Homemade Distortion er.. box

LeviMan_2001 · #1 December 14th, 2006

My brother and I made a little "Mini Amp" that works but that's now the point. I plugged it into my computer using the headphone jack on the amp and a doubble ended mini jack cable and it works as a distortion "box"! i got the idea from people making pedals out of tape players. here's a sound bit. Sorry for the dull sound - my sound card sucks (compusa free with rebates!

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allthumbs · #2 December 15th, 2006

That is some thick distortion you have there.

marinoFret · #3 December 15th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeviMan_2001

My brother and I made a little "Mini Amp" that works but that's now the point. I plugged it into my computer using the headphone jack on the amp and a doubble ended mini jack cable and it works as a distortion "box"! i got the idea from people making pedals out of tape players. here's a sound bit. Sorry for the dull sound - my sound card sucks (compusa free with rebates!

)

It's possible to make a pedal out of tape players?!

WOW.

Is there any URL on the internet that explains how to do it?

cshude · #4 December 15th, 2006

Wow, those are some pretty insane noises you got there. Got that old punk sound going- one of the riffs sounded like something the Dead Kennedys would play.

marinoFret · #5 December 15th, 2006

How can I make it?

eXperiment63 · #6 December 15th, 2006

Hahahahahha, i found the GREATEST tape deck to make this thing out of...

A 1985 Panasonic RQ-J50 Stereo Cassette Player!!!! It's as old as me! And it's gonna have a new purpose, and a great retro look to it.

LeviMan_2001 · #7 December 17th, 2006

Go to google and type in tape player distortion diy guitar and it's the 8th one down (I can't post links cause i havent had 10 posts yet)

. I'm making one in a "project enclosure" from radioshack so it will actully look like a guitar effect. But insted of using a tape player I'm using an old radio that was destined for the trash. The song i played was just I don't know random stuff in the begging then it went into the Seinfeld theme song and i think I played all along the watchtower after that I played the blues scale and went into the Star spangeld banner. Ok time to go to bed

marinoFret · #8 December 17th, 2006

Is it possible to make a distortion by making a short circuit in a guitar cable?

eXperiment63 · #9 December 17th, 2006

I made the distortion box... and I must say, it's better than the overdrive setting on my amp by far. Depending on the volume pot on the player, i can take it from just being a bit more bass-ridden, straight up to complete mud.

eXperiment63 · #10 December 17th, 2006

I forgot to say... if I keep the volume low enough... I can use it as a nice clean earphone amp. Then as I turn it up with the earphones on, I can get the distortion in the earphones too. It's a pretty neat little gadget considering I only spent $1 and time on it!

eXperiment63 · #11 December 17th, 2006

Here are a couple of samples of my crappy playing through the fuzz box. Just doing the House of the Rising Sun riff in each because it's recognizable.

each one, 1-4 getting progressively fuzzier. There are pictures of the completed project in my guitar thread.

LeviMan_2001 · #12 December 18th, 2006

I finished the one in the "project enclosure" but i have one problem i also put a speaker inside to make it a mini amp too but unfourtuneately i forgot to leave the switch hanging out so it's just a mini amp

i think im gonna fix that now though, it has a nice tone I think though.

LeviMan_2001 · #13 December 18th, 2006

Sorry bout this doubble post but i don't see an edit button if there is one you can rag on me. Here's a recording of it i think i have all good now but im sure more problems will pop up. anyway here's the clip

eXperiment63 · #14 December 18th, 2006

I get that similar tone when I run it with the volume between settings 1+2 that I recorded. It's probably my favorite one.

LeviMan_2001 · #15 December 20th, 2006

Yeah remember how i said more problems will pop up? well they did now absolutley nothing comes out the output plug but if i hook it up to a speaker it works. So i was thinking "oh it's a defective plug tried another and it still doesn't work unless I touch one of the battery wires to one of the plug wires (can't rember which though) and put it on overdrive 'cause it quites it down so bad. I'm thinking 'bout getting some new electronics cause these might just be screwed.