft jacks, ppp/smallbear enclosures and 3pdt/dpdt switches,what ever knobs i like the look of at the time, i like the mxr ones but i'm a little sick of 'em.

i cant actually remember the solder i use,its not real cheap anyways.

i basically love building fuzz and thats pretty much all i build,
what i use is always circuit dependent and theres no guidelines for what i use.
i do find i use ceramic caps 90% of the time tho,i like the sound of em.

edited to add: wire, i use solid core wire i picked up cheap at a disposals store,its old phone company surplus and its real nice to work with,i also use 24g 7strand? pre tinned, i think 7... as its workable as well.

the solid core stuff i got a few thousand meters for $10 , i think it will last me years,they have more and i plan on buying it all since i like it so much.
its the same store i get boxes of 20x9volts for 14dollarsAU.
also the same store where i scored 40 NPN germanium trannies for nothing, love this store!

bacaruda · Post by **bacaruda** » 13 Nov 2007, 16:46

I pretty much only make boost/drive/fuzz pedals.

Resistors: carbon/metal film on the breadboard, CC for signal resistors in boxed effects.

Caps: greenies on the breadboard, panasonic poly and/or mallory PVC poly in boxed effects.

Transistors: swap until I find my favorite. Messing with JFETs mostly lately.

Opamps: generally avoid as amplifiers. Use simple discrete opamps with transistors instead if I can.

Pots: 16mm alpha usually. Sometimes 24mm CGS (which I use on amps) if I'm out of alphas and space permits. I'd be interested in trying something better though.

Wire: 20g solid core.

Solder: Kester 44

DougH · Post by **DougH** » 13 Nov 2007, 16:56

Preferred components?

I like wire a lot. Wire is really cool. You can, like, connect up jacks and switches and stuff with it. If you're really creative, you can make jewelry with it too. I hooked a piece of wire to the latch on my privacy fence gate so short people can let themselves in from the outside.

Wire is way cool.

bajaman · Post by **bajaman** » 13 Nov 2007, 20:12

Wire is way cool

Do you mean oxygen free wire

What is your favourite gauge

Is that teflon or pvc coated

Solid core or multistranded

All these factors make a difference to how even a fuzz face will sound

bajaman