DIY Effects

ralley

Anyone else there building effects? I've just started getting into it and having a whale of a time. As per Norio's request in the General Discussion forum I'm going to post some of my builds.

First up is a Fuzz Face clone using silicon transistors as per Jack Orman's schematic (see www.muzique.com and a layout on strip-board by "Dragonfly" I found at www.aronnelson.com/gallery/v/DRAGONFLY-LAYOUTS_0/album18/album144/SILICON_FF_VERO_001.gif.html. All the bits for this I ordered online from a local company Yeboo Electronics (see www.fort777.co.za), they are absolutely fantastic, good prices, cheap shipping and fantastic service. Anyway, here's a couple of photo's of the outside and then the all important gut shot showing how simple these things are (my first build so the layout was not the best):

Here is the board for a tube reamer, a tube screamer clone (minus all the buffer circuitry from the original). The design comes from runoffgroove (http://runoffgroove.com/tubereamer.html) and the layout by Giles Charon(http://www.gtechblues.com/Projects/Tube_Reamer2.pdf). This photo is just the raw board without the leads for the input/output sockets, switch and pots. It uses a socket for the op-amp which hasn't been populated in the photo. Yebo have a 4558 Op-amp which should be identical to the one used in the original Ibanez pedal (which goes for around $500 US second hand). I put a 5c cent alongside to give an idea of scale. This one is slightly more complex than the fuzz face but still easy enough to build from less than R50 worth of components.

Cheers, Rob.

andrewjbryson

hi there...

ive got a couple of skematics for the "SANSAMP overdrive pedal" , Boss Chorus , and I think theres another one

my buddy build up the SANSAMP , great sounding unit!

let me know if anyone wants a copy of it (via email)

JoeyBones

Was it really worth the effort. I'm not that good with electronics so I haven't chanced it. Did it work out much cheaper and what was the sound quality like compared to the original?

ralley

Joeybones,
Are you referring to the Fuzz Face or the Sansamp? Speaking for the Fuzz Face the effort involved is minimal, probably 1 hour to solder it all up (but I'm slow). Finishing the case took a lot longer but is optional. Cost would be less than R200, most of that for the case (R70), pots (R24) and switches (R32), components are dirt cheap. Can't compare the sound as I've never used an original fuzz face. Sounds pretty good to me - bit bass heavy but that works well with my bridge pickup which I normally find to bright these days. I get a good approximation of Leslie West's "Mississippi Queen" tone. Also sounds good for Black Sabbath's "Paranoid".

I suspect the Sansamp would be even better value if done DIY.

Cheers, Rob.

JoeyBones

I meant for any of them. I'm really interested in trying the tub_reamer. I have a Turbo Tube Screamer, but the TS9 setting doesn't compare to the warm tone my nephew gets from his TS9 Reissue.

AlanRatcliffe

I've seen the lengths the TS-fanatics go to to get the "authentic" tube screamer tone. It's not just the circuit and topography being the same, but specific versions of the components, etc. The chip is especially important apparently - there are something like five different versions of the same chip, and some even go as far as specifying which factory the chip was made in!

A lot of the FX mod sites sell kits to turn the modern TS's into a "proper" classic version.

JoeyBones

I've looked at a few like mohomods, etc. I just a bit scared of screwing up a good pedal. Talking about screwing up a good pedal I picked up a non-working DD-2 on ebay. Who would you suggest taking it to in JHB to get it checked out ?

NorioDS

It's not worth anything, Joey.

You'd better just give it to me ;D

AlanRatcliffe

T.O.M.S are the Roland/Boss distributors in JHB and they have to have a decent workshop to keep the agency, so I'd try them first.

I know that there is a chip in the DD-2 which is not available any more. Usually it's just the switches wearing out, but if it's the chip...

ralley

Joey,
I've actually just built a tube reamer - a kind of clone of a tube screamer (minus the buffer circuitry and tone stack, the buffer shouldn't matter, mine is wired for true bypass, may add a tone stack back later). The 4558 chip as used in the originals is easily available here for the princely sum of R3.44 from Yebo (see http://www.fort777.co.za/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=6046). Unfortunately my build just makes an un-godly hum at the moment, was debugging it tonight but no joy yet. When I get it going I'll let you know and your welcome to try it out if you want.

Regarding the DD-2, I doubt whether any service centre here would do much good, most "repairs" these days are limited to replacing whole boards. There s a schematic at http://www.freeinfosociety.com/electronics/schemview.php?id=126. Most probably the problem won't be the chip (unless it's had bad power applied). Likely just a broken switch, dry solder or cracked track. What are the symptoms?

Rob.

JoeyBones

I haven't received the DD-2 yet. For some reason deliveries from the states get held up for months in customs. I'm still waiting for a CE-3, a PS-2 and a smashbox that I bought over 3 months ago.

Rob, keep me updated on your progress with the clone. I'm definitely interested in trying that one out.

AlanRatcliffe

JoeyBones wrote For some reason deliveries from the states get held up for months in customs. I'm still waiting for a CE-3, a PS-2 and a smashbox that I bought over 3 months ago.

That's weird - my parcels usually clear within a few days. Did you ask the shipper to put the invoice in an envelope on the outside? Even if you don't, they will send you a notification asking for proof of price, which usually only takes a week. Pay that and you should get it quickly.

JoeyBones

I didn't think of that. They were pretty good at first, but the last few items just seem to be taking forever. And yes, they do normally send me a reminder once the parcel is ready for collection.

kayDUB

The "holy grail" tubescreamer chip is apparently the JRC4558D, I think the one at Yebo is the same kind of op amp, but not quite the same as the originals? Don't really know what the actual difference in tone would be, its probably pretty similar.
Both my OD pedals have the JRC4558D chip (fulldriveII and a 1981 boss OD1) and to my ear they sound awesome. (Granted, my ear problably isn't as good as some others around here!). You just lose quite a bit of bottom end with the OD1.

I've thought about getting some stuff via ebay, but thought it would be a bit risky? Don't most of the sellers not ship outside their country? How does customs work, is it a percentage based charge?

JoeyBones

You have to be careful with buying anything from another country. I use paypal for all my payments and only buy from guys who have a proven track record and good feedback on ebay. As far as shipping goes, a large percentage of guys don't want to ship internationally, but I've managed to convince quite a few to do it. Import duties are somewhere around 10%. I'ved used USPS for most of my shipping and from the 26 Items I've bought, they haven't lost one yet.

kayDUB

Thanks 4 the info JoeyBones! Sounds good, maybe I will give it a try in the future...

AlanRatcliffe

USPS is the best. Slower, but I've never had a problem with them.