I do a lot of electronics projects and I find that taking regular breaks is essential, not only for the fumes but just to let your brain rest. Working with very small components that require absolute accuracy is tiring, regular breaks help.
I played my Marshall Valvestate for 30 years with same setup: bass and heights maxed out, mids turned all the way down, Gain nearly maxed out. All my girl friends loved the sound, but some neighbors complaint.^^
As a previous soldering expert. If you put a fan near your work pointing away from the work it will draw off the fumes. Combine this with taking a breath before soldering and slowly blowing the fumes away as you solder.
I built one, and there are 2 things I would do against the instructions. 1) Install the ic’s when all of the soldering is done. 2) Keep the footswitch breakout board fastened to mainboard as it comes. The wire jumpers are a lot easier to install. It sounds pretty good.
That sounded really good. Nice work. I live 20 seconds walk from a river, and own a 12 string guitar with a slotted headstock. The sense of achievement I felt the last time I re-strung it, without giving up and chucking it in the river, was huge. Nice work.
I've built a lot of kits without the PCB holder, but bought one anyway and WOW what a difference it makes. I swear less, drop fewer things and build boards much quicker. I didn't get the StewMac branded holder, but got an identical one from a different supplier. Shop around and save money :)
I learned to solder PCB boards with this pedal kit. Liked it so much I built another one. Currently have the Two Kings Boost sitting here waiting for me to get started. Great pedals and a great learning experience.
I built the ghost drive as well, and thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing, start to finish. I think I even made the same face when I hit the footswitch the first time. It’s a bonus that the pedal sounds great too!!! I’m definitely ‘going to call’ Stewmac again!
Try the EC Expander and the Tape Op Delay too mate , I’ve got the 3 pedals into a 5E3 clone from Stewmac , 75 Strat and it’s killer tone all day long. And I’m a fussy prick too !! 👍
Yesterday evening i assembled a klone from Wish. cost £20. All the resistors were marked with their values, all the components were there, it was very easy to assemble (not my first rodeo by the way). It was more or less the same circuit as your video. Also had a very nice gold flecked enclosure, predrilled. one downside as opposed to your kit, was the complete lack of instructions. i found a video plus a website on youtube. it sounds just the same as the OG Klon. very happy.
I built this when it first came out. I love mine. Probably because I built it, like you said. I’m working on an entire board of effects that I’ve built myself because it’s so much fun. I have 5 StewMac pedals so far that were so much fun to build. I’ve recently moved to PedalPCB and MadBean Pedals for broader options. Love it as a hobby. Thank you for a thoughtful and insightful video. Glad to be a part of your community. Should you do more build videos, I’ll be there for all of them!
I did the same thing. I thinkk I have 6 pedals from Stewmac. They are the best kit pedals. I have tried some from Ali Express, and lets just say, the instructions are a picture, and a lot of guessing. Same with the ones on Amazon, a lot of which come from China as well with the same poor instructions. Some pedals I could never even get to work. Amplified parts pedal kits seem to be all analog, no digital. I prefer the digital pedals. Great job on the video! Building the Stewmac Fan Tremolo on my bench now!
I build electronics kits sometimes. I organize the parts on paper but I wouldn't recommend taping parts as tape glue is a contaminant. Fold the paper so there's a peak in it and just poke holes in the paper to put the parts in. Or put the paper over some foam that you can poke parts through. Contamination is the number one cause of solder failure. So you want to avoid that. When everything is clean soldering goes easy. Crud you can't even see can mess soldering up. Like finger oil. Flux is supposed to fix that but it can only do so much. You're best off to work with everything clean.
actually a better method is the edge of some corrugated cardboard.. slide the component leads into the corrugations and write the values on the cardboard .
@@brucebennett8073 I've done the cardboard thing for storing resistors. But kitting a single board I like the paper accordian route myself. Because you're going to have to organize more than just resistors.
The build is pretty straightforward and the instructions are truly excellent. Definitely check the resistors since some of the colors aren't super distinct. My only real gripe was the included wire was rubbish. I ordered a spool of quality wire to complete the kit.
I love building kits. build a klon clone from aion fx Refractor. I find stew macs a tad expensive to be honest. check out aion fx if your interested in other and more options. Just a fan of company and pedal clones.
A great kit and an awesome sounding pedal. I built it twice (once for a friend). The second kit was missing a couple of resisters and a capacitor -- StewMac sent those right away, but glad I wasn't in a hurry. The instructions are very clear, except for the graphic on the power connection, which required a bit of guessing to get the leads right. I can't imagine doing this kit without a PC board holder. And, if you're over 40, you're going to want big magnifying glasses for this kind of work. Use a good temp-controlled iron. And use a ventilator fan. You don't want to be breathing those toxic flux fumes! I'd love to do this kind of kit more often! Great work StewMac. Great video, GG!
I genuinely appreciate your candor Sir. Having just finished a screamer pedal kit from Stewmac I found your assessment to be spot on with my experience. Having gained the skills for this many years ago, I found their instructions to be quite honestly the most thorough I have ever seen. The Ghost Drive is my next project and I share your enthusiasm for the results.
That was very refreshing and honest . In contrast to the far too many people on YT and the Internet in general telling us that hard stuff is easy to make themselves look good.
Fan-freaking-tastic video! I particularly appreciate the dual review (one for the build process, and one for the pedal functionality)... thanks so much for going through this!
I just built the same kit and I managed to mess up 2 resistors, and I had the same confusion with the breakout board!! I have not played my guitar without using this pedal since I finished it! Who you gonna call? STEWMAC!!!
Who you gonna call? StewMac!!! Its nice that there is a proper manual for the build I hate the current trend of having to go online to find out instructions etc! Manuals win hands down every time for me. Enjoyed the build. More would be cool to see, so its a yes from me!
2:41 I’ve built a few pedal kits, and I strongly agree with your recommendation to test the resistors with a multimeter. As someone with red/green colorblindness, it can be very difficult to distinguish the difference between some of the color markings on the resistors.
I can't read 5 band resistors. On top of it not every part is actually it's printed value. So I like to test everything before I solder it into a board. They make these gadgets called "transistor testers" that are great. They're based on a German project called AVR transistortester. They test just about everything. Resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes and transistors. You hook whatever up to the leads and it tells you what it is after you press the test button. Any clip can go to any lead. The device figures it all out. If you're into kitting they're worthwhile to get. I like the graphical ones the best with a rotary encoder. You also want one with a TL431 precision reference IC on it as opposed to just a zener diode. The reference is more accurate. Also find out how to calibrate your unit. It's a mode you put it in. Usually if you connect all 3 leads together and hit test it'll go into cal mode.
Great video. I built the pedal several months ago and think it’s a good value. You don’t need to be a tech prodigy to build it. I like the tone. Stew Mac almost never disappoints. Thank you for the nice presentation
I'd love to see you try a musikding kit. They are in Germany and have loads of pedals and smaller amps. Excellent video. Definitely makes me want to build some pedal so please do more. I think it will make a great series.
My Ghost Drive dropped dead after about a week. They suspect it might be the 1044 chip or the small orange diode next to it, but they test fine. They said screw it, and are sending me a new one. I'm pretty grateful their customer service is pretty damn good but..... being my very first build, I would have liked a little more guidance from them to track the real issue. Knowing whether or not it was me or a component failure would certainly be beneficial to probably both Stewmac and myself. PCB holder is a must, but for you that are planning on building one I suggest you leave the board in the frame, otherwise the holder will get in your workspace. The manual could have been a bit clearer when it comes to the DC input wiring. That's the biggest complaint I have out of the whole kit. Great playing and fantastic tone!! Well done.
Update: swapped 1044 and diode and the unit kicks ass. I built the free one they sent me, and that one kicks ass too. I gave the first one to the kid up the street that has a little gear and showed him how it works. Kids.. Turns everything to 10 then says it sounds like shit lol. Now that he knows how it should be used, he's pretty thrilled. Thanks Stewmac.
I’ve built 2 of these. First, you have get an optivisor. Don’t even attempt this project without one. I use 3M green automotive masking tape for holding wires on the breakout boards. Also, you buy different colored LED’s from stewmac. The supplied white LED is obnoxiously bright. The screamer pedal sounds warmer than the ghost and is great too. Good luck!
I did the Screamer kit last winter and it was fun but a) Wow I wish I had done such things when I was 19 and not 39 b) Yeah, the instructions are amazing but wow, I was stressed the entire time and sweating despite winter- c) It's fun, it's on board frequently. Edit: OH and: you ya gonna call.
I had so much fun building mine, I next did the two kings one from stewmac, then I built a Frankie and now I'm building a David Gilmore strat.I love the stuff!
Thanks for giving chapters in the description. I'm an electronics R&D engineer so I know how to build stuff. I skipped straight to *9:27** "Does it work?"*
Yours has been the best video about this kit I’ve seen! Thanks! Both the build and the demo of the pedal were plenty informative yet very respectful of my time. You’re a great video editor. I’ve got this (and a couple more) stewmac kit in my possession… your video might have been the push I need to get started building. Whoyougonnacall?
Nice video. I built the Ghost Drive about 6 weeks ago. Pretty much went thru the same process of inventory & logging resistors and caps. Made the installation process a breeze. I only changed out the white LED for a blue one as I saw one comment that it was pretty bright. Happy with the blue and bought my nephew the ghost drive kit for Christmas which he hasn’t unwrapped yet. He has zero experience with electronics and soldering so I’ll be assisting I’m sure but Who you gonna call?
Thank you for the video! I have my kit still in the box and very much appreciate the tip about taping the componets and values to paper. I too am a guitar geek, upgrades and rewires, but i am not a pedal builder. I am looking forward to the time and pride in my build. You have built up my confidence! Thank you again!
Who you gonna call? StewMac ! Recently purchased the Ghost Drive kit, but have not yet assembled it. Just found your channel around the same time. Good stuff...and encouragement to get building.
I've analyzed the Mosky Silver & Tumnus & the frequencies are really similar. If you want to improve your soldering skills use flux & tin your tip. When you start building pedals you can start saving money & cut the high prices out. Build your Fuzzface, Rangemaster, & The Shin-ei FY-2. Not hard builds & you can tailor to your liking.
Who Ya Gonna Call? StewMac! I, for one, am glad that you showed the sticker is a part of the kit. The times I've looked at the StewMac website, the parts shots of the kits haven't included the sticker ... just the finished product shot. That was enough to keep me from pulling the trigger. Looks like a fun build and sounds great. My cheap Klon clone (ish) is currently a Soul Food. Might have to step up my game.
Who you gonna call? Stew Mac! I just came across your channel and have been going through your older videos, great stuff! As a guitar electronics hobbyist myself, this one in particular was a fun watch.
Built one of these , great unit. Built a Tape Op Delay and an EC expander. Also 2 x 5E3 Tweed Deluxe amps. All from Stewmac. The lighted magnified visor is a REQUIREMENT !! Lol. I stuffed up some resistors in my first build without one. Stewmac were great to deal with and helped me out when stuck. Great service and I’m in Australia🇦🇺👍🍻 Who you gonna call ?!! Stewmac rock
@@TheGuitarGeek When i use it with the Tweed just on breakup it’s an accurate Clapton ish tone , really nice mid boost, smooth and adjustable. I use the Ghost Drive basically as a nice clean boost. Separate from the EC. If your amp is pushed a bit the EC tips it over the edge into some really nice tones. The Tape op Delay rounds things out for some ambience. It’s a really nice boost. I normally use the vol knob to boost solos but this one does it better.
Great show, I learned so much about how circuits are constructed just watching it. I always thought building a kit pedal was beyond my skills, but after watching this , believe I'll give it a try.
A tip, don't install the ICs to the absolute end. Any major heat source can root them. Install the sockets, wait till the end to put the ICs in. Also, put some silicon on the wires connected to the switch for mechanical support and make sure you push the capacitors flush to the pcb.
Nice work, Andy! For a full pedal kit, you picked a good one. A lot of people couldn’t do that on their first try. Now that you’ve proven you can do it, it’s time to move on to building some petals without the full kit! ❤
Great video Andy! Last year, I built StewMac's Swell Drive. My experience was the same as what you experienced. I think you described and explained things perfectly including what you thought and felt about it. I was amazed that I actually built it. I agree with using the PCB holder. I'm glad I got it. Also, you and I both used a good quality, temperature controlled soldering station. Like you, I'm not a professional solderer. It makes all the difference between success and failure. The magnifying lens and multimeter are also important in sorting some of the components. Thanks so much for a through review.
Hi Andy, i built the same kit about six months ago and your right , great fun and there's something about building your own kit. I've since also built the Stewmac King of Tone kit, a bit trickier but very satisfying . It's much easier with a PCB holder. The only thing i did different was i left the breakout boards attached (much easier to solder the wires). love the channel 🤘🤘
Nice build. I run my klones with a healthy dose of gain and boost into them (commonly an EP Boost or things like the boosty side of a Les Lius). Josh demo-ed a similar setup in his "pedal stacking" video.
@@JohnShalamskas - I like stacking pedals. A Klone into a KoT probably sounds great. I would have to do it and listen and decide for myself, but most pedal choices are (should be) like that.
I've been in electronics for a long time and can make two suggestions. 1) For the inevitable incorrectly installed component, get a "solder sucker", SoldaPult is one brand name. These quickly remove solder from leads of a component making it easy to remove and reuse. 2) A solder fan or "solder fume extractor". You can easily make you own with activated carbon filter form and a 12V fan. You can get these at Amazon or a million other places.
I am a broadcast engineer, and have been dealing with distortion issues for many many years. The whole secret here is the out of stock unobtainable diodes from Russia that Bill Finnegan bought back in the 90s. You can get a close sound to what the Klon was, but without those original diode, it will only be close. For most that play, it will make no difference. But if Bill listens to it, he will hear of the subtle difference in the sound of the clone.
Who ya gonna call? STEWMAC!! Thank you for doing this video. I own a J.Rockett Archer Ikon (Klon Clone) and I thoroughly love it! I know StewMac;s rep so I already bought the kit for the Ghost because I have got to have some backups/alternate versions of this pedal. Watching what you did here, I have high hopes that the Ghost will stand up to that task well. To me, the Klon sounds like pure studio polish. Not overdrive or boost or anything. Just polished, no matter what you run through them or how you use them. They allow for every nuance of your technique and tone to shine through, just in better quality. I can't even really explain it myself I guess. Overdrive sounds like overdrive. This sounds like you already did the mixing and mastering along with that. I can't wait to see how my Ghost sounds with my rig. I may get a couple more for backups if it works out. LOL I have always wanted to build pedals and this will be my first. I've been modding my own pedals and guitars for years and before I go any further, there are things about this particular circuit that I want to understand. So, here goes... Time to pick up a few new tools and get to work.
Who you gonna call? StewMac. Nice run-down on the "what" and "why" of the the GhostDrive. I haven't built a pedal kit in years, but I did recently re-wire a Les Paul Kit. Same joy and satisfaction upon completion. Looking forward to the next video.
Sounds great! Who is Stew Mac? That beautiful manual is impressive. Measuring and labeling the resistors is a great tip for saving time and avoiding the frustration of reworking the board later. The magnifying head gear is useful for a variety of projects.
Who you gonna call!! StewMac 🤣👌👍 I built my first pedal last Christmas - and it was a Chinese Klon kit. Had a blast, and it definitely gave me the bug to build more. Please, please, please build more pedals!!!! 😎
Who you gonna call? Stewmac ! I would like to see more pedal build videos because I honestly can't be bothered to build them myself spending the time and risk of it failing to work. Well done to you Andy on your build and video. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Really enjoyed that, as someone interested in building this kit - but never built a pedal before - this was excellent. Especially glad you included all the extra stuff (tools etc) I would need. Great video and the pedal sounded fabulous. Who you gonna call? Stewmac ! 🙂
I just finished mine and agree with your comments on the process. The booklet is top notch, one of the best I've seen. I wish I'd have organized the resistors as you did. Though the instructions have them installed in ascending order of resistance, on mine they weren't packed such that the lower values were in one bag, the higher ones in another - there was a bit of mixing. On inexpensive resistors like these the color bands can be hard to distinguish, so I felt an ohmmeter was a requirement to make sure of the values. I had the same confusion about which side of the breakout board was up, and the same issues with soldering it. I just did a couple of the wires at a time. There was no need to do them all at once. Your review was well done. Thanks for sharing that with us!
Thanks so much for making this video. I've got this kit on order and have watched the StewMac channel show another pedal build and learned a bit. But watching this from a fellow guitar geek/pedal-making novice it helps to not be as intimidated by the process. Glad too that you mentioned the magnifier head thingy helping (was planning on relying on my reading glasses but hmm, might change plans on that.) And good to know the Allen wrenches will be needed for securing the knobs.
Nice kit. But where is the schematic? You can easily find a Klon schematic online, but it would be nice to have one that corresponds to the particular pedal kit for troubleshooting - if needed. Also, I would recommend a solder station for anyone desiring to build more than 1 pedal. Hakko FX888 is a popular and affordable choice. In addition, I do like using good quality solder, 37/63 might be a better choice for a beginner to prevent cold joints versus the regular 60/40 (Kester is a good choice). A solder flux and subsequent flux cleaner are also great to keep your solder work long-lasting and nice looking. After much research, I settled on MG Chemicals 835 Rosin Flux and 4140A Flux Remover by the same company. I've built hundreds of pedals, and my reliability is very high, mostly due to the above products. Good job. Please make more build videos!
I'm fairly handy in most things but I have a huge knowledge black hole in the area of electronics. This looks like a good place to get my feet wet (poor analogy I know), learn some of the basics, and get a pedal out of the exercise as well. Thanks for the very nicely done video that kept my interest throughout. Cheers
Who ya gonna call? StewMac! Seriously, though, nice video! And I think I would definitely watch more pedal builds. Or maybe Amplifier kit builds? I have this pedal kit, and the fact you did it in an afternoon is very encouraging to me. Thanks for the video, keep up the good work! Subscribed.
Andy, I just built the "two kings boost" pedal, a bit more involved as it's two pedals in one, but not bad. Easy and thorough instructions, also fun to build. Sounds incrediable on my Fuchs ODS 30 with an Ibanez MM1. The best part about the pedal was that I didn't have to wait four years to get it... 😁 Cheers!
The GM Arts OD is 3 ODs in one. Unfortunately today the original website it came from is shut down. When I made one I documented the build on the instructables website and that's still up today. So at least the schematic is still there. Just not the circuit description. I linked to the original page. But it's gone. If you're into building from scratch though it's worth it.
Nice work, video and build. Gave some idea what can be expected and that's useful. I don't think I'm going to do the "Who ya gonna call?!" thing, though. Not a joiner.
I've dug through so many Dist/OD/Fuzz pedals since 1971, that they all seem to blend. This pedal - both as a kit and a finished project is bloody amazing! Congratulations on a successful build. Who ya gonna call? StewMac! And I call them regularly.
The coolest overdrive pedal is the GM Arts overdrive but sadly that website is no more. I documented it on the instructables website when I built it though. So the schematic is archived there. Get KiCAD and design a board. Though I used Eagle when I did it in 2011. I have a legit vintage JRC4558 in mine. I salvaged it out of an old radio so I know it's the real deal. A $100 chip. Don't let anyone tell you they're all the same.
I bought this kit a few months ago but haven't yet built it. Thanks for saying how long it took, that greatly reduces some of the "when am I possibly going to be able to do this?!" stress. Oh, and, who you gonna call? Ghost---wait, Stewmac! 😆🤓
You can build a kit on a TV tray table. That's all the space you really need. Do what they did and put all the parts on a piece of paper and write what each one is. That really does help. I just don't tape the leads down. Glue tape can be funky on PCBs and leads. I poke holes in the paper and put the parts in the holes. The one other thing I'd do that they didn't is I use blue tacky a lot building PCBs. A pack of blue tack is all you need. I even use blue tack as a board holder. I just have some blocks of scrap wood that I put blue tack on and stick the board to them.
Having built nine guitars over the covid year, then having rebuilt most of them to make them right/better, I think I got my axe building jones out. I've thought about an amp kit, and recently started looking at pedal kits, so, yeah, totally, post some more pedal builds, I enjoyed this one. I might even subscribe! Easier for me to learn from your mistakes. Besides, who else ya gonna call but Stew Mac's Boast Gusters?
You sound like me. I've built 3 guits in the past 3 years. You can see them on my channel. I'm gonna add sound samples soon. But I've also built a 5F6A Bassman kit from Mojotone. Modded it to be a Bassman/JTM45/Plexi clone using robrobinette Mods. Built a few StewMac pedals too. Recently I built a 2 watt tube amp based on the JCM 800 circuit and a few fuzz pedal variants just by finding the schematics, making a parts list, buying the components..even made my own turret boards and a couple enclosures. Helpful websites are el34world and robrobinette. And good luck, if you can build a guitar, you can build an amp or pedal.
I made a lot of experimental mods on a DS-1, changed pots in guitars etc. and putting on a simple surgical mask helps a lot with the fumes when soldering along sitting beside an open window.
Thank you for this! Thanks to your video, I figured out that I had reversed the positive AC lead and the positive battery lead. When there's something strange with your pedal kit, who you gonna call?! The Guitar Geek!
Great introduction to pedal building! I can highly recommend the Quaverato Harmonic Tremolo Pedal by Zeppelin Labs. Great pedal with awesome graphics and really detailed instructions.
I did one of their amp kits last year. Along with top notch instructions, they published a build-along video on their RU-vid page too. I've been on the fence about doing a pedal but i think you just convinced me. I guess there's just that one burning question left.... who you gonna call? Stewmac
2:46 even if you know the color code it’s best to test for actual values. Minor differences in resistance and capacitance alter the tone. Solder pult ( suction device) or solder wick is very helpful for reworking your board.
