Blind-Summit
THE GUITAR PLAYERS COMMUNITY

Spray Painting DIY Effects Pedal

Many people like to build their own guitars and effects pedals. Getting a high quality finish is important if you want to replicate the look of a factory made guitar or effects pedal. This article will look at a method of getting a nice finish on a DIY homemade effects pedal.

GHS Fast Fret

The lifespan of a set of guitar strings will vary depending on the brand of strings, the amout they are played, and how much grime and sweat is deposited onto the strings as you are playing. Typically, a nice new set of strings will lose their bright, swishy sound after about a week or two, before gradually becoming dull and muddy. A couple of months later - they will need to be replaced. If you’re playing in a band, or on a more regular basis - the lifespan will be far less.

Introduction To Audacity

Several months ago, I wrote an article discussing the basics of setting up a home studio for the first time. I gave quick rundown of the primary hardware such as a soundcard, cables, and the guitar setup. I also briefly mentioned some software packages that could be used on your computer to capture and edit your music. This article is the first of several to help get you get started with a few recording packages. Today we are going to look at Audacity.

Make Your Own Overdrive Stomp Box

This effects unit was inspired and a slightly modified version of "Joe’s Easy Drive" by Joe Davisson from the Guitar Effects Projects website. I added a DPTP stomp switch into the schematic to allow you to turn the unit on and off (overdrive / bypass).

Replacing Your Guitar Innards

This article is a guide to replacing pickups, control pots and wiring inside your guitar. Often, replacing the stock pickups on a guitar with a better quality ones that match your playing style more closely, will yield better sounds.

This article was inspired by just such a thing - the stock Ibanez pickups on my DTX120 were muddy sounding, and the wiring and pots were knackered.