UralTone Les Love Build Guide

UralTone Les Love Build Guide

Lovepedal once made a version of Electa Distortion called Les Lius, and now we've reimagined it as Les Love, Electra. Les Lius is designed to emulate the distortion world of the 5E3 Tweed Deluxe, and indeed there is a rugged beauty in its sound.

The UT EASY series means that all parts are connected to the circuit board, including jacks and switches. This significantly simplifies assembly. The kit is also suitable for beginners!

UralTone Les Love - BOM

Check all the parts

Always check first that all parts are included in the delivery. If you find any problems please contact us by email or through the "contact us" form on the pages. Note that the components may look slightly different than in the photos. Also, note that the voltage specs of the parts may be higher than what is listed. Read all the notes at BOM (bill of material) carefully.

Building the pedal

Follow the order in which the images below are assembled. We try to keep component manufacturers and types the same, but sometimes we have to change the manufacturer or model of a part due to poor availability. So if a part is a slightly different color or higher voltage rating, all is good, each component has the required values marked on the side of the part.

The circuit board in the assembly kit has all component locations printed on it with corresponding identifiers. Different types of components have their own prefixes: resistors are labeled R1, R2, etc.; capacitors are labeled C1, C2, etc. The values or types corresponding to these identifiers can be found in the parts list provided with the kit.

A link to the electronic version of the parts list can also be found at the top of this page.

The assembly kit should be assembled in order, starting with the components with the lowest profile. This technique ensures that the components remain neatly on the surface of the board when it is turned over for soldering.

In the above image, all resistors (R) and diodes (D) have been soldered into place. Resistors do not have a specific installation direction, but the placement can still be done in a "reading direction." In the image, the color values are read from left to right.

Diodes have a specific installation direction. A stripe is printed on one end of the diode's casing to indicate the cathode/polarity of the diode. This stripe corresponds to the markings on the circuit board: a line on the component's outline and a "K" letter on the cathode side.

The indicator light/LED (D7) should not be installed at this stage.

Continue assembling and soldering the circuit board by installing the transistor (Q1) and electrolytic capacitors (C3 and C4) onto the board.

Both the transistor and electrolytic capacitors have a specific installation direction/polarity. The installation direction of the transistor is determined by aligning the transistor with the shape of its casing and the outlines printed on the circuit board.

In electrolytic capacitors, the negative terminal is marked by both a stripe printed on the side of the casing and a shorter lead. The negative terminal on the board corresponds to a semi-circular, colored area within the component's outline.

Note: Install the electrolytic capacitors as close to the surface of the board as possible to ensure that the potentiometers can later be installed at the correct height.

Solder the polyester capacitors (C1, C2, and C5) onto the circuit board. These components do not have a specific installation direction, but you can follow the same reading direction practice as with the resistors.

Note: Also install C2 and C5 as close to the surface of the board as possible.

Solder the jacks (J1 and J2) onto the board.

Depending on the parts supplied, the output jack J2 on the left may be either stereo (as shown in the image above) or mono, in which case the middle contact will be missing from the jack.

Now, set the circuit board aside temporarily to prepare the enclosure.

Mark the center points for the "Boost" and "Style" switches on the enclosure. If desired, you can attach the front panel to the enclosure using the potentiometer and footswitch as guides to ensure that the board is properly centered.

Drill ~7mm holes at the marked locations. The hole diameter and its placement do not have strict tolerance requirements. The front panel will cover any minor errors.

Insert the footswitch and toggle switches onto the board. Solder the toggle switches only from the middle contact; the footswitch will not be soldered yet. Ensure that the toggle switches are aligned both vertically and horizontally. If necessary, reheat the solder and adjust the switch’s position.

Do the same with the potentiometers. Install the potentiometers in their correct positions and solder them in place with one pin (the middle pin in the image). Ensure that the potentiometers are pressed as deeply into their installation positions as possible. If the potentiometers are too high, the bottom of the circuit could touch the lid of the enclosure.

Installing the DC jack is easiest if you press the jack into the enclosure first.

Screw another nut onto the footswitch. The correct height is the same as the height of the potentiometers' front walls from the circuit board. With this adjustment, the circuit board will be aligned parallel with the bottom/surface of the enclosure.

Solder the battery clip wire to the board. The board has through-holes through which the wires can be routed. This way, the clip wires can better withstand pulling.

Finally, insert the LED (D7) into place. Note the polarity of the component: the LED's negative terminal/cathode is identified by the shorter lead and the beveled edge on the bottom of the casing. Do not solder the LED yet; simply bend its legs slightly outward to prevent it from falling out during installation.

Slide the circuit board into the enclosure. Guide the DC jack into its pads. If it doesn’t align or slips aside, you can use needle-nose pliers or an unpowered power supply and its plug as a guide.

At this stage, you can still adjust the height of the footswitch if desired by turning the nut inside the enclosure in the required direction.

Once the circuit board is securely seated at the bottom, fasten the jack nuts and front panel components. Remember to install the front panel under the potentiometer and footswitch nuts.

Reheat the middle pads of the potentiometers to release any stress that may have built up. Solder the remaining two pins at the same time.Check that the toggle switches are properly aligned. If the switch position needs adjustment, heat the middle pin with a soldering iron and correct the switch’s position from the top side of the enclosure. Once the alignment is correct, solder the remaining two pins on both switches.

Finally, solder the nine pins of the footswitch and the DC jack.

The enclosure no longer needs to be disassembled, and what has now been soldered onto the board should look like this.

Attach the potentiometer knobs of your choice that match the style and insert a 9V battery. The effect is ready for use!