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DIY Stompboxes => Building your own stompbox => Topic started by: Bucksears on April 14, 2013, 11:29:07 AM

Title: Best add-on 3-band EQ?
Post by: Bucksears on April 14, 2013, 11:29:07 AM
I've been off this board for a while since I haven't had that much time for DIY stuff, but I've been starting to catch up lately.

I'm looking at replacing the single-knob tone control on my DIY Plexitone with a 3-band eq. The last one I was considering was Runoffgroove's Tonemender, but I read at the time that it was really noisy and had other issues (don't remember what they were).

Is this still a viable choice to replace a OD\distortion's existing tone control? Any other recommendations?

Thanks for your time,
Buck
Title: Re: Best add-on 3-band EQ?
Post by: B Tremblay on April 14, 2013, 01:50:41 PM
Quote from: Bucksears on April 14, 2013, 11:29:07 AM
The last one I was considering was Runoffgroove's Tonemender, but I read at the time that it was really noisy and had other issues (don't remember what they were).

Ian Birdsall (aka Ronan) built a Tonemender and liked it enough to have a run of PCBs made:
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=97945
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=60479.msg857685#msg857685

Here are some additional opinions:
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=56442.0

This may be the thread where you read it could be noisy:
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=88050.msg742235#msg742235

We did try a scaled-down version of the tonestack and I had inconclusive results regarding reduced noise.  If you decide to breadboard the circuit and find that it is not to your liking, I'd be happy to share my notes on the revisions that we considered.
Title: Re: Best add-on 3-band EQ?
Post by: goamp on April 14, 2013, 02:13:38 PM
The choice of a tonestack depends on how much effort you want to put in it. Personally, I don't think too much of the classic Fender/Marshall variant. If it is not too much work, I would recommend the last section of the Tech21 Character Series, eg the Blonde, which is not a lot more complicated than the Tonemwnder. Schematic should be easy to find on this forum or the other big one.
Title: Re: Best add-on 3-band EQ?
Post by: Bucksears on April 14, 2013, 02:51:14 PM
Thanks guys!

If I just wanted to use this as an EQ and not a clean boost, what changes would need to be made? My intent was to have this permanently replace the single-tone-knob section; I know it needs some recovery after going through the eq - is that what the level control is for?

thx
Title: Re: Best add-on 3-band EQ?
Post by: Bucksears on April 17, 2013, 09:06:49 AM
Can the Tonemender run at 12V? That's what I'm running my Plexitone at and would like do the same with this EQ.