ampage Tube Amps / Music Electronics	For current discussions, please visit Music Electronics Forum.

ampage archive

Vintage threads from the first ten years

New articles on FX boxes at GEO

:

9/19/1999 7:36 PM

New articles on FX boxes at GEO

While waiting on planes I managed to type in a couple of things on boxes. One is a paper template that you can print that makes layout and drilling easier for boxes, the other is a way to use plastic boxes without hum.

Right now, the template is only available for the Hammond 1590BB, but that will grow over time.

They're both at GEO" target="_blank">http://www.geofex.com">GEO now.

9/21/1999 11:32 PM

Nice post about shielding plastic boxes.

A solderable source of material you omitted is brass shim. This is the thin brass sheeting that is used to form spacers and some kinds of gaskets. You can generally buy the stuff at automotive supply houses, and it can be cheaper than the copper tape many of us score from Stew-Mac or other places.

If thin enough (and much of it is), you can cut the stuff with household scissors to fit the desired shape. If you want, you can cut out the top and side-fitting pieces, and solder them together as a kind of inner shell. It can work real nice as a grounding plate that all pots and switches are grounded to. Just watch out for the edges and corners when working with it; it can get sharp. One mean swipe and your Travis picking days may be over.

The caveat about this material is that it can oxidize over time (and with your grimy fingers all over it).

I have a busted MXR Commande Series Flanger (schematic please!) that is housed in a non-conductive plastic box (as all members of this series were). It uses a foil-lined sheet of cardboard under the PC-board as shield. Of course, this works because of the layout of the box, with the pots and jacks board-mounted, and the cardboard liner covering most of the signal path.

9/22/1999 3:38 AM

It was deliberate.

I throught about including shim but it's just a tad across the line between something you can mess with like paper and something that cuts you like sheet metal. Just a hair too difficult for a beginner. It's great for someone with some experience, though.

I had visions of a 14 year old musical prodigy shearing some blood vessels and tendons in his wrist messing with it and a pair of scissors.

I have this persistent problem with my consumers. They range from "... I don't know much about electronics but..." to you and others who know more than I do but won't admit it. It's hard to do a one-size-fits-all article.

9/22/1999 6:02 AM

quote:
"It's hard to do a one-size-fits-all article."

Hey, this is hypertext R.G.

Maybe you could just "hide" the don't-try-this-at-home stuff behind some appropriately worded links like "more tips for those who don't really need a full set of fingers."

--tboy

9/22/1999 12:31 PM
R.G.	Oh, sure, pop in and suggest I do it the simple, easy way. %-) I guess I should put some thought into noting beginner, apprentice, and journeyman techniques as I go. But then I have to go public with me being a beginner at html. AAACK!!

9/22/1999 4:35 PM
Mark Hammer	Then I tip my hat to you sir. You are considerate in more ways than I fathom. I just hope my "dad license" doesn't get revoked.

Page 1 of 1