Tools, Tones and Toys for Guitarists
The Pete Cornish SS-3 is one of my favourite overdrives – so I thought I might make another one with a different layout and buffer. Changes Swapped the Cornish buffer for a standard opamp based buffer Ran the reference voltage through the spare opamp Used a quad opamp instead of 2 x single op amps … Read more
Something of a classic and many other designs are based on the MXR Distortion + so no real need for an introduction. MXR DISTORTION PLUS – VERO LAYOUT DISTORTION PLUS ANALYSIS There’s an excellent analysis of the Distortion + here on Electrosmash including a schematic (be prepared for some maths) Note that I have used alternate pot … Read more
The Pete Cornish SS-2 Soft Sustain is Pete’s interpretation of a MXR Distortion + and it’s not a bad one at that (it’s very nice actually). If you prefer a bit more control, try the SS-3, as it has bass and treble controls. The same overall sound, just more tweakable (if that’s a word). … Read more
The DeArmond Square Wave – it’s pretty much an MXR Distortion + with a couple of minor values changed. It does come in a cooler-looking box… There’s a great analysis of the Distortion Plus on Electrosmash, which will apply equally to the DeArmond Square Wave. DEARMOND SQUARE WAVE – VERO LAYOUT MODS The most obvious place to … Read more
Pete Cornish’s excellent take on the MXR Distortion + the Pete Cornish SS-3 Soft Sustain. I used a vintage tin can IC in the first gain stage, and while it added a bit of noise, it certainly added some grit and character. There’s certainly nothing wrong with a standard single op-amp – potentially better, depending on … Read more