BLACK FOREST High Gain Preamp - Based on the Bogner Uberschall

[bluesdevil]

Just checking back in for updates..... wow!!
Now there is finally success with a 4 stage BF?
I may desolder parts off my ENGL and try my luck with it.
Never could quiet down the ENGL without neutering the sound I liked, but I also didn't try shielding the leads yet. After reading about the 4 stage Black Forest I may wait to use my enclosure for that!
Keep on rockin'!!!!

[JebemMajke]

Ok, totally off topic...   Anybody ever try the EMG active circuit?? Like either of the two on this link?
http://revolutiondeux.blogspot.com/2012/06/active-pickups-how-do-emg-do-it.html

I want to mod my el cheapo' 7 string stock pickups but wondering if it's a waste of time?

I did. It balances highs, lows and mids nicely. The sound never turns to mud, even at lower tuning ( drop a# on my 6 string sg, dean markley strings 0.10-0.46 ).  And it's not buzzing like a mosquito. I did this with my old ibanez v8. My guess is that it may sound better with a better pickup. Ps i'used the first schematic, not the pcb by bajaman or the other schem that uses tl061. Only modification that I did was 2 165k resistors instead of 137k's. You should give it a go. Since the parts are so cheap and easy to find.

[pakrat]

Thanks for the info Miša, adding this to my ever growing "to do" list 

[J0K3RX]

Ok, totally off topic...  Anybody ever try the EMG active circuit?? Like either of the two on this link?
http://revolutiondeux.blogspot.com/2012/06/active-pickups-how-do-emg-do-it.html

I want to mod my el cheapo' 7 string stock pickups but wondering if it's a waste of time?

I did. It balances highs, lows and mids nicely. The sound never turns to mud, even at lower tuning ( drop a# on my 6 string sg, dean markley strings 0.10-0.46 ).  And it's not buzzing like a mosquito. I did this with my old ibanez v8. My guess is that it may sound better with a better pickup. Ps i'used the first schematic, not the pcb by bajaman or the other schem that uses tl061. Only modification that I did was 2 165k resistors instead of 137k's. You should give it a go. Since the parts are so cheap and easy to find.

Cool... I am gonna make a couple then! So, you used the LM4250, right?

[JebemMajke]

Yep.
Any way the sound is great i was always wondering how could i get that meshuggah "clean" high gain sound. Clean, meaning that i could actually hear every note, and every mistake . At this very moment I'm giving my old epiphone pickups a split option. And bridge is getting it's ass activated.

Ps I've etched E3 and I'll give it a go with this activated pickup. I think that it should fix it's hum issues. Than again i might be wrong

[stormbringer79]

So, the latest posted layout is the current version? Building it as soon as i get my parts.

[J0K3RX]

So, the latest posted layout is the current version? Building it as soon as i get my parts.

If you are referring to the Black Forest 4 stage with the on-board pots the answer is, Yes.

I have another with 5 stages but I think I am gonna scrap that version...

BTW: I have not verified that layout... I used the same schem just a different layout. Might want to look it over for any booboo's But I believe it's right.

[J0K3RX]

Here is a quick clip I threw down over a random drum beat... be nice now, been a long time since I rock-n-rolled!

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11178619/New%20Preamps/BF_DRUM1.mp3

[pakrat]

That is some crazy stuff 

[J0K3RX]

sux, I know but I'm rusty as a fish hook... I used the Hotline2 cab simulator. Might not sound like all that and a bag o chips but I think it kills and you can dial in all kinds of different cab sounds!

[pakrat]

I thought it sounded good

[scuzzphut]

Ok, totally off topic...  Anybody ever try the EMG active circuit?? Like either of the two on this link?
http://revolutiondeux.blogspot.com/2012/06/active-pickups-how-do-emg-do-it.html

I want to mod my el cheapo' 7 string stock pickups but wondering if it's a waste of time?

I did. It balances highs, lows and mids nicely. The sound never turns to mud, even at lower tuning ( drop a# on my 6 string sg, dean markley strings 0.10-0.46 ).  And it's not buzzing like a mosquito. I did this with my old ibanez v8. My guess is that it may sound better with a better pickup. Ps i'used the first schematic, not the pcb by bajaman or the other schem that uses tl061. Only modification that I did was 2 165k resistors instead of 137k's. You should give it a go. Since the parts are so cheap and easy to find.

Cool... I am gonna make a couple then! So, you used the LM4250, right?

Hey Jokerx - I've made three of these. Two on vero and one using Bajaman's etch layout. All with great success and, yes, using the LM4250.

Vero here ----> http://www.paulinthelab.com/2012/04/emg-active-preamp-for-8185-pickups.html#comment-form

[scuzzphut]

A "tightness" pot sounds great, and no gate on this one?

No gate, but you can add it in if you want...I would be inclined to put it in if it were foot switchable but I really don't want another footswitch... Unless I build it into a 1590DD? But, I really want to add a clean channel! That's one thing a lot of these preamps lack is a clean channel and they just have true bypass. I don't really like that... It's good for home/studio/recording applications but not so good for live..

I rigged up a switch that allows me to switch from Clean (into the normal input of my amp) and Dirty (via the Soldano S1 I built with it's output straight into the fx return and into the power amp)

If you're interested, I'll sketch it up and post it.

[J0K3RX]

A "tightness" pot sounds great, and no gate on this one?

No gate, but you can add it in if you want...I would be inclined to put it in if it were foot switchable but I really don't want another footswitch... Unless I build it into a 1590DD? But, I really want to add a clean channel! That's one thing a lot of these preamps lack is a clean channel and they just have true bypass. I don't really like that... It's good for home/studio/recording applications but not so good for live..

I rigged up a switch that allows me to switch from Clean (into the normal input of my amp) and Dirty (via the Soldano S1 I built with it's output straight into the fx return and into the power amp)

If you're interested, I'll sketch it up and post it.

Um.... YES! And while you're at it how bout the schema you used for the S1 or even the layout??  

Start sketchin!

[scuzzphut]

The S1 I built is this one --->  http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/amt-s1-legend.html

Pix here ----->  http://imgur.com/a/qw342

I had to add drain presets to each J201, but it worked. Having used it for a while, I'd like a wee bit more gain out of it, so I'll experiment swapping out transistors.

[scuzzphut]

My preamp switcher alternates between my amplifier preamp (as normal) and my S1 clone straight into the fx return.
I've wired it so that "input" pedals and "fx-loop" pedals stay in circuit, like this....


Here's the switch wiring


The two circuits


and it looks like this 

[jymaze]

To get more gain you can try putting a 4.7 to 10 uF capacitor across the 1k source resistor of Q3.

[scuzzphut]

To get more gain you can try putting a 4.7 to 10 uF capacitor across the 1k source resistor of Q3.

thanks jymaze - will give that a try 

[Cap]

Yeah!!! The 1590B layout with on-board pots is done!! 
I completly changed the previous version for the BF4 this time. Thanks Jokerx for this project!
Please give me a couple of days to double check things and then post the layout.

I'm still fighting against the trimmers and a nice set of fets

[J0K3RX]

Yeah!!! The 1590B layout with on-board pots is done!!  
I completly changed the previous version for the BF4 this time. Thanks Jokerx for this project!
Please give me a couple of days to double check things and then post the layout.

I'm still fighting against the trimmers and a nice set of fets

Cool Riccardo! I was hoping you would make a layout! By the way - We can still call it the Black Forest I just called it Blacker Forest for a goof...

Here's the latest schematic if you need it... Thanks to ggedamed! Again R22 and R5 are gonna have to be up to who ever builds it... I suggest to use a 100k trimmer to find the right values rather than swapping resistors, but that's just how I would do it...  R23 was added by ggedamed so the gain pot doesn't bottom out, which was a good idea! Another thing you can try is to put a switch on C2 so you can switch between 4.7uF and like say 470nF, it tightens up the low end... It doesn't have to be 470nF, I just used that as an example but 470nF did sound good on mine, again up to the person building it... This is it folks, this thing works!!! So, go build it!