Tools, Tones and Toys for Guitarists
After a thread on Freestompboxes, I thought it would be interesting to try out a few layouts using inline opamps and see how they compare in board size. Tayda sell the NJM4558 which would be perfect for a lot of these effects and so I thought it would be good to see how the layout … Read more
And the other version with symmetrical clipping and slight component value variation. So this is the bufferless Tubescreamer:
Lovepedal’s bufferless Tubescreamer with asymmetrical clipping. Actually I think that makes it a bufferless Boss SD1
You may struggle to get hold of the 2SC828 transistors, so just try any high gain NPN silicon. Just make sure the pinouts match, or use some small heatshrink tubing or offcuts of wire insulation and twist the legs if you need to. Geiri’s demo:
Update: aegert on FSB has experimented with the circuit and has found that putting a low value cap like 820pf between pins 1 and 2 of the opamp really improved the pedal. He also suggests that a 500K log pot is much better for the Gain control, so give that a go. Update 2: daz … Read more
This one is sprinkled with fairy dust. Put it in front of any Boss effect and you’ll sound just like Dave Gilmour. Allegedly.
From an advert in 1966: “A new Baldwin-Burns fuzz box has been introduced. It is a fresh version of the existing Buzz-Around and incorporates a special sustain effect. It is available now at a cost of 10 guineas.“ Bargain! Here’s a reasonably compact layout, I’ll add a mojo layout at some point too. You could … Read more
In the words of Prescription Electronics, the COB: “allows its user to blend a clean guitar signal with a pure upper octave at the preferred balance including output and overdrive levels. Noise free and compatible with your favorite stompboxes!“
Here is an adaptation of the EA tremolo with the schematic done by runoffgroove. http://runoffgroove.com/eatremolo.html Their notes on it: Modifications to JD Sleep’s version are: * Input buffer and main gain stage have been combined into a single MOSFET stage designed by Gez Paton. * The “pulsing LED” by Darren Inwood and Rob Strand. … Read more
Get your big boxes out for this 5 knobber! :o) Although having said that it is only 21 columns wide and so will fit into a 1590B if you’re feeling adventurous (and you’re more precise with your measurements than I am)