First build success! (and a few questions)

[Lukas]

This past weekend I completed my first build and to my surprise it worked on the first try! I built a tube screamer using a PCB from GGG and put it in a pre-painted BB box from SmallBear. My original plan was to build a Bazz Fuss then move a step up to a fuzz face and then build the TS. But I guess I got over-anxious and decided to build the TS as a gift. It's based on the 808 schematic with asymmetrical clipping and a SPDT to stitch C2 to 1uf so it can be used for bass as well. I had the opportunity to compare it to basic TS-9 last night and it stacks up quite nicely. It does seem a little noisy and when I crank the drive and volume up it's like I can hear the ocean through my amp. I think I need to work on where my signal wires are routed inside the box. Of course the stock TS I compared to was also pretty noisy so maybe I'm worrying too much. I had lots of fun building the box and this forum is such an amazing resource. Thanks for all the help that's been provided through this forum and other web sites, especially GeneralGuitarGadgets helpful layout information, Jack Orman's Fat Mod page, and RG Keens Technology of the TS page.

After building my first box I do have some questions and some observations though:

* I had a hard time fitting everything for a TS into a BB sized box. I should take a picture so you can see the layout but basically I had the PCB mounted trace side toward the top of the box so you see the components when you unscrew the bottom. I had problems with the jacks hitting the PCB and fitting the battery in was tough. My next project is a fuzz face and it's going in a BB box so I don't think I'll have as many problems next time. Any hints on organizing everything inside the box to make it fit or will I just get better with experience?

* the 1uF cap, when switched in, creates almost a bass boost. It doesn't make for a great bass solo tone but it does give you a huge lowend OD. When I build one for myself I think I'll go with a 3-way to add something in between the 0.047uF and the 1uF.

* I've read that it's important to keep signal carrying wires away from high gain portions of the circuit. Looking at how I put everything in together I didn't do a very good job of this. Does anyone use shielded wire to help with this issue? Is shielded wire a good idea? Or would I need to ground the shield to make it effective?

* Is Smallbear going to stock more of those awesome powdercoated color BB boxes? I only have two left...and one is already drilled for a fuzz face.

After I finish labelling the box I'll add a picture. Thanks and I hope to be posting many more build reports in the future!

--
Lukas

[Arn C.]

I use shielded wire on every pedal I make.  Mine usually go from input and output jacks to the footswitch.  The end at the jacks I hook the ground(shield of the shielded wire) to the ground of the jack and the center wire to the positive of the jacks, and the other end I cut off the shield and only hook up the middle wire to the switch.  Works great for me!

Peace!
Arn C.

[MartyMart]

Here's how I drill a "BB" size box :
Switch centred, about 3.2cm from box bottom ( battery will fit under that )
Jacks exactly left and right of the switch, centred on the side panel and 3.2cm
from box bottom.
So from top view it looks like  outjack -- switch -- injack

Pots, ( three ) in a line across the top, spaced 1.6cm from side/centre/1.6cm from other side
and around 1.5cm from the top ( 16mm alpha size )

This should give you plenty of room, it was enough a few weeks ago, to box up an AC-2
clone, with four pots and using 4 opamps on a very crowded board !!

Well done on a sucessful first build

MM

[Melanhead]

Layouts can be tough ... I like to squeeze my pedals into smaller B boxes when I can ... just built a 4 knob TS variation in one! ... It's tight but the board sits on top of the pots. I use velcro on the bottom of the board so nothing shorts.

Shielded wire is a good idea ... I just started doing it myself ... just ground one end of the shield like Arn described above ... I had to do it with my last build to tone down some high gain oscillation ...

I noticed myself that placing a 1uf in there sure does increase the bottom end, the way I got around this was using a pot to control the resistor value that's in series with the cap ... The cap and res combined provide the bass roll off. As the resistor value increases, you get less gain and more bass.

look at the fat control here and you'll see what I mean ... I used a cap and resitor value to give me much more gain though ....

http://aronnelson.com/gallery/melanhead/M_O_D_Lite?full=1

Anyways ... congrats on your first build and welcome to an obssesive hobby !  

[Joecool85]

...and welcome to an obssesive hobby !  

Tell me about it.

[MartyMart]

...and welcome to an obssesive hobby !  

Tell me about it.

No ..... tell ME about it !! 

[Melanhead]

well I've spent 3 sleepless nights this week designing and modding in my head ... I think I need help 

[MartyMart]

I just spent a week away, recording and doing a show and what's the first thing I did on my day off ?



......... built a JCM800, a "twisted" Red Lama and a Mosfet compressor  !!!  HELP  !!

Marty

[Melanhead]

I just spent a week away, recording and doing a show and what's the first thing I did on my day off ?



......... built a JCM800, a "twisted" Red Lama and a Mosfet compressor  !!!  HELP  !!

Marty

I have an op-amp booster design to finish and then I'm done for a few weeks! ... I need a break to actually play the pedals! ... I'm gigging this weekend with 2 new ones ... should be fun 

[Speeddemon]

* the 1uF cap, when switched in, creates almost a bass boost. It doesn't make for a great bass solo tone but it does give you a huge lowend OD. When I build one for myself I think I'll go with a 3-way to add something in between the 0.047uF and the 1uF.

You mention it yourself already; you switch from 4.7 hundreds of 1uF to 1uF! WAY TOO BIG!
Use 0.1uF or 0.22uF (=about perfectly lineair, but as a dirty boost for a distorted amp it's too much).
If you use it for bass, use 0.22uF, 0.33uF (if you can get it!) or 0.47uF at most, but NOT 1uF.

[Lukas]

You mention it yourself already; you switch from 4.7 hundreds of 1uF to 1uF! WAY TOO BIG!
Use 0.1uF or 0.22uF (=about perfectly lineair, but as a dirty boost for a distorted amp it's too much).
If you use it for bass, use 0.22uF, 0.33uF (if you can get it!) or 0.47uF at most, but NOT 1uF.

I chose the 1uF based on the math the Jack Orman did over on his Fat Bass for Tube Screamer Page: http://www.muzique.com/lab/fatt.htm. I might change it out and test the 0.47uF to see if that sounds good. It definitely sounds good on bass with the 1uF but it might be a little to much low end (I never thought I would say that).

Lukas

[TheBigMan]

Obsessive indeed.  Instead of reading the paper on the train this morning I drew up an entire foolscap page of notes of DS-1 mod ideas. 

[smallbearelec]

* Is Smallbear going to stock more of those awesome powdercoated color BB boxes? I only have two left...and one is already drilled for a fuzz face.

Yes, but it will be a few weeks before I get the first of the new lot. Toadworks gets them done by a local powder-coater on a "if it's Monday we shoot Blue" basis. This way they don't pay setup fees, and the price is much better.