Rangemaster improvement? (cap / noise)

[Theo]

Hi,

Just got to test my DIY rangemaster built over the R. G. Keen documents today.
It's got a NOS CV7003 Germanium transistor and selectable input caps.

I tested it today through my Marshall SL.. Not much bottom, plenty middy creamy gain.. much Brian like

The capacitors in the effect is just the little mouser ones referenced in the document. Would there be any difference in sound if i switched the input and the 0.01uF to better caps? Mallory or other?

The only resistors not metal film is the pulldowns, but it's still boosting hiss plenty on full setting (which i like the best   ).
Is there any other methods for cleaning up the noise a bit?

Thanks
Theo

[formerMember1]

i am in the middle of doing the same thing :wink:

Try shielded wire for in and out board connections and to output and input jacks to switch.  

I'll post how i made out later today or tomorrow. :wink:

[JHS]

Shielded wire will not reduce any hiss only hum. When the circuit ist boxed in a Hammond housing the effect is nearly zero, and due to much higher capacity of shielded wire you often loose the sparkle in the sound.

High end caps can help a bit to reduce hiss but not that much 'cos most noise is caused by the Ge-transistor.

First:
Make the tranny stable against temperature drift by adding a Ge-diode between the emitter and base, ring of diode pointing to the emitter.

Second:
Set the Bias properly.

Third:
Most NOS CV7003 will produce a very good sound, but that doesn't mean you fetched a good one in terms of hiss and noise.
Try at least 3-5 CV7003 and choose the best or quitest, NOS CV7003 can vary a lot, some are good, some are junk.

JHS

[Theo]

I have just redone some of the wiring with thicker & shorter leads... only tested it on a vamp but it seems relatively quiet there so thats possibly a tad better

Next time i buy parts i will try to buy some mallory or sim. caps and put them in there..  It cannot change anything to the worse

The ge-diode trick sounds clever.. Will it affect the sound? / hiss?
Is there any special diode that does the trick best or is it just any normal germanium diode?

I bought 3 tran's and this was the best one.. mostly in matters of Hfe.. but im mostly just doing this to make it as quiet as it can possibly get without sacrificing anything soundwise.

Would carbon comp pull down-resistors possibly add hiss?
It's the only resistors i have that are non metal film.

Thanks
Theo

[petemoore]

Probablly what you're hearing is leaky transistor hiss.
 I have some hissy 'RM' Ge's that otherwise sound 'good', blown Ge's that were good too.
 I have a quiet RM with an OC44/NTE158/etc. not that part #'s even matter, that's just what I have that's quiet and good sounding. This build is all CC Resistors and Greenie caps.

[formerMember1]

i finally finshed my RM today, i have to say it is the quietest pedal out there. No hum, hiss or anything except pure trebley rich tone.  I didn't use shielded wire.

I didn't add a ge diode for temp stability but i read bout that somewhere.  what Ge diode is the best one?   Does it affect tone at all?  that is really interesting if it works.  

Will the Ge diode affect any biasing or anything?
thanksd

[Theo]

Ive just ordered a few parts from smallbear (incl some mullard oc44).. asked for low leagage and fitting gain. Hope i get one

Just have to wait 10 days for the parts to arrive as i live en denmark... :S

Theo

[formerMember1]

in my experience, the OC44 are the best transistors out there for a RM.  I also tried a OC71 but thought that they sounded different.

To me the OC44 had more grit and chalky sounding, more like Cream.
The OC71 in my exp, sounded bassier, less gain, and more tighter and clearer.  

I don't know if i was so used to hearing the OC44 that i liked it better but, when i played the OC44 it just sounded right, but when i played the OC71 it was just lacking something.(they were the same gain too, both from smallbear)

Now i only tried one OC44 and one OC71, i might have gotten a OC71 that sounded "worse" than another OC71.  

* If you build the pedal and decide it doesn't have enough ooomph or gain, try increasing the boost pot by like 1K-8K.  I decided on a 10K boost audio pot, with (2) 3.6K resistors in series with the top lug to creat a pot that went from 7.2K to 17.2K  Any higher and to me it lost the sparkle, any lower (even 1K lower) and it sounded more trebley.  

I use a Hendrix strat clone i built though, if you use humbucker equipped guitar you will probably not like my above statement.  :wink:

I had alot of trouble with my pedal, but not a lot of trouble, but it lead me to understanding it instead of just building it and not know what does what.
SO if you need help just PM and i should be able to help ya.
Also search for threads about the Rangemaster, Ge booster etc. i found alot of threads that helped me when i was building.
Gotta go, my hands are hurting from typing.  :evil:

[formerMember1]

THEO:


I researched and i read at the below link that the reverse biased diode to use is a 1N34A you can get them from smallbear.

check out this site. http://fuzzcentral.tripod.com/faq.html   :wink:

Ive just ordered a few parts from smallbear (incl some mullard oc44).. asked for low leagage and fitting gain. Hope i get one  

Smallbear's transistors are tested for ya, and he only sells OC44's that are the right gain for Rangemaster's etc...  He is probably the best place to order from for me. becuase he is only a couple hundred miles from me.
Plus he is REALLY reliable and nice to deal with.(and good prices)