Anyone Well Versed In Maestro Boomerang History?

[Paul Marossy]

In a wah-wah article hosted by AnalogMike, Geoffery Teese says that after the Clyde McCoy, he thought the 1st series Maestro Boomerang sounded next best. Nothing definitive other than the sound. Which brings up my question.

My question is how do you know what is a first series pedal and what is a later series pedal? From what I can tell, it looks like the first series spanned from 1968/69 to around 1972/73 and the later series from that point on to the end of production (1976?).

Anyhow, here are some differences/similarities that I have noticed thus far:

1. Early manufacture Boomerangs have a different PCB than the later ones (same layout, different look)
2. Early manufacture Boomerangs have a different bottom plate and battery holder than the later ones.
3. Later manufacture Boomerangs appear to have a DC jack added to the toe end of the shell.
4. All examples that I have seen use the mysterious El-Rad 500mH inductor.
5. All examples appear to use a 25K pot.
6. It seems that only the earliest ones were a straight wah pedal. Most every Boomerang that I have seen is the BG-2 model.

Anyone have more to add?

[Paul Marossy]

One other thing that I'm not sure on. Some BG-2 models say "Boomerang" on the nameplate on the foot paddle, and I guess some say "Boomer 2". I wonder if that indicates 1st series vs. later ones?

[Sir H C]

There are two different schematics for the two different boomerangs.  I have them somewhere...

Also Guild Wahs are the same and some came with the All Test name (they made them for Maestro on Long Island).

They have a longer throw than a cry baby and so people love them for that.  Pot is reverse mounted too.

[Paul Marossy]

Yeah, I know about the two different schematics. One's a straight wah pedal and the other is a wah/volume. I do like the longer throw, too. 

[formerMember1]

I heard the boomerangs are great.  I never played one/heard one before.

I am so used to using the Picture Clyde Wah tone,...

[Paul Marossy]

I heard the boomerangs are great.  I never played one/heard one before.

I am so used to using the Picture Clyde Wah tone,...

You really should take one for a test drive. 

[Paul Marossy]

I forgot to add that the real Boomerang that I have is noticeably quieter than my clone is. Probably has to do with the transistors that I used (BC109).

[jonathan perez]

the one i had was an early boomerang. no bg-2, no boomer2. it was the first models, and it sounded GREAT! the tone was sooo fat and warm, it was amazing! compared to the clyde, it was AWESOME! the clyde hardly compared. (blasphemy, i know.)

[Paul Marossy]

the one i had was an early boomerang. no bg-2, no boomer2. it was the first models, and it sounded GREAT! the tone was sooo fat and warm, it was amazing! compared to the clyde, it was AWESOME! the clyde hardly compared. (blasphemy, i know.)

You probably had what Teese refers to as the first series. The BG-2 appears to be the same thing as the first series, but it adds two resistors, and a cap to make it a volume pedal. The later ones to use different caps and i think metal film resistors, so this will affect the tone somewhat.

Another interesting thing about it is that the wah shell appears on a patent filed by DeArmond in 1961. Some kind of stereo volume pedal, I think. I'm going to look up the Boomerang patent docs just for fun (patent #3,316,341. Should be interesting.

EDIT: Here is the patent that it's licensed under - http://www.diyguitarist.com/PDF_Files/3316341.pdf
EDIT#2: Here is the DeArmond patent - http://www.freepatentsonline.com/2986953.html

Anyhow, after playing it for a few days, I think I like this particular wah/volume pedal. I like the warm sound. To me, the CryBaby sounds a bit too shrill unless you tweak some things.

[Sir H C]

Those are liked by the Stoner rock crowd.

[Paul Marossy]

I made the Maestro Boomerang BG-2 PCB layout available here:

http://www.diyguitarist.com/PDF_Files/BoomerangBG2PCB.pdf

It's the factory PCB, which I have recreated with my trusty old picture pasted into AutoCAD and drawn on top of trick. 

[$uperpuma]

awesome! you're cranking them out lately Mr. M!

[Paul Marossy]

Yeah, I guess I am, huh? 

[birt]

the one i had was an early boomerang. no bg-2, no boomer2. it was the first models, and it sounded GREAT! the tone was sooo fat and warm, it was amazing! compared to the clyde, it was AWESOME! the clyde hardly compared. (blasphemy, i know.)

You probably had what Teese refers to as the first series. The BG-2 appears to be the same thing as the first series, but it adds two resistors, and a cap to make it a volume pedal. The later ones to use different caps and i think metal film resistors, so this will affect the tone somewhat.

Another interesting thing about it is that the wah shell appears on a patent filed by DeArmond in 1961. Some kind of stereo volume pedal, I think. I'm going to look up the Boomerang patent docs just for fun (patent #3,316,341. Should be interesting.

EDIT: Here is the patent that it's licensed under - http://www.diyguitarist.com/PDF_Files/3316341.pdf
EDIT#2: Here is the DeArmond patent - http://www.freepatentsonline.com/2986953.html

Anyhow, after playing it for a few days, I think I like this particular wah/volume pedal. I like the warm sound. To me, the CryBaby sounds a bit too shrill unless you tweak some things.

i just got one of those volume pedals yesterday for 10 euro (it has just one set cable with mono jack, no other jacks or connections but there is a hole under the rocker for a wah switch)
but now i don't know what to do... just build something in it and use the enormous space in there. or just use it as a volume pedal without drilling any holes to keep it like it is

something like this: http://retrofret.com/products.asp?ProductID=2364&CartID=3512541262005

[tcobretti]

Birt I've never done it but I bet you could wire a stereo jack to be both input and output, then build an adaptor to that splits the signal from a male stereo jack to two female mono "in line" jacks.  Kind of a pain but at least you don't drill any holes in your pedal.

For that matter you could just use the in line jacks and run the wires out of the hole in the pedal.  Obviously you'd want to find some way to secure them inside the pedal so they don't get yanked out.

[birt]

Birt I've never done it but I bet you could wire a stereo jack to be both input and output, then build an adaptor to that splits the signal from a male stereo jack to two female mono "in line" jacks.  Kind of a pain but at least you don't drill any holes in your pedal.

For that matter you could just use the in line jacks and run the wires out of the hole in the pedal.  Obviously you'd want to find some way to secure them inside the pedal so they don't get yanked out.

that's a good idea but i still have my doubts about doing that. i don't have any clue what the original pedal could be worth (it's just an enclosure with a pot..)

[Paul Marossy]

Yeah, the Boomerang enclosures are rather large, aren't they? Would you possibly be interested in selling that enclosure?

[birt]

well i don't think i'll sell it since i'm allways looking for rocker enclosures myself. and this ones has loads of space and the sweep is allmost the whole pot rotation wich i've never seen in a wah before.

[Paul Marossy]

well i don't think i'll sell it since i'm allways looking for rocker enclosures myself. and this ones has loads of space and the sweep is allmost the whole pot rotation wich i've never seen in a wah before.

OK, that's cool. Yeah, the pot can rotate so much that you can actually adjust the pot so that it goes outside of the range of the wah. I like the large range of the Boomerang.

As far as what to put in it, there's a large amount of possibilities due to the sheer size of the enclosure!

[Paul Marossy]

I etched and populated the PCB over the last few days. It's verified and working. It has replaced my first version of the PCB and is in the same CryBaby shell. It fits rather nicely in there.