Rump Roast

[madbean]

Here's my build for the next project to be released: the Rump Roast. It's the preamp section of a Carmen Ghia amplifier converted to a pedal with some mods. It's huge....pretty ridiculous amount of boost that will absolutely cook the front end of a tube amp. I'll have some docs up on this one tonight or tomorrow. In the meantime, here's how mine turned out. The switch is for selecting different tonal ranges.

[jkokura]

The new labeling system you're using is really great! I like it a lot.

Jacob

[CK1]

The new labeling system you're using is really great! I like it a lot.

Agreed. 

[gtr2]

This pedal is making me hungry!

[jkokura]

I also enjoy the play on words with lots of the pedal layouts you have Brian, but I never quite understand some of the ways you get to the titles. Like how do you get to "Rump Roast" from Carmen Ghia? Aristocrat for example, I get because it's a play on the idea of a 'king.' But Rump Roast?

You gotta explain that one.

Jacob

[Meowy]

This is an intriguing build. I've always been interested in the Dr Z but as a hobby-only player the price tag is out of reach. Is the pedal true to the amp's sparkle?

Also, you have described this as a boost/OD hybrid, and it seems that means little more than tacking on a volume control. What is it that makes this a better candidate than say the SHO or AMZ boost? Is it just there is more gain to spare? Although I have heard of people building the SHO with a 100K audio pot in place of the 100K (or 47K) resistor at output

[madbean]

I also enjoy the play on words with lots of the pedal layouts you have Brian, but I never quite understand some of the ways you get to the titles. Like how do you get to "Rump Roast" from Carmen Ghia? Aristocrat for example, I get because it's a play on the idea of a 'king.' But Rump Roast?

You gotta explain that one.

Jacob

The explanation is simple: I always use the first thing I think of...consider it window into my stupid sense of humor!

Actually, I did this for most of the songs on my band's new CD, too. When I demoed out the tunes, I just named them whatever the first word or phrase I thought of. They ended up staying that way, and we found ways to develop something thematic around the names. I'm only mentioning this because I find it to be a very helpful way to get the creative process going (not cause I think I'm so damn smart)...i.e. don't over-think. Just tap into the subconscious and work out the details later

[madbean]

This is an intriguing build. I've always been interested in the Dr Z but as a hobby-only player the price tag is out of reach. Is the pedal true to the amp's sparkle?

Also, you have described this as a boost/OD hybrid, and it seems that means little more than tacking on a volume control. What is it that makes this a better candidate than say the SHO or AMZ boost? Is it just there is more gain to spare? Although I have heard of people building the SHO with a 100K audio pot in place of the 100K (or 47K) resistor at output

The "hybrid" part is nothing fancy. Just a shorter way to describe the fact that you can build it different ways for different applications. The OD part is pretty much a hack: putting in a master volume. But, that doesn't mean it's a bad hack. Mostly, I offered it as a formal option because some people may not want 25dB of boost out of it, but do want some of the nice gain and texture it has.

I don't own a Ghia, so it's hard to make a comparison. It definitely has some sparkle and bite, which I would call added harmonic richness. It's different from the SHO or AMZ in that those are full range boosts. More transparent to your bypass tone. The Rump Roast has tone shaping outside the tone control in the form of the bypass caps off the the source pins of the JFETS. Granted, they are pretty large so their impact on the actual frequency range they boost is close to full range. But, side by side, I expect your would find the RR and either the SHO or AMZ quite different.

Hopefully, when I get the samples together this will become more evident.

[eniacmike]

I have a carmen ghia clone and it isn't just sparkle. I doubt the pedal will sound like a ghia unless you have the right amp. the Ghia stays really clean even when I hit my ghia with full boost 35db from a amz the preamp doesn't break up. If anything you might get some powertube distortion and some sag. I am not a tube amp expert so I don't the reasons why, but I think it has to do with the 5751 has less gain than a 12ax7. I think it is kind of half way between a 12ay7 and a 12ax7.

I do love the tone control on the Ghia and if the pedal captures that feel that is great. It has a really nice touch and feel to it and being wired "backwards" the tone has a cool feel like the fulltone soul bender. I always felt like that was a great idea that "tone" wasn't treble.

I don't have all the parts on the BOM to throw it on the breadboard and try it but I might be able to fake the bias trims with some resistors.

[rowland1]

Hi. I finished my Rump Roast build today. I definately agree with Madbean's description above. Iy is a great sounding transparent sparkly boost. It is different from the SHO and others.

I built mine with the switchable overdrive (master volume) / boost hybrid. I like the tone better in the boost mode but it is LOUD. The overdrive option allows you to get to gritty overdrive without torturing the family. During my test run the kids starting yelling that they couldn't hear the TV! I like having both options switchable.

I am not sure about the switch for the tone/cut range. At one setting the pedal sounds very full. The other setting (with a Strat) is thin sounding except at nearly full cut. (I haven't tried humbuckers yet.) But it may be good for some styles.

I never tried a Dr. Z Ghia. I play with a modded Blue's Jr., and this pedal sounds awesome. It is my new favorite. Now I have to rehouse it to make it look nice.

[ilikeguitars01]

very clean!

[madbean]

Hi. I finished my Rump Roast build today. I definately agree with Madbean's description above. Iy is a great sounding transparent sparkly boost. It is different from the SHO and others.

I built mine with the switchable overdrive (master volume) / boost hybrid. I like the tone better in the boost mode but it is LOUD. The overdrive option allows you to get to gritty overdrive without torturing the family. During my test run the kids starting yelling that they couldn't hear the TV! I like having both options switchable.

I am not sure about the switch for the tone/cut range. At one setting the pedal sounds very full. The other setting (with a Strat) is thin sounding except at nearly full cut. (I haven't tried humbuckers yet.) But it may be good for some styles.

I never tried a Dr. Z Ghia. I play with a modded Blue's Jr., and this pedal sounds awesome. It is my new favorite. Now I have to rehouse it to make it look nice.

This is a very accurate description. With the tone switch, there is less useable range with the cut all the way off (where it is thin) but in the latter half it rolls off a nice amount of treble. One way you can use that thinner sound is with a neck pickup, though.

Glad you are digging it!

[raulduke]

Looking Nice!

This is going to be my next build.

I ordered my first kit amp (http://www.ampmaker.com/wf-55-4w-tweed-style-amp-830-0.html) and I am hoping this will add a little bit of the 'flavour' of a carmen ghia to whatever its fed into!

I love the look and sound of Dr Z amps but can't really justify spending the money on one for myself.

This should be a nice compromise for now!

[jackbart1960]

Looking Nice!

This is going to be my next build.

I ordered my first kit amp (http://www.ampmaker.com/wf-55-4w-tweed-style-amp-830-0.html) and I am hoping this will add a little bit of the 'flavour' of a carmen ghia to whatever its fed into!

I love the look and sound of Dr Z amps but can't really justify spending the money on one for myself.

This should be a nice compromise for now!

Looks like an awesome kit for about $300
Peace. J.J.B.

[raulduke]

Yeah compared to an american kit it works out really cheap if you are in the UK. I think I would go with a weber kit if I was in the US though; just for the convenience of having a cab made to spec as well etc.

The ampmaker kit arrived 2 days after ordering it which is saying something, considering how screwed the postal system is in the UK at the moment!

It should be a real nice little project over the christmas break.

I need a cab to put it in though and was thinking of gutting a Harley Benton GA5H and using that.

They are like 79 EUR which is £67.... cheaper than most pedals!

Sorry for going off topic  !