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Rangemaster finished- build report

Started by jimbob, July 29, 2005, 06:01:31 PM

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jimbob

July 29, 2005, 06:01:31 PM
I built this according to the GEO site and the GGG layout. Ill say one thing, the trannie really makes the difference. I tried some diff ac128's ect..until i got my Rangemaster Mullard OC44 and it ROCKS. Of the tons of different effects ive built and bought, this simple little thing actually add/fixes/compliments my sound. In fact im not even sure I built it right according to some of the different descriptions ive read. But it dont matter. Not going to change a thing. I have thick Zakk Wylde strings and have it tuned down a step or two. Anyways, it can get kinda muddy doing this but now with this it seems to add some treble, a little boost, and some otherspecial sauce to the mix.
Im not saying this will sound good with your rig. But it does mine and im a happy camper. I might have to build another and experiment with other trannies.
"I think somebody should come up with a way to breed a very large shrimp. That way, you could ride him, then after you camped at night, you could eat him. How about it, science?"

barret77

#1
July 29, 2005, 06:06:45 PM
which amp are you plugging it into?

jimbob

#2
July 29, 2005, 06:14:08 PM
"I think somebody should come up with a way to breed a very large shrimp. That way, you could ride him, then after you camped at night, you could eat him. How about it, science?"

jimbob

#3
July 29, 2005, 06:15:03 PM
Quote from: jimbob
Quotewhich amp are you plugging it into?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/fg=141/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/481355/

It gives it a nice Metal sound with clean lows and awsome harmonics now.
"I think somebody should come up with a way to breed a very large shrimp. That way, you could ride him, then after you camped at night, you could eat him. How about it, science?"

ninoman123

#4
July 29, 2005, 06:24:41 PM
Ive heard so many good things about this effect. I think I'm the only one that hasnt built it yet. But I think I will soon. Which schematic did you use?

jimbob

#5
July 29, 2005, 06:34:23 PM
http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/diagrams/geb_rm_lo_pp.gif

I like this one! I think its the same values as the GEO site. Instead of 3.9 I used 4.7. maybe that makes a difference. I wouldnt think so though. Anyone? Also I used .0047 for the input cap.
"I think somebody should come up with a way to breed a very large shrimp. That way, you could ride him, then after you camped at night, you could eat him. How about it, science?"

formerMember1

#6
July 29, 2005, 08:08:57 PM
jimbob

did you get the oc44 off smallbear?

that's where i got mine.  4.7 means one of the biasing resistors?


I took a 100k  and 10k  pot to bias it.  When i got it biased i took off the pots and measured them and they were far far away from the stock 68k and 3.9k bias resistor values that GEOFX recommends.  So I measured them to 68k and 3.9k and marked them and then soldered them to the pedal.  I tweaked it a little to get 7.0volts off the collector. The sound is great now.  It was good before but now it sounds almost identical to clapton in cream, ( and i am using a hendrix strat clone).  It just goes to show that you should listen to GEOFX when he tells you something.  The sound has less gain now, but more focused and less shrill.  It also has way more output.  I might try changing the .005uF input cap to .01uF again to see the difference now. Before it sucked with the strat and a .01uF  I just turn the tone knob on my guitar down to about 6 1/2 for rythym work and turn up the tone to 10 for lead.  And sometimes vice versa.  Alot of people use there volume to change the sound.  I always use the tone knob.  Using the tone knob allows you to lower the gain a little and make it warmer.  Then the listener gets used to hearing this.  Then when you go to take a solo, you crank the tone, instead of being louder, you have more treble, which cuts thru more and makes the listener believe your louder.  Also you get more gain and sustain now and it really changes the sound instead of having the same tone thru out the song. I control my wah with the tone on the guitar too.  Go from cutting through, voodoo child quacks, to warm and mellow.  THis is what hendrix did.  Clapton did too but a little different since he created the woman tone...  Oh boy now i am rambling...  :roll:

Sorry :wink:

oh yeah almost forgot the whole reason for my post:
JIMBOB:
Did you try the pedal with your guitar standard tuned?  I notice a big difference in sound and tone and distortion character when tuning down a half step compared to normal...   That is probably why you changed the input cap, right?

cool 8)

JCM1959

#7
July 29, 2005, 08:34:55 PM
I built a version of this last week using Dragonfly's vero layout and Geo's values.  I really  really liked it.  I shipped it off to a fiend in payment for another pedal I got from him so I must build a new one.  I did not bias the pedal like Geofex recommends.  Still sounded badass.  One thing though, when I ran it through my Marshall, after about 3:00 on the RM pot, the sound was cool but the pedal seemed not to track like at lower settings.  Anyone know why, or is this part of the design of the circuit?

Mark Hammer

#8
July 29, 2005, 08:35:14 PM
I made one a few years back, using a 2SB172, and it absolutely killed.  I have a stack of germanium trannies sitting around, of a wide variety of types, and have yet to find another that sounds anywhere as good.  Sadly, I demoed the "good" one for a guy at a local vintage store and sold it to him on the spot for $60.  Despite all the stuff he has coming through his store weekly (and it's tasty stuff), he still has my Rangemaster clone on his pedalboard for gigging.  Damn, I wish it was easy to find the right tranny for one!  I feel like Prince Charming, trying on the glass slipper on all the feet in the land, looking for my princess.  I have a socket on my current personal RM and keep trying out different germanium devices in my possession, but nothing has come close yet.

formerMember1

#9
July 29, 2005, 08:42:59 PM
i tried only using japanese tranny hfe of 75 off of smallbear for 4 bucks.  
It sucked.  i tried a OC44 hfe of 73 it is awesome.  But i was wondering if i hooked up bias pots again, what would happen if i put a nkt-275 in their with a hfe of 83.  Would higher hfe equal more gain/fuzz/dirt even though it is biased right? is it possible to get a OC44 with hfe of 100?

thanks :wink:

jimbob

#10
July 29, 2005, 09:35:11 PM
Quotejimbob

did you get the oc44 off smallbear?

Yes. Ive had nothing but great luck getting them there.
Quote
JIMBOB:
Did you try the pedal with your guitar standard tuned?

I tried it with many different tunings and it sounded great all around. Ive been fortunate in the past and present getting pedals really cheap and even those werent as impressive sounding as this.
QuoteThat is probably why you changed the input cap, right?
No. My amp is great for metal but mediocre on the clean channel. I wanted to see if a difference exisisted. As far as the 4.7 goes, thats the EH way (thats all I had at the time.)
Im actually trying to steer these effects to my type of music.(find something different/new) Though Hendrix is a fav as well as the sound, I favor bands like Down, Trouble, Pantera, C.O.C ect.. and try to incorporate old with new. So Im finding these older effects (vintage ect..can be modified to make some really cool sounds. Bla bla bla..
"I think somebody should come up with a way to breed a very large shrimp. That way, you could ride him, then after you camped at night, you could eat him. How about it, science?"

formerMember1

#11
July 30, 2005, 09:45:30 AM
Sounds good,  hey that is the same with me.  Everybody wants to sound like hendrix, i always wanted to have a sound that hendrix would have NOW, not repeat what he already did, But i do try to start off using famous sounds as a reference point.  That way i believe that if i could get really close to their tone, then why can't i get close to my tone.  know what i mean. :wink:

Doug_H

#12
July 30, 2005, 10:55:43 AM
I really love my Rangemaster. I built it a few months ago with one of Jack's AC188's and it is killer. There is a sweet spot with it and my amp where it sounds just like the sound clip at Tonefrenzy- the harmonics just take off and it really sings. Cleans up nice with my guitar vol too, for a nice rhythm sound. This is one of those pedals I could just plug in and leave on all the time.

Doug

Doug_H

#13
July 30, 2005, 11:38:01 AM
Quote from: JCM1959I did not bias the pedal like Geofex recommends.  Still sounded badass.  

I would urge everyone to experiment with the bias point. There are other good sounds at other voltages other than the ~-7v point. It doesn't sound the same but they are good nonetheless. I thought about installing a "bias" control at one point, but I used a chassis from another one-knob project that was ready to go.

Doug

jimbob

#14
July 30, 2005, 11:38:08 AM
I tried some of the ac128 from jacks site just I assume the hfe was to low. I didnt chk them. They did work as a nice boost though. I still really want that tonefrenzy sound but im pleased with what I got. Maybe its just my amp.
"I think somebody should come up with a way to breed a very large shrimp. That way, you could ride him, then after you camped at night, you could eat him. How about it, science?"

Doug_H

#15
July 30, 2005, 11:42:48 AM
Quote from: jimbobI tried some of the ac128 from jacks site just I assume the hfe was to low. I didnt chk them. They did work as a nice boost though. I still really want that tonefrenzy sound but im pleased with what I got. Maybe its just my amp.

I got some of the ac128's too. They sounded good but IMO the ac188's sounded better. They had more gain and a better high-freq response. You never know- you can get a good or bad batch. The only way to really characterize them is to test them. It was faster for me just to set it up on the breadboard and "audition" them. Then I just picked the best one. They all seemed to bias up right IIRC. I will try the OC44's at some point. I'm concerned though that the batches of "good" ones have dried up, since they have such a reputation as a "magic part".


Doug

formerMember1

#16
July 30, 2005, 12:12:36 PM
hi,
i just got an email from smallbear about the difference in OC44 and OC71 for  RM's.  he said a little.  But here's the good news.
I just saved a bunch of money on car insurance by switching to Geico!! :lol:


just kidding heres the news:
He said he is gonna carry European Transistor pairs and matched and etc.. very soon, when he gets time.

kewl  8)

jimbob

#17
July 30, 2005, 12:23:35 PM
Yup- Steve's a busy guy. One day hell be famous, rich, ect...and have magic elves sort through trannies, while he sprinkles fairy dust over all the stock.
"I think somebody should come up with a way to breed a very large shrimp. That way, you could ride him, then after you camped at night, you could eat him. How about it, science?"

formerMember1

#18
July 30, 2005, 12:28:48 PM
Quotehave magic elves sort through trannies, while he sprinkles fairy dust over all the stock.

talk about MOJO :lol:
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