Results of the Klon-type booster schematic.

[skiraly017]

About two months ago, someone posted a schematic and layout called "Klon-type Booster" and it was pulled quickly after posting. I was fortunate enough to read the post early on and downloaded the file. Well, I finally got around to building it and wanted to report back.

If you didn't get the file, I promise you're not missing anything. $10 and an hour of my life I will never get back. 

[MartyMart]

"Schemo's for nothing and 'yer chips for free"  !

....... yup sometimes those ones dont "work out"

Bit of advice, build Mark Hammer's "The Crank" ... now you WONT regret that one 
Fabulous "boost 'n Grit" circuit ....

MM.

[markm]

I was looking at that one just tonight and it looks like an interesting circuit.

[bajaman]

Yes, I saw that one too - it was more H*T C*KE than KL*N though - hehe

[Mark Hammer]

Well, it wasn't intended to be either of them, and was really more of a response to the perennial problem of bandwidth being yoked to op-amp gain-changes in annoying ways.  If there ARE any resemblances in part, they are purely accidental.  I used a dual-ganged pot for gain and so does the Klon centaur, but there are a LOT of ways in which a dual-ganged pot could be used for gain adjustment beyond what I did.

A tone control (consider the SWTC) would make a nice addition.  Certainly feel free to adapt what you see in the schem in any way you like.  There is nothing particularly revolutionary or in need of IP protection there.  Nor is there anything especially critical to functioning.  It's your pedal and your diodes and your tone, so have at it.

Incidentally, this is a perfect illustration of why op-amp slew rate generally does not matter in guitar circuits.  Yes, there is a some reasonable gain in there, but since none of it is locallized to one single stage, op-amps with appallingly low slew rates will behave in a perfectly acceptable manenr with all the bandwidth a guitarist could ever want.

[MartyMart]

Sorry to "drop" you in again here Mark !!
Crank is a "little cracker" though 

MM.

[kusi]

if someone is intressted about that circuit, look here in this thread at the post of User JHS; (for downloading you have to log-in!)
the files are re-named in OD++

http://forum.musikding.de/yabbse/index.php?topic=4954.0

this is the circuit we talked about. but remeber, it has NO similarities to the KLON in the circuit.

best greetings, kusi

[skiraly017]

There's a revision A & B listed. I'm curious to see what the changes are but since I understand absolutely no German at all, creating a username and password is a bit of a challenge. Kusi, would you be willing to email me the layouts? Thanks.

skiraly017 AT adelphia DOT net

[bajaman]

Hi Kusi - that's not the schems originally posted - it's the clark gainster clones

[skiraly017]

Hi Kusi - that's not the schems originally posted - it's the clark gainster clones

The Clean/Dirty Boost is very close to the schematic that was posted here.

[JHS]

I breadboarded the "KLB" only for a soundcheck 'cos I didn't want to buy the original thing (Red Snapper) and I must say that I was not really satisfied with the sound of the unit and I would not recommend to build it too.  To me the sound of the "KLB" was disappointing, w/o enough dynamic responses and it is not touch sensibel and that was the reason for the decision not to post it here.  I called it "KLB"for internal use because my breadboard version had similar clear treble like the Klon.

Andy had posted the schem w/o my permission, and I don't know what he had posted here, the schem was already deleted when I jumped in. I sent him two schems, one was a modified Hot Cake with reduced gain and the other a slightly modified Red Snapper with reduced gain but acc. to Andy it was the modified RS circuit.

The crux on the "KLB"  is the IC.

With a good JRC 072BD,  a vintage Strat and combined with a small tweed amp or a JCM 800  it is a good sounding device and a good substitute for any treble booster, with other ICs and other equipment it sounded like crap, especially the crunch tone and the reaction to the guitar volume pot was very disappointing. I checked the sound of the "KLB" with at least 10 different ICs, none of them were as satisfying as the 072BD. Combined with a Blackface amp the sound of the "KLB" even with the JRC was absolute terrible, the "KLB" didn't have the mids to match any BF but the original RS isn't any better when combined with a BF.

Later I altered the"KLB"- circuit to a Barber Gainster and then downsized it to a Clark small box Gainster V-3 and then to big box V-1, the circuits are nearly identical to the "KLB" and the RS but the Gainster had a few different part values and the V-1 sounds absolute fantastic with a small tweed amp (please dont't PM, aks Mike Clark for the schems, I will not pass it).


BTW:

For those who like the Klon and only want to build something capable to get the Klon's classic clean boost tone, the "Hao Rustbooster" is the thing (schem can be found in the japanese Forum of "Mr. K" and it's way simpler than a Dist+).

It's hard to distinguish the clean sound of the Hao with a selected TI  or Mitsubishi 072 from the Klon with the tonepot around 1 o'clock and gain set real  low but the OD-sound of the two FX are complete different. 072 from other manufactures are absolute unusable in the Rustbooster and only ruin the sound.  Only 15-20% of the TI and Mitsubishi will work fine in this circuit too, so you must select be ear until you find a good sounding one.

JHS

[bajaman]

Hey guys - I have the schematic - how do I repost it, so we don't keep going in circles

[skiraly017]

Hey guys - I have the schematic - how do I repost it, so we don't keep going in circles

It cannot be posted/reposted without the owner's permission. That's part of the reason it was pulled last time. If the owner wants to post it that's his call.

[bajaman]

you guys crack me up - it's only a f@#$%in' fuzz box after all

[goosonique]

you guys crack me up - it's only a f@#$%in' fuzz box after all

yup tell me about it ...

....shove the rest and go for the CRANK... tweak to taste...unless you buy the mojo crap !!
Hammer man ...thanks heaps yo !!

[blues]

Hey guys - I have the schematic - how do I repost it, so we don't keep going in circles

I see this only joke .
Happy cloning
Regards
blues

[markm]

do ya suppose it's a cross between an 808 and an Austin Gold??