Some Questions (Problems) with Colorsound Overdriver

[Oliver]

Hi,

i just build a Colosound Overdriver and have some Soundproblems with it.
The Tonecontrols (Bass/Treble) are working, but in the middle of the conrtoled way the it steals much Output Volume.
Its very hard to find a Setup, that matches Bass/Treble/Drive combinations.

Is there any way to modify the ToneControl, so that it works only as a tone control and not even as a second Volume?

I build that one from the original old Schematic, but it is similar to that one from FuzzCentral.

Thanx for Help!

Oliver

[Ammscray]

The tone controls and gain control are totally independent from each other...check your wiring in the tone stack again, the problem you described should not be happening...

Which scheme did you use?

[Jason Stout]

Keep in mind that a passive tone control and a volume control have a lot in common. They both attenuate the signal; the tone control is used to attenuate selected signals. Check the tone control circuit and then sweep the pot with a meter attached.  Your pot could have a funny spot, I have one like this.

Jason

[Oliver]

Keep in mind that a passive tone control and a volume control have a lot in common. They both attenuate the signal; the tone control is used to attenuate selected signals. Check the tone control circuit and then sweep the pot with a meter attached.  Your pot could have a funny spot, I have one like this.

Jason

Hi,

what is a funny spot?
I used log. Pots (lin are out at the Moment), but that should not be the reason...
The Treble Control does not soak down the Volume in the Middle, but
on the complete way the Volume goes down a bit, so that the Gain looses some power.

Is it possible to change the circuit from the Point, where the Signal goes into the the Tonecircuit and let it flow directly to the third transistor and
than adding the Tonecontrol like that one from the SmashDrive or BigMuff?
Or will that kill the Soundcharacter?

At the Moment i'm unsatisfied with that Overdriver.
It drives too heavy (Fuzzy) or only a little, so that my LPB boosts much more on 2/3 of its Volume.
One Good thing is, if the Basscontrol is turned all the way up, the Colorsound makes a huge FAT Sound.

bye Oliver

[Jim Jones]

Hi Oliver,

If you're getting more boost out of your LPB-1 something is definitely wrong with your Overdriver!!!  Those damn things have more boost than any pedal I've ever encountered.

Jim

[Oliver]

Hi Oliver,

If you're getting more boost out of your LPB-1 something is definitely wrong with your Overdriver!!!  Those damn things have more boost than any pedal I've ever encountered.

Jim

sorry - yes i'm wrong - i tested the Overdrive at my LittleGem Amp and turned the Level Control of the Overdriver as low as i could, so that i can test the distortion of the Overdriver. As i got a clean Boost from the Overdriver, the LPB was compared with 2/3 Output louder and fatter.

I have to play around with some ohter values, to avoid that typical Fuzzdistortion, when turned all the way up.
And the Tone Control makes me crazy..

i will see

bye
Oliver

[Ammscray]

One thing is for sure, the "gain" control is really more of a fuzz anyways and most people that I know don't use that pedal for that reason...I always leave it all the way off...

 Most people use it for the powerful clean boost it gives (think Jeff Beck Wired), or the incredible sweet treble boost (think Jan Akkerman in Hocus Pocus) that's the magic of that pedal...

Also I don't think your bass control is working right either...usually you can't turn that up more than half way without it being way too much...

You never said what trannys you used, this makes a big difference...since you're in Europe you shouldn't have much trouble finding the right BC devices...I hope you used BC169C, that's the original and best one to use...

[Oliver]

One thing is for sure, the "gain" control is really more of a fuzz anyways and most people that I know don't use that pedal for that reason...I always leave it all the way off...

 Most people use it for the powerful clean boost it gives (think Jeff Beck Wired), or the incredible sweet treble boost (think Jan Akkerman in Hocus Pocus) that's the magic of that pedal...

Also I don't think your bass control is working right either...usually you can't turn that up more than half way without it being way too much...

You never said what trannys you used, this makes a big difference...since you're in Europe you shouldn't have much trouble finding the right BC devices...I hope you used BC169C, that's the original and best one to use...

Hi,

i build a clean Boost (LPB2) and one, in which i soldered the Tranny just in the wrong way (E and C swapped) that works like a Filter.
In combination these two Boosters make a fine slight OverdriveSound for LeadParts.
I hoped the Colorsound Overdrive gives me a Part of Overdriving Sound between a Tubescreamer and a Fuzz.

My Basscontrol is very crazy - all the way down, the Treble gets a little Kick, turning it up, the Power of the Sound looses a bit - and most at
middle posisition. After that the Bass is coming in and the Volume/Power
comes back with much Bass. the Treble Control is working ok, but even
steals some Volume, when turned down. (now as i write this i think, the Wirering of the BassPot may be wrong - That one, that has to be in the Middle is swapped with that one from the right Side. (i'll check that at home tonight)

For Trannys i used BC549C, BC109, BC108 or BC169 are available in some Stores here too. The BC549C is my universal ("Bread and Butter") Tranny.

I modify the Gaincontrol for better response and derating it a bit.

Did someone ever tried to build that thing with Ge AC128 or AC188?

bye Oliver

[Ammscray]

One thing is for sure, the "gain" control is really more of a fuzz anyways and most people that I know don't use that pedal for that reason...I always leave it all the way off...

 Most people use it for the powerful clean boost it gives (think Jeff Beck Wired), or the incredible sweet treble boost (think Jan Akkerman in Hocus Pocus) that's the magic of that pedal...

Also I don't think your bass control is working right either...usually you can't turn that up more than half way without it being way too much...

You never said what trannys you used, this makes a big difference...since you're in Europe you shouldn't have much trouble finding the right BC devices...I hope you used BC169C, that's the original and best one to use...

Hi,

i build a clean Boost (LPB2) and one, in which i soldered the Tranny just in the wrong way (E and C swapped) that works like a Filter.
In combination these two Boosters make a fine slight OverdriveSound for LeadParts.
I hoped the Colorsound Overdrive gives me a Part of Overdriving Sound between a Tubescreamer and a Fuzz.

My Basscontrol is very crazy - all the way down, the Treble gets a little Kick, turning it up, the Power of the Sound looses a bit - and most at
middle posisition. After that the Bass is coming in and the Volume/Power
comes back with much Bass. the Treble Control is working ok, but even
steals some Volume, when turned down. (now as i write this i think, the Wirering of the BassPot may be wrong - That one, that has to be in the Middle is swapped with that one from the right Side. (i'll check that at home tonight)

For Trannys i used BC549C, BC109, BC108 or BC169 are available in some Stores here too. The BC549C is my universal ("Bread and Butter") Tranny.

I modify the Gaincontrol for better response and derating it a bit.

Did someone ever tried to build that thing with Ge AC128 or AC188?

bye Oliver

Yeah the bottom line is that the tone stack is not wired properly...check that first before you go on...

Then take the 549's out and use BC169C...you will LOVE the pedal at that point

I've made germanium versions of the overdriver yeah, you need to change a few values slightly bit works...sounds more like the 3-tranny TB from that same period so I thought it was a bit redundant...

anything but AC germaniums please...

[Oliver]

OK,

i will do that !

thanx and bye

Oliver

[phillip]

Oliver, you could also add a 100K log. volume pot to the output of the circuit (the original didn't have the volume on the output) and you can make a mean distortion out of it.  Turn the volume down a bit, crank up the gain and it should start to distort pretty good

Phillip

[Jason Stout]

Oliver, In an earlier post I assumed that the tone control in the Colorsound overdriver was a passive tone control, It is an active tone control  :shock: I should have looked at the schematic. Oh well, the diagnoses is still the same, I think your unit is miswired.  As for the “funny spot” I referred to, it’s unlikely but possible that you have a defective pot like one of mine.

Jason

[Oliver]

Oliver, In an earlier post I assumed that the tone control in the Colorsound overdriver was a passive tone control, It is an active tone control  :shock: I should have looked at the schematic. Oh well, the diagnoses is still the same, I think your unit is miswired.  As for the “funny spot” I referred to, it’s unlikely but possible that you have a defective pot like one of mine.

Jason

Hi,

i checked everything and its going right now.
I added a 100KLog at the End to test it at all settings and the Problem i wrote only exist, if the "MasterVol"is turned all the Way down to let only a little, little Signal out. In real Use its OK.

It sounds good at nearly 75% of Gain, so when you hit the Strings, it distorts for a moment and sings out clean!!

At one Point i gave a wrong information - i looked out for BC169 and i cant find them here (was shure to get them, but its not...  :cry: )
Is there an alternative?

cu
Oliver