Building our own gear is very rewarding indeed.
I'm no such wiz that I could built something from scratch without strong schematics and pre-printed circuits.
But even building a kit is fun !

Start with something simple, a guitar pedal, a DI box. Get confident and better skills along the way. Even some mic and guitar wires will get you started.
There is so many DIY kit available.

A nice magnification glass and a part older would help your eyes and hands ;)

All it takes is Time, Energy and Motivation !!

pcrecord
Oh believe me, Mon Ami... I'm not blaming anyone but myself.
But I think there's also a certain natural inclination - an intuitive "bend" towards these things that are involved as well.
I've known guys who were seemingly born with the ability to be great mechanics.. the same with those rare kids back in school who got great grades, who were uber-smart, who could ace a chem final and doodle cartoon pictures at the same time. I think there are people out there who have an inherent and natural leaning towards electronics.. those who just "get it".
I've read posts by Bos (Boswell ), and I used to read posts by Remy, that left me shaking my head in wonder (and admiration) at their level of knowledge and skills.
And I do understand the basics - as it pertains to our craft - but I'm definitely not the guy you want to fix your television. ;)
And, there's the actual physical mechanics of design and build... cutting metal, bending certain pieces, drilling tap holes for screws, winding transformers ... and doing all of that without taking at least one trip to the emergency room. Lol
;)

DonnyThompson, post: 452513, member: 46114 wrote: Dave and I also agreed that we wished we had Boswell's (Boswell) expertise, we're pretty convinced that he could design and build a great sounding Fairchild 660 knock-off with nothing more than a whistle, a stick, and an empty soup can...

Funny you should say that. I'm working on a limiter design at the moment to plug a hole in the market for vocal work when recording live artists and bands. I can't say too much about it, but the problem with using standard compressors during mixdown is that the bleed from the PA does not have the same amplitude reduction, so you get the effect of a short loud vocal utterance suddenly widening out as the centre vocal is ducked but the PA bleed stays unchanged in the other mic channels. If you try to compress the vocal feed to the PA while recording, it makes the vocal mic very sensitive to feedback, especially in halls with poor acoustics. So a limiter design with a special form of variable threshold would not affect the feedback sensitivity, but would tame the loud transients that some singers manage to produce. The stereo version, of course, employs two empty soup cans.

Boswell, post: 452537, member: 29034 wrote: The stereo version, of course, employs two empty soup cans

LOL!!!!
I suppose the type of cans used would determine the "character"... Tuna cans lack depth, chicken and dumpling cans are a little harsh...
;)

Boswell, post: 452537, member: 29034 wrote: I'm working on a limiter design at the moment to plug a hole in the market for vocal work when recording live artists and bands

Seriously Bos... all kidding aside, this is very cool. Not that I'm surprised... Your level of knowledge is such a great contribution to RO. You are one of our shining gems. To refer to you as an asset is woefully understating what you contribute here.
I thought Remy was also a tremendous asset with her level of knowledge as well... It's a shame she couldn't reign in her caustic and abrasive approach to imparting her knowledge and experience.
I'm not bad at grasping the technical side of things - as it relates to our craft - and I'm competent enough to apply things in a given scenario ... such as my transformer shoot out a few years ago - But as far as knowing certain resistor values, or voltages of capacitors, or even deeper, with knowing which component manufacturers are better than others, well... I'm as lost as Conway Twitty at a Megadeth concert. LOL Although.... I was able to understand a good bit of what you mentioned regarding your new limiter design, so maybe I not a totally lost cause. ;)

Anyway, thanks for being a part of RO, Bos. ;)

DonnyThompson, post: 452539, member: 46114 wrote: LOL!!!!
I suppose the type of cans used would determine the "character"... Tuna cans lack depth, chicken and dumpling cans are a little harsh...
;)

I often use cans, but I find the sound can be a bit tinny.

When I'm using the can, there's always a lot of reverb...

nothing is impossible follow your dreams and don't give up !!! this is all i can say!!!
wish the best for you!!!