Tools, Tones and Toys for Guitarists
This was long overdue – I finally got around to making a half-decent wiring rig. I’d been using cardboard from pizza boxes (yes really), which worked, but it was pretty ordinary to say the least. Once the parts were laid out and the enclosure marked up, I drilled the pilot holes in the chassis, then … Read more
I know I could probably pay Tayda to do this, but they don’t always have the enclosures that I want, and part of me likes going down the hillbilly route with a hand drill and a file. Here’s my process for cutting out holes for battery draws. It’s actually pretty easy to do. STEP ONE: … Read more
I’m sure we’re all familiar with these enclosures from GapCo, just jotting down some notes for myself, as I found a drawing with dimensions (sorry Reverb seller). GAPCO VINTAGE ENCLOSURE Plain unfinished steel, arrives lightly oiled, may have light rust (will need a very good clean) Holes for pots are 6mm, which suits 16mm … Read more
Just a reference for me – this is specifically for this layout mounted above the pots. MKI TONE BENDER OFF-BOARD WIRING PLAN The final soldering of the board to the pots has not been done yet – that will be done when it is mounted on the actual enclosure lid, as opposed to the dodgy piece … Read more
Two new MKIII / MKIV Tone Benders finished over the weekend – the circuits have been finished for a while, just had not got around to boxing them up. Hopefully off to new homes shortly. Pity Gapco is now out of stock with these enclosures – I should have bought more when I had … Read more
THE PROBLEM WITH VERO / STRIPBOARD LAYOUTS As much as I like a bit of vero (clearly), vero is not meant for commercial-scale production, at least in the modern sense. Unlike PCBs, where pots and switches can all be mounted on the board, thus providing a convenient way to hold the board in the enclosure, vero … Read more
So I finally got around to buying a Tone Bender MKI-style wedge enclosure. I had been waiting for another seller, and they now have them in production. I’ve just bought one on eBay, and I’ll update and compare it when it arrives. Naturally, I’ll be putting a Tone Bender MKI circuit in this enclosure and … Read more
These are now available from sunetec_au on ebay. I previously purchased a couple of wedge enclosures from them, and they are really well-made. It’s the right size, and it’s made from decent steel. Shipping was free and fast from Hong Kong. It has rubber feet instead of pressed metal bumps – think I prefer rubber … Read more
HAMMOND ENCLOSURES – MAXIMUM VERO & TAG BOARD WIDTHS Hammond 1590B Standard vero board Portrait: 21, possibly 22, with a bit of help from a file Hammond 1590N1 (125B) Standard vero board Portrait: 23 Hammond 1590BB Standard vero board Portrait: 33 Landscape: 43 0.15 inch … Read more
I bought a couple of these enclosures on e-bay, not being completely sure what they would be like, but I’m pretty happy with them. They feel solid, and the tolerances are good (no big gaps, and everything fits nicely). The corners are a bit sharp, but nothing a file can’t sort out before finishing. VINTAGE-STYLE WEDGE … Read more