A Simple Cool Cat Tremolo Mod (External Volume + Clean Booster Option)

[sevenisthenumber]

Just thought I would share how to add an external volume knob to the new Danelectro Cool Cat Tremolo. Fantastic Trem by the way...

First of just open the back, romove the knobs, nuts from the pots, nuts from the input and output jacks and slid the boards out of the case. Its real easy.
There is a "small" silver trimmer inside on the lower circuit board (main board). This trimmer is a volume control. Take a small Phillips screw driver and turn the trimmer while playing through the pedal until its as loud as possible. Just leave it alone after that. You will notice that the trimmer has one leg at the top and two at the bottom. We are going to solder a 250k Audio Taper pot onto these existing lugs (solder points). Make sure the iron is hot and clean because these small parts call for fast accurate soldering so that nothing is damaged. On your 250k pot solder one wire to lug 1 and one wire to lugs 2 and three (basic variable resistor setup). Solder one of the wires to the top leg/joint of the trimmer and one to the bottom leg/joint of trimmer (it doesn't matter which one) It helps to tin the wires and the joints a little before hand and be carefull to not touch your iron to any of those plastic parts...
Drill a hole in the right side as shown and mount it in accordingly. Easy as pie! Now you have a good bit of boost available and you can even turn the depth al the way down and use it as a clean boost!!!!

[earthtonesaudio]

Could you post some larger pics please?  




Off topic: is that a little blob of epoxy/goop in the middle of the board?  If so, they really took their boutique cloning seriously.

[sevenisthenumber]

Sorry for the giant pics

I downsized em...

The blob is hot glue i used to give the solder joints a little more strength.

[64fx]

Sorry to get in on this so late, but I've got a couple of questions before I rehouse my Cool Cat Trem.

- On the post you said to use a 250k Audio pot, but in the photo it shows a 25k, just wondering which one is correct.

- Do you know what the values of the pots are for the speed and depth in order to move them for a rehouse?

- Could you tell if the switch could be replaced with a toggle instead of the one that's there?

Thanks for this mod!  Can't wait to try it!

Daniel

[caleboaks]

3 years later... I'm interested in doing this mod, but would love some visual guidance, and your pictures seem to have disappeared. Any chance of getting them back up here?

[pinkjimiphoton]

i know it's easier with the pics, but i would imagine just following the written instructions will be good enough...other than the physical location of the pot. 

good luck bro!