Tools, Tones and Toys for Guitarists
I’m surprised I had not covered this one before, but I suppose it is a MKI, so it should feel fairly familiar. There seem to have been a few different iterations — essentially just different flavours of the MKI, so keep that in mind when choosing transistors and biasing the circuit. Some versions also used … Read more
So this looks like one of the D*A*M one-offs from back in the day – a MKI style fuzz, using a variation on a Zonk layout. There are some departures from stock values, some of which are not entirely clear. Here’s the thread from an old FSB post. Here’s the thread on the D*A*M forum. … Read more
Quick Zonk Machine layout to suit an enclosure that I just picked up from MW Pedal Parts – pretty much one row difference in terms of where the mounting holes are drilled compared to old layout that I have been using, and I decided to move a couple of components around while I was at … Read more
I’m jotting down some notes for myself, because I don’t expect anyone else to use this layout. It’s a little impractical in parts, but I had some spare board this size, and a pair of transistors that I liked on the breadboard that needed a home. It’s a progression on this somewhat more practical layout. … Read more
Just a Fuzz Face layout that I used recently and want to make note of – it’s based on the one knob fuzz line, which is a handy little layout, but didn’t quite suit my needs. With some minor adjustments, it can be used for most fuzz face variants – component table here. FUZZ … Read more
Since I’m doing boosters at the moment – the D*A*M Supa Rooster. I’d suggest placing a 1m resistor on the input and output if you get switch pop – a lot of people do this all the time for their rangemaster type circuits. If you want it to look true to the original, use … Read more
Nothing groundbreaking today—just a variable-gain germanium booster I through together this afternoon, heavily inspired by the D*A*M Red Rooster. I built mine on a slightly different layout, but if I do another one I’ll use this version; it’s cleaner and a bit easier to wire. And if you like the idea of incorporating a trim … Read more
It’s no secret as to what the R2R Electric germanium preamp is based upon, which is an old and very rare Hofner preamp. The Hofner is a full-range germanium booster, which was once used as a way to plug guitars into old console radios way back in the day. As this is a simple Rangemaster style … Read more
Here’s a simple Rangemaster treble booster. I’m jotting down some notes from my recent builds because I really dig this layout. I used a 1590BBS enclosure and an 8-way tag strip. It’s pretty similar to the Pigdog Eel Pie layout, which inspired my design. Inside, you’ll find a Mullard OC71 transistor. But honestly, the specific … Read more
I saw a post today about leakage and temperature, so I thought I’d do a quick test myself to see how close it came. The test distinctly lacked scientific conditions – for starters I wasn’t even wearing a white coat at the time, but the results seem to match the theory. For germanium transistors, leakage … Read more