I need ideas,the last complete build I did was a preamp in my 45.00 Tiesco guitar to acheive a Frank Zappa type fuzz from a GuitarPlayer article.Still have the preamp.I want to do a distortion pedal that isn't to harsh but that I can experiment and learn with what do you all suggest?I Checked out the Gus Smalley but the schematic is to blurry to read and most schems and layouts that I download are unreadable or print out to large for the page. HELP.

I'd vote for a distortion+
it's simple to build, easy to modify, and you can find all the parts (or acceptable substitutions) at radio shack.
and it's not too bad sounding either

http://www.tonepad.com/project.asp?id=2

or

http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/v2/index.php?option=displaypage&Itemid=74&op=page&SubMenu=


-Jeremy

smash drive. thru and thru.

Where can I get a Smash Drive Layout?

Quote from: KevinSTPWhere can I get a Smash Drive Layout?

http://www.diystompboxes.com/cgi-bin/webbbs_scripts/webbbs_config.pl?read=329

Here it is:

http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/v2/index.php?option=displaypage&Itemid=157&op=page&SubMenu=

The Smash Drive may be too harsh but turning down the guitar volume knob can decrease the intense distortion.

You can also try the Electra, Distortion Plus or DOD 250 overdrive all can be found at http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/v2/index.php?option=displaypage&Itemid=50&op=page&SubMenu=.

Quote from: zenerHere it is:

http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/v2/index.php?option=displaypage&Itemid=157&op=page&SubMenu=

The Smash Drive may be too harsh but turning down the guitar volume knob can decrease the intense distortion.

You can also try the Electra, Distortion Plus or DOD 250 overdrive all can be found at http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/v2/index.php?option=displaypage&Itemid=50&op=page&SubMenu=.

its only too harsh if you actually use that .005 cap.  personally i use a .068

Is that so, Ansil? Well then, thanks and I'll surely try that one.

This simple question is complicated a bit by the variables:

What type of amp do you use (tube or SS)?
What type of pickups (esp. important if you use actives)?
What type of general tone do you want (metal, blues, fusion, classic rock, etc. )
Do you use your amp's distortion or do you set your amp clean?

Something that sounds great with a Strat into a dirty Marshall might not sound so good with EMGs into a clean solid-state amp.  The Fuzz Face is still a pretty good starting point, and is pretty versatile if you use a tube amp and passive pickups.

Just something to consider.

Quotethe last complete build I did was a preamp in my 45.00 Tiesco guitar to acheive a Frank Zappa type fuzz

BTW- just got the DVD of Frank Zappa's "Baby Snakes". Ah, the majesty of his tone in this era... Glad I got to see him every tour from about '75- '88.

Kerry M

Quote from: Ansilits only too harsh if you actually use that .005 cap.  personally i use a .068

I just used a .1 in mine and that worked pretty well too.

Regards

RDV

Quote from: RDV

Quote from: Ansilits only too harsh if you actually use that .005 cap.  personally i use a .068

I just used a .1 in mine and that worked pretty well too.

Regards

RDV

cool beans RDV.  i used to use that. but i found that it was too bassy for my tastes on smaller amps.. worked great as long as i used a couple of 12" speakers or better, but on smaller amps it got farty for me.. but that is my own personal opinion. also what outptu cap did you use.  i used a .1uf. and found sonic nirvanna.   of course  i also used clipping leds. too.

Quote from: Ansil
cool beans RDV.  i used to use that. but i found that it was too bassy for my tastes on smaller amps.. worked great as long as i used a couple of 12" speakers or better, but on smaller amps it got farty for me.. but that is my own personal opinion. also what outptu cap did you use.  i used a .1uf. and found sonic nirvanna.   of course  i also used clipping leds. too.

I used a .1 on the output also. You know, I thought about diode clippers too. Where'd ya put em'? Between the .1 and the volume pot(I used a 1Meg Log)?

Regards

RDV

Thanks for the info-I play a Tele with Joe bardens in to a much modified Fender "75" head and 2,1X10 cabinets with reissue celestion C10's-Effects are Tubeworks smooth303,or DS-1 with Seeing eye mods,MXR AC powered Flanger and Zoom 507 multi.The lead channel of the amp kind of sucks so I keep searching for a nice overdrive sound not so much heavy distortion, but nothing I have is doin it yet.So I want to start a from the beginning project to learn from,hoping I can make simple alterations to the basic unit to learn what I am doing.By the way I spent the evening gutting an old Zenith stereo and got a bunch of transistors TZ 1054,1044 1053.Are these gooduns,and I also have a Midland solid state amp with some Sanyo transistors SB### and SD### are these Germaniums?

Quote from: RDV

Quote from: Ansil
cool beans RDV.  i used to use that. but i found that it was too bassy for my tastes on smaller amps.. worked great as long as i used a couple of 12" speakers or better, but on smaller amps it got farty for me.. but that is my own personal opinion. also what outptu cap did you use.  i used a .1uf. and found sonic nirvanna.   of course  i also used clipping leds. too.

I used a .1 on the output also. You know, I thought about diode clippers too. Where'd ya put em'? Between the .1 and the volume pot(I used a 1Meg Log)?

Regards

RDV

i did indeed put them inbetween the cap and the pot.. actuallly i now put them from the first lug to the third lug on the pot since i dont' have to put them on the board now.  i useda red 3mm led and a green 5mm led.  sometimes before or sometimes after those i use a 5mm clear green.  inline with the others. to tame the output and create crossover dist.

Quote from: KevinSTPThanks for the info-I play a Tele with Joe bardens in to a much modified Fender "75" head and 2,1X10 cabinets with reissue celestion C10's-Effects are Tubeworks smooth303,or DS-1 with Seeing eye mods,MXR AC powered Flanger and Zoom 507 multi.The lead channel of the amp kind of sucks so I keep searching for a nice overdrive sound not so much heavy distortion, but nothing I have is doin it yet.So I want to start a from the beginning project to learn from,hoping I can make simple alterations to the basic unit to learn what I am doing...

Winter on the cape is a good time for tinkering- not much else to do besides substance abuse and the occasional B&E. Well at least that's how was about 25 years ago when I was in my teens :wink:  Your rig certainly sounds like you get a killer sound, [fx_snob]except for maybe that zoom thingy, whatever the hell that is[/fx_snob]. You may want to consider something that just clobbers the input of your amp, rather than a *distortion* effect per se. The AMZ Mosfet boost, Jack Orman's mini-booster (fat boost) or the NPN Booster project here, are all candidates.  Not sure how this will work with your amp, which from what I know is kind of a strange beast. I've had good luck using the Tech 21 sansamp GT2 with loud&clean Fender type amps, but this is far from a beginner project for DIY.

Kerry M

Quote from: Ansilsometimes before or sometimes after those i use a 5mm clear green.  inline with the others. to tame the output and create crossover dist.

You mean from hot to ground ran the same direction as the other two LEDs, right? I did that with 2 (5mm)Red LEDs, and then ran a 1N4001 the same direction as one of the LEDs and it smoothed out the distortion and brought the level down to a usable level. COOL!! I also tried a JRC386 instead of the Rat Shack 386, and it made no diff whatsoever.

Regards

RDV

Quote from: RDV

Quote from: Ansilsometimes before or sometimes after those i use a 5mm clear green.  inline with the others. to tame the output and create crossover dist.

You mean from hot to ground ran the same direction as the other two LEDs, right? I did that with 2 (5mm)Red LEDs, and then ran a 1N4001 the same direction as one of the LEDs and it smoothed out the distortion and brought the level down to a usable level. COOL!! I also tried a JRC386 instead of the Rat Shack 386, and it made no diff whatsoever.

Regards

RDV

nope..  actually i mean inline after the capacitor inbetween the two points like a load resistor.  kind of like the heavy metal pedal from boss. but with only one of them..  like this
-------------[capacitor]--------------DI-----------------(pot with the diodes to ground across the first and third lugs.)

also the surface mount 386 is the best in my opinon..  although it isn't smt it is just alot smaller. it will still fit ian a ic socket if you fanigle it.

Quote from: Ansil
nope..  actually i mean inline after the capacitor inbetween the two points like a load resistor.  kind of like the heavy metal pedal from boss. but with only one of them..  like this
-------------[capacitor]--------------DI-----------------(pot with the diodes to ground across the first and third lugs.)

I get it now, but strangely enough, putting the third diode the way I did it seemed to accomplish the same thing.

Regards

RDV

To me it sounds like you're after a smooth overdrive sound.  The j-fet based Odie at runoffgroove.com offers some smooth "tubey" overdrive.  Alternately, the various 4049-based distortions are fairly smooth and tubey if not driven too hard.  There's a couple of PCB layouts at my web site if you're interested in either of these options.  Otherwise, a TS9 or TS808 clone at low drive levels might also meet your needs, especially if one of the clipping diodes is replaced by a Ge diode.