Tools, Tones and Toys for Guitarists
The Earthquaker Devices Bows is a straight-up germanium Rangemaster with some modern tweaks. It uses an NPN transistor and has a switch to swap to a larger input capacitor for a full-range boost. The space above the transistor on this layout allows it to be mounted on its side (bent over 90 degrees), as OC transistors are … Read more
This is the distortion section from a Vox Super Beatle V1141 amplifier, which happens to be almost identical to the Colorsound one knob fuzz. So much so that I used the layout and transistor selection from the D*A*M version. Interesting when you look at the schematic, as the distortion effect is first in the signal chain, ahead … Read more
This is a nice easy one – think it might have been my first IC-based guitar pedal builds. The Earthquaker Devices Acapulco Gold is quite the beast. So loud… the 22k resistor going to volume 3 helps pull the level down a bit. It could even be a bit bigger or not there at … Read more
Here’s a nice easy one if you haven’t done anything point to point before – the Zvex Super Hardon. ZVEX SUPER HARDON – POINT TO POINT LAYOUT I’ve left some room on the board for added power filtering / protection.
A bit of a classic – well one of the first guitar effects really, the Dallas Rangemaster. A nice simple one for a quick build using leftover tag board. In theory there is room to fit the output cap on the board too, but I liked the straight lines of the components. DALLAS RANGEMASTER TREBLE … Read more
They don’t come much more straightforward than this – said to be a Dick Denney design, the Colorsound Fuzz Box is a one-knob silicon fuzz face with a couple of value tweaks, but other than that, you know what you’re getting here. This circuit is also found in the Vox V1141 Super Beatle solid state amplifier. … Read more
The Musitronics Mu-Tron Micro V is a cool old auto-wah / envelope filter from the seventies – I feel I need to be wearing a valour tracksuit, possibly with a half-unzipped jacket exposing generous chest hair with a gold dangler to really play this properly. Maybe a moustache too… I’ve used a LM13700 instead … Read more
The Emanating Fist Black Dust is yet another one-knob Fuzz Face variant. Emanating Fist is part of the D*A*M family of effects. EMANATING FIST BLACK DUST – VERO LAYOUT VIDEO DEMO
So after a couple of larger than necessary layouts, I thought I might go small and simple: I give you, the D*A*M Meathead, which is of course a one-knob silicon Fuzz Face variant. This has a small input cap for a fuzz face type circuit – expect it to be very midrange focused. D*A*M MEATHEAD … Read more
I had a few of the FETS leftover from the Spaceman Saturn V Harmonic Booster, and I saw the layout over at Perf and PCB Effects Layouts, so I thought I might try one of these. The Spaceman Effects Atlas III is another booster, following the theme of rocket engines in naming (nice). The switch is … Read more