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Under Eagle files for TG-Music effect pedals, you'll find *.sch and *.brd files for many effect pedals. Most of these are designed using my "standard method" of building pedals in a Hammond 1590BB enclosure. You are free to modify these files as you wish. Please note that these are not "ready-to-build" projects and require prior experience. For example, if you need a BOM (Bill of Materials), you can export it directly in Eagle.
I have extra PCBs for most pedals, so if you’re interested, I can probably send you one. However, I’m not selling components, kits, or anything else.
At the time of writing this, I'm on a hiatus from pedal building and focusing on other interests, such as making games, 3D printing, fixing Game Boys, and tinkering with other electronic devices.
Before we start: think carefully about what you want to change when modifying your pedals or other electronics. What is wrong with your device? Do you want something more or less? More bass? Less treble? There’s a difference. What do you think needs improvement in your overdrive, booster, or fuzz?
Sometimes, it makes more sense to sell pedals you don’t like instead of modifying them. Once a pedal is modified, it becomes much harder to sell. Don’t mod just because you read something online. Only proceed with these instructions when you know what you’re trying to accomplish.
The internet is full of effect pedal modifications—some good, some bad, and some unnecessarily expensive. In my opinion, information should be free. You can charge for labor, but not for the information itself. I don’t recommend paying for mod instructions; you can likely find everything you need for free on the web.
I aim to provide useful, worthwhile modifications that are worth trying. All of these mods are well-known, and none originate from me. While the implementation might be “my own,” the principles behind these instructions are not. I’ve chosen these mods specifically so that you don’t have to drill any new holes in your pedals. I hate when people do that—stop ruining gear with irreversible changes!
Hobbyist magazines have published countless guitar effects projects—and a metric ton of other electronics—over the past decades. Popular projects included measuring devices and power supplies (often referred to as "lab equipment"). In the days before inexpensive multimeters, a simple DC voltmeter was both an attractive and incredibly useful project. And, of course, a variable power supply was an absolute must for any serious hobbyist. Radios were a recurring focus, especially in ham radio magazines. And amplifiers—so many amplifiers—were everywhere.
History plays a big role in my electronics hobby. I greatly admire the hobbyists who built these projects back then, and I want to pay homage to the original authors. Decades before the internet, hobbyist magazines and books were the only sources for electronics projects. If something went wrong, your local ham radio club or electronics club was often the only place to get help. For a loner like me, that would have been a good thing—social interaction and all that. Today, we are incredibly privileged to have such an abundance of information at our fingertips!
I highly recommend trying to build some of these vintage circuits. I’ll be sharing the good, the bad, and the downright ugly from the past decades—along with some of my personal favorites.
The Arduino Uno and its many derivatives are highly capable devices for a wide range of projects, including musical instruments and accessories.
The Arduino Uno and Nano are both based on the ATMEGA328 microcontroller, a well-documented, open-source platform. The internet is literally full of projects ranging from very simple to extremely complex. If you’re an absolute beginner, start small and choose projects that match your skill level. Your first step should be making an LED blink. Then, try making it blink without delay. Start from there and build up gradually.
My own projects include clocks, games, musical instruments, peripherals, and other random things that catch my interest.
Speaking of that… this is all about me and my needs. Arduino projects are the perfect way to create something tailored specifically for you. That’s exactly how I approach them. I look for a project that’s close to what I need and then modify it as required. I can claim very few things as “I created this,” so I always try to credit the original sources whenever possible.
And one last thing: I’ll also include some ESP8266 projects with WiFi capabilities.