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Laurie
Double Platinum Member
Canada
4854 Posts |
 Posted - 03/31/2008 : 17:26:13
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Or indeed, when is a pedal too valuable to "maintain"?
I've been happily poking around in the innards of my MIT recent pedals (2004 DS-1, 2001 CS-3, etc) modding them to make them "better". My rule of thumb is that if it's current and easily replaced as a "commodity item" (eg. the DS-1 has a replacement value of less than $50) then it's fair game. And most times the mods to the new pedals are very beneficial - the mods to the DS-1 made it much better, and the mods to the CS-3 made it actually usable, but I digress.
I have been leaving my MIJ pedals alone in the main - the only real mod that I do is remove the diode/resistor combination and replace with jumpers to make them "PSA compatible". The only exception to this is my OC-2 which would not track and needed a bunch of work.
Some questions I've been pondering...
When is it inadvisable to touch a MIJ pedal at all? ... regardless of how crappy it sounds and how much it could benefit from, for example, new electrolytic capacitors and lubricating the pots?
Pot lube/contact cleaner leaves a film of (benign) lubricant. When is it inadvisable to have this film of lubricant visible (from the point of view of the pedal's value)? IS this ever a problem for pedal value? (it seems to me that any "maintained" pedal will have had the pots and switch lubed at some point in the last 30 years...)
While the ACA/PSA mod is benign, it is obvious when you look at the board that it has been soldered... When is this a problem? IS this a problem?
Of course, this all depends on what the pedal is (you might be more hesitant about modding an SG-1, for example). Just looking for what people think are good "rules-of-thumb".
Laurie
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Edited by - Laurie on 03/31/2008 19:12:02 |
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PaulH
Gold Member
535 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2008 : 17:32:59
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| If you don't intend re-selling the pedals on, surely it makes no difference what you do to them. |
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pedals 4 pv
Platinum Member
Canada
1351 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2008 : 19:43:09
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If it ain't broke don't fix it! |
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2008 : 19:58:37
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Do you mind if i ask what mod you did to the CS-3 lauries...??.... |
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Heart and Soul
Silver Member
USA
369 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2008 : 20:24:34
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Q: When is a pedal "too valuable" to modify?
A: When it's an XT-2 of course... |
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Laurie
Double Platinum Member
Canada
4854 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2008 : 20:26:56
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quote:
Originally posted by FRANZONI
Do you mind if i ask what mod you did to the CS-3 lauries...??....
No problem! I bought the Monte Allums "Opto Plus" mod and that didn't quite get me to where I wanted to go (still sounded a bit "crushed" to my ear rather than "compressed"), so I worked through the circuit until I got something that sounds right to me - changed some of the gain resistors and tone control caps (can't recall exactly the components/values - I'd need to check my schematic at home).
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 04/01/2008 : 11:21:23
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quote:
Originally posted by lauries2
quote:
Originally posted by FRANZONI
Do you mind if i ask what mod you did to the CS-3 lauries...??....
No problem! I bought the Monte Allums "Opto Plus" mod and that didn't quite get me to where I wanted to go (still sounded a bit "crushed" to my ear rather than "compressed"), so I worked through the circuit until I got something that sounds right to me - changed some of the gain resistors and tone control caps (can't recall exactly the components/values - I'd need to check my schematic at home).
I've used my CS-3 for nearly 10 years now and i know why lots of people do mod them as if you use it with a lot of compression the sound is not great..i use mine more as a booster with a little bit of comp and the level whacked up and i find it ok but i would be open to any improvments or mods...i'm on analogmans waiting list for his bi compressor which is supposed to be great and from reports by zestystrat on this forum who has one.....the way the euro and the dollar are now it would be a good time for me to buy in from the states....hope analogman hurries up the backlog........ |
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zestystrat
Silver Member
USA
283 Posts |
Posted - 04/01/2008 : 19:33:38
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I may get some grief for this but I had an early MIJ SD-1 that was in GREAT condition. Bought it new and just didn't like it, brought it out a few times over the years and still didn't like it.
One day I decided that since this pedal is just rotting away I'm gonna send it to Analog man to modify. I got the TS9/Silver/Push-Pull mod.
Now it's THE #1 goto pedal on my board, can't live without it.
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sirshack
Copper Member
USA
41 Posts |
Posted - 04/01/2008 : 19:53:05
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I think if I had an MIJ or some other Boss pedal that fetches a nice price on the used/vintage market that didn't please me sonically, I'd just go ahead and sell it rather than mod it.
If you mod it and screw it up, you're going to lose out on the cost of the mod AND depreciate the item in question. Even a successful, good-sounding mod can hurt the resale value...most people don't spend the extra money hunting down silver screw MIJ DS-1s because they sound good modded If I'm looking for an MIJ, discontinued or early-issue Boss pedal (or any pedal for that matter), and I want it to be as close to original spec as possible. |
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zestystrat
Silver Member
USA
283 Posts |
Posted - 04/01/2008 : 21:27:44
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Totally see your point sirshack.
I just don�t sell any gear I buy unless I absolutely have to (ie really need the money) or I HATE it. I have a nice minty MIJ CS-2 that I don�t use but I have no intentions of selling even tho I could get some nice coin for it. I also have two Rotospheres, who doesn�t need a back-up of a pedal when they go for $400 a pop  . Same with my GTRs I have over 20 and I won�t sell them unless I really have to.
I don�t look at it as collecting to sell, I look at it as collecting to play. In this case � if a pedal isn�t pleasing why not have a PRO mod it (not me or my buddy effin around with a soldering iron).
FWIW � the other SD-1 (MIT) that I have with the same mod by Analog Man doesn�t sound as good.
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silverface
Copper Member
19 Posts |
Posted - 04/01/2008 : 21:49:26
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Hi,
I asked myself the same questions a few weeks ago. I've got two CS-3s - one MIT and one MIJ. I modded the MIT with Monte Allums Opto Plus Mod and it's great! So I am thinking about modding the other one, too. I decided to mod the MIJ as well.
I still have my first pedal, a DS-1, that I bought about 1984. I wouldn't mod it - but I think it's the only pedal, I wouldn't mod...
Best wishes,
silverface. |
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sirshack
Copper Member
USA
41 Posts |
Posted - 04/01/2008 : 21:51:03
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quote:
Originally posted by zestystrat
Totally see your point sirshack.
I just don�t sell any gear I buy unless I absolutely have to (ie really need the money) or I HATE it. I have a nice minty MIJ CS-2 that I don�t use but I have no intentions of selling even tho I could get some nice coin for it. I also have two Rotospheres, who doesn�t need a back-up of a pedal when they go for $400 a pop . Same with my GTRs I have over 20 and I won�t sell them unless I really have to.
I don�t look at it as collecting to sell, I look at it as collecting to play. In this case � if a pedal isn�t pleasing why not have a PRO mod it (not me or my buddy effin around with a soldering iron).
FWIW � the other SD-1 (MIT) that I have with the same mod by Analog Man doesn�t sound as good.
I should also note that I wasn't ragging you for modding your SD-1. I also think that the owner of whatever pedal should do whatever he wants with it to make it sound the way he wants to sound!  |
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Laurie
Double Platinum Member
Canada
4854 Posts |
Posted - 04/01/2008 : 21:51:08
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FYI - when I was talking about modding in my original post my working assumption was that the mods would be clean and professionally done (doesn't matter who does them).
I'd have to say that if the mod is poor (bad soldering, burned tracks, etc) then it shouldn't have been done at all - regardless of the age or pedigree of the pedal.
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Edited by - Laurie on 04/01/2008 21:51:30 |
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zestystrat
Silver Member
USA
283 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2008 : 15:40:23
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quote:
Originally posted by sirshack
quote:
Originally posted by zestystrat
Totally see your point sirshack.
I just don�t sell any gear I buy unless I absolutely have to (ie really need the money) or I HATE it. I have a nice minty MIJ CS-2 that I don�t use but I have no intentions of selling even tho I could get some nice coin for it. I also have two Rotospheres, who doesn�t need a back-up of a pedal when they go for $400 a pop . Same with my GTRs I have over 20 and I won�t sell them unless I really have to.
I don�t look at it as collecting to sell, I look at it as collecting to play. In this case � if a pedal isn�t pleasing why not have a PRO mod it (not me or my buddy effin around with a soldering iron).
FWIW � the other SD-1 (MIT) that I have with the same mod by Analog Man doesn�t sound as good.
I should also note that I wasn't ragging you for modding your SD-1. I also think that the owner of whatever pedal should do whatever he wants with it to make it sound the way he wants to sound!
LOL I knew that. No worries. This is the most civil BB I've ever been a member of.... |
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Johnrocks
Silver Member
Brazil
175 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2008 : 05:09:25
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quote:
Originally posted by sirshack
I think if I had an MIJ or some other Boss pedal that fetches a nice price on the used/vintage market that didn't please me sonically, I'd just go ahead and sell it rather than mod it.
If you mod it and screw it up, you're going to lose out on the cost of the mod AND depreciate the item in question. Even a successful, good-sounding mod can hurt the resale value...most people don't spend the extra money hunting down silver screw MIJ DS-1s because they sound good modded If I'm looking for an MIJ, discontinued or early-issue Boss pedal (or any pedal for that matter), and I want it to be as close to original spec as possible.
I�m with you. I would sell the pedal and keep searchong for a good pedal that sounds better. This is what I did to my DS-1. |
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jack
Platinum Member
USA
1418 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2008 : 15:16:28
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| I think modding any pedal isn't a problem, but if someone wanted to try and mod a MIJ DS-1 to make it sound more like a Tube Screamer, why don't they just sell it and get a Tube Screamer? Mods are fine, I just think its funny when someone is asking how to mod something to sound like something else, when they should have just bought that something else instead of trying to mod a pedal to sound like another. I have had my MT-2s modded, but I liked them stock, but wanted to get a bit more out of it. Those kinds of mods make sense to me, no matter what the pedal. But the people who are like,"I want to mod this apple so when I squeeze it, orange juice comes out." in their approach to modding can give modding a bad name and sometimes kill innocent pedals in the process. Granted you do need those mad scientist types out there at times, but I still find their approach entertaining... |
Edited by - jack on 04/03/2008 15:17:38 |
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Topic |
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When is a pedal "too valuable" to modify?
