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Topics - Matt

#21
Build Reports / Tone Bender MKII
April 08, 2015, 04:56:18 AM
I've been on a bit of a fuzz kick lately. Basically, i made an ill advised eBay purchase of 100 gt308 Russian ge's. So I decided to put a few to use.

i learned a lot on this build. First of all, as many of you probably already knew, Tonebenders like Q1 to have some leakage. Couldn't get it to make a sound at first with the gt308. I found a thread where mac from DIYstompboxes recommended using a resistor from collector to base to simulate leakage. Bam! It was alive. A lot of different tones can be had by playing with the value of this resistor. In the end, I settled on a 1M5.

I spent the last three weeks with this thing on the breadboard trying different collector resistances. I would make an adjustment then come back a a day later to listen again.  I have to say that the effort payed off. This is the best sounding fuzz I've ever built. I
also ended up using bias pot for Q2. I found a thread where Jon had mentioned that this method is better than the more common bias pot on Q3.

Anyway, enough rambling, here it is. I've included a schematic for anyone who is interested. By the way, the HFEs that I used are 71, 74 and 79
#22
Build Reports / Feng Drive PIF
April 06, 2015, 04:10:49 AM
Long overdue Feng Drive PIF build report. Bit of a story to this one,, the I'll try to keep it as brief as possible. First off, thanks to Grind Customs for the Feng Drive pcb. It will certainly be used and abused. The pcb is so small that it was just begging to be used as a 2 in1. It took me a while to decide what to put it with and honestly, this happened by chance.

Originally this was going to be a Fat Pants clone ( something I made from Brian's schematic, created my own layout. Great way to learn EAGLE) and a Karate Shop. I don't know what I did wrong but these two did not get along in the same enclosure, too much noise. Probably something I did wrong
Anyway, I didn't want the enclosure to go to waste and since the Feng Drive had 4 knobs like the Karate Shop, it was an easy swap.

This combination gives me a great variety of overdrive and boost sounds for leads. I couldn't be happier!  The outside isn't impressive but for me it's about the sound.

#23
Open Discussion / Check this out!
March 24, 2015, 07:09:12 PM
#24
Open Discussion / Goodtone Roadrage PD schematic?
March 13, 2015, 11:24:59 AM
Does anyone have a schematic of the Goodtone Roadrage PD?
#25
Open Discussion / Kalamazoo reverb?
February 04, 2015, 05:44:31 PM
Someone is trying to trade a Kalamazoo Reverb to me. I'm not familiar with this amp at all. From what I've been able to find so far it's 12 watts and el84 based. Anyone here ever played one and/or have any knowledge about them
#26
Open Discussion / Need Speaker recommendation
January 31, 2015, 05:42:29 PM
I have a Mesa DC10 2x12 combo. It currently has Black Shadow speakers which just don't do it for me. Can anyone recommend replacements?
#27
Does anyone know if the "ring" feature on the ZP mini can be implemented on the ZPDD?  And if so, how would I go about it?

Nevermind, I figured it out.
#28
Open Discussion / Diy bbd delay
December 01, 2014, 01:56:42 AM
What diy bbd delay pcbs are currently available? I am only aware of the Madbean Aquaboy.
#29
Open Discussion / Lunar Module oscillation (fixed)
November 26, 2014, 04:52:30 AM
(This should actually be in the tech help section. Feel free to move it)
I have a Lunar Module clone breadboarded and I'm getting oscillation with certain settings. For example with the the Fuzz maxed and the gain turned below about 2/3rds and down. Seems strange. Also the gain increases as the gain pot is turned cw unless the fuzz is full cw. Then, the gain increases as the gain pot is turned ccw and begins to oscillate. 

I have tried different pots for the gain and fuzz, swapping out the 100uf caps and swapping out the transistors.

Any ideas as to why this is happening? Thanks in advance.
Changed the power filtering, works fine
#30
Build Reports / P.E.D.(yats)
November 23, 2014, 10:15:02 PM
Performance Enhancing Drive. It's a tube screamer with some mods; mid switch has the 3 modes from the paisley drive as well as a 4th mode using 150n caps (I know of it from the byoc od2), gain switch which increases the gain in the negative feedback path. Also has a voice control and input buffer bypass.
#31
Mods / Zero point fdbk kill in bypass
November 13, 2014, 12:25:11 PM
Could use a better name but I'm in a hurry.

I haven't seen this anywhere else but I came up with a way to "kill" the fdbk in bypass using a 3pdt.  Using Madbeans standardized wiring diagram, do not connect lug 3 to ground. Instead, connect lug 3 of the 3pdt to lug 2 of the fdbk pot.
#32
Build Reports / Imperia (Kingslayer for bass)
November 11, 2014, 03:48:55 AM
Imperia overdrive.  It's a kingslayer using the "sunking for bass" mods. 
#33
Is it possible to have 2 separate switchable LFOs on a Boss CE2?  My idea is to have one set for chorus and the other set for leslie type sounds. My concern is that would be more likely to tick because of the extra current draw.  I was also thinking that I could have the power to the LFO 1 shut off when I'm using LFO 2 as a way to remedy this. 

Thanks in advance,
Matt
#34
Requests / Pigtronix Disnortion
November 01, 2014, 01:24:55 AM
Title says it all. I'd love to find a pigtronics disnortion project. Any chance of this happening?
#35
Build Reports / Zero Point Mini
October 28, 2014, 04:38:10 AM
Finally finished my zero point mini.  It's late so I'll keep this short and sweet. I absolutely love the ring switch, it reminds me of my old DE7. The circuit overall is everything that I hoped it would be.

The only thing out of the ordinary is that I built a pcb which allows me to kill the feedback when the unit is bypassed. It's basically an optotron which I wanted to use to keep the switching as quiet as possible.  That also allowed me to use the extra pole on the 3pdt to send the feedback to ground. 

Now for the bumps along the way.

1. The drill template shows a different control layout than from what is actually on the pcb. I didn't check that so I have the tone and rate labels reversed. Not a huge deal since I built this for me.
2. The pedal fired up right away and worked great then the next time I plugged it in, no modulation and no delay. Long story short, 3 hours later I learned that I had a bad PT2399

Anyway I really like this pedal especially considering size and features. If you are considering this one, go for it. It's well worth it. 
#36
I'm trying to make a TS output buffer bypass and was wondering if this is correct.  Thanks in advance!
#37
Mods / Paisley
September 12, 2014, 02:58:02 AM
Short back story, I built a paisley drive clone about a year back and ended up getting rid of it because it just sounded too dark. Like I said short back story.

Fast forward to now.  I recently went to a local music store which had a real paisley drive so I checked it out. It was brighter overall than the clone I remembered.  And honestly sounded really good.  So I went home and built another paisley clone to see if I could figure it out. Out of pure luck, I accidentally switched the 2k2 and a 220 resistor which made it really bright.  Too bright.  Which led me to what I think is the correct value for the resistor in the negative feedback loop. Instead of being a 2k2, I believe that should be a 1k.

Since I can't say for sure that this is correct, I figured I should put this with the "mods" not the "corrections"
#38
Tech Help - Projects Page / Sharkfin ticking
June 10, 2014, 11:55:37 PM
I just finished my Sharkfin 2 days ago and it's ticking(sounds like a click not a thump). The ticking speeds up with the speed control as you might expect in sample hold mode.  The ticking can also be heard when bypassed.  Another weird thing is that in filter mode the s/h LED flashes about every 12 seconds (no matter whet the speed is set at).  It also does this when bypassed.

I have tried changing Q4-6 but that didn't reduce the ticking.

I used a LT1054 instead of the recommended charge pump and it might have quieted it down a bit. 

Any ideas as to what would cause this?
#39
Open Discussion / Neck pickup for strat
June 02, 2014, 04:50:32 AM
I have a Fender Mexican strat and I'm looking for a different neck pickup.  It currently has a Heavy Blues or something like that, can't remember for sure.  Anyway it's a bit dark.  The bridge pickup is a hot rails with a single coil/hum buckler switch.  Middle I think is stock which sounds fine to me.

I'm looking at a few Seymour Duncan's:
1. SSL-1 vintage
2. SSL 52 Five Two
3. APS-2 alnico 2 pro

Anyone have experience with any of these?  Any recommendations?
#40
Build Reports / Rat Rod
June 02, 2014, 02:26:00 AM
Just finished this up tonight. I wasn't going to post this but after seeing the antipickdropper I figured why not, they don't all have to look pretty.  I salvaged a failed project enclosure by using jb weld to fill in the old holes.  I tried to stick to the theme so the labeling is kind of a stretch.
Choke is filter
Governor is gain
Throttle is the level
Idle is reutz (this is the one that doesn't make a whole lot of sense)
Lo is clipping diodes in the feedback loop
Drive is normal diodes to ground

I'm going to make a couple of changes, the reutz doesn't do much for me as is.  I'm going to put a 1k across the pot to cut it down to 500ohms. And I'm going to make the "Lo" mode asymmetrical, I might even use mosfets to really make it stand out.