Total beginner, would like to build TS-808

[JordanAU]

Hi guys I am sure you get a lot of posts like this so I am sorry for the unoriginality of my first post. I really want to make a TS-808 Tube Screamer. I just bought a 71 Super reverb and i really want to add a basic overdrive/fuzz to it without driving the neighbors nuts trying to play my amp on 7-10 volume. I found a Schematic i think i like at http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/tscmr.html. Has anyone built this. If so are you happy with it?? I have listed the parts that are needed and the part numbers i have found thanks to mouser and arons parts purchase information. Do any of the parts seem wrong? Any changes i should make. Most of the parts in the other section i think i can find at radioshack with the exception of a couple. This is my first project so i will take any criticism that can be thrown at me. Thank you so much for y'alls time. I do have electronics/soldering experience so the technical work shouldn't be hard, I just need to no how to get the parts to me and what parts i should get.

-Jordan


Resistors

100 ohm                 291-100
220 ohm                 291-220
1k                          291-1k
10k                        291-10k
51k                        291-5k
510k                      291-510k
4.7M                      291-4.7m

Pots

25k linear                 313-1000-25k
100k audio                313-4000-100k
500k linear               313-1000-500k

Capacitors

51pf                         140-50n5510j
.047uF                      140-pf2a473j
.020uF                      140-pf2a203j
.1uF                          140-pf2a104j
.22uF 35 volt tant       74-199d35v.022
1uF 50 volt nonpolar    ?
10uF                          75-517d50v10
47 uF                         75-517d50v47


Transistors

2n3904                      625-2n3904

IC

IC              Radioshack JRC4558D

Diodes
1n4148       Radioshack 276-1122

Other

Transistor sockets          
IC socket                      
DPDT heavy duty switch  
LED and 8.2k resistor      
quarter inch jacks       
Battery holder                
Copper Clad board        
Enclosure                      
Wire                              

[brett]

A couple of tips;
use an IC socket (It is a rotten job getting an IC out if you kill it or decide to change it)
don't bother about transistor sockets (these transistors are buffers, not amplifiers, and don't affect the signal quality, so you won't want to swap them around with different type)
regarding "1uF 50 volt nonpolar ?", you'll find non-polar electrolytic capacitors (little plastic-covered cans) at Radio Shack or other electronics suppliers.  You might also find MKT capacitors of this size, which are even better.
you might like to buy a pack of pcb pins (little metal pins).  They go in the pcb wherever you are going to connect a wire, making it easier to connect everything.

Aron (the forum moderator) sells 3PDT switches.  These are simpler to rig up with an indicator LED than DPDT.  See tonepad.com's description of off-board wiring for details on how to hook up the various jacks, switches, etc.

Other than that, go for it!  A tubscreamer is a great project (and fairly ambitious).

[gtrmac]

I have found it much more fun to use a ready to solder PCB from either GGG or Tonepad. The end result is much more attractive and reliable than perf-board. Small bear Electronics is also very handy and popular for parts.

[smoguzbenjamin]

A TS-808 is ambitious but fun. Maybe a PCB is a good option if you're going to make a single pedal and forget about it. However, perf does give you a greater understanding of a circuit, and is not as annoying to make as etching a PCB. Maybe you should try an LPB (also on GGG) to get the hang of it. I would recommend transistor sockets just in case you fry anything when soldering. If you're starting out soldering can be difficult to do quickly.

Small Bear is great for parts, his prices are great too

[JordanAU]

thank you so much for your replies. If all of by parts look good and the schematics are okay that i am using i am going to go ahead and buy the parts. Oh and about the ambitiousness of the project, I really am just building for the soud i want. I don't want to spend money on something i won't use.

[george]

thank you so much for your replies. If all of by parts look good and the schematics are okay that i am using i am going to go ahead and buy the parts. Oh and about the ambitiousness of the project, I really am just building for the soud i want. I don't want to spend money on something i won't use.

Also check out the Tube Screamer project on tonepad:

http://www.tonepad.com/project.asp?id=1

There are build reports on that page too, that might help.  And Francisco Pena the guy that runs this site, also sells ready-to-solder PCBs ..

HTH

[JordanAU]

Hey thanks a lot, I have bought a lot of the parts and am trying to make the layout on paper before i just start soldering away. On that scematic that tonepad (http://www.tonepad.com/project.asp?id=1) provides I can't figure out what Vb means. I am a beginner so I am just getting the schematic and easing through reading it and trying to see how it best fits. I will probably have more questions soon. Thanks

[computerjones]

it means Voltage Bias.  all those points connect together.  if you follow the layout it will not mean anything but if you want to know about it, there was a fantastic beginner tutorial on opamps and dual/single power supply that should answer all your questions.  its very useful basic info - well worth a read.  best.

[petemoore]

I just put aNE5532 OA in there by an experienced TS Cloner [thanks] and this pedal is quite the unit.
 A family oriented Fuzz Box. Gainey and Sustainey and Compressed enough to make playing leads a joy, and rythms sound nice, bouncy and happy, but the very de-harshed-ness of it doesn't activate 'Fuzz Haterz".
 Personality wise I think it's great. It seems to get along well with others too. I can even run it with other Fuzzez sometimes without it getting totally out of hand.
  If you don't socket them watch the heat on diodes and  the transistors diodes.
 I think you'd like a booster. They're very useful, [by the way nice amp to attain], and can bring out more of the amp sound in your amp ... as well as driving say a TS.
  If you're doing your first perf, a simple small parts count is recommended. It doesn't take long and you should get one nice useful booster as well as valueable hands on as far as perf spacing and layout...easiest way is to get a large piece of perf and score it down to 15 rows across the board...work the ckt from left to right and then trim the excess length after you'be debugged and tuned it a little.
 Debugging a TS can be a bear, It is much easier to develop the Debug skills on a simple ckt.
 You don't really learn about the ckt if you use PCB as it becomes color by number, but much less time to assemble if you buy it.
 I use a small alligator clip on leads of heat sensative parts for heatsinking during soldering...don't solder under where the IC with the IC in...
  Have a Great Buile !!!

[JordanAU]

any link on a good booster then? which one should i build? By the way i have never seen a forum where my questions get answered so well and quickly

[JordanAU]

Oh and thanks for the compliment on the amp. I am reallty excited about it. I just got it this weekend. All i have to do is get the vibrato working. Oh and i found a SPDT heavy duty switch at a local electronics store, can i make it work somehow.

[brett]

a good booster then

Two good ones are the LPB-1 and AMZ MOSFET booster.  There's projects for them both at //www.tonepad.com.

I'd recommend buying and using circuit boards for projects (especially the tubescreamer).  For the booster you can do either; perfboard is fast, but messy.

(neat circuitboards and messy workshop is better than the other way around, I figure).

And yeah, this is a great forum.  I've always had lots of friendly discussions.  

Have fun with your projects.

[fishdds]

My friend and partner in crime in stompboxing just finished the tonepad version of the Tubescreamer, and he is very pleased with the results he got.  He got a Ready-to-solder board from Tonepad (Fransisco Pena).  Unless you want to go to the trouble of making the board yourself using a laser printer, press-n-peel blue, ironing on to a copper blank, etching with ferric chloride, and drilling holes you'd be better off just buying the board.  There is a significant start-up cost to making these things, not to mention enclosing the circuit when you're finished building it.  On the other hand, if you're interested in making a few effects, and are looking for a great hobby, jump right in.  I did, and I'm loving it!

[fishdds]

I also wanted to add that I wouldn't recommend using an SPDT switch, since you wouldn't be able to achieve true bypass (buffering aside).  This means that your Tubescreamer could become a "Tonesucker", which would be a shame with the amp you have
Catch Aron when he has some 3PDT switches available.  They are very reasonably priced, and you can get true bypass and even go wild and add an LED.

[petemoore]

Simple, easy, and you can find the parts for it anywhere...Nice booster too.
 Mosfet is just a bit trickier...biasing it is difficult...I don't know that I ever figure it out. The VR point on mine is set at ~7v+ [the article says it should be 4.5-5.5v] but that makes it shut off. This is the third try...sounds pretty darn good that way, but also has an infrequent leaky capacitor type sound it made...I grabbed the filter cap hard' with pliers and it went away...quite possibly my first cap failure encounter...the other MB has a Jfet in it...the Mosfet wouldn't seem to bias on that one either...

[JordanAU]

alright i have already bought the perfboard and have soldered a few pieces on, looking at the tonepad schematic... How do i know which way the transistor is  supposed to sit?? I think it matters i'm not sure though (told you i was a beginner)

[fishdds]

The short answer is that if you have the same layout and the same part as the tonepad diagram, just align the flat side of the transistor the same way.  If your transistor is a different number, however, or your layout is different, you need to be careful about the pinout of the transistor (actually you should always be careful about this, as it is a very common cause of frustration when you fire the thing up and nothing happens)  Transistors have a collector, base and emitter (or drain, gate and source depending on the transistor)  See the FAQ on components for more info, and maybe your transistors came with information on the pinout.  Good luck!

[JordanAU]

thanks