How To Build Guitar Pedals: Tools and Tips 

Hey everyone thanks for watching! If you want some one on one help we can setup an online meeting to talk about pedals together or check out the monthly QA at www.patreon.com/fuzzlordeffects or join the DIY Pedals community through the Fuzzlord Discord Server discord.gg/KCnhM323

That's the cleanest pedal circuit I've seen, no wasted space at all

Can you please just narrate every how to video I ever watch. Seriously. Well put together, very direct and informative and professional.

Watching from Chapel Hill, NC, never put any pedals together. I'd like to see more videos like this on the channel!

Never built a guitar pedal before but I am beginning my journey here! Now.

Watching from South Bend, IN. I build pedals. Started with kits and now I build using other people’s boards and sourcing my own components. Eventually I’d like to start designing my own circuits.

Worked a lot with electronics in my engineering degree, but never for audio. Gonna definetely give it a go at some point. Will need to refresh my knowledge in transistors and amp circuits though xD

Checking in from Eugene, OR - proud to call you neighbor! I just ordered my very first pedal kit, a Mouse from BYOC, and am insanely eager to get going. You're legitimately a huge inspiration and your videos have taught me so much. Watching your build clips on IG is what's finally made me decide to make the dive. If I can do the soldering on my guitar volume/tone pots and can repair my enail's coil then I think I've got what it takes. Thank you so much, Jason!

Your work is very tidy. My dad build my first amplifier and electronics was his hobby which created this strange childhood flashback which has been haunting me for the past year. Your video has inspired me to dive into this genetic inevitably and I thank you for that. South African watching from Oxfordshire in England.

These are some of my favorite types of vids. I haven't built any pedals yet, but do plan on doing so.

This video was great! Now I want the rest of the masterclass. Where to get parts, how to design and manufacture the PCB board, get the enclosures made, etc.

Watching from Taiwan. Only got into pedals about 2 years ago, and now I'm getting an itch to try and build on. A simple overdrive/boost, just to see how to do it. Very excited to get started.

Hello from Zaragoza, Spain. Today I’m going to start to solder my first pcb kit (a fuzz one) and this video was very helpful with the little details that make the difference. I use the pedal effects with my tuba in a progressive rock band 👹

Hey, writing from Berlin. I have done a kit and i have also designed a simple fuzz face PCB, which it turned out awesome. I do a lot of PCB design and soldering in my regular work, with way more complex circuits. So i wanna use that knowledge to make more pedals on my own. I have few ideas in my mind. THis kind of videos really motivates and inspires me to make my own pedals

In the middle of my first pedal….loved it, thanks!

Very useful video ! I watch from France and I built exactly one pedal before, a silicon fuzz face kit. I didn't do such a good job, so it works but sounds very noisy. Something people should be aware of when building pedal is that your drill is powerful enough to make holes in the enclosure. Mine wasn't and I almost hurt myself because of that !

Hi Jason. Watching from Wales in the UK. I’ve built 12 or 15 pcb based kits over the past few months, drilling and finishing enclosures when I can. It’s a process that I’ve fallen in love with, so I’m taking it to the next level and starting to build on vero board. Love your videos. Best wishes, Kev.

Dude! I've just started making a space in my garage specifically for building pedals. This one and the last one of yours I watched have gotten me excited about getting started.

Best accurate and useful video for a new lover of DIY Pedals world!

Watching from Wilmington, NC! Built one pedal with my dad when I was a teenager. I'd love to learn more on how to build all kinds of pedals.

Huntersville NC! I just started an apprenticeship that is heavy on circuitry and my brother said I should look into building pedals!

Washington State here. I’ve modified a few of my pedals. Plan to put together a few kits. Then would like to start breadboarding and designing my own circuits. Great video. Thanks for the tips.

Watching from Brazil. I am helping a friend of mine who wants to build one. Thanks for the How To!!! Great video!!

Watching from Texas, never built a pedal, but am very intrigued and definitely want to give it the ol college try.

best assembly video I've seen. None of them are that good because it's hard to get good camera angles on the tight work spaces. But, this one made up for that with good explanations.

Fuzzlord is HOT FIRE. near Boston Massachusetts USA myself

Watched one of your videos a month ago, bought all the tools, and just built my first clone! Definitely need to buy a fan for the next one. Thanks!

I've just built my first pedal from a kit and wish I had watched this first! My next builds should be a little bit easier now. Thanks dude!

Scotland here :D Started out with a handful of kits from fuzzdog uk. Fell in love and recently been messing around with and prototyping a Superfuzz rooted circuit! As well as a handful other designs, but the Superfuzz circuit really is my obsession lately. Can’t stop changing what this could be and need to tie it down to something specific, the circuit is just so bloody flexible. Really want to make something innovative and eye catching and would love for a hobby to become some kind of an income. Got some plans for a brilliant enclosure when it’s ready too! Nothing the likes anybody has seen before. Can’t wait to have something to show. Another great video man keep em coming and Doom on.

From San Diego. Thank you for this. I watched a different pedal build video yesterday, that completely put me off of the idea of doing one myself. This one, though, was very inspiring and encouraging. I think a large part of the difference was your use of a PCB versus the other guy using a... card(?)-i can't even remember the name. The other part of the difference was your magnificent teaching skills and video quality. Fantastic. I'm now looking down at my board, to figure out what i can build that i don't already have.... Really, i just want to do to the graphics and choose the knobs!

Yo from France, started building a prototyping pedal with a breadboard to try different circuits for my bass. Loved your vid, well explained and organised 👌

I've assembled several pedals from guitarPCB. They're pre made PCBs that allow some mild modifications. My two favorites from their line are the phase 90 and chorus but I've done a couple fuzz and overdrive as well. I'd love to start building some pedals from scratch but I'm not too sure where to begin.

Never thought about squeezing the leads together like that! I usually bend them away but I think this looks better!!

Watching from Florida in the U.S. been soldering patch cables and stuff like that and getting ready to build my first pedal soon. Thanks for the great videos. Also, that’s a great sounding delay pedal.

This deserves more views

G'day from Australia!. Dude!, these vids are an invaluable resource and your voice make these vids a breeze to watch. Because of your in depth description without prattling on, I'm not switching off and actually absorbing knowledge. I can't wait to learn how to read a schematic and find a kit!. Cheers Jason, you're a legend & one of these days I'll either have the money or get in on time to get one of your pedals.

I'm making my own pedals, so I'm familiar with the whole process, but I enjoy watching other people's videos and their approach. Great instructional video and great sounding pedal! Would love to see similar videos in the future

Dear Fuzzlord, I love your instructional videos. You make making a pedal look easy. I am a guitarist from Trinidad and Tobago and I am interested in building guitar pedals. I have never put a pedal together before, but i dream of guitar pedals.

Hello from Poland! I'm watching your videos for something like two weeks and I'm recorded my one-man doom project called Black Philip and right now I'm working on rebuild my old behringer super fuzz sf300 :)

Wazzup, watching from South Africa. Stumbled apon your channel a while ago. Power to you man!

Outstanding video! Seriously, your advice and commentary on how to solder was great. All the tips and tricks! I've never done a pedal before but I've installed, wired, and tested some of the busiest commuter railroad interlockers in the country! Why do I find this to be more confusing??? I think its because I need to know how it all works. I need to know what the components do and why that wire goes there. Great vid Jason! Thanks for sharing!

Watching from Las Vegas. At 30+ I just got my first bass and also an Earthquaker Plume pedal. I'm having the time of my life Coronavirus not with-standing! Would love to maybe fiddle with a pedal on my own. Thanks for the vid Fuzzlord!

Watching from Cape Town, South Africa..... Very soothing watching someone solder joints. Thanks for sharing your tips!

Watching from Long Island, NY. I've built a couple of kits, including a breadboard kit for a fuzz face. That was the most helpful in terms of reading a schematic. The breadboard kit turned into a point to point wired pedal, neat! Thanks!

Watching from Ontario Canada, I've breadboarded a handful of different distortions and fuzzes but I've really only dabbled with modding stuff to be more bass friendly such as one of my old wahs

Hello from Grand Rapids, MI. I have built a few kits as well as modded some as well. I just finished a Mosrite Fuzzrite Kit and am starting a Shin-ei Companion Fuzz. I also took your advice and started looking at some websites with Vero layouts and have the stuff to build a LPB1 type boost and a modded version of the Acapulco Gold with an added volume control. Thanks for this video. I am enjoying building pedals and love all the information you help with.

Fun to watch, I made my first pedal a few weeks ago, a Christmas present for my brother, used a toner printer with magazine paper and a laminator for the pcb which came out really well, big muff green russian clone which sounds awesome and tuck me back to my band days, on my next pedal i will paint the pcb fo easier soldering and protection, use a step drill bit for the switch as the size i needed for the hole wouldn't fit my drill, ended up having to file the hole get it to fit, overall it was a great experience even though it didn't work off the bat, tuck a lot of trouble shooting to find the fault which turned out to be a very tiny short between a pad and another track but that sound when a i eventually got it working was amazing

Thanks for being a very competent instructor. The tips take a lot of frustration right out of the equation. 👍

I'm watching here in Kentucky. I've been interested in building pedals but haven't yet. Thank you for putting out information! A God among Gods.

Tony from Scotland. Thinking about trying a pedal kit after Mr Fuzzlord made that look so easy. Oh, to be able to solder as neatly as that!

Watching from The Woodlands, Texas. Never built a pedal, but fascinated and since I have most of the tools already, I thought it would be a challenging and interesting project. Thanks for the video!

Watching from Edinburgh Scotland, thanks very much, really helpful, great videos and great pedals

By far some of the best advice I've gotten out of trying to teach myself to build guitar pedals. I wish I could have saved myself about a years worth of time in finding information and tips from all over the internet, and instead found this one video to start! I've built from kits and really want to design my own stuff but I'm still working through understanding mods and circuits.

Watching from Morocco and I am thinking to start my first pedal effect ... a fuzz to play safe for a first try :D

From Brazil here. Great video

Thanks for the full on tutorial. Lots of juicy information. I like the led .060 away from the switch to reach the leads. Measurements I can understand immediately.

Hi ! I'm from Montreal Canada, looking to build my first pedal. I studied electronics 20 years ago but didn't use it so much so I need to brush up. Great vid !

Italy here! I'm new on this channel and a starter in this world I would ask (if it's not too much) how do you project a pcb? What components are for? For example if i would create a distortion pedal which project and specs i would follow? I will be very happy to see an explanation of this

Hi Jason, big fan of your channel. I’m a pedal and amp builder myself. I do my builds on prototype (vero or strip) boards, and PTP (point to point) via terminal boards, like what Brad Davis from Fu Manchu does. I’ve built several delays, a few tube pedals, oscillators, and a ton of JFET preamp clones. I like to use shielded wire in high gain circuits when they leave the board and go to the pots. I’m also reaching out to local bands and trying to build custom/modified circuits for them too. I hope one day, I’ll have a boutique effects and amp shop where I can build high quality gear for live bands in my area. Your channel is awesome, stay doomed friend!

Louisiana here, never put a pedal together. I just ordered me one of those eba y fuzz pedal kits to learn on. It came with no instructions or schematic. I did manage to find a schematic and wife diagram. Still no instructions. But I believe this video gave me the information I need to try and do it. Next time I promise to buy a fuzzloard kit. Thanks so much for this video now I am going to check out your website

coming from Edmonton Alberta! Haven’t built a pedal yet but you have definitely been my first kind of inspiration to get into it. Got a soldering iron coming in the mail rn.

Watching from Nashville, just started getting interested in making pedals and these videos are such a help!

I’ve built several pedals from kits. They’ve all worked, but I have no idea how. Want to start learning the why it works and does what it does so I can begin changing components in a smart way. Love the video as I’ve already learned how to better my soldering technique

I dig the old Peavey! I have a 78' T-60. Your video was great, I subscribed and look forward to watching many more.

Really great video. Helpful for beginners like me who are considering a pedal build. I built a kit pedal about 15 years ago and am looking to get into building some more now and thought the way you presented information and the clarity in the video showing the steps was outstanding. Keep it up!

Watching from Germany, awesome vid!

You guys are just so delightful

Watching again from Halifax, Nova Scotia! Wish I could like this video 50x

Watching from Detroit. Never built a pedal but I’m going to now

Im watching from NW Indiana. I play guitar and enjoy doing mods. My pedal collection is mounting, not really a problem, but now i want to make my own. I think i will take your suggestion and start with a kit, since i have never made one before.Thank you for the lesson! I feel more confident moving into this hobby.

Definitely would like more videos like this - especially one about what the different components do to the sound, basically

Thank you Jason! This video is so thorough and informative! Love from Minneapolis, homie!!!

watching from AZ! this stuff blows my mind and i hope to one day in the future start building some pedals myself. just getting into guitar and wanted to learn about how these pedals are really built

I’m in Phoenix AZ. Starting my first build. Thank you for all the useful info man! I’m stoked. Love your channel broski 😎🤘🤘🤘

watching from las Vegas, thank you Jason, building my first soon

very well shown and explained, I have a non-working pedal maybe I can troubleshoot it. Electronics has always fascinated me because something that does not work looks the same as something that does.

London. Never built a pedal before but planning on having a go soon. Really helpful video.

Watching from Hampton, VA. I have built 3 pedals from a kit and will continue building.

Love the t-shirt, one of my favourite bands.

You are a natural teacher! Thanks! Want to build a pedal, looking for whatever I need to know. Think this is a great resource.

Thanks for this video man, I appreciate your calm demeanour

Watching from the Netherlands. Have never built a pedal before (was terrible at soldering in high school unfortunately) but might want to start with a simple fuzz face kit. This video is very helpful to see all the steps.

Watching from the Netherlands, and I have put together a modified germanium Fuzz Face style pedal with a friend. Modifications at the time were limited, only added a very basic bass cut (second input capacitor with a switch). Now working on improving that by designing a PCB for it, already got a "dying battery" emulation working in LiveSPICE simulation at least. Which, if that all works, should be a more or less finished design. The idea of adding a bass cut was actually inspired by your Troglodyte.

Man! Jason I built my first kit on New Years 2021 and have since already gotten 6 builds up and running. Some of the tips and ease of use process improvements are HUGE that I picked up from this video

Watching from Barrie, ON Canada - hey! Super helpful video, I'm hooked on all your podcast eps now too. It's all very insightful. Building my first guitar pedal tonight, wish me luck!

Austin, TX here! I've never built a pedal before-I haven't even used a soldering iron before! It's super intimidating, but you make it look so easy! Thank you for making a super informative and easy to follow video. I think I'm gonna shop for tools and beginner build kits now

I have the parts for my first pedal on the way, and the instructions were a little vague! Your video has helped me a great deal. Thanks ❤️

Greetings from small village near Warsaw, Poland. Thanks for great video!

just bought a fuzz pedal kit stoked man

here in the Philippines. i have not use any effects other than overdrive since that's available on a regular amp. but i hope to create my own special effects soon. thanks for your video.

Hello man, you have been a real inspiration in a lot of ways. I am going to build me some pedals now haha. Also , love the fuzzlord pedals. Love from India

I really want to start doing this as my profession and leave my current job. The joy I get out of watching these videos gets my more excited than anything. I just have trouble figuring out what's my 1st step. I have two diy that I have yet to start but I am so ready to find that step, earn the skill set and apply anywhere I can to get behind the desk and solder away

Watching this from New Zealand; just looking at builing my first kit pedal - maybe a Klone or TS. Couple of good tips and watchouts from your video so thanks for your efforts making the video and explaining the process clearly.

Very cool video Dude! Greetings from Brazil!

I just got my first kit today. First build. Foxx Tone machine clone. Thanks for all the information you provide, dude! I expect it will come in handy over the next couple hours. Ontario, Canada.

From Canada (Quebec) and I already built a BYOC Mega Churos and Vibrato.

Watching from Boone, NC. Thank you so much for making this video and everything else you do on this channel!

Fun to watch videos like this 😁. Im from Indonesia. Im a guitarist with no electric skill. My friend give me a pedal he built, and now im curious about how he made it. Thats why i end up here to watch your videos. Nice videos with good explanation for me. Seems i'll start to sub now 👍👍

im from pennsylvania and ive never built a pedal before, i have however opened them up and glanced at them and to be honest theyre simpler than i thought which is why i think im going to take up pedal building! i would love to see more videos like this

Watching from Mohave Co, Arizona. First video of yours I've seen and it comes as I begin dabbling in this realm. Great content!