The world of DIY guitar pedals offers a fantastic avenue for tone enthusiasts to get hands-on with their sound. When @fig gifted me a PedalPCB Small Clone board, I knew I had to embark on this build, even though I might not have initially sought it out myself. While I appreciate the interesting projects from Barry at GuitarPCB, I’ve found their boards can sometimes be a bit complex and less intuitive in their design. This particular build presented a few head-scratching moments, especially with the LED wiring, which took a few attempts to get right. Initially, the LED refused to light off-board. Moving it to the 3PDT pads resulted in reversed operation – on when the pedal was off, and vice versa. Finally, the solution was pinpointing a specific ground pad for the cathode – a detail that wasn’t immediately obvious.
Adding to the initial build quirks, the board features two ground planes, both of which need grounding for the circuit to function. This isn’t a standard feature in every DIY project and could be a point of confusion for builders. The drill pattern, while suggesting a larger 1590BB enclosure, seems disproportionate to the compact board size. In a 1590BB, the knobs would indeed be quite spread out. Opting for a more snug 1590B enclosure seemed like a better fit, although I encountered a minor setback with the paint. Despite overnight drying, the chosen color proved prone to scuff marks, a common frustration in pedal building aesthetics.
However, despite these initial build-related frustrations, the sonic outcome is undeniably impressive. This PedalPCB Small Clone rendition delivers a truly fabulous sound! It’s a lush and captivating chorus effect, presented in a straightforward and accessible format. Compared to builds like the Caesar Chorus, this Small Clone project feels more approachable in terms of build complexity, yet it offers a slightly distinct sonic character.
The smaller footprint of the board is a definite advantage, and dialing in the trimmer was significantly easier than on the Caesar Chorus. This suggests a more forgiving design, particularly beneficial for less experienced builders. Component flexibility is another plus – while I used a V3207 chip, the board is also compatible with the MN3007, offering options for tonal variation.
In conclusion, this PedalPCB Small Clone Guitar Pedal project, while presenting a few build challenges related to grounding and LED wiring, ultimately rewards the builder with a sweet-sounding, compact chorus effect. Thanks to @fig for gifting this board – it’s a great sounding pedal that’s well worth the effort.
Wiring within the 1590B enclosure proved a bit tight, limiting routing options. Efforts were made to keep signal wires away from the BBD chip to minimize potential noise.
