- 1). Clamp the blank circuit board so there is a minimum clearance of 1 inch between the base of the board and your work bench.
- 2). Fit the transistors into the board turrets. Typically circuit boards are designed so only the correct component fits in a turret. This is especially true if you are building from a self-assembly kit. The transistors in this circuit emulate the function of vacuum tubes in a guitar amp. They are the integral overdrive device.
- 3). Fit the remaining components. Use sufficient force to drive the connector pins through the base of the board so they protrude from the other side.
- 4). Turn on the soldering iron to preheat it.
- 5). Remove the board from the clamp.
- 6). Clamp the board face-down, so the connector pins point upward.
- 7). Press each connector pin down so they flat against the conductor stripe on the base of the board.
- 8). Heat the first pin on the left of the board with your soldering iron. Heating the pins makes it easier to melt the rosin core solder.
- 9). Put a small amount of rosin core solder onto the tip of your iron. Press the tip against the pin and conductor strip simultaneously, until flux rises from the joint. Repeat this process so each connector pin is fused to the board.
- 10
Remove the board from the clamp and screw it into the base of the pedal chassis. - 11
Cut two 3-inch pieces of wire. Strip 1/8 inch of insulation from each tip. - 12
Slot a 1/4-inch jack into each pre-drilled hole on the side of the chassis base. - 13
Solder a 3-inch wire to the input terminal on the inside of the jack. Solder the wire connected to the right-hand jack to the board eyelet in front of the nearest resistor to it. Solder the wire connected to the left-hand jack to the board eyelet behind the nearest resistor to it. - 14
Glue the 9-volt battery snap to the blank space in the base of the chassis. - 15
Solder the red battery snap wire to the positive eyelet and the black wire to the negative eyelet. Fit a 9-volt battery to the battery snap. - 16
Slot the top of the chassis onto the base and screw it down. The tops of the potentiometers will poke through the pre-drilled holes in the top of the chassis. - 17
Fit dials to each of the potentiometers.