WORKSHOP OVERVIEW & FAQ

WHAT WILL WE LEARN?
Neil from NRG Effects has designed a pedal specially for this workshop to demonstrate fundamentals of analogue circuitry, guitar effects pedal design and how the different elements and components within the circuit affect tone and response.

You will be guided through the construction and hand-wiring of the pedal, using traditional point-to-point and tagboard circuit techniques. You will also pick up pointers on how the circuit could be modified and tweaked to achieve different tones.

WHAT PEDAL WILL YOU BUILD?
The specially designed pedal uses a single transistor and clipping diodes at its core to create a wide range of boost, overdrive and distortion tones… even edging into fuzz territory! This characterful and vintage-flavoured drive has a pair of controls for output volume and overdrive gain. It also interacts highly with your guitar's controls to achieve 'clean-up' and even more tonal variation. The pedal has all discrete analogue circuitry, constructed with traditional point-to-point and tagboard circuit techniques using top-quality components. It utilises mechanical true-bypass footswitching and has internal battery and/or external power supply operation.

WHAT IS PROVIDED?
All tools, materials and instructions needed for the workshop will be provided. You will be given all the components to construct and hand-wire your pedal at the workshop under Neil’s guidance. You will then, of course, be able to take home your pedal after the workshop and proudly incorporate it into your setup!

DO I NEED ANY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE?
Although not essential, some previous experience of soldering, wiring and working on electronics of any kind would be beneficial. But Neil will teach all the necessary techniques and be on hand to expertly guide and help throughout the workshop, for those of all levels and abilities. Participants with more experience with pedal building, electronics and musical equipment will also find this workshop day interesting, informative and enjoyable, as there is always more to be learnt from other styles and approaches to the art of pedal building.

HOW WILL THE DAY RUN?
The workshop will start at 10am, where Neil will demonstrate a completed pedal in action and explain the elements of the circuit and how they influence the sound produced. You will then be guided through the hand-soldering skills you will be using throughout the day, before we start the process of constructing the pedal, populating and soldering the tagboard circuit and carrying out all the hand-wiring. There will be a lunch break around 1pm (tea/coffee and other refreshments are provided on the day, but please bring your own food with you) where we can all chat about pedals, guitars and music gear!
The afternoon will be spent completing and testing your pedal, problem-solving and resolving any issues within your build, and looking at potential modifications to the circuit so you can fine-tune the tone and response to your personal tastes. The day will end around 5pm, when you will head home with your pedal and all the instructional information for the build to help any further work and modifications to the pedal.
 

WHAT DOES IT COST?
This workshop experience will be £295, covering all the materials, tools, facilities and expert guidance throughout the day.

WHERE WILL IT BE?

The workshop takes place at PedalPatch HQ in Newhaven, East Sussex. Free parking is available at the location, which is also easily accessible by public transport (the nearest train station and bus stops are within a 10-minute walk).

 

HOW MANY PLACES ARE AVAILABLE?

The workshop is deliberately run in small groups to enable participants to receive the best hands-on expert guidance and help throughout the day. Spaces are therefore limited to around 6 per workshop.
 

HOW DO I BOOK?

See the details of our next available workshop dates below and click on the 'book now' button to email and register your interest. Please get in contact if you have any further questions about this workshop experience day.