Hello!

I have a beat up early MXR Distortion + that I need to add an LED, DC power and wire a 3PDT switch for true bypass. Im not concerned with drilling out the holes for the LED and DC power jack, it's very beat and Im more interested in it working for me over its resale value. Ive done a search for these mods, but I couldnt find them for this exact pedal.

Could anyone please help with instructions for such a mod? I cant really read schematics so pics or drawings would be ideal

thanks a ton!

Ted

can you show some pics?

Sure, what exactly would you like to see?

okay, i thought it would be much better if you would look at this layout and wiring by ggg
http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/pdf/ggg_dist_plus_lo.pdf

Quote from: exztinct01 on April 26, 2016, 03:58:41 AM
okay, i thought it would be much better if you would look at this layout and wiring by ggg
http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/pdf/ggg_dist_plus_lo.pdf

The MXR board looks nothing like the General Guitar Gadgets board. The board that I have looks like this- http://freestompboxes.org/viewtopic.php?t=10613&p=72700

Really guys, nothing?...

point us to a link of your board's image

Quote from: exztinct01 on April 27, 2016, 06:55:30 PM
point us to a link of your board's image

http://www.pedalarea.com/mxr_distortion.htm

It's the second version down

I attached a link to tonepad.com offboard wiring, turn to page 5, the one with 3PDT
If you look at the image on the link you provided (PEDALARIA, the bottom of the pcb showing the solder), there are 5 solder pads at the top distributed horizontally, from left to right (Pin 3 of Gain Pot, IN, Ground, +9V, and Pin 3 of Volume Pot).
Pin 1 and Pin 2 of Gain Pot are connected and goes to Ground also. Pin 2 of Volume Pot connects to Out (or simply treat that pin as the Out) and Pin 1 is connected to Ground. After those Potentiometer connections, just follow the offboard wiring from tonepad.

http://tonepad.com/getFile.asp?id=76

Quote from: exztinct01 on April 28, 2016, 06:35:42 AM
I attached a link to tonepad.com offboard wiring, turn to page 5, the one with 3PDT
If you look at the image on the link you provided (PEDALARIA, the bottom of the pcb showing the solder), there are 5 solder pads at the top distributed horizontally, from left to right (Pin 3 of Gain Pot, IN, Ground, +9V, and Pin 3 of Volume Pot).
Pin 1 and Pin 2 of Gain Pot are connected and goes to Ground also. Pin 2 of Volume Pot connects to Out (or simply treat that pin as the Out) and Pin 1 is connected to Ground. After those Potentiometer connections, just follow the offboard wiring from tonepad.

http://tonepad.com/getFile.asp?id=76

I did this and there is no signal, just hum... Help!!

did you wire correctly the 3pdt, pots and jacks? please attach images here of your actual wiring and connections. Note that you don't have to do anything to your pcb, just some connections to the 5 solder pads infront.

I got back to the pedal over the weekend, and figured out that I swapped a couple of the wires on the footswitch, works like a charm now! I had no idea how much tone that pedal sucked when it was switched off until I wired it for true bypass, a huge difference!

Any idea on how I can get more volume out of the pedal without changing the tone?

Thanks!

i don't know if this is a good advice but I think I read before that the original clipping diodes (1N34A) clips early so I maybe (just maybe) it affects the perceived volume from the pedal. Changing it to silicon diodes like 1N914 increases the point where it clips so maybe again that will affect the perceived loudness.

Some here may have suggestions about changing resistor and caps value. I hope I got it right though.

the pot itself doesn't really seem to start working until at least half way up.

Really?! Nobody else has any advise?

It's the Gain or the Volume pot..??

If it's Gain, it's in place of the Feedback or the Gain resistor..??

It's the "Output" pot, I would love for it to have more volume when it's engaged.  Make sense?

change your diodes, 1n34a are known to be quieter in the ds+ compared to silicon diodes like 1N914.
Anyway, what value is your volume pot?