Dragonfly perf layout? (silicon tonebender)

[ghostsauce]

I built one of these about 15 years ago and gave it away but to this day it's been the best sounding fuzz I've had, so it's time to rebuild it. I'm searching for a perf layout but it doesn't seem to exist, it's a long shot but is anybody here sitting on one? 

[GibsonGM]

No layout, sorry, but it's really not that hard to do on perf board, even just following the schematic in a basic way. 
I agree, it's a great sounding fuzz, I really love mine!!  Same schematic.   

You  might want to bread board it first...for some reason, on mine, the diode at Q2 base caused it to not work (at all). Maybe that's my error, no clue...  I omitted it, and used a trimmer at Q2 collector to bias (a pot, so I can change bias for the sizzle!).   I think the schematic I ended up with was the 'original' Tonebender MKII, daniels, tremblay, orman et. al., easy to find on net/here!

[tootsMcgee]

Oh man, I have all those parts on hand...extremely tempting...I might try that perfboard software myself in the next few days since I've got some lying around (not experienced with making my own layouts except in CAD software though).

[ghostsauce]

Oh man, I have all those parts on hand...extremely tempting...I might try that perfboard software myself in the next few days since I've got some lying around (not experienced with making my own layouts except in CAD software though).

oh damn, let's go! i smell a community build thread coming

[ghostsauce]

No layout, sorry, but it's really not that hard to do on perf board, even just following the schematic in a basic way. 
I agree, it's a great sounding fuzz, I really love mine!!  Same schematic.   

You  might want to bread board it first...for some reason, on mine, the diode at Q2 base caused it to not work (at all). Maybe that's my error, no clue...  I omitted it, and used a trimmer at Q2 collector to bias (a pot, so I can change bias for the sizzle!).   I think the schematic I ended up with was the 'original' Tonebender MKII, daniels, tremblay, orman et. al., easy to find on net/here!

i'm comfortable building it from the schem on perf but you know just for the sake of not painting myself into a corner and having to fix it, etc. thanks for the heads up about Q2, will def add the trim

[GibsonGM]

Here's the schematic that I built from, no mods.  Q2's collector resistor is 330 ohm + a 10k trimmer in series. I'm not at the pedalboard now, but think I was going to change the 10k out to a 5k, to give better 'fine tuning' (keeping the 330 ohm), so experiment - breadboard it first!  Pretty sure I used 2N3904's, and they biased just fine!   

[ghostsauce]

coool. i like jack orman's stuff, his son of screamer is still the best amp booster I've ever used
https://www.muzique.com/tech/scream.htm

[GibsonGM]

Try his Mosfet Boost     I've used that one many times, even for preamp'ing a mic to record acoustic and the like!  Son of Screamer is good too for 'middy' boost needs, and without the buffers is a lot more straight-forward to build.

In retrospect, I'm pretty sure now (90% confidence) that I used 2 2N3904's and a 5088 in Q3 in my Si Tonebender.

[mzy12]

Hey, I have a silicon buzzaround I'm working on. Will post in a bit. It's based on https://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=111831.msg1267499#msg1267499 by mac

[mozz]

 I have some boards left for this. Don't know how much it differs from the other silicon tonebenders.
http://www.super-freq.com/pcb-projects/silicon-tone-bender-by-mic-tester/

[GibsonGM]

It's got some differences, including a BMP-type tilt tone stack driven by a buffer. As for how it sounds - maybe it's very much like the original, hard to say!     It might be more versatile for some.   

[mozz]

If the op (or anyone) wants a mictester board let me know, i have moved to another slew of projects(as usual).

[cab42]

I built my Tonebender from the schematic in Mike's post around 15 years ago. It was one of my first builds and my first vero layout. It was originally posted by the late Ricky D. Vance (RDV). The vero layout is in the gallery, but there are probably better ones

I actually had it open last week. It has two 3904's and a 5088 like Mike's.

I tried to install a switch to bypass the first stage, making it a more fuzz facey thing. I used the other half of the switch to change the values from emitter to ground at Q3 to act as the gain pot is turned all the way up.

It's ok, but I haven'decided if I will keep the switch

[ghostsauce]

If the op (or anyone) wants a mictester board let me know, i have moved to another slew of projects(as usual).

you're very generous but i'm not sure which version i'll end up with so probably will just go with a perf wafer

[ghostsauce]

I built my Tonebender from the schematic in Mike's post around 15 years ago. It was one of my first builds and my first vero layout. It was originally posted by the late Ricky D. Vance (RDV). The vero layout is in the gallery, but there are probably better ones

I actually had it open last week. It has two 3904's and a 5088 like Mike's.

I tried to install a switch to bypass the first stage, making it a more fuzz facey thing. I used the other half of the switch to change the values from emitter to ground at Q3 to act as the gain pot is turned all the way up.

It's ok, but I haven'decided if I will keep the switch

Very cool, and actually i may do this but i would def want to still control the gain knob separately. You could make a really dynamic fuzz bomber with a few tweaks like this though, especially if you boxed it up as a 2-in-1 with another circuit like a muff with variable mid boost or tone stack bypass like the byoc version does

[cab42]

Very cool, and actually i may do this but i would def want to still control the gain knob separately. You could make a really dynamic fuzz bomber with a few tweaks like this though, especially if you boxed it up as a 2-in-1 with another circuit like a muff with variable mid boost or tone stack bypass like the byoc version does

I found it a bit weak in FF mode unless gain was turned all the way up. And it is pretty sensitive to the volume pot so I can use that to control gain. Maybe I could use a 3pdt toggle for switching in a bias control on Q3 when in FF mode

While writing this I came to remember that I was asked to do a vero of Dragonfly's Facebender, a tonebender with a switch. I think that is in the gallery as well.

[GibsonGM]

In case it helps:  I had a chance to crack open the Si Tonebender again. I now recall that I played with 2N3904s in Q1/Q2, and they were fine, but I settled on 2 MPSA42's in the end, with a 5088 for Q3.     

To my ear, there was a significant enough difference between 3904 and the A42s to prefer them.

[ghostsauce]

In case it helps:  I had a chance to crack open the Si Tonebender again. I now recall that I played with 2N3904s in Q1/Q2, and they were fine, but I settled on 2 MPSA42's in the end, with a 5088 for Q3.     

To my ear, there was a significant enough difference between 3904 and the A42s to prefer them.

cool, noted. i'm still mulling over how i want to proceed with this but i will nab some of these if the price is right, thanks bro

[GibsonGM]

Sure!   The lower gain of the MPSA42s reduces some of the harshness and makes it more wooly, to my ear - 3904s were too gainy. 

Now I'm back messing around with this, ha ha!  That happens, someone asks a question and sets others off. I have to paint the enclosure, maybe I'll get around to that soon!

[ghostsauce]

hell yeah, drop some pics & clips when you get there