How to Build Clones | DIY Guitar Pedals

Hey all!

This is a step-by-step guide to making a guitar pedal clone using a purchased PCB. I go through the best sequence in populating the board, how to complete your offboard wiring, etc. I even touch on how to make an optocoupler. I use a PedalPCB Delegate Compressor as the example, but these steps can be used for all PCB builds.

Hope you find it useful!

02:40 - Workstation and parts
04:25 - Soldering resistors
05:35 - Soldering diodes
06:05 - Soldering IC sockets
07:08 - Soldering capacitors
08:00 - Soldering Transistors
08:27 - Soldering/ Building the LDR and Diode (Optocoupler)
11:43 - Soldering power (On/Off) Diode
12:28 - Soldering potentiometers
15:50 - Affixing the LED Bezel
16:20 - Wiring the 3PDT Switch
17:00 - Connecting the main board to the switch board
20:25 - Installing the DC jack
22:42 - Installing the audio jacks
23:49 - Socketing the ICs
24:20 - Adding the control knobs
25:30 - Closing the case
25:38 - A quick sanity test

Check out how I add graphics here:

#pougnetpedals #diyguitarpedals

[jasonca]

You are a horribly underrated channel. Hopefully the algorithm blesses you, your quality of videos deserves it!

[asdf]

Your resistor separator/sorter is genius! Great stuff, and very underrated channel for this stuff, blame YT's silly algorithm.

[vkp]

Nice build video. Just a few things I need to point out: 1. You could have mentioned ensuring the correct polarity of diodes and polarized capacitors when populating the PCB; 2. DIYers may get something wrong so it would be advisable to test the assembly first before committing all that time and energy to cram all that stuff into the pedal case. 3. Check all solder points before you power up. 4. It's best to clean up your workbench as you go. All those stray bits of cut resistor leads, wire, and blobs of spilled solder can get into places we don't want them, i.e. the board, case, etc.

[tgorycki]

Nice tutorial! It's interesting to see how different people do their offboard wiring; over vs under, solder wire to board first vs jacks first, etc. Nice clean build! Thanks!

[hamsterman]

The clipping you do after the soldering is so satisfying.

[Kallum]

I’m building my own overdrive pedal and i’ve designed a custom pcb for it, this video is very helpful for the next steps

[fireside]

Great video! I just completed my build, but for some reason whenever I move the sustain knob past 9-9:30ish, I start to get some substantial distortion in the signal.. any thoughts on what might be causing that?? Thanks in advance!

[Ak_russian]

Thanks for the turtorial, I want to build a ibanez black noise clone cause I can't find that shit enywhere only clone board so I have no otjer choice

[mariodiaz]

Bro you are a badass, thank you for this video!

[DakGuy]

I was wondering what I was doing wrong with the pots, turns out the ones I got have too short of legs and I'll have to add a bunch of jumpers, kinda unfortunate. Thanks for the video

[mattcarson]

Nice to see the full assembly. No one ever showed me how to shrink wrap the two components like that. Good to know! Probably explains why I have a weak sounding compressor where LED and LSR arent staying close enough. 😆 Curious what printer you use for the decals? Your text looks nice and crisp.

[ZephaniahDavis]

this info and demo are very solid. thanks for giving it to people

[hellephantstonerband]

Hi ! i'm very happy to find your videos ! i was looking for my firts build with the warden clone, and it's done ! i'm a computer and phones repair man, so have some soldier skills (but not an expert), but i've no skills in electronic things. Do you think it's not so difficult for my first try ? i'm a little lost for purchasing component and afraid about forget something... If i've understood, i have to go with tayda and smallbear for parts ? i'm looking too for the Life Pedal building, by chance do you have a video about this pedal ? thanks for all, and i think you've given me motivation to launch the construction ! ;)

[jordanfreeman]

Aight, next question. Do you know if Tayda only sells center negative DC jacks? I ordered some in the states and I guess they use center positive for most things.

[austismm]

mentioned PCB sources:
PedalPCB
Aion FX
Rullywow

[jackwhite]

How do you know which way to attach the footswitch to mini board?

[A.PGUITARS]

What temp or setting is the solder gun on thank you

[eamonnortiz]

Hey can do a tutorial how make smaller version of 4 track looper like boss rc 600 not a digital version though?

[samuelbanya]

Do you know where I can find pcbs for off board wiring? I hate off board wiring

[moGear]

i have 3 kits i bought from china at the instructions are not that good any way they do not work ??? when putting the resitors in the bord or any of the componenits is there a direction for the legs to go in to the PCB board i cant figure out why they do not work very frustrating