converting a distortion box into an OD box?

[catnine]

I am new today . Don't know much about IC's or transisters but I have a basic understanding and know what the componants look like .
I do know alot about tube guitar amps and building them and guitars as well .

Is it a massive project to make an attempt to take a VOX 840 distortion pedal and change it into a subtle OD box like something along the lines of a rocktron austin gold ?
I have both , the only reason I am looking at this is the vox is a better built box with pots and jacks mounted to the box rather than on a PC board . I am selling a blues driver and I have sold my TS-9 . these are alrightboxes but lean more into lots of gain , not my style .
So far the Rocktron AG is the best pedal to my ear and style .
Between a distortion box and OD box is it the IC that is the main part or the entire circuit ? i realize this is not as simple as I ask .
The rocktron will last because I don't abuse things and it's pretty well made , the only other option would be to change the pots and jacks and wire them into the PC or build a circuit like the AG so it fits the vox .

[octafish]

I don't know either of these circuits but I trust the Rocktron pedals to last a long time if they are looked after. Most people on this forum put their DIY stuff into an aluminium box like MXR pedals. If you were to put the Rocktron circuit into a different pedal I would use one of these boxes and sell the Vox. You might run into trouble with the switching as the Rocktron probably uses a keyboard style switch. There are people on this forum who repair such things, and probably have a solution for this though.
Have a look at the circuits and sound samples at //www.home-wrecker.com and //www.runoffgroove.com you might find something you like better than the Rocktron. Try one of the jfet amp sims, or the tube reamer. Check out Tim Escobedo's  //www.geocities.com/tpe123/folkurban/fuzz/snippets.html for lots of fun, simple, and simply fun cricuits as well.

edit: I misread the original post and got confused, I thought I as talking about a RockTEK not RockTRON. Rockteks are plastic and I'd happilly gig with one of these let alone a metal Rocktron. It'll be fine. Just leave it alone and play your guitar. If you are interested in unique effects that can't be bought checkout the above links.

[aron]

Assuming overdrive=less distortion and "softer" type of distortion.

Then maybe alter the drive to have "less" and whatever way it clips, put small value caps around the clipping circuit to roll of some edge and if it uses diodes, use that series resistor (or pot) with the diodes.

See my simple mods page.

[catnine]

I decided to just use the austin gold since it will probably last for many years and I put the Vox on Ebay .
I'm just not a distortion booster type of guy and I will never use it .
I tried a few distortion pedals like the big muff and fuzz face , they all sound the same to me .
And the TS-9 and BD-2  both have extreme overdrive , it can be dialed down but the austin gold just adds enough full up and it really only comes in if you dig in a bit more so it words best for blues if you have to keep the tube amp volume down .

[MartyMart]

I decided to just use the austin gold since it will probably last for many years and I put the Vox on Ebay .
I'm just not a distortion booster type of guy and I will never use it .
I tried a few distortion pedals like the big muff and fuzz face , they all sound the same to me .
And the TS-9 and BD-2  both have extreme overdrive , it can be dialed down but the austin gold just adds enough full up and it really only comes in if you dig in a bit more so it words best for blues if you have to keep the tube amp volume down .

I like that Austin Gold OD, its quite a special little circuit, very nice for
"just on the edge" of breakup tones  

Marty.

[cd]

I decided to just use the austin gold since it will probably last for many years and I put the Vox on Ebay .
I'm just not a distortion booster type of guy and I will never use it .

Good move, those pedals fetch slightly stupid money (for what it is) just because the Valve Tone fetches really stupid money.

Otherwise my other suggestion would have been to turn down the Drive, and perhaps stick an EQ in front of the pedal to lower the bass going into the effect.