May Queen is too loud!!

[johnny5]

I built a ROG May Queen some time ago and really like it. The problem I have with it is that it is too loud to use into a clean amp. It just boosts the crap out of it. If I turn the volume down enough for unity gain (volume), the sound is very thin or anemic.

I was thinking about this. Wondering why it gets thin at low volume settings. The volume control is at the end of the circuit. There is no output coupling capacitor so is it possible that at low volumes the pedal is reacting to that large resistance at the end of it? Would adding a coupling cap just before the volume be useful?

Would anyone have and suggestions to cool out the volume on this circuit while retaining it's tone?

Thanks for looking!

[Ice-9]

What value are you using for the volume pot.

[johnny5]

it's a 100k volume pot straight to the output.

[Stellan]

I don´t know the circuit, but how about an output buffer?

[ayayay!]

Did you bias exactly to the specs?  If you want my advice, I would bias it by ear, especially on Q3.   

[Gus]

I noted "clean amp" in the first post.  Circuit like this IMO work there best when used to drive a turned up distorting tube amp for some extra EQed distortion.  On clean amps with good headroom they can sound harsher because it is acting as a treble boost.   Look for rangemaster threads and posts at this site.

[johnny5]

I noted "clean amp" in the first post.  Circuit like this IMO work there best when used to drive a turned up distorting tube amp for some extra EQed distortion.  On clean amps with good headroom they can sound harsher because it is acting as a treble boost.   Look for rangemaster threads and posts at this site.

I hear you but I don't really think of this as a treble booster. It's more of a distortion with treble booster sound.
see here;
http://www.runoffgroove.com/mayqueen.html

I am just looking for a little less output.

[alfafalfa]

Why don't you put a voltage divide before your volume pot ?

Here  a site where you can calculate it :

Adam Alpern's site , hope he doesn't mind !

http://amps.zugster.net/tools/voltage-divider

Alf

[johnny5]

Why don't you put a voltage divide before your volume pot ?

Here  a site where you can calculate it :

Adam Alpern's site , hope he doesn't mind !

http://amps.zugster.net/tools/voltage-divider

Alf

That's a good idea! I'll give it a try.

[analogmike]

It wont do what you want unless you make it loud, sorry it's pretty much like a rangemaster in that respect.

[johnny5]

thanks for all the responses. I guess it is what it is. It sounds great pushing an amp at band volumes. Woudl be fun to be able to practice with it.

[Jered]

  Not sure if the May Queen incorporates negative feedback or not, but if not, give that a shot. Then again it might only tame the gain a bit.

[doc_drop]

Forgive me for this if it is obvious, but I have built and use ROG's Thundercheif, Supreaux and May Queen. They mention it on the site, but it took me a while to start exploring the awesome interaction between these circuits and your guitar volume knob. The May Queen is loud, but by turning down your guitar, you can still get a lot of its ample distortion at low volumes.

It also sound good plugged before or after other boxes, just be careful about which volume knobs you boost to avoid the hums.

[Jered]

  OK I looked at the schem. Try pulling the 2.2 uf cap, that should help. If its still to loud you can raise the 2.2K resistor up to 10K, but if you go any higher than that you will need to rebias the JFET.