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Simple in-bass overdrive or "grind" effect ?

rymiraflores

rymiraflores

Jan 17, 2009
373
71
#1
Does anyone know of a simple to make and install addition to the electronics that will give a little extra grind or overdrive effect....the kind of thing that Jack Bruce and felix Pappalardi had.....not that I know what they had installed, I just know from various interviews that they did install something.
 
#5
rymiraflores said:
Thanks.....what exactly does that do ?
Click to expand...

It clips the signal. In this case it will clip the positive or negative halves, depending on which way it is oriented. You can install two with the polarity in opposite direction to clip both halves. There is a band painted on one end of the diode. That is the cathode. The other end is the anode. The very first diodes were vacuum tubes (derived from the Edison light bulb, hence they called it the Edison Effect).

03250.png


Diode - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is the same way many distortion effects work.

This works better with hotter pickups, because you lose a little signal. This is also what's inside the BlackIce passive distortion thing.
 
#7
SGD Lutherie said:
It clips the signal. In this case it will clip the positive or negative halves, depending on which way it is oriented. You can install two with the polarity in opposite direction to clip both halves. There is a band painted on one end of the diode. That is the cathode. The other end is the anode. The very first diodes were vacuum tubes (derived from the Edison light bulb, hence they called it the Edison Effect).

03250.png


Diode - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is the same way many distortion effects work.

This works better with hotter pickups, because you lose a little signal. This is also what's inside the BlackIce passive distortion thing.
Click to expand...

Thanks you are a helpfull guy...I lloked on google and found a little info....so if I used germanium diodes its more of a subtle overdrive and silicon is more distortion...is that correct, as I would prefer an overdriven sound to a pure fuzzy distortion....could you be kind enough to do a wiring diagram for 1 pu, 1 tone, and making the diode circuit switchable? Hope I am not being a pain asking you this. thanks.
 
#14
SGD Lutherie said:
It makes it fuzzier, but you also lose more output level.
Click to expand...

O ok, so single diode then as what I'd prob try. Does one get a noticeable diff depending on which way the diodes pointed? I kinda hope not cause then its test each and decide if want 3way selector switch for that plus bypass. Instead of just 2way on/off. But then again if two useful variations depending on which way diode points, might be nice with 3way switch. Lol. Lastly, if one did a diode each for neck and bridge pups do you kinda get to overdrive one pups voices while keeping the other mostly clean if you just turn one or the other on intead of both?

The ability to mostly isolate one pup or the other might maybe give the type of effect one gets when running ricks stereo and one side thru overdrive while other side is clean. On mono basses?
 
#15
The bare wire that goes to your bridge to ground it, and one of your other wires get connected by one of those diodes. Any way you want. So I would suggest just trying it any which way to find out what you like.

Atleast that was my interpretation. I'm thinking of trying this in my silvertone pbass copy. Just for giggles.
 
#16
Well wire it from the tip to the sleeve on your output jack, If I'm understanding correctly, since diodes are only "one way signal flow" so to speak you'd wire two opposite facing ones to achieve maximum effect.
 
#17
Indicahound said:
The bare wire that goes to your bridge to ground it, and one of your other wires get connected by one of those diodes. Any way you want. So I would suggest just trying it any which way to find out what you like.
Click to expand...

Your bridge is not a ground point. Always solder a ground to the back of a pot of the ground at the output jack.

You wire one side of the diode to hot, and the other to ground. It doesn't really matter which way it's pointing, though you may hear a slight difference.
 
#18
if you had a multi way selector switch you could wire it on there where it only affected one pup at a time, but if you wired it full on then, well, you're full on...

if it was ideal I'd have it on like a 5 way switch where it only ran when all the Pups were active for the least signal degradation, and so it was switchable on, like in the 5th position of a strat or something the like....
 
#19
SGD Lutherie said:
Your bridge is not a ground point. Always solder a ground to the back of a pot of the ground at the output jack.

You wire one side of the diode to hot, and the other to ground. It doesn't really matter which way it's pointing, though you may hear a slight difference.
Click to expand...

I have 1 humbucker, 1 volume, 1 tone with 2 x .047 caps....where is the best place to attatch the diode and in which direction do you recommend I attatch ? I really just want a bit of bite or overdrive rather than fuzz.....which will give a smoother sound...silicon or germanium ? Thanks again...seem to have started something here haha might have a fuzzy bass club soon at this rate.
 
#20
SGD Lutherie said:
They had a "small signal silicon diode" installed from the signal to ground, the way you would wire up a tone cap. You can even wire it up to a pot. You can get them at RadioShack. Use something like a 1N914 or 1N4148 diode.

Invalid Link Removed
Click to expand...

David - could you use something like this in a veritone type circuit?

For example - a 6 position switch, with 3 varying caps, 2 varying diodes and one "open" position.
 

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