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Any DIY pedal builders on TB? Strut your stuff!
- Thread starter SubHuman
- Start date
Own design - discrete opamp (same as in API preamps) booster with transformer / germanium diode saturation.
Something didn't pan out as planned, so I ended up with a drilled BB enclosure, sporting holes for 9 knobs and 2 foot switches. What could I possibly put in there?
Answer: drill 2 more holes and 2 rad Fuzzdog circuits should fit.
So, here's my latest, an absolutely amazing and crazy box of fuzz madness that can oscillate like nothing else I've heard before. It can also do straight dirt, of course.
It's a Great Destroyer (Dwarfcraft, with added "Tweak" knob) into a SuperSonic Fuzz Gun (DBA):
the SUPERSONIC DESTROYER (red knobs and light = Supersonic / orange knobs and light = Destroyer)
The guts are a mess, 9 of the 11 pots had to be wired off board ... and I use solid core wire (0,5mm).
Interesting side note: the Supersonic didn't sound quite right first. Also the fuzz knob acted not as expected. I tried a lot of transistors, but especially Q3 (with the Fuzz knob) didn't do it with any of the usual suspects (2N5306, etc.) I put in there.
After getting a bit frustrated, I was like "yeah, whatever" and put in a GE AC127 ... and boom, there they were, the big fat fuzz sounds I was looking for!
Answer: drill 2 more holes and 2 rad Fuzzdog circuits should fit.
So, here's my latest, an absolutely amazing and crazy box of fuzz madness that can oscillate like nothing else I've heard before. It can also do straight dirt, of course.
It's a Great Destroyer (Dwarfcraft, with added "Tweak" knob) into a SuperSonic Fuzz Gun (DBA):
the SUPERSONIC DESTROYER (red knobs and light = Supersonic / orange knobs and light = Destroyer)
The guts are a mess, 9 of the 11 pots had to be wired off board ... and I use solid core wire (0,5mm).
Interesting side note: the Supersonic didn't sound quite right first. Also the fuzz knob acted not as expected. I tried a lot of transistors, but especially Q3 (with the Fuzz knob) didn't do it with any of the usual suspects (2N5306, etc.) I put in there.
After getting a bit frustrated, I was like "yeah, whatever" and put in a GE AC127 ... and boom, there they were, the big fat fuzz sounds I was looking for!
Love combo pedals, Two fuzzes are better than one! Excellent way to roll with the punches and turn mistakes into happy accidents. Extra kudos for both effects using hard-to-find components.
Final pedal from my FuzzDog sessions, Logical Bass Preamp.
This one exceeded my expectations. Thought it might have a dry ultra-clean hi-fi tone, but the gain control adds some warmth. Mid shift toggle also brings out the best in the 3-band EQ. This preamp passed my clean-headroom test, I had to dime all knobs and dig in hard on a B string to get even the slightest hint of distortion. Haven't test it with an active bass yet.
This one exceeded my expectations. Thought it might have a dry ultra-clean hi-fi tone, but the gain control adds some warmth. Mid shift toggle also brings out the best in the 3-band EQ. This preamp passed my clean-headroom test, I had to dime all knobs and dig in hard on a B string to get even the slightest hint of distortion. Haven't test it with an active bass yet.
Combined the bass signal chain from my band's new record into a single pedal. Its a bunch of things I designed before the studio sessions tweaked and refined to make a single 6 knob box of crushing gain. Features variable mid contour (scoop to boost), up to 15db active 100hz boost, variable bass frequency clipping, and a low pass filtered parallel clean blend channel. The distortion circuit is all discrete and delivers a massive range of tones.
FuzzDog sessions August 2021
1590B's from right to left; Peach Fuzz, Billowing Smoke, Logical Bass Preamp, Sunn TAMZ, Bass Balls, Moon Phaser.
1590BB on bottom row is a Brass Master.
DIY pedalboards made from leftover 1x6 trimmings from a neighbor's fence repair project.
1590B's from right to left; Peach Fuzz, Billowing Smoke, Logical Bass Preamp, Sunn TAMZ, Bass Balls, Moon Phaser.
1590BB on bottom row is a Brass Master.
DIY pedalboards made from leftover 1x6 trimmings from a neighbor's fence repair project.
Boxed up 2 more.
This is PedalPCBs take on the Wizard (by Castledine). Pretty cool distortion, sound great on bass and guitar. Has 5xJ201 and a GE NPN. I have a MP11a in there, with hFe 75.
And a Tonebender MkII, on a Fuzzdopg PCB. I used their charge pump footswitch pcb, to keep it at -9V / PNP. Also, some mojo components.
But I still haven't found the right transistor trio. Biasing is tricky, on the trimpots, there's oscillation on one side and heavy gating on the other, leaving a pretty narrow sweet spot.
Apparently, Q1 needs to be leaky, but I can't measure that or don't know how to .... oh well, I'll just keep trying stuff.
I mean, I did find quite nice sounds so far, but I think it could be better. Like the decay on sustained notes, that farts out a bit.
This is PedalPCBs take on the Wizard (by Castledine). Pretty cool distortion, sound great on bass and guitar. Has 5xJ201 and a GE NPN. I have a MP11a in there, with hFe 75.
And a Tonebender MkII, on a Fuzzdopg PCB. I used their charge pump footswitch pcb, to keep it at -9V / PNP. Also, some mojo components.
But I still haven't found the right transistor trio. Biasing is tricky, on the trimpots, there's oscillation on one side and heavy gating on the other, leaving a pretty narrow sweet spot.
Apparently, Q1 needs to be leaky, but I can't measure that or don't know how to .... oh well, I'll just keep trying stuff.
I mean, I did find quite nice sounds so far, but I think it could be better. Like the decay on sustained notes, that farts out a bit.
- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,638
- Disclosures
- John K Custom Basses
I've found that Tone Benders are pretty tricky to get them to sound right. IMO, it's mostly getting the exact right transistors for them. I used NOS Mullard OC75's in mine and it sounds great. I've heard that OC81D's work well in them too. here's a pic of a PCB that i drew up and etched for mine for testing (including a -9V converter). I actually got it sound really good with three AC128's, but once i installed the OC75's and heard it, i just soldered them into the sockets. now i just need to make an enclosure for it
Thanks John. Might be time for some transistor hunting. My little stash is mostly Russian stuff.
The revised version of my Sunn Beta Bass Preamp:
...and a Mono Block II Preamp inspired by @johnk_10 :
Try Coda - he has quite a few things that helped me getting started.
enclosure
1st pedal
the whole enchilada
- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,638
- Disclosures
- John K Custom Basses
after unsuccesfully trying to find an original 3 knob Dunwich Cthulu, i decided to build one in a 125B with a relayed true bypass. it's a really cool circuit that i've never seen implemented before.
