Jordan Bosstone Noise

[Baktown]

After many failures on my last projects, I finally did something right and got a Jordan Bosstone built and working.  It sounds pretty good except it's really noisy.  I thought it might be the FL lights in my house, but turning all the lights off didn't help.  Any tips on noise reduction?

Thanks,

Axl Bundy

[aron]

Ground the input of the effect and see if you still get all the noise. If it stops, my guess would be that it's amplifying your pickup noise.

Aron

[Baktown]

THanks.  I'll try that.  BTW, I'm using a Gibson SG w/HB's, would that have any effect on the noise?

Axl

[Baktown]

It actally makes noise even with the volume of the guitar turned off.

Axl

[aron]

Is it in a metal case?

[Baktown]

It's actually not in a case at all.  I always test my builds first before installing in a case.

Axl Bundy

[R.G.]

If you can, put an o'scope on it. The Bosstone is prone to radio frequency (RF) oscillation unless layout and wiring are immaculate.

Low level RF often sounds like aggressive hissing.

[ambulancevoice]

id box it in a temporary aluminium enclosure and test it, cause that will shield it, and it may deal with the noise possibly

[Dragonfly]

box it up and ground it properly and you should be fine.

if its radio frequencies, usually a 10k resistorr on the input and a 10-15pf cap to ground gets rid of the issue, without having much effect on the tone.

[mac]

Also, have you a gnd/earth connection? Amps and effects not properly grounded make noise.

mac

[Solidhex]

Yeah

  The Bosstone is a pretty noisy circuit. At least mine is. I built it with the input grounded but its pretty close to unusable in my book. Think I'll switch out the in/out wire with some shielded cable and see if it helps.

--Brad

[Baktown]

All,

I'm confused.  I'm a rank beginner, so I'm really not sure what's meant by grounding the input.  Do you mean running a jumper from the input jack to ground, or a jumper from the input on the board to ground?

Sorry for the lack of understanding, I'm just an old garage rocker with too much time on my hands, and not enough smarts to really understand what I'm doing.

Axl Bundy

[Solidhex]

Go to General Guitar Gadgets site and look under the tech pages under switching and wiring click on the many bypass options there will be a link for true-bypass, led equipped pedal with battery and DC jacks, and the grounded input... that's what you're looking for


--Brad

[Baktown]

Thanks!

I'll go check it out.

Axl

[brett]

Hi
the original Bosstones ran at gains of around 400.  The first transistor runs flat out and the second transistor doubles the gain.

In the old days, Q1 had gains of around 200, but these days just about any transistor has an hFE of 350, and many are 500 or more.  So the gain might be 1000 or more. 
To fix it, you can either get hold of an old BC107 or 2N3904 for Q1, or you can put a 47 ohm resistor on the emitter of Q1.  (I did the latter).
cheers

[Dragonfly]

Hi
the original Bosstones ran at gains of around 400.  The first transistor runs flat out and the second transistor doubles the gain.

In the old days, Q1 had gains of around 200, but these days just about any transistor has an hFE of 350, and many are 500 or more.  So the gain might be 1000 or more. 
To fix it, you can either get hold of an old BC107 or 2N3904 for Q1, or you can put a 47 ohm resistor on the emitter of Q1.  (I did the latter).
cheers

good point.

other good transistor candidates are 2n3903 and 2n4401

or you  could make a "piggybacked" bosstone.

[Baktown]

I used 2N3904's, but I have a few 4401's, and some 2222's.

Not to sound ignorant (which I still am), but when you say run a 47 ohm resistor from the emitter, you mean bridge the emitter to ground with a 47 ohm resistor, right?

Thanks!

Axl

[Dragonfly]

I used 2N3904's, but I have a few 4401's, and some 2222's.

Not to sound ignorant (which I still am), but when you say run a 47 ohm resistor from the emitter, you mean bridge the emitter to ground with a 47 ohm resistor, right?

Thanks!

Axl

yep.

it has the effect of reducing the gain of Q1

[Baktown]

Thanks dude!

You have a really good gallery of stuff, by the way.  It's very nicely organized and easy to use.

Axl

[Dragonfly]

Thanks dude!

You have a really good gallery of stuff, by the way.  It's very nicely organized and easy to use.

Axl

No problem.

And thanks for the kind words. I'm rebuilding it slowly.