Why not use pedal couplers?
We've all seen them - the fixed pedal couplers that you can use to connect pedals. They come in two varieties, either straight (pictured to the right) or offset (pictured below). Obviously, as it is a Read more [...]
Analog or digital delay?
This article is an attempt at setting something straight that has been bugging me for a while now. And apparently it's not just me - I got the inspiration to write from numerous discussion threads at Read more [...]
Restringing your guitar
There are as many variants on what the "proper" way to re-string a guitar is, as there are guitarists. If you can't get it right, don't feel bad - you're not alone. Many of us have tuning stability problems Read more [...]
Pedalboard projects
By popular demand 🙂 here's a rehashed version of a page from the old site. I'm sorry about the pics - I would love it if they were a bit bigger, but these (lifted from the old site) were the only ones Read more [...]
Building a connection box for the pedalboard
Running a pedal chain in front of the amp is simple enough - plug the guitar cable into the input of the first pedal, and then connect a cable from the output of the last pedal to the amp. But what if you want to run some pedals in the amp's fx loop? That means you'd need to connect cables in the middle of the board, which can get messy. And what if you still want to be able to run the whole chain in front of an amp that doesn't have an fx loop? A pedalboard connection box will let you do all of that, and here's how it works... Read more [...]
Modifying the MXR Phase 90 (M-101)
This post deals with the regular MXR Phase 90 (M-101), Revision E and F. It does not apply to the EVH phaser, Custom Shop Script models (with and without LED), as they have a different type of circuit Read more [...]
Positive tip or negative tip
I see these terms used a lot, but quite often they are used in the wrong fashion, or leading to the wrong conclusions. So let's start with the power plugs in use out there, and the different ways they're Read more [...]
Building a rechargeable power supply
A while back, Sanyo released the Pedal Juice rechargeable battery pack for guitar pedals. I believe it has since been discontinued, but there are others out there (Pedaltrain has one, IIRC). Anyway, this Read more [...]
Modifying old Boss ACA pedals to PSA specs
As mentioned in the ACA vs PSA post, some of the older Boss pedals (those with an "ACA" sticker by the adapter jack) won't work right with a normal 9vDC power supply. Keeping them on a daisy chain supply, Read more [...]
True bypass, Voodoo Lab style
There has been lots of discussion about exactly how Voodoo Lab can call their pedals true bypass, when they only use a DPDT switch and still manages to switch an LED too. They could have used the "Millenium" style of bypass, but instead they went another way... Read more [...]
True bypass myths debunked
Ever since I saw a video by a company claiming to bust the true bypass myth (but really only trying to sell their product), I've wanted to write a page to kill off a few myths about true bypass. And here it is... Read more [...]
The Stinkfoot TS-9 mod
Again, in the interest of lightening my work load, I've decided to post one of "my" mods. The quotation marks are very justified in this case - the Tube Screamer mods I do can hardly be called innovative, Read more [...]
A quick guide to soldering
A lot of the mods and tips posted on this site require soldering, a skill not all of us have acquired. Here's a quick and dirty "how to" guide with a few tips and pointers. I'd strongly suggest you get Read more [...]
How to add a killswitch to your guitar
We've all heard the effect, and possibly seen it too: a cool guitarist reaches for the pickup selector on his Les Paul, and starts to wiggle it back & forth to create a stuttering on/off sound. Trouble is, this only works on Les Pauls (and other guitars equipped with separate volume controls for the pickups). But fear not - this article will show you how to add a killswitch to any guitar. Read more [...]
Boss ACA & PSA – what gives?
Most of the Boss pedals require the normal PSA adapter, while some has a sticker that says "ACA" on them. What's the difference, and how can I make them work in my setup? To answer these questions and Read more [...]
Why tuner outputs are evil…
The title is part joke, part truth. They aren't evil, of course, but the "tuner out" jack on your volume pedal can do serious harm to your tone. To understand why, we first need to dispel a myth.
"Using Read more [...]
The amp’s effects loop
Have you ever wondered what an effects loop is, when to use it, and for which effects? Read on... Read more [...]
Effects order
If you've ever wondered in which order you should place your effects pedals, look no further. Granted, there are no rules - just because something is common practice, doesn't mean there won't be cool sounds Read more [...]
Tube Screamer genealogy
The family tree of that familiar green pedal 🙂 Read more [...]
Vox V847-A and V845
Modding the newer Vox wah models (the ones with adapter jacks). Read more [...]