Home › Forums › Vintage EHX › Modding a v1 Small Stone… okay to do?

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  • October 28, 2009 at 2:54 pm #79206
    dogfish
    Member

    I’ve asked this question on a few pedal boards, but thought I’d ask here too.

    I got a V1 J board Small Stone in a trade. I just thought that I was getting a regular 80’s Small Stone.

    I’m no collector and I just want effects that I can use. What I really want to do here is to true bypass, add a boss-style power adapter jack, add an LED, and do some other mods.

    Is this crazy to do on this old pedal? I don’t really care about it being vintage, but would it be better to sell it to someone who does appreciate that it is vintage and work on a more modern pedal? Or are these things common enough that it doesn’t really matter.

    I’ve looked inside and not all of the IC’s are the original discontinued ones and the volume drop mod was done.

    Anyway… if anyone has any input let me know. Thanks!

    October 28, 2009 at 3:07 pm #102777
    The EH Man
    Moderator

    It’s your pedal and you can do what you want to. If you can live w/ modifying a vintage unit, then go for it.
    OTOH, you could sell it and buy a reissue or even a Nano version. It’s the same thing as the vintage unit.

    October 28, 2009 at 3:18 pm #102778
    dogfish
    Member

    I’m happy to work with what I’ve got and I do think that the vintage/retro case is cool.

    I just thought I’d ask before drilling into an original model T….wasn’t sure if was a total sacrilege. As far as I’m concerned, these mods will raise the value of the pedal– at least for me.

    October 29, 2009 at 5:44 am #102829
    Ned Flanders
    Moderator

    If you true bypass it just remember to add grounded input off the switch or it will howl like a mother fucker in bypass mode!

    If you dont know how to do this let me know.

    I modded my 79/80 SS too, most,but not all, non-true bypass is awfull so I’m not sentimental about it.

    October 29, 2009 at 12:21 pm #102841
    dogfish
    Member

    Liberty,
    Can you let me know how to add the grounded input or point me in the right direction? After some research, I’m aware that this needs to be done, but not sure how to do it. I agree… it’s not worth being sentimental over something that doesn’t sound very good. I think that making it sound as best as you can is the priority.
    JR

    Quote:
    If you true bypass it just remember to add grounded input off the switch or it will howl like a mother fucker in bypass mode!

    If you dont know how to do this let me know.

    I modded my 79/80 SS too, most,but not all, non-true bypass is awfull so I’m not sentimental about it.

    November 1, 2009 at 10:20 am #103094
    Ned Flanders
    Moderator

    I’ll post a switch diagram for you tommorow with grounded input.

    November 2, 2009 at 5:57 am #103122
    devnulljp
    Participant

    Sell it for a profit (or sell it cheap to me :-) and buy something that’s already what you want with TB and with an AC tap rather than hack it up.

    November 2, 2009 at 9:48 am #103133
    Ned Flanders
    Moderator

    Vintage gear sentimentality is stoopid IMO, its there to be used and if you can make it better make it better.

    BTW,here’s your diagram:
    TBGIDiagram.png

    November 2, 2009 at 5:07 pm #103144
    devnulljp
    Participant
    Quote:
    Vintage gear sentimentality is stoopid IMO, its there to be used and if you can make it better make it better.[/IMG]

    Take something you can sell for $150, spend $25 on parts and an hour or so of your life (if you’re not very experienced at modding that is) to turn it into something you can maybe sell later for $50…or sell it now for $150, go buy the thing you really want for $80 pocket the difference and spend an extra hour in bed or playing your guitar. Seems like a no-brainer to me :)

    November 2, 2009 at 9:00 pm #103183
    Ned Flanders
    Moderator

    If I thought that way I’d never own a vintage anything! LOL

    I don’t buy gear to “sell later on” I buy it to use it and keep it for life! I’m not gonna buy a vintage pedal and play it with shitty bypass or have it be a cabinet ornament for 10 years just so I can sell it later. The same goes for guitars, if the pickups are all wrong but the guitar is right I’ll swap them out just as easily.

    So, if you’re a non-playing collector/capitalist that’s only buying vintage gear to make a profit on then I suppose you are right but if you’re an actual real guitar player, improving something vintage or otherwise wont be a problem.
    My Big Muff interest isn’t a passing phase nor am I in it for the money I could potentially make latter. And replacing a switch isn’t gonna effect anything sound wise as far as the circuit goes.
    The very first thing I done when I got my 79 SS was turn it on,listen for the bypass, discovered it was real bad and true bypassed it, money or potential sales never even entered my mind.

    I own a few non TB EHX pedals and the only reason they are still non TB is because the bypass is fine. The ones I’m talking about is the stereo pedals like the SMMH,Pulsar and Polychorus. The Micro synth bypass was awfull so I bypassed the preamp it uses in bypass mode and it was a huge improvement, sold that to some guy in the ex-CCCP. I didn’t find a practical use for it.

    Back to the OP:
    BTW, considering the PCB in the SS will be laying over the switch you might want to use this one, its smaller than the others.
    http://www.smallbearelec.com/Detail.bok?no=23

    Also you will want to cover the lugs on the switch once you’re done, use tape or something as if you dont it will short out and wont work at all.

    November 2, 2009 at 9:21 pm #103189
    devnulljp
    Participant

    Must be nice to be so rich you never ever have to sell anything … and the odd time you do, you’re so flush with $$$$ you’re happy taking a major depreciation hit ;-)
    Wish I could find that clip of Jack Waterson on Fuzz, the Sound that Changed the World…

    I have a multichannel bypass looper mainly because I can’t be bothered modding every vintage pedal that I come across — it’s cheaper, easier, and I can still sell gear on to collectors at a profit…so I can buy more… Win!

    November 3, 2009 at 4:44 pm #103250
    dogfish
    Member

    Interesting conversation, guys. And really what I wanted to hear. I haven’t had time to do anything to this pedal yet, so I’m still weighing. The only reason that I would have for selling this SS for more than I paid would be to buy parts to do more mods to other pedals.

    November 3, 2009 at 8:51 pm #103269
    Ned Flanders
    Moderator
    Quote:
    Must be nice to be so rich you never ever have to sell anything … and the odd time you do, you’re so flush with $$$$ you’re happy taking a major depreciation hit ;-)
    Wish I could find that clip of Jack Waterson on Fuzz, the Sound that Changed the World…

    I have a multichannel bypass looper mainly because I can’t be bothered modding every vintage pedal that I come across — it’s cheaper, easier, and I can still sell gear on to collectors at a profit…so I can buy more… Win!

    Me, rich? That’s a joke! I’m one of the poorest guys I know, I just dont sacrifice the musical equipment I buy for anything! It takes me so long to buy anything expensive so I’m hardly gonna sell it to pay a bill when you can just phone up and get an extension to pay on said bill.
    It took me a year to buy/pay off a 66 mustang so I’m far from being rich.

    Like, I want the Moore jazzmaster, I estimated its gonna take about 7-12 months to save for it but if I want it that’s the only way I’ll get it. I Know how to save for gear but I also know how to keep the gear I buy.

    November 24, 2009 at 3:38 pm #104159
    dogfish
    Member

    Okay guys, I’ve thought long and hard on this one. I’ve decided to just get a newer Small Stone (which I have already found and is on the way) to mod the crap out of. I’m going to be selling this Vintage Small Stone and hopefully it will go to someone who can appreciate it.

    I’m thinking of listing it on ebay later today, but if you have any other ideas, let me know.

    November 24, 2009 at 4:34 pm #104167
    dogfish
    Member

    Okay, I listed it:
    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300370605376#ht_720wt_1027

    Happy to stop the auction for anyone here interested.

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