Help selecting right clipping diode

[Rock_on]

Ok so I'm building the Modded Electra distortion from

https://sites.google.com/site/distorque/home/projects/modded-electra-distortion

I'm doing all the mods I read. I'm doing the clipping threshold also.

So my only real problem is what diode to use

Songs I used to play is from secondhand serenade, boys like girls, your guardian angel of R.J.A,etc (slow rock style..)

Sometimes MCR, canon rock alike, paramore,etc (rock sometimes metallish) (I don't need a pure heavy distortion, just rock know what I mean??)
So what I'm doing is I'm going to put a switch to choose what pair of diodes to use.

Well what diodes could you suggest for my two kind of songs I play??

First set is?? Second set is??

Well I have here is 1N4001, 1N4148, LEDs.

[drolo]

Germanium diodes clip around 250-350 mV
for silicon diodes, 600-800 mV
Leds 1400 - 1600 mV

This means, the smaller the forward voltage (ex. germs) the more distortion you get (more compressed) but also the lower your output level will be.

With a Led your signal will only start to clip at 1400mV. So less distortion but the signal level will be higher.

Silicon sits more or less in the middle.

You should not have a big difference between a 1N4001, 1N4148

Try with sockets which ones suit you best ;-)

[dmc777]

Germanium diodes clip around 250-350 mV
for silicon diodes, 600-800 mV
Leds 1400 - 1600 mV

This means, the smaller the forward voltage (ex. germs) the more distortion you get (more compressed) but also the lower your output level will be.

With a Led your signal will only start to clip at 1400mV. So less distortion but the signal level will be higher.

Silicon sits more or less in the middle.

You should not have a big difference between a 1N4001, 1N4148

Try with sockets which ones suit you best ;-)

Great answer. Sockets are your friend! Look at different schematics of pedals that have the tone or clipping you like also might help point you in the right direction. You can also try symmetrical and assymetrical clipping. Google it. There's also a great mod board from this from another diy site that you can purchase, not sure if I can mention the name here, but it's basically board with holes to mount your switch and holes for diodes, caps, etc.... Socket them and just swap em out. Easy.

[Kesh]

Just to add that LEDs can clip from about 1 volt up to maybe 4 volt.

there are also Schottky diodes which have voltages similar to Germanium.

[Eric.nail]

It's all good but id be more concerned with the pedal you chose. I dont really listen to Second hand Serenade often, but the few songs i'v heard are really slow...Like the slowest of slow rock! ha! With that being the case, i dont think you'll get the sound you want out of this build. You should try something more of the tube screamer vein. Timmy clone is a good one. you're looking for versatility correct? The timmy has 4 clipping diodes built into the pedal that are always in the circuit, as well as two more that you can switch on or off individually. Really a simple build, 4 knob pedal that'll do i think exactly what you're looking for. (even the heavier MCR stuff)

[JebemMajke]

Orange LED + germ gave me some really nice results. You should most definitely use sockets.

[Rock_on]

thanks guys.. let's see what i can find and do....

but any more clues? like

hmm.. give me an example..

like (im jsut assuming this): Germ and Silicon will make sound like this. LED and this will make sound like this..

any pls?

[pinkjimiphoton]

germanium will sound "fuzzier"....more of a "vintage" "stoner rock" kind of sound with an easy breakup.

silicon will be generally a smooter breakup, with more volume, but less reaction to the guitar knobs than the germanium. they'll also be roughly twice as loud.

led's will be the loudest of the bunch, with the least distortion/fuzz...but more of an  ability to push the front of the amp. they tend to be far more dynamic. you really gotta whack the guitar to get them to distort.

like everyone else says, sockets are your friends.

you can mix and match to your heart's content.  try maybe 6 1n34's on one side, and a single 1n4148 on the other.

that will give you a nice assymetrical balance between the top and bottom of the sound wave...one side will clip harsh, and one soft, which can be a nice sound.

combinations of ge/si diodes and led's can work wonders, too. personally, if using led's, i think the 3mm ones clip better than the 5mm ones do.

there's no right or wrong...use what sounds best to you.

you may wanna consider adding a second footswitch, so you can say go with a ge diode clipper on one side, and an led clipper on the other so you can have a footswitchable lead boost. the led's will be probably 3-4 db louder than the ge's.

[Rock_on]

Thanks!! Right now I'm using 1n4001 with 1n4148 and a switch to switch to two 1n4148. Hahahaha (actually i don't still have the two 1n4148)

Edit: (I mean two other 1n4001)


Try searching diode-o-Rama in google..

I listened to it but seems no difference just the volume..

I like the descriptions only..

I like the ts808 but I chose the last one.

[pinkjimiphoton]

if you're in the states, you can get 1n4148's or 1n914's at radidio shack for cheap.

the tone's different with led's...they don't distort as much until ya really let that shit rip...they stay pretty clean right up to clipping.

have fun, man.

[Rock_on]

I'm from philippines.. We don't have 1n34 so I substitute it with 1n60 but they give me 1n4148 always.. We don't have 1n914 also.. Hahahaha

[jogina111]

looking at the schematic you linked, I suggest to build the circuit. It comes with a gain control which can clean up the signal well for secondhand serenade. You can use 1n4148's  which gives more distorted tone and clean it up with the gain control. Where do you live in the Philippines? Im in Catanduanes.

[Rock_on]

looking at the schematic you linked, I suggest to build the circuit. It comes with a gain control which can clean up the signal well for secondhand serenade. You can use 1n4148's  which gives more distorted tone and clean it up with the gain control. Where do you live in the Philippines? Im in Catanduanes.

Pamapanga.. you speak tagalog? i hope so although i know english it's better in tagalog hahahaha.

my only problem is how to do i put the bypass cap in the gain control which is a rheostat in this case..

what i know is in a fixed resistor in the emitter you should put the cap parallel with it.. positive toward the emitter pin...

i currently use 1n4148 together with 1n4001

anyway.. i put the the cap negative side on the middle positive on pin number 3.. pin 2 and 3 tied together acting as rheostat..

[jogina111]

sorry, I don't speak tagalog. Anyway, heres another build that I think will suite your needs.. Just use a blue LED and any npn darlington. I remembered using 2 s9014 transistors wired as a darlington pair. I skipped the thickness control by putting in a 100nF cap from input to base of the transistors. Sad to say, the electra just cant cut it for paramore. At least for me.

www.home-wrecker.com/dbf.png

[Rock_on]

Right now I'm using two pairs

I have dpdt switch

-0-0-0- hot from diode - signal - hot from second set of diode
-0-0-0- diode ground - ground - second pair of diode ground

First set: 1N4001 and 1N4148
Second set: Two 1N4148 on one side and 2N5458 in other side (JFET source and drain tied together)

No difference in my ears but the second is louder..

[Rock_on]

Right now I'm using two pairs

I have dpdt switch

-0-0-0- hot from diode - signal - hot from second set of diode
-0-0-0- diode ground - ground - second pair of diode ground

First set: 1N4001 and 1N4148
Second set: Two 1N4148 on one side and 2N5458 in other side (JFET source and drain tied together)

No difference in my ears but the second is louder..

so.. that's my next mod i want to do. darlington pair

my only problem is. what i know is you put the collector to the other's base (depends on how you use it) my problem is i dont know what to put in the collector of the other transistor.. should i just connect it to the previous transistor?

for the emitter of the other that's my problem also.. dont know what to put..

[jogina111]

heres a diagram. Kindly study it and be sure of the pinouts and must use  npn transistors.

[jogina111]

heres a diagram. Kindly study it and be sure of the pinouts and must use  npn transistors.

www.kpsec.freeuk.com/images/darlingt.gif

[Rock_on]

easy... no any element to be added like the big muff pi??

[pappasmurfsharem]

You could do something Like I'm going to do in this thread.

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=100632.0

Using a DPDT ON-OFF-ON switch. with the leds in the middle you can switch between 3 sets of clipping. assuming that whatever is on the top or bottom lugs has a lower threshold than the LEDS