overdrive/fuzz quest

[johnk_10]

yeah, the vero was correct, but the schematic wasn't. now they both are. thanks!

 

[boomertech]

Thanks again! I was trying to layout your MFET clipper against various diode clippers in SPICE to see the differences. How does your Bass Drive utilize your clipper? Does it clip to ground like a RAT or in the FB loop like a Tube Screamer?

-Frank

 

[johnk_10]

it's in the loop like a TS.
here's how's it's implemented in the Bassdrive:

 

[boomertech]

Thank you!

-Frank

 

[astack]

I love how this thread has developed.

Q: What's the best OD/fuzz?
A: Eff it. I'll DIY it.

 

[johnk_10]

i built a few more in the last couple days. a red llama, a retro channel 'the fuzz', a devi ever karaoke party, a Keeler 'pull' and a smaller version of a fat-tone that i call the 'fat-tone jr'.
i haven't mounted the karaoke, the llama or 'the fuzz' in their enclosures yet but i have tested them and they work to spec.

instead of having dual stomp switches, the fat-tone jr has the boost on a toggle switch (w/ a 3mm yellow led indicator), a starve switch and a 'hi/lo switch (low end boost). here's a pic of it:

the Keeler 'Pull' clone (which is a very light overdrive pedal) built stock didn't really impress me with a bass. i found it to be a bit too dull sounding, cutting some of the low end, not having much 'drive', and overall was just veiled sounding. i decided to mod the heck out of it by using different transistors, changing the coupling caps, a tone cap, and the drive stage's emitter resistor. it now is almost completely transparent withthe texture (drive) control set at the minimum, is capable of much more drive, is flat down to 30Hz (no low end loss) and no longer has the 200Hz bump in the mid bass. it's still not a heavy overdrive but i do really like it now.
since it has more overdrive now, instead of calling it the 'pull', i call my version the 'yank' :

 

[johnk_10]

i built this one up a few days ago. it's a Marshall Guv'nor V1 modded (voiced) for use with a bass. i'm also running green leds for the clipper and a JRC4559D instead of the TL072 chip. i wanted to add a clean blend to it as well so i drew up my own veroboard for it and added one. the thing is, the guv'nors reverse the phase of your signal, so i made an ROG splitter-blender and added it to it. flipping the phase switch actually yields another 'voice' when it's out of phase.

here's a couple of pics of it:

 

[kringle77]

That must sound very Billy Sheehan. Actually, you would have to cut the lows before the distorted side first but, great idea John.

 

[johnk_10]

boy, this never ends, does it?

i built a couple more that i really like on bass..........

the first one is a Keeley Fuzz Head, modded for bass (with more low end, plus 3 different clipping options). i also installed an 18V charge pump so i can run it on 9 or 18 volts). on 18V it's louder, more dynamic, tighter, has a little more low end, and the fuzz is smoother, but it sounds very nice at 9 volts too. IMO, this is a really punchy & nice sounding germanium based distortion pedal. i also added a master volume so i could crank the output to drive the clipping stage harder.

the internals:

the other one is the well loved voodoo labs sparkle drive. on this one, i modded it a bit to give it more low end, and modded the tone control circuit. i also added a 3-way clipping option switch, so it's pretty close to a sparkle drive 'mod' now.

mounted in a black 'sparkle' enclosure:

the internals:

 

[liveburning274]

....and so I guess you're never going to sell these things and just KEEP the worlds largest supply if exclusively for bass OD's and fuzzes for your greatest grandchildren....

 

[Laurent]

JohnK: I am impressed by the speed at which you crank these pedals out.
They look great too!

If the custom bass business slows down, you have a new activity there.

 

[johnk_10]

BTW, i'm not really a fan of tubescreamers on bass (i have a vintage one that i modified for bass) but IMO, even though the Sparkle Drive circuit is based on one, it sounds nothing like a tubescreamer, and after playing thru it for awhile now, it's becoming one of my favorites.

 

[johnk_10]

....and so I guess you're never going to sell these things and just KEEP the worlds largest supply if exclusively for bass OD's and fuzzes for your greatest grandchildren....

yeah, well, they're like my 'babies'. i've tuned each one to my personal preference, tone & response/feel, and all of them are hand made, so it's not like i'm in the pedal 'production' business. besides, each one has its own tonal 'color'.

 

[kringle77]

I've had a sparkle drive built into a rackmount for a long time. I've been using one at every gig for about 12 years.

 

[johnk_10]

i couldn't decide what color of LED to use in my Sparkle Drive clone so i used one that changes colors. it goes from red to green, green to white, white to blue, blue to violet, and then back to red.

here's a short video clip of the LED:

 

[johnk_10]

I've had a sparkle drive built into a rackmount for a long time. I've been using one at every gig for about 12 years.

i can see why. i love mine, and with the mods, there's ZERO low end loss. IMO, it's an awesome pedal.

 

[kringle77]

I have one of the mod versions as well. I still use the stock setting with bass but, I find one or two of the others useful for guitar. The mod version may actually sound a bit better than my old origional but, since the old one is in a rackmount with a boss lmb-3 compressor, and there isn't a huge difference, the old one is still plenty good enough to play for drunk people.

 

[CC7]

i couldn't decide what color of LED to use in my Sparkle Drive clone so i used one that changes colors. it goes from red to green, green to white, white to blue, blue to violet, and then back to red.

here's a short video clip of the LED:

That's too cool!

I have one of the mod versions as well. I still use the stock setting with bass but, I find one or two of the others useful for guitar. The mod version may actually sound a bit better than my old origional but, since the old one is in a rackmount with a boss lmb-3 compressor, and there isn't a huge difference, the old one is still plenty good enough to play for drunk people.

Could we see a pic or two of the rackmount Sparkledrive?

 

[kringle77]

I had picks and clips of it posted a long time ago. I just looked the thread up but, the pics and recordings were gone. I'll have to post a pic at least.

 

[johnk_10]

this one started out as a green Russian big muff. i used sockets for alot of the components (i.e. transistors, coupling caps, diodes and fuzz filters) so that i could build the various versions of it going by the schematics for the GR. i tired a few types of transistors (2N5088's, 2N5089's, MPSA18's etc), different clipping diodes (1N914's/4148's, green, yellow and red leds), a few different values of the clipping caps 100pf, 150pf, 250pf and 470pf) as well as the coupling caps 1uf, .47uf, .1uf. after playing thru it for a couple fo hours, i decided to turn it into a hybrid of a green russian and an earthbound supercollider, by adding a depth control on the front end and a mids control, plus a 3 way switch to go from flat, mid scoop and mid boost. i'm very happy with it now after changing three of the 1uf coupling to .47uf's and running a pair of the stock 4148's in the first clipping stage and four 4148's (2 each in series) in the second stage. i can still get the green russian tones out of it by diming the depth control, but with the i can also 'tame' the low end clipping if i want to.

here's a couple of pics of it:

that makes about 48 pedal clones that i've built now!

here's a pic of 41 of them (since several of them haven't been mounted in enclosures yet).