TS build lacks the magic!

[audiolife]

So I threw the Beavis boutique TS on the breadboard today:

http://www.beavisaudio.com/bboard/projects/bbp_BoutiqueTubeScreamer_Rev1_1.pdf

Cool build, fun project. I'm testing it through my Gibby LP (hum pups) and a Vox pathfinder. I find the TS to lack both gain and volume, but I'm not sure if that is just its design. It seems I'm getting a fine signal when the effect is engaged so I don't think it's anything to do with troubleshooting.

Is this just the nature of the this build? I changed the R4 resistor to 1k as mentioned in the mods section of that PDF and it's still hardly dirty. Not sure if I want to box it up...

What do you guys think?

[pakrat]

Try changing the 4.7k resistor to 2.2k and the 47nf cap to 100nf.

[phizone]

I had a similar issue when I breadboarded the screamer from that link and (finally) found the answer provided by slacker at:
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=79266.msg654126#msg654126

If you check the Son of Screamer schematic in the Geofex "Technology of the Tube Screamer" article, you'll see the cap (47uF) he's talking about between the +4.5v and gnd in the power section...

[audiolife]

Thanks so much for the link! In the link it's recommended to put a bigger cap by the resistors in the power section, but pakrat recommends changing one of the 47nf caps to a higher value.

@Pakrat: are you referring to the input cap or the other 47nf cap?

[pakrat]

Not the input cap, the one that connects to the 4.7k resistor (C2 and R4). You can try different values as stated in the schematic, but the 2.2k/100nf combo sounds good to me.

[audiolife]

Did some more experimenting today and got some great results.

1. I replaced C2 in the Beavis schem with a .22uf cap
2. I added a 10uf cap  in the area of the two 100k resistors. (Referencing the Beavis schem) I tried placing it before the two 100k resistors, negative lead to ground. I also placed it between the two 100 k resistors and noticed little difference.

Does it matter if it comes before that first resistor to ground or after?

I'm really happy with the build, sounds good with my LPs and Strats. Probably gonna box her up soon!

[audiolife]

Kindly bumping this thread...does the placement of that cap to ground matter as I've mentioned?

[slacker]

The cap goes in parallel with R2, so on the schematic the positive end of the cap goes to where R1 and R2 join, the negative end goes to ground. On the breadboard layout the positive end goes in J1 and the negative to ground.

[audiolife]

So I started boxing up the build yesterday. I added a few of the Keeley mods as well as a few of my own. Overall I really like the sound of it. I have noticed though that the pedal sounds MUCH better with my Strat than my Les Pauls. My Strat has a single high output humbucker in the bridge position, LPs have stock pups.

With the Strat it's just "that" sound, a la SRV, although that's not my personal sound.

Does anyone else notice how much better TS plays with Strats than 'thicker' guitars?

[Mark Hammer]

I've told this story here so many times, I'm ducking the flying tomatoes as I type this.

I made myself a TS to 808 specs some years back, and absolutely hated it.  Couldn't see what the fuss was about.  At the time I had a preamp built into my go-to guitar, with a gain of maybe 4-5x.  Then I bought another guitar to add to the pile, with single coils and NO preamp.  Tried it out with the TS and it sounded fabulous.  The legend was made manifest.

You can't stick anything hot going into a TS or else it simply doesn't get to do what it does best.

[artifus]

serendipity? http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=103129.msg917487#msg917487