Red LLama question...

[Pierre]

Hi !!!
I just put together a Red Llama, the Marty B layout, and it sounds very good !
What i want to know is if it's normal that it is that loud...i mean, at 1/4 of the vol. pot it becomes really loud...
Thank you !!!

[solarplexus]

you probably used a linear pot (B) instead of a log pot (A).... that would explain the fast volume rise.

[Pierre]

...
instead of a 10k log pot i used a 50k log pot...

[Processaurus]

The 4049 based CA tube sound fuzz/Red Llama has huge output compared to diode clipping distortions, because it clips at a higher threshold (near the power supply rails).  You could attenuate the overall volume by adding a 50K resistor, for example, in series with the output, before your 50K pot, that would cut the output signal volume in half at the top of the volume control, by making it a 100K (total resistance) voltage divider, and the wiper of the 50K pot only being able to go half way between ground and the full output of the circuit.

Lately I've been thinking how most volume knobs are strange that they would go down to zero, what use is that?  Seems like it would be better to have a set minimum volume, so that you would have more control over the useful range of volume, and be less at the mercy of tiny variations in that knob (that will inevitably get bumped around).  You could do that by adding a resistor between the lug of the volume pot normally attached to ground, and ground.  Same idea as lowering the max volume, just the other end of the pot.

[DiamondDog]

Lately I've been thinking how most volume knobs are strange that they would go down to zero, what use is that?  Seems like it would be better to have a set minimum volume, so that you would have more control over the useful range of volume, and be less at the mercy of tiny variations in that knob (that will inevitably get bumped around).  You could do that by adding a resistor between the lug of the volume pot normally attached to ground, and ground.  Same idea as lowering the max volume, just the other end of the pot.

I agree, but I didn't do it so I can't comment on what was done, and I don't know what an unmassaged one looks like.

My preamp had its tonestack massaged when being built. As well as adjustments to the stack, the tone pots are set up so that 0 was at the minimum level of usefulness, not null, and 10 at the maximum level used. There's not a lot of sense only using 50% of the pot. The pots were also log/anti-logged, and together they made a big difference in usability. Volume and gain still go to 0 though. That's more to do with me.

[fusionid]

yeah my red llama clone is also very loud. I use it at 1/3. Sounds great though.