Skyripper build report and pics ( Joe Gagan Rocks!!!!)

[tungngruv]

Perfed it up in a day, wired it up on another day and finally put it in an old hammond that I build pedals in before they go into their permanent box. I LOVE IT!!!!!!! Words cannot describe this and I still cannot believe how it sounds!!! I had some questions about all the switches and Mark Hammer graciously helped out. (Thanks Mark). Fuzz can be thin, fat or nasty, sputtering... the list goes on and I didn't even mention that you can actually play music with your volume knob!!!! How cool is that!!! Like literally having 10 different fuzz boxes, The treble boost sounds killer and together, they sound fantastic. The Rip control is like a whole other instrument. I'm going to post pics tomorrow night and sound clips in a day or two. I am having one issue (although I'm pretty sure it's my mixing up a couple wires on switch (#3). Maybe someone who has built this can answer this....
I didn't have a dual gang pot so I used two 1m pot's wired like on the schematic (below) and a SPDT stomp switch for S3. I'm only getting a small faint sound when the buffer switch (S3) is engaged. Any ideas? Also, I only have one regret after building this pedal, Jimi didn't have one Thanks Joe Gagan and anyone helping with my buffer situation. Thanks in advance for any help!!!!!

http://www.ampage.org/sounds/files/SkyripperSCHEM6-24.jpg

[tungngruv]

All is well now. What a fat, juicy fuzz! I had the SPDT buffer switch wired wrong . The dual gang 1M pots and all the pots and switches really put this off for me but... I built it using two 1Meg pots (instead of the dual gang, it works great), built it nagative ground by reversing all electro's and the diode, used NPN trannies (2n9304 for Q1, AC187 for Q2 & Q4 and a BC108 for Q3) and reversing the battery polarity. I also used a germanium diode I bought from Aron instead of the trannie.  Besides the buffer mix up, it worked fine first time. I'll post pics later tonight. By far my favorite fuzz, covers huge variety of tones!!!!!

[tungngruv]

OK, here are the pictures. I know the box is ugly, it's missing a couple knobs and the controls need to be spread out more but : I used a bunch of parts I had laying around and an old box that I started several projects on that didn't quite pan out. Also, honestly... I really didn't think that I could build this and have it work!!! Anyway, I'm pretty pleased and like I said, it is the best fuzz I have ever built or played!!!! Thanks again Joe Gagan!
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=8139235&uid=3933243

[Processaurus]

Looks awsome!

If you felt like it you could fill that hole by the footswitch with a photocell, hooked up so the oscillations in the circuit could be controlled with a hand or foot or other appendage...

[Peter Snowberg]

That looks FANTASTIC!!!      

If you felt like it you could fill that hole by the footswitch with a photocell, hooked up so the oscillations in the circuit could be controlled with a hand or foot or other appendage...

Smashing idea!      

[tungngruv]

Thanks guys!! You know, I can't quit playing this pedal!!!!!!!
Maybe I can use the extra hole for "tips" :lol:

[EdJ]

I really like my Skyripper too.
Lots of fun!!
Didn`t you include the send/return?
I can reccommend including it.
You can get all sorts of crazy effects by putting a few fuzzes in it or a chorus and a fuzz.
Btw. i changed mine a little by making all the switches footswitches;it adds a bit extra controll.
On the other hand sometimes it feels like the thing is controling me instead of the other way around:)
Have a great time with it!
Greetings,Ed

[tungngruv]

Yeah, the loop is in there but I just tack soldered a bridge across until I get the right jacks. Also, I'm having a guy bend me a box out of aluminum on a metal brake so I too can control all the switches w/my feet. What a cool pedal!

[joegagan]

Thanks Tung!

I am glad you took the time to build it and I appreciate all the great comments.
that is awesome that you are getting so much fun out of it.
Interesting that you used two 1 meg pots in place of the buffer pot dualgang. I can imagine that it might do some wierd stuff ( it was designed to work like a pot version of a dpdt bypass switch,  with some gain altering postiions as it passes the middle of the sweep.) Some of my fave tones are at about 80- 90% up in either cw or ccw positions. Are you able to hear the diff between buffer/ non buffer the way you have it wired?
Maybe you can sub in a proper dualgang and let us know the difference you found. A 500k is an ok alternative.
I can send a  1 meg dual gang to ya but it is huge, it is a mil spec AB pot from the 60s or so

On the topic of the dual gang pot, this is actually a design flaw that I corrected in a later redo. I don't like how it is in circuit at all times ( study the schem, it shows that the bypass switches are AFTER the dualgang.) This is not good when you set the dual gang to less than 'full up' positions, in BP mode it f's up your tone.

Ditto EdJs' post about the FX loop, it is a fun tool. Try putting mega boosts in the loop etc. I also LOVE fuzzes ahead of the S Rip, lower octaves and envelope filters. Try a wah in the loop as well.

Does your unit have a bias control ? which schem is it?
if it doesn't have a bias, you really need one as well to effect the gating when boosts and fuzzes are ahead of the S rip.

[tungngruv]

Hi Joe, thanks!!
I used this schematic:
http://www.ampage.org/sounds/files/SkyripperSCHEM6-24.jpg

Are you able to hear the diff between buffer/ non buffer the way you have it wired?

Yes

On the topic of the dual gang pot, this is actually a design flaw that I corrected in a later redo. I don't like how it is in circuit at all times ( study the schem, it shows that the bypass switches are AFTER the dualgang.) This is not good when you set the dual gang to less than 'full up' positions, in BP mode it f's up your tone.

I noticed that the buffer can "squash" the note definition at some settings but I really get lots of cool tones and effects from it (reduced gain to slight boost, plus odd filtering sounds to the notes). I'm just carefull with those knobs. So cool!

Does your unit have a bias control ?

Yes, I love it. Makes the notes sound like a zipper!!!!
Honestly Joe, I feel guilty about building this. It sounds so good to that I almost feel someone should have gotten paid for it. Thanks you for designing this and making it available. You do rock!!! Thanks