super rediculous extreme bsiab II

[nag hammadi]

so just to satisfy my curiosity, i want to make my next build with the very highest quality components i can find. 

i am most familiar with the bsiab II, so i figure i will do that one.

it seems silly, but i just want to line them up and hear the difference.

does anyone have any suggestions as to an enhanced BOM, so to speak?

[MartyMart]

Metal film resistors and caps ( caps will be expensive )
Silver solder - Gold jumper wire
Military grade multi turn trim pot and use screened in/out cable !!
High quality Military grade sealed pots ....

Buy several dozen 5457's and J201's to select the "best" combo ....

MM 

[RaceDriver205]

And sheild it really really good!

[MartyMart]

 ...... and use a "Star ground" to a hole driled in the case, dont just ground via
input/output jacks .... these can come loose !!

MM.

[Phorhas]

I think you can go with metal film resistors (for less noise) decent capacitors (for decency?) and good wiring. This should give you results that won't fall short of those of a full-blown boo-teek MOJO box.

[nag hammadi]

that's pretty much what i do now.   

[WGTP]

The BSIABII has quite a few parts.  You might try something with a reduced parts count to save money.   

[Phorhas]

that's pretty much what i do now.   

My 2c?

- You really don't need to go further... it's a dirt box - after all

[nag hammadi]

yeah, i got you.  i just want to put that nagging "it could be better" voice in th back of my head to rest...

[Ed G.]

I like a polystyrene 470 pf cap in the LPF (the 470pf/470k) it seems to add a touch of clarity.
I'm basically using the small bear panasonic ecq-b caps from small bear. They're high quality, they're very small and they go down to pf.
The source bypass caps on the first gain stage, I find it makes a difference to use quality there. Maybe I'm just hearing stuff, I dunno.
Try ceramic or film caps for the tone control section. Ceramic should 'smear' and smooth out the tone a bit. Film, probably brighter (some say harsher)
Now I know Skreddy doesn't like metal film in big muffs. Says it makes them sound harsh. My personal bsiab2 has some metal film, mostly carbon film. I think I'd use metal film for the 1 meg resistors.
Using the 'best' parts doesn't always equate to the 'best' tone. You have to figure out what does best where. YMMV.

[nag hammadi]

that's cool - i like that 470pf to be a polystyrene too.  it feels different.

i am certainly with you on the "best parts don't always sound best" thing.  that has been my feeling all along.    i am kinda doing this just to prove the point to my internal devil's advocate or something...

super cool pedal.

[343 Salty Beans]

For higher quality, you might want to try less point-to-point wiring 

That was AMAZING by the way. I've never seen someone do that with that big of a pedal.

Even if you did line them up side by side, though, two pedals built by the exact same schem with the same materials for parts will rarely sound the same. 5% resistor tolerances, 20% cap tolerances, and hFE differences in transistors will always affect the tone. That's why some people build two different big muffs and one sounds like a mild overdrive while the other sounds like a super-chunky, over-the-top fuzz.

Maybe if you tell that to those voices, they'll shut up and you won't have to spend a load of money

[nag hammadi]

yeah, that p2p thing was just plain insane.  i am still not sure why i did it other than the "i'm just like that " factor...

i have actually started using mostly 1 % stuff these days.  probably just so i can say i use 1% stuff. 

[leonhendrix]

  <----- Click Me?!

[RDV]

...and don't forget the SILVER SOLDER!!!

Bah ha ha ha ha !!



RDV

[Ed G.]

More so than variances in caps and resistors, you'll find variances in fets. Some are all over the place. I recommend sockets, buying extra fets, and trying different ones.
Yeah, the silver solder gives it that mojo, too 

[343 Salty Beans]

Solder it naked and drunk, call it 'handwired', and add twenty bucks to the price tag. 

[leonhendrix]

Use the hind leg of a grasshopper to smooth out those tone sucking rough edges on the PCB.

[343 Salty Beans]

Use the hind leg of a grasshopper to smooth out those tone sucking rough edges on the PCB.

...on the night of the full moon.

But have you picked another project you're going to do, or are you gonna stick with the BSIABII?

[nag hammadi]

i make a lot of different pedals fairly regularly, but i jus picked that one to experiment on because so many guys at the shop like it.

i do too.