DIY Varitone switch

[fourstringbliss]

I found this diagram for a bass varitone switch. Do I need the bypass switch or can I just wire this to the cap lug on my tone pot?

[tstone]

You don't need to incorporate the bypass switch if you don't want it.

To eliminate it, in your diagram, run the lead from the upper left lug of the S/P switch directly to the left lug of the volume pot. Run the lead from the center lug of the volume pot directly to the tip lug of the output jack.

[xaxxat]

From this thread:

A simple varitone circuit for your bass -

[SolidFooting]

As someone's who's done it just the way you describe, my one word of advice would be to use at least one or two really crazy values. With most of them, you can tell the difference, but not enough to really give you any crazy new sounds. I've considered adding one of those Black Ice things StewMac sells as well, but they're very expensive (compared to a cap).

EDIT: Oh yeah, you also want to make sure you use very small wire. Small caps help too. You don't want to cram a bunch of orange drops in there. Ceramic caps are fine.

[fourstringbliss]

I actually found this one on Ebay, but I've decided against it because I won't have room in my control cavity.

[Stealth]

Solidfooting, a Black Ice is really easy to make yourself. All you need is one or more diodes places instead of one of the pots in a capacitor.

If you put one forward-oriented or backward-oriented diode, you will get asymmetrical clipping because only one half of the electric signal (the + or - one) will get clipped. If you put two diodes in antiparallel (one forward-facing and one backward-facing), you will get symmetrical clipping because each diode will take on its own half of the waveform. You can also use more than one diode per orientation for a stronger effect. You don't have to use identical diode types, you can also use non-identical diodes, even LEDs (after all, they are diodes at heart ).

For reference, check out this page. Also, AMZ hosts excellent tutorials on saturation, more saturation, tone clippers and warpers.

Just a reminder - these are all passive components. Whatever they do will eat some of the volume (and sometimes, part of the tone), so you'll have to up the gain on your (pre)amplifier. Basically, the more complex the distortion circuit is, the more volume loss you'll have, so try using two antiparallel diodes first and see how you like it. Also, the passive nature means your tone control pot will be in the 250k-500kOhm range, not the 10k range, which is still okay.

The last variant from the AMZ saturation looks like it'd be the most usable - you can play with different diodes and capacitors till you get something you like.

[Five String]

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This seems too good to pass up, especially for an electronic doofus like me. My control cavity is pretty small, however. How would I work this outboard, can make a little box for it with two 1/4 jacks, input and output, and connect the two leads to the jacks? Thanks.

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by Five String

eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices

This seems too good to pass up, especially for an electronic doofus like me. My control cavity is pretty small, however. How would I work this outboard, can make a little box for it with two 1/4 jacks, input and output, and connect the two leads to the jacks? Thanks.

There is no bypass position with that. He should have used a 6 position switch.

But you can wire it up in a box. All it does it connect between the signal and ground. Your signal wire will pass from one jack to the next. You can use a foot switch to bypass it by lifting the hot end of the circuit. Leave the ground side of the caps connected to minimize popping when you switch the switch.

There are not actually Varitones, but "decade" switches. Varitones have an inductor in the circuit.

[Five String]

Thanks SGD

[fldrvr]

Originally Posted by Stealth

Solidfooting, a Black Ice is really easy to make yourself. All you need is one or more diodes places instead of one of the pots in a capacitor.

If you put one forward-oriented or backward-oriented diode, you will get asymmetrical clipping because only one half of the electric signal (the + or - one) will get clipped. If you put two diodes in antiparallel (one forward-facing and one backward-facing), you will get symmetrical clipping because each diode will take on its own half of the waveform. You can also use more than one diode per orientation for a stronger effect. You don't have to use identical diode types, you can also use non-identical diodes, even LEDs (after all, they are diodes at heart ).

For reference, check out this page. Also, AMZ hosts excellent tutorials on saturation, more saturation, tone clippers and warpers.

Just a reminder - these are all passive components. Whatever they do will eat some of the volume (and sometimes, part of the tone), so you'll have to up the gain on your (pre)amplifier. Basically, the more complex the distortion circuit is, the more volume loss you'll have, so try using two antiparallel diodes first and see how you like it. Also, the passive nature means your tone control pot will be in the 250k-500kOhm range, not the 10k range, which is still okay.

The last variant from the AMZ saturation looks like it'd be the most usable - you can play with different diodes and capacitors till you get something you like.

I'm curious to build something like this (passive fuzz circuit) as a small outboard effect, a small "dongle" I can plug the bass into and then plug into the rest of rig.

Any issues with having this outside of the bass, after the tone control?

Also, looking at the AMZ pages, you said you belive the last variant to best. Are you refering to the last one from the 'saturation' page, or on the 'more saturation page'?

Thanks

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by fldrvr

I'm curious to build something like this (passive fuzz circuit) as a small outboard effect, a small "dongle" I can plug the bass into and then plug into the rest of rig.

Any issues with having this outside of the bass, after the tone control?

Also, looking at the AMZ pages, you said you belive the last variant to best. Are you refering to the last one from the 'saturation' page, or on the 'more saturation page'?

I've built these into guitars and basses like 35 years ago. They don't do exactly what you might expect, but it is kind of cool. You need fairly hot pickups, and don't expect a regular fuzz tone. It's a grungy clipped type of sound, and you lose a little overall volume. It almost sounds like something is broken.

If you are going to build it into a box, then you might as well add an active stage to get the level and clipping up. Then what you have is a standard diode clipping distortion box, like an MXR Distortion +.

[Bitterdale]

Originally Posted by SGD Lutherie

There is no bypass position with that. He should have used a 6 position switch.

But you can wire it up in a box. All it does it connect between the signal and ground. Your signal wire will pass from one jack to the next. You can use a foot switch to bypass it by lifting the hot end of the circuit. Leave the ground side of the caps connected to minimize popping when you switch the switch.

There are not actually Varitones, but "decade" switches. Varitones have an inductor in the circuit.

Could you just remove one of the caps for a bypass?

[fldrvr]

Yes I think you could.

[SGD Lutherie]

Originally Posted by Bitterdale

Could you just remove one of the caps for a bypass?

Yes