Is this picture all Greek to you?

in guitar •  5 years ago  (edited)

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It all took place in Greece by Greek hands so why not? Let's start explaining:

What you see grabbed in this vice is a RAT distortion pedal. It's actually the first pedal I ever got in my hands back in the late 80s. It was great and all but as an excited guitar learning kid back in the day I didn't take much care of it's one and only weak spot: the plastic jack inputs. The rest of it was bulletproof but those inputs were way too under engineered for such a thing so their threads wore out pretty quick by putting in and out the guitar cables so it stopped working and was left unused in a drawer. Years later, when I started DIYing I cannibalised it to use some of its parts in various instruments of mine. Recently I decided to put it back into life. It was in even worse shape than the one you see in the picture which already looks like "can it get any worse?" Potentiometers were missing from the board, the led light, etc. I found (almost) all parts needed and when time came to assembly it I couldn't find the nut that keeps in place the switch. Instead, I decided to use this HUGE nut you see in the picture, top left side of the pedal. Looked nice, felt like it had the same thread with the switch's axle but...it didn't. So I said OK let's take it out...haha...no way. The axle started spinning in the switch case as I was turning the nut counter clockwise. I tried all ways and tools available to prevent it from spinning but failed. The reason I post this picture is to show you how I managed to make it. This axle has a slot. I placed the pedal in my vice using rubbers to not hurt it's nice black metal casing and stuck a screwdriver between the axle's slot and the vice. A 17mm tool took the nut out effortlessly. Super happy about it.

Priceless feeling listening to the sound of that pedal after ages. Isn't it impressive how such little things can vastly alter our mood?

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