OK...I've built a few Miniboosters in my time, but this was the first time I've built one using the original AMZ PCB ( www.muzique.com)...so I thought I'd give it a "proper review" !
First, let me explain the ratings. I'll rate on a 1-10 scale, with 10 being the absolute highest (best) rating.
OK, now that's settled....
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EASE OF BUILD... 9 ...It's hard to imagine TOO much easier of a build...maybe an LPB or similar circuit... and with the AMZ PCB, it was even easier than my normal perf or vero builds ! Seriously, the instructions were crystal clear, and stuffing the board was dead easy. The fact that I opted to build it without any mods made it even simpler. (more on this in a moment !)
TONE... 9.5 ...ALMOST a "10", but I just can't see giving ANYTHING a 10 with regards to "tone"...every amp and player is different, but the Minibooster is truly a fantastic circuit for adding fat, creamy richness to your sound, with just a touch of "grit" at higher gain settings. I opted to build this one with no mods, including no tone control...just pure volume. IMO, the Minibooster doesn't need a tone control, and having one just detracts from the overall sound of it. I built this one using 2N5457 JFETs, and IMO, these sound far better than the J201's and NTE458's that I've previously used in this circuit.
BUILD TIME VS. USEFULNESS...10... ABSOLUTE "10". Seriously. It doesn't take long to build, and it's one of the most useful pedals you're likely to make. This, a Rangemaster, and a AMZ Mosfet Booster and all your boosting needs are covered.
OVERALL...9.5... Would I build it again ? Absolutely. Heck, I've already built 4 or 5 over the past few years. Every time I build one, a friend "borrows" it, and I never see it again !
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OK...on to the pictures !!!!
AMZ MINIBOOSTER PCB after "stuffing it" !
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2008-1/1295958/MBBOARD.jpg)
Lately I've been into "swirl painting" enclosures, and I've come up with my own method of doing it....so I did a "EZ Swirl" finish on the enclosure !
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2008-1/1295958/MB.jpg)
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2008-1/1295958/MB3.jpg)
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2008-1/1295958/MB7.jpg)
And here are the "guts"...not as tidy as usual for me, but not too bad !
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2008-1/1295958/MBINSIDE.jpg)
Nice Build and review there Andy!
I'll give it a 9.5, just needs a metal washer instead of that white nylon one. (I make joke)
John
Quote from: John Lyons on January 24, 2008, 10:43:21 PM
Nice Build and review there Andy!
I'll give it a 9.5, just needs a metal washer instead of that white nylon one. (I make joke)
John
Thanks :)
I used the white because there was white on the pedal ! I almost used a black one though... ;)
PS...did the package arrive today ?
Yupp +1.
I use one a Lot !
My Fuzz, and OD, and my other distorter certainly are thinner and harsher without it, now that that's what I know and use, it'd be back to the drawing board without it. A favorite for sure.
Thanks AMZ // Jack Orman !
Nice looking build. How do you do those swirls? I'm currently working on a AMZ Muffmaster. It's now on testing phase, but it sounds great. I have a 50k linear pot in there right now in the place of an original 100k audio pot (because I don't have one on my hands right now). And I'm using 2N1711 as a tranny in it.
Janne
i love the swirl paint.
even the bottom look like a work of art. very nice.
Very nice build, congrats.
I bet there are a lot of people wanting to spend money to buy one of these pedals :)
Excellent build report! Nice paint job! My builds look dull by comparison :icon_biggrin:
Thanks for taking the time to post this. The pedal turned out very well and I hope you enjoy it!
Best regards, Jack
Dragonfly
Is there a post where you have previously posted how you pull off that swirl paint job? Not normally my thing, but that looks so smooth (especially the bottom!) that i've got to give it a shot.
big props on the work!
-chris
That one's so pretty I don't think I could step on it with my size 13W.
I love mine as well (http://fatboy.ssguitar.com/index.php?dir=schems/&file=Yet%20Another%20Mini-Booster%20I.pdf). It was probably my 3rd or 4th build and I used all the mods mentioned in R.G.'s "Mod Your Mu-Amp" article (http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/modmuamp/modmuamp.htm). It's a fire breather as configured.
RDV
Quote from: cpnyc23 on January 25, 2008, 02:43:54 PM
Dragonfly
Is there a post where you have previously posted how you pull off that swirl paint job? Not normally my thing, but that looks so smooth (especially the bottom!) that i've got to give it a shot.
big props on the work!
-chris
Thanks...I'm working on a tutorial for it...
:)
yep, I agree on the 5457's. I found that they work the best in this crkt. I always use a gain control ala the Stratoblaster on my MB's, it's way more versatile that way.
I like those blue caps in the first pic. What are they?
regards, Jack
They look like some "multi-layered ceramics" I've seen before. I've never used them, but since they are blue I bet they are cool :D
Real cool to see the mini-booster brought to attention again. I've been meaning to put one together since I started building stuff, but just never got to it. Thanks for the tip on the JFET and teasing us with a swirl paint tutorial!! Looks better than the results I got when I tried a few using instructions from a guitar site a while ago.
Nice looking pedal... be a shame to ruin that paint job by actually using the thing.
Couple hints regarding the swirl finish: oil and water don't mix; oil floats on water; the actual technique may vary.
Another suggestion (which reminds me that I have to populate some more boards): daisy chain 2 MBs together; max the volume knob on the 1st pedal (which overloads the circuitry of the 2nd pedal quite nicely); use the volume knob on the 2nd pedal for your output volume; roll off the tone knob on your guitar: nice creamy saturated almost-square wave (to my ears) fuzz tone!
Jack, what gauge wire do you recommend for your PCBs? I hate having to drill out the pads to use the wire I have in stock...
Quote from: dta74 on January 30, 2008, 09:18:08 PMAnother suggestion (which reminds me that I have to populate some more boards): daisy chain 2 MBs together; max the volume knob on the 1st pedal (which overloads the circuitry of the 2nd pedal quite nicely); use the volume knob on the 2nd pedal for your output volume; roll off the tone knob on your guitar: nice creamy saturated almost-square wave (to my ears) fuzz tone!
Like this?
http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/booster25.JPG
:D
Quote from: dta74 on January 30, 2008, 09:18:08 PM
Jack, what gauge wire do you recommend for your PCBs? I hate having to drill out the pads to use the wire I have in stock...
I use the pre-bonded 24ga. from Small Bear but 22ga. should fit through the holes. There are pads on both the top and bottom of the holes for extra mechanical support, and the holes are plated-through.
Quote from: Ben N on January 30, 2008, 09:59:04 PM
Like this? http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/booster25.JPG
Hey, I like that design :icon_biggrin: It was derived from the Mini-Tubes preamp on my CD, which is a jfet mini-booster amp-sim.
regards, Jack
"Hey, I like that design It was derived from the Mini-Tubes preamp on my CD, which is a jfet mini-booster amp-sim.
regards, Jack"
And that design became Doug Hammonds Sweet Thing, which became the BSIAB, which became the ......
:-)
Caferacernoc
"Cafe Racer Norton Owners Club" by any chance?
No, but close. I started using Caferacernoc as my "handle" for forums, IM and whatnot about 6 years ago. I had a network support job and everyone in my office chose AIM names ending in NOC. I am into caferacer style bikes, I currently own a '72 Honda CB750 cafe'd out, so I became caferacernoc.
Wow! I'm the first person to build the mini booster since 08! ;D The page was linked to me when I purchased the board. It's supposed to be the help page and I'm confused. If anyone has the newletter, at the very bottom right of page 8/20 shows the booster with a 100k gain pot and a paralleled "Rx".....Could someone please tell me how to wire this? In order to do it you have to delete some of the other components and I'm not sure which ones to change. I'd like to be able to blend in a little gain with my booster. I may add some diodes as well.
Also, Is there a way I can hook up an spst switch that will allow me to turn the buffer on or off? Any help would be much appreciated. I purchased the newsletter thinking all of the schematics on there could be used with the minibooster.
Quote from: dmc777 on August 12, 2010, 04:28:31 PM
Wow! I'm the first person to build the mini booster since 08! ;D
;D ;D ;D
Quote
... the booster with a 100k gain pot and a paralleled "Rx".....Could someone please tell me how to wire this?...
I haven't got that newsletter, but looking at the AMZ schem
HERE (http://www.muzique.com/amz/miniboo.gif) I guess the gain pot should be wired as it's on a Fuzz Face - take that schem for comparison, it should follow the same method. As for Rx, I can't know its value...
Hope that helps!
http://www.muzique.com/amz/miniboo.gif
On this minibooster schematic I'm referring too pretty much everything has been changed. Does Aaron chime in on here? It is his schematic. :icon_cool:
I just looked and it's nothing like the Fuzz Face or any other pedals of his I saw. It says the Rx resistor is used to modify the taper of the drive control pot to yield more useful response. It should be equal in value to R2 or less for best results. Damn I wish I could just pot this schematic.
How can you say it's nothing like the Fuzz Face!
A res and an electro on the emitter is a common way of getting gain from the tranny. Look at how the ELECTRA or better my rendition ELECTRADRIAN (http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=36151&g2_serialNumber=2) works - If you look better at a FF schem like THIS ONE (http://www.muzique.com/schem/fuzzface.gif), you'll agree that it uses the same way to manage gain. Said that, my best advice is to try to replicate that way, so have a 1k-5k pot and wire the electro accordingly.
EDIT: Obviously you ain't got emitter here, but the same method apply to FETs as well (so in miniboosters, Tillmans, ecc)
Yes it is similar to the top fuzz face except the pot goes before Q1 and I don't know which path to take. The gain pot is devised and controls an input divider and the source feedback. Signal goes in, C1+ through 100k which carries straight to the Q1...but inbetween the 100k and Q1 attaches the positive lug, I assume, of the 100k drive pot....which has Rx resistor on the ground lug and middle lugs going to ground and the other goes to C2 and R2 to ground which come from the Gate of Q1. Bare in mind this schematic really looks a good bit different. That's the best way I can describe it. Below is pretty much what the schem says.
One section of the drive control resistance is forming the ground leg of the input voltage diveder and the remaining section is providing series resisistance to ground for the Q1 source through C2. The input divider network is dominating the control repsonse until the wiper is moved close to C2, at which point the paralleled resistance of the drive pot, R2 and Rx begin to increase the gain.
The Rx resisitor is used to modify the taper of the of the drive control pot to yield a more useful response. It should be equal in value to R2 or less for best results.