freestompboxes.org

Received one of these in a trade the other day and as usual I opened it up just to check the build quality and see what was what. The outside looks very professional.

The inside... not so much.


It doesn't take a genius to spot the General Guitar Gadgets BSIAB2 PCB inside this $168 distortion pedal. Even more disappointing is the sloppy goop. Not only are the resistor values gooped, but so is the GGG web site address. It doesn't get any more tacky than that. The goop is pretty feeble. A quick pass with a screwdriver was all it took for each part. After seeing the sloppy wiring job and mix and match Mallory 150s crammed on the PCB, I wasn't the least bit surprised to find that all the values in this pedal are bone stock to the schematic at GGG. You could say parts selection is the key here but its not doing the circuit any favors.

Would it be to much to at least draw up a new board design to fit the large caps?

That's f'in terrible! And Sonic Youth are buying his pedals!!

All that matters is the name guys..

look at those cool names for the controls too.. totally worth it.

They spelled "satori" wrong, too.

Greg_G wrote:All that matters is the name guys..

look at those cool names for the controls too.. totally worth it.

How about FSB.org LAME OF THE YEAR award?

soulsonic wrote:Would it be to much to at least draw up a new board design to fit the large caps?

Unless that's a proper name they couldn't be bothered to get a correct spelling for satori. I kind of doubt this hack
would follow the process for board layout and etching a PCB.
I wouldn't expect to see the same caps from pedal to pedal. It looks like the builder shot his/her wad on the graphics
and dynamite rattle can paint job.
I mean even the "goop" was sub-par. lulz!
When he/she didn't achieve satori perhaps seppuku was a last resort.
I only found this as his/her other contribution. $170 as well.
Sad innit?

NG.

sitori?

shitori.[/color]

first line off the website-

Sitori Sonics has only one goal and that is to build the best sounding pedals based on unique and original circuits.

just goes to show once again that the goop is only there to hide the truth.

Whoismarykelly wrote:Received one of these in a trade the other day and as usual I opened it up just to check the build quality and see what was what. The outside looks very professional.
The inside... not so much.
It doesn't take a genius to spot the General Guitar Gadgets BSIAB2 PCB inside this $168 distortion pedal. Even more disappointing is the sloppy goop. Not only are the resistor values gooped, but so is the GGG web site address. It doesn't get any more tacky than that. The goop is pretty feeble. A quick pass with a screwdriver was all it took for each part. After seeing the sloppy wiring job and mix and match Mallory 150s crammed on the PCB, I wasn't the least bit surprised to find that all the values in this pedal are bone stock to the schematic at GGG. You could say parts selection is the key here but its not doing the circuit any favors.

That's interesting. Somebody learned how to solder by numbers and ordered some GGG PCB's. What types of FETs is it using?

That's a pretty big box for that circuit. If you're going to use that big box, at least put some top-mounted jacks to save some pedalboard real estate. Jeez. You'd expect that kind of from a newbie at DIY, but a pedal builder?

RnFR wrote:sitori?

shitori.[/color]

first line off the website-

Sitori Sonics has only one goal and that is to build the best sounding pedals based on unique and original circuits.

just goes to show once again that the goop is only there to hide the truth.

Nah, reread it:

based on unique and original circuits.

I don't think it can be denied that his pedals are based on unique and original circuits - they aren't themselves unique or original, but the circuits they're based on were.

i stand corrected!

but what does that mean? EVERYTHING is based on something original.

Indeed! So goes the marketing machine that sells pedals (hint: it's not clever design or integrity )

BTW, I sold this guy a PCB I designed for the Gristleizer. Perhaps his next genius creation will be the "Sinew Generator"? I'll be pissed if he actually uses that name...

This is SO SAD... at least take the trouble to goop the PCB properly!!!!.

next thing we'll hear is that the goop was there to keep the plastic dialectric resistors from oscillating!

Ed G. wrote:

Whoismarykelly wrote:Received one of these in a trade the other day and as usual I opened it up just to check the build quality and see what was what. The outside looks very professional.
The inside... not so much.
It doesn't take a genius to spot the General Guitar Gadgets BSIAB2 PCB inside this $168 distortion pedal. Even more disappointing is the sloppy goop. Not only are the resistor values gooped, but so is the GGG web site address. It doesn't get any more tacky than that. The goop is pretty feeble. A quick pass with a screwdriver was all it took for each part. After seeing the sloppy wiring job and mix and match Mallory 150s crammed on the PCB, I wasn't the least bit surprised to find that all the values in this pedal are bone stock to the schematic at GGG. You could say parts selection is the key here but its not doing the circuit any favors.

That's interesting. Somebody learned how to solder by numbers and ordered some GGG PCB's. What types of FETs is it using?

That's a pretty big box for that circuit. If you're going to use that big box, at least put some top-mounted jacks to save some pedalboard real estate. Jeez. You'd expect that kind of from a newbie at DIY, but a pedal builder?

The FETs are the same J201 and 2n5457 as designated in the GGG schematic.

Jeesh... Ed should get a royalty.

I know paying for the GGG PCB covers the licensing fee for the layout but I dont know if any of that goes to the original circuit designer. GGG may have handled that licensing at a flat rate or there may not be any at all.

See the PDF:

http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/pdf ... tement.pdf

Relevant quote:

If you purchase the Ready-To-Solder PCBs from me, you are free to use them
to build stompboxes for profit. If you plan on big production numbers, we offer a
discount on quantities on PCBs.

The only exceptions are things from Geofex and ROG. BSIAB isn't a ROG thing is it? I can't keep these jillions of distortion boxes straight in my head.

oldgravity wrote:See the PDF:

http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/pdf ... tement.pdf

Relevant quote:

If you purchase the Ready-To-Solder PCBs from me, you are free to use them
to build stompboxes for profit. If you plan on big production numbers, we offer a
discount on quantities on PCBs.

The only exceptions are things from Geofex and ROG. BSIAB isn't a ROG thing is it? I can't keep these jillions of distortion boxes straight in my head.

The BSIAB was designed by Ed Guidry. At least according to this:
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/revi ... AB+II/10/1

With help from Aron Nelson, Doug Hammond and Jack Orman.