Prototype Frantone The Sweet Repair 

After nearly 20 years, it only needs a simple repair, and new old stock parts are still available. Can't say that about much these days! Quality work.

That is what I call really standing behind your products. Repair available after 20 years! Other manufactures should take note!

Play it please. I’d love to hear what it sounds like.

Frantone factory service done by an AUTHORIZED Frantone technician and engineer. What could be better?

Fran, for someone who has no formal schooling , you are impressive a hell .

I don’t play a guitar but I want a Frantone just because of the craft involved!

How *COOL* is it to send in your fuzzbox for repair and then be able to _see_ it being repaired online??

Your monologue about the evolution of bypass switching reminded me of RG Keen's Millenium [sic] Bypass and the RAT bypass indicator. RG and GeoFex made it sound sooo clever, even though it was just a simple NOT gate switched off by the circuit's output impedance.

Fran, I would love to see what Mr Carlson would say about one of your fabulous pedals.

I love that you take such pride in your work. Here is a prototype pedal that you treat like your child! Love it! (Also, JB Weld. It conducts, too. But it rusts.)

Best looking prototype ever! I like your idea of ruff edges as it make everything unique and "handmade". To many items today have an inside with bad components and materials that don’t match the look of the outside.

What? No demo? Don't tell me you have no electric guitar in what's left of the shop!

"Shoe Goo" totally works better for electronics projects than it does for shoes.

Funny Fran, in your other video you stated how " hoarding " can be a good useful thing,,, and here you prove it with the foot switch. Gotta love it.

I've make labels on the ink jet also. I used epoxy to stick them down. The paper became saturated and "plactisized" by the epoxy and gave a nice finished look.

Just a thought. I haven't seen anyone on RU-vid build a scope probe. It's something I think would be worthwhile to know. I'm not sure if you'd be interested in something like that as a project but like I said, it's just a thought. That Sweet Tone is something I'd love to have (little jealous) because I actually have just about every model Frantone came out with. The Sweet Tone and the Peach Fuzz are my favorites so far. Way better than BOSS stomp boxes. Point being, thanks for all the great things you've put into the world.

I’ve done the paper label on a few of my projects. Then I found a local company that, among other things, makes clear bumper stickers. I had them print in reverse and then I stuck it to some thin acrylic and put white translucent acrylic on the other side and back lit it. Looks cool on a dark stage. 😎

i am SO in love with your voice, I don't exactly know what it is but when I listen to you I feel calm and nothing in the world could bother me hahaha. very interesting video . I am a musician myself and I love effect boxes. I have to get my hands on some your yours :)

I love the way you discard the waste piece on 33:54. The carelessness was unexpected. Thanks for your videos!

NO DEMO???? Fran, we waited for ages to hear you play through the pedal. Still a great video though, Many Thanks.

Forceps to hold the wire while soldering! That's ingenious!

*hears a heavenly voice immediately as the video plays* >First time watching *SUBSCRIBED*

It’s always amazing to see what you find or come up with!

Great video Fran. I learned a lot from this. Thank you!

your cream puff pedal is one of my favourite fuzz effects ever

This is very interesting to me as I'm making my own prototypes from 1590BB alu cases. I looked at silkscreen but as I needed to make 1.3" hole for an OLED screen I knew I had to mill into metal anyway, so I decided to use unpainted cases and mill the button names, guide marks and screen placement using a homebrew CNC machine. Then I drill the holes and for the square screen hole there is a set of holes in a 'X' shape, for which I have made a jig in the shape of the screen that fits inside the case and then I use an old drill press as a arbor to clunk it out, the alu fractures along the milled v slots pretty much perfectly. I am nearly to market with my machine, the electronics and firmware was done way last year the manufacturing of the case has been a real unexpected time burner! I should have stuck with silkscreen but meh! It makes my MIDI CC FLWR sequencer box even more unique!

I remember Shoe Goop! We used to sell it at K-Mart. Sold it in the Shoe aisle!

A friend of mine got new glasses when he was about 8 years old and broke them in the center the first day. Glasses were expensive in the early 70's so his dad glued them together with a big round wad of Shoe Glue. The kid had those nerd glasses for two years! His dad loved that glue for fixing stuff. I keep a tube around too.

I’m so happy to have found you! I love your content. :3

Hi Fran, I found youre channel about week & 1/2 ago, (through Big Clive). After 2 vids I subed, and have binge watched most, if not all, of them! (155) Very impressed by your knowledge and soothing presenting style! Especially loved the Heathkit. You were so lucky to meet all those people at NASA and The Wanamaker Organ! So sorry to hear of your eviction, we (in the U.K.) have similar shifty goings on, rich business men buying up properties for 'renevation', kicking everyone out, bulldozing, putting up ugly apartments and asking a price that only their friends can afford and push the locals out! Anyway, love your vids and I think you are wonderful. Keep up the good work!

Can'twait to see what your new lab is going to look like!

Bravo pour l'idée du gabarit de pressage ! Je n'y aurais pas pensé...

Great video again!

Frantone second to none!

Looks great!

Always interesting to watch your videos Fran your a total perfectionist congratulations from New Zealand

Very nice recondition job!

Paul Crowther NZ Hot Cake pedal since 1976 has a small latching relay.....Interesting channel you have goin on Cheers Dave G

Your videos just sweeten my day! ha ha, sweet

I haven't seen Shoe Goo for a long while. Good stuff for rebuilding soles of your favorite sneakers or rubber soled shoes. Never thought of using it for electronic construction.

40 minute video felt like 5. Awesome!

Great video! In any future repairs of Frantones please test with a guitar on video. I’m sure I’m not alone in wanting to hear the affects. Thanks!

Fran tone you are amazing. Well studied in most every subject's. I'd like to see you have a match off with Google!

those 90s true bypass switches are way better than whats made today IMO! New ones break easily and fall apart do to their cheap construction. Ive replaced a lot of these in the last 5-6 yrs on newer equipment. Nice to see some of your older Frantone gear.

crazy cool! yes, please please please play it!

"Shoe Goo III" -- I got a tube at local Walmarts about 3 years ago. Not always available, but it finally showed up.

I'll bet it's really nice to have people love and treasure your works. 😄

I learn so much from you.

i made one of those plugs for test output of guitar pickup while they are in the guitar works awesome

You could also make a custom dip molded clear rectangular cover (open at bottom, die punched holes for the knob stems). Your decal label with remain stuck and visible for all time no matter how crazy the environment exposure. [Shoe goo is a solvent based vinyl product (I think). That stank is the solvent MEK evaporating. Yeah it's nasty and really flammable too.]

Still love you Fran!

Condenser? Wow, that's olde school. Enjoy your vids.

Another great video Fran. I would have given it a final test at the end, but I'm just paranoid!?

I'm not sure that label got damp, it may just have got hot in transit which completed the curing and lead to this. What can happen with polymers applied to paper is that the polymer soaks into the paper and forms a composite. The problem then is that the as the plastic completes its curing process it contracts slightly-a few percent- but the fibers in the paper don't, they're incredibly rigid in compression because the polymer stops them buckling, So if you've applied it thickly, the front will contract and the back won't, and it may form the type of curves you see here. If that's the problem it will work better if you apply equal amounts of plastic either side, or if you use a suitable thermoplastic, you may be able to iron it flat, or best of all, if you double up the paper, and then sandwidge them together; that will reinforce it and stop it. It also helps to use epoxy for this kind of thing, that has much lower contraction ratios.

Fran i have no idea what you are even talking about. I am a teacher. But i love your videos

I love your Poke Salad video. We need some more Fran playing guitar. Plug in, tune up and let it wail! I assume that little theme song at the end was written and performed by you?

You ever watch louis rossmann fran? started watching him recently his soldering skills i fine pretty impressive , nice to see the prototype

Thank you notifications.

Yes they still make goop and it is awesome. I use it to get more milage out of my walking shoes.

Thumbs up :)! Indiana USA.

HAHAHAH you used the Heath-kit for a Dead Weight..Love it.....Any Video of your Bring a Smile to this old MUTT..

Beautiful and Genuine! Thanks for the inventions, Fran!

great video Fran,very well described,and thank you for sharing........

that osci shot of the effect is very interesting! i lack the experience to guess what the wave looks like from the sound. do you have other effects you can do a shot of before packing them? electromechanical being interesting too.

You can use water slide decals for future projects

Enjoyed the video. It is always nice to get something back in the shop for repairs after 20 years. Shows how much it was valued if it has been kept and used for so long and then sent for repairs. Quality work by a quality person!

Nice, Keep at it Girl

Did you record the epilogue before reapplying and cleaning up the label?

Aquadere is a form of white glue that cures to water insoluble. It's normal use is for outdoor wooden construction and furniture.

Were they TO-1 case germanium transistors near the centre of the board? For a quick test of suspect electrolytic capacitors just blast them with freezer spray to make them pack up completely and heat them with a hairdryer to improve their performance.

Was Lou Reed a cool guy ? Why am I even asking such a question, of course he was.

Thank

I really should buy myself some hemostatic forceps. looks way easier than using bloody twisters.

That's a pretty good idea but I think the best way for you to do that just out of curiosity or just thought of so you know is to buy 3M super 77 contact adhesive in that would work a heck of a lot better that would never ever come loose even if it got water on it

Fran is there a video where you discuss your education/training? Great stuff...really glad I found your channel.

Even better would be a 1/4 inch TRS to BNC for attaching to a scope!

did/dose Fran sell much of these peddle's??? anyone??? because they are class!!

Only clean Tektronix switches with ethanol! A lot of other stuff will just make them fall apart. Remember to lubricate them afterwards with mineral oil.

so many great nuggets of wisdom in this video - the little details learned from experience that you can't get from written instructions, schematics, or diagrams

Very niçe 😁👍👍 good job

Is the a link to hear. demo of this pedal? Just curious to hear ‘sweet’ output on scope demonstrated @11:53. Nevermimd, found the demo on you page.

You should use a dual channel scope so your can do a nice comparison :)

@ Fran Blanche 6:27 you can get that glue at art and craft stores. It's under the name of "E6000"

I too would have liked a sound check on "The Sweet". It would be a bit embarrassing if the owner got it back and it didn't work! It may make a good weight but I'm waiting for Heathkit Pt 6: Troubleshooting. Anything happening there?

Looks like a very nice quality prototype to me. And its just being sent back for repair 19 years later? How long does your guarantee run is it Lifetime?

White glue? Hmm. (Time? Remember the Glue-All instructions: to apply to opposite surfaces and let air dry for one minute...) Next time try Elmer's "carpenter's" glue; it's the yellow stuff. Really is waterproof when it cures. You need some mini syringes (Uline!) for putting controlled dots of glue (stuff) where you need it.

You can do true bypass with a dpdt with the millenium bypass.

Why not have the indicator light running from the circuitry power rail?

The replacement switch will just break again like old one. you should use a momentary switch to drive a flip-flop that switches a relay on/off with each button press.

Not sure they used any Frantone stuff but a nice song anyway, 'train in vain' by the clash.

I feel so spoiled today as someone that's building pedals - I can just order a ton of 3PDT switches for super cheap and then I can have 20 PCB prototypes made and delivered to me in 5 days for less than $20. I don't even bother with protoboards, not worth the headache for me when I can just wait a couple days for an actual PCB.

I used to use Shoe Goo! To repair holes in my shoes from skateboarding

Still one of the coolest channels on RU-vid

Shoe Goop is still available as of 2021

That pedal got hot, that’s why the label lifted.

Interesting to see that the most abused component is the defective one.

Are the in and out sockets not on the wrong side by convention?

Why dont you let us hear the effect??? Thát would be fun! The scope promises a nice sound but let us hear some from it!!

Dead switch teardown? Lets see what broke!

is some of them caps swollen? like needing replaced? at the 7 min marks