Last night, I took my Fender Hot Rod deluxe with me for a monthly jam in Quebec.
Since my back seems to be in a better shape these days than in the past 4-5 years, I decided it was time to test it.
Wow, I don't want to sell it or buy another amp anymore. :lol:
Ok, so, what it means is that I will try to build effects to get a better/different sound than try to get a good sound, whixh I have with the HRD. :roll:
While reading about that amp on the net, I saw that some like the sound of the Full Drive 2 box with the HRD.
Any replacement in the DIY family?
What could I build to get close to thae sound of that box?
Speaking of the HRD, here are a few interesting links on the subject. I know some of you have one too. :wink:
(Oh, the first one is a special one...)
http://vintone.com/the_rig.html
http://www.vintone.com/rc_hrdhead_tol.html
http://studentweb.eku.edu/justin_holton/
Gilles
Hi. The BluesBreaker (see tonepad.com) is excellent and under-rated. For heavy stuff an Axis fuzz is cool (see fuzzcentral.com).
cheers
I don't own one(though I'd like to), but I sat in on another band's equipment to try out for a job once, and the guitar player had one. He had all these so-called boo-teek pedals, all real pretty, I turned them on one-by-one and I couldn't even tell if they were on(except for the pretty lights, one of em' was that full-drive thingy). Then I stepped on an aural hand grenade called a Danelectro Fab-Tone, and the windows blew out of the joint. Unbelievable. A "could you ask your guitar player to turn down please" kind of pedal. I like pedals that I know are on when I turn them on.
uh..what was the question? :wink:
RDV
Hummm... The BluesBreaker could be a good choice.
Having a Fender sound to start with means I should get away from Fender sounding distortion now :cry:
Therefore, a Marshallish distortion could be a good choice.
Being a tube amp, maybe this time, I should get away from FETs... :cry:
Thanks for the suggestion, it's the first and only in my list right now. (Or maybe GMArts disto. I always wnted to try it :roll: )
I also want to build a volume box controlled with 2 footswitches, MORE and LESS. With a PIC maybe. 8)
I was too loud and didn't have time to play with the guitar volume... I was too busy with my hands 8)
FabTone...Killer. over the top distortion. Kick that thing on, if you don't know it, there's something wrong with it or you ! ! !
I went through 2 failed ones, [one of the joys of buying from a music store like Akron Music], the third one kept going...probably some kind of personal PS issue...
Yes I like my BB pedal, sounds sorta like a TS, I found it much easier to get the tone knob to work right though. Blues Breaker is a Great Build.
Then of course there's the modded, front end boosted DIST+, for harder type distortions. I should thing the DIST+ could be modded to sound great through a HOT ROD Deluxe...I like mine with a high precision/low noise OA, socketted diodes and 'twangy bite' saturation control [AMZ].
I like the sound of 'hard to build/cheep pedals" like FAB TONE, etc. I just can't get along with the construction..jacks in PCB is like Noowayy for me anymore...but at that price, I can't refuse.
Quote from: petemooreYes I like my BB pedal, sounds sorta like a TS, I found it much easier to get the tone knob to work right though. Blues Breaker is a Great Build.
Then of course there's the modded, front end boosted DIST+, for harder type distortions. I should thing the DIST+ could be modded to sound great through a HOT ROD Deluxe...I like mine with a high precision/low noise OA, socketted diodes and 'twangy bite' saturation control [AMZ].
What needs to be modded to fit well with the HRD? (Or is that the details you added: the OA, diodes and twangy bite...)
Seems like the kind of info I should know :)
The score:
BluesBreaker 2 points
Dist+ (??) 1 point
Fab-Tone 0 point (too much gain. I already have too much :wink: )
Btw, I agree with you RDV, I like to know when it's on.
Ah yeah, I remember I have to add a LED to my Mosfet Booster. I like to turn the volume down completely before I switch guitars. It doesn't work well when it's bypassed. :oops:
Quote from: Gilles C
While reading about that amp on the net, I saw that some like the sound of the Full Drive 2 box with the HRD.
Any replacement in the DIY family?
The fulltone is basically a tube screamer with some slight mods. The biggest mod is a 3pdt switch that switches in another drive pot in series for more distortion.
This schem is pretty close: http://www.greene-pedals.com/scrmr.html
If you start with that, then check out geofex.com's 'the technology of the tube screamer' and read it over a bunch of times, you can make your own ideal fulltone-killer.
Yeah, for 1980s rock n roll the dist+ is a cool pedal. Especially if you've got an equaliser attached, so you can control the top-end "grit".
If you want to try something different....a simple circuit that I feel would work well is the Jordan Bosstone.
have fun...
Gp tp AMZ, Labs Notebook, Saturation control page, look at the diagram next to the text reference words "twangy Bite' among the other clipping voicing options.
I used the Dist+ Circuit with a High Precision/low noise opamp, [it only takes a single OA] but I used a socket and wired it to use half a dual. 5532 is a great choice as is the 4558, TL072 performs well, I used the 4558.
1n914 diodes, but it's worth the trouble to add a socket for diode configuration experimentation.
I use a small cap paralleling the diodes, this smooths the high end of the clipping sound...I always try different pf caps for this position, I think .0047uf or .0068uf...trying the different value caps here is another good reason to socket.
Of course playing it through your amp at the levels you'd normally use, for a time, trying different settings and efkt chains, then revoicing, lets you find Your DIST+ sound.
This one does quite well for me with a booster on the front end [I prefer fet boosters].
I have a Fetzer valve [ROG] housed with the DIST+, and the input cap should be voiced here too, though I think I used the stock value tho in my socket.
I tried numerous 741 DIST+ types, New Clipper, OD250 etc., but none of those survived my A/B tests and were scavenged, I found I like the 'better' opamps dynamic. tone, distortion, and Noise characteristics.
If you build this for a single hookup and socket, you can try single HP/Low Noise opamp types Or the original chip, the 741.
I used a 1/2 a dual because it was there.
OK , found the Twangy Bite thing. Looks good. I could use an IC socket with a dip module to test different options...
I'm taking notes of the things to try :twisted:
And after reading the suggestions for the Dist+, the Green-Pedal, the Fulltone and all, it reminded me that SRV was using 2 x TS9 in series with his amps. Maybe that's the sound I'm after, 'cause he's the one who got me hooked on Blues with a touch of Rock.
Now I know here I'm heading. 8)
Thanks guys, you put me back on the track.
I always liked the fat sound of the HRD, but I wanted a little something for those other times where you wish you had another amp.
:idea: :idea: :idea: :arrow: 8) :P :D
Gilles
:oops:
I would suggest building the BSIAB, but I'm about to release the BSIAB II, which is a pretty high gain unit, with some lower-gain tones in there as well.
It has a lot of sustain, as well as definition, clarity and dynamics. I'm pretty happy with it right now.
These are from GGG
http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/fulldrive_1.jpg
http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/fulldrive_2.jpg[/url]
Quote from: dosmunThese are from GGG
http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/fulldrive_1.jpg
http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/fulldrive_2.jpg[/url]
Cool... I already checked on GGG, but not at the right place, in the Tube Screamer section. :oops:
When I don't use FETs :wink: (BSIAB 2 could be the next one...), I like a FET buffer, an opamp (5532 for low noise...), and an output buffer (transistor).
http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/ampins/webbop/5532.htm
The FullDrive 2 was the missing thing in my inspiration stuff. I also like to build 2 pcbs and always compare one mod to another one with an AB switch box. Or I switch a part with a relay and a footswitch while I'm playing my guitar.
Now I have everything I need to begin my new project. :twisted:
That would be a good occasion to start my new site all over. :roll:
Thanks again
Gilles Coco Gadget (as my friends call me... guest why... 8) )