Catalinbread Knight School FUZZ kit User manual

DIY

• A soldering iron (not a “gun,” preferably one with a variable temp)
• Solder (lead-free or the standard stuff, it’s up to you)
• Wire cutters (nail clippers will work in a pinch)
• Sockets or a pair of pliers (for tightening nuts)
• A well-ventilated workspace (don’t breathe solder fumes)
HELLO PEDAL BUILDER!
Yes, you, after finishing and executing the contents of these instructions, you will have earned that title. The
information contained herein will let you know how we can go about accomplishing that goal.
OPTIONAL BUT HELPFUL:
• A “third hand” tool or PCB vise/holder (to hold the board, soldering is typically a two-handed job)
• A “solder sucker” (in case you make mistakes)
YOU WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING EQUIPMENT:
Neither I nor Catalinbread, LLC, will be held responsible for any personal harm, property damage, or any other
kind of liability stemming from the assembly of this device from instructional materials found on this site or
elsewhere. This includes the included componentry as well as the use of tools specified as necessary for the
assembly of this kit, such as soldering irons, ventilation devices, hand tools, etc.
AND BEFORE WE GET INTO IT:

SOLDERING: QUICK AND DIRTY
ASSEMBLY VIDEO
Before we start, I want to say that there are plenty of fine videos on YouTube that can cover this in
great detail. However, in the interest of space, I will keep it quick.
1. Whatever solder type you are using will dictate the temp at which you should run your iron. If
you’re using leaded (standard) solder, you can keep it between 600 and 650 degrees. Lead-free
solder requires a slightly higher temperature, between 650 and 700 degrees.
2. Use your iron tip to heat the pad around the part and not the part itself. Heat the pad with one
hand holding the iron and the other feeding the solder to the pad. With any luck, the solder will flow.
Make sure the pad is completely covered in solder but not bubbled over into a huge glob. Think
concave, not convex.

PARTS LIST
knobs (3)
A100K pot. (2)
B100K pot. (1)
circuit board (1)
LED (1)
2N2907A
transistor (1)
47u
cap. (1)
470p
cap. (1)
47p
cap. (1)
ground
spring (1)
DC jack (1)
w ire (9)
1/4" jack (2)
footsw itch (1)
enclosure (1) backplate (1)
backplate
screw s (4)
1N4148
diode (2)
1N4001
diode (1)
2n5088
transistor (1)
100n
cap. (2)
22n
cap. (1)
1K8
resistor (2)
560K
resistor (2)
10K
resistor (1)
18K
resistor (1)
150K
resistor (1)
2K2
resistor (1)

ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS
Generally speaking, when I’m assembling a board, I install components by height, so that when I flip
the board over to solder the components, the board is relatively flat on my workspace, and then I
don’t have to use a third hand/PCB vise. In many cases, this means that resistors and diodes are
first, any ICs/chips are second, non-electrolytic capacitors are third, transistors are fourth, elec-
trolytic capacitors are fifth, and potentiometers/hardware are last. There are no ICs in this partic-
ular build, so don’t worry about when you are going to add them. Lastly, you can assemble the
components in any order you wish and it has no bearing on the final product. The instructions below
will assume you are following my preferences.
1. Insert the resistors into their indicated positions, and bend the leads outward such that they stay in the
board when you flip it over to solder. Trim excess component leads off after soldering. The orientation of
the resistors on the board does not matter. Resistors are measured in Ohms, “K” is shorthand for
“kiloohms.” The values are written on the PCB itself, but unfortunately resistor values are not normally
printed on the part. The color bands correspond to the value, and you are welcome to look up a decoder
chart, but here’s the quick and dirty:
1K8: brown/gray/red/gold
560K: green/blue/yellow/gold
10K: brown/black/orange/gold
18K: brown/gray/orange/gold
2K2: red/red/red/gold
150K: brown/green/yellow/gold
2. Insert the three diodes into their indicated positions, making note of the stripe on the part itself, and
match it to the picture on the board. Unlike resistors, the direction of these does matter. Bend the leads
out to secure them, solder them in, then trim off the excess.

3. Insert the capacitors into their indicated positions and bend the leads out. Solder them in and trim off
the excess. The orientation of the non-electrolytic capacitors on the board does not matter. Capacitors
are technically measured in Farads, but we work with very small values, typically in picofarads (p, pF),
nanofarads (n, nF) and microfarads (u, uF). All nano- and microfarad parts will have the value printed
right on them. The ceramic capacitors are usually small and so they rely on a code, which is printed upon
them very small. On these, one three-digit number is printed. The first two numbers are, well, the first two
numbers of the value, and the third is the number of zeroes after, and the resulting number corresponds
to the value of the capacitor, in picofarads.
47p: “47” with either no third number or “0”
470p: “471”
4. Insert the transistors into their corresponding shapes on the board. Bend the leads outward, solder
them in and trim off the excess.
5. Insert the electrolytic capacitor into its position, (shorter leg is negative, it is also printed on the part
itself), bend leads outward, solder it in and trim off the excess.
6. Add the hardware, which includes the LED (the shorter of the two legs is negative), the footswitch
(make sure the flat footswitch lugs are parallel with the board’s bottom edge, not perpendicular), jacks,
DC jack and ground spring. Solder them in and trim off the nubs.
7. Solder the wires to the potentiometer lugs, then orient the other ends of the wires into the pads onto
the board. Match the value (printed on the pots) to the writing on the board and with the potentiometer
shafts pointing up, align them such that the lugs are pointing in the direction of the arrow pointing near
each. On this particular board, the outer two potentiometers should be pointing down, and the center is
pointing up.
At this point, you can try the pedal out without putting it in the enclosure. If you followed these
instructions exactly, it will work, and if it does, congratulations, put it in the enclosure and let it rip! If it
doesn’t work, it’s not a big deal! But some fixes are easier than others. If you own a desoldering pump,
you’re going to get some usage out of it.

TROUBLESHOOTING
ISSUE: NO SOUND WHATSOEVER AND NO LED LIGHT
Potential problems: 1N4001 backwards, 47u capacitor backwards, footswitch inserted with lugs
perpendicular to bottom board edge
Solutions: Make sure the first two components are oriented correctly. If it’s the footswitch, you can
desolder it but it will be a challenge. Unfortunately it is emboldened within the instructions for this
reason.
ISSUE: NO SOUND, LED LIT
Potential problems: Transistors not inserted correctly, missing component
Solutions: Make sure the transistors are inserted in accordance with the shape printed on the
board, and make sure all component slots are filled (some boards for other effects purposefully
omit components but not this one).
ISSUE: LOUD, SOUNDS “OFF”, NOT MUCH FUZZ
Potential problems: Transistors backwards, wrong parts in pads, 1N4148 diodes not inserted
correctly.
Solutions: Verify the placement of each part and ensure they match the board footprint.
Other issues? Email us! [e-mail]