Tools, Tones and Toys for Guitarists
Slightly modernized and improved. The original ran on negative power supply with low gain jellybean PNP silicon transistors with BCE pinout. This layout calls for low gain NPN silicon transistors with CBE pinots so you can easily socket the normal suspects like PN2222, 2N3903 etc. And a trimpot for the biasing the fuzz section replaces … Read more
Continuing with the Hornby Skewes theme, time for the Shatterbox – original layout below using the old school large format 0.15″ stripboard. Although I’m not sure if I actually want to build one this way… apart from all the off-board components, it’s PNP silicon, which is annoying having a positive earth circuit with none of the benefits of … Read more
While on the JHS thing, I noticed this booster and thought it looked interesting. The output switches between filters to allow for treble and bass boost, unlike most other boosters where it all happens at the input. Very few seem to be around, as I could only find one photo of the internals and one video … Read more
I started copying the original layout for veroboard and gave up toward the end as it’s a cramped mess – this is a similar but more practical version. The germanium John Hornby Skewes Zonk II is similar to a Fuzz Face but without the 100k feedback resistor, and note that the output cap is taken … Read more
A tweaked Rangemaster with switchable output filters. Schematic and more info HERE.
This is the original layout for the Hornby Skewes Hybrid Zonk Machine (Silicon / Germanium). Unfortunately, the trimmer needed to be a different size for the layout, so I had to make a strange triangular marker. HORNBY SKEWES HYBRID ZONK MACHINE – 0.15″ VERO LAYOUT (ORIGINAL)
The Hornby Skewes Zonk Machine is pretty much a MKI Tone Bender with some value changes – most notably the 1n capacitor on the input and resistors to collectors. A classic guitar effect from back in the day. ZONK MACHINE – ORIGINAL TAG BOARD LAYOUT TAG BOARD LAYOUT There’s enough room on a 12-lug tag board … Read more
Got a request for this one for Fuzz Friday. Fairly simple fuzz + boost box. Originals used PNP silicon transistors, but you can use NPNs just as well. The perf side below reflects the original’s positive ground and the etch side shows daisy-chain-able negative ground. If you want to put 2 footswitches in a 1590B … Read more
