Jordan Bosstone How Do I Make It Sound Right?

[kefestvog]

I have an original Jordan Bosstone that I borrowed from a friend's dad that I'm attempting to clone.  In testing it, I found it to be thin sounding and very heavy on the treble, not what it's known for.  In reading online reviews of the original, many people suggested you had to have it hooked to the guitar with the plug on the box for it to work correctly and that it needs to be close to the guitar pickup.  I have a Strat and can't plug it directly to the guitar (and I don't know if I want to).  This sounds like an impedence issue.  Is there a way that I can fix this problem so I can make it a standard floor pedal.  Do I just need to change the input capacitor, a buffer, I'm looking for suggestions here.

[markm]

Don't know if it will hel you but I have a working layout for it here;
http://aronnelson.com/gallery/album15

[petemoore]

  It can be run on the floor...N/P, nothing particularly noteworthy about the impedances on the JB...IIRC.
  I'd use a nice box, True Bypass and...
  You can alter the voicing of the circuit. Socketing the caps and making the input cap [etc.] easily changed may make tweeking it easier, I remember the Bosstone as very big Fuzzdistorter at first fire up though.
 
 

[Sir H C]

Here is a thread with a bunch of pictures of Bosstones:

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=48469.0

I have two Bosstones and they both sound completely different.  One always is on the verge of self-oscillation the other is thick and evil.  Circuits are a bit different.

[newbie builder]

Sir H C- sorry to resurrect the old thread, but which version is the one that is thick and evil and which is the verge of oscillation one?

[RLBJR65]

Thick and evil would be the Nashville version.

[Sir H C]

Well now things change, they are temp and guitar dependant as I did a taste test with some others with them and we decided the Cali one was better that day.   

[vanessa]

I have an original Jordan Bosstone that I borrowed from a friend's dad that I'm attempting to clone.  In testing it, I found it to be thin sounding and very heavy on the treble, not what it's known for.

It sounds like it needs a cap job (a lot of times anything over 10-20 years old needs one). I would go through and replace all with as close to the originals as you can get (ceramic for ceramic, poly for poly, etc.).

[squidsquad]

I've built about 4....and they each sounded different.  But it's an easy circuit to tweak/understand.
I preferred lower gain trannys....and maybe a bit extra resistance here or there (input or Q1 emitter) to reduce the *nasal* sound.

[RLBJR65]

Well now things change, they are temp and guitar dependant as I did a taste test with some others with them and we decided the Cali one was better that day.   

Hmmm... well I guess I've never built or even heard the CA version. I was under the impression that the CA was kind of thin and buzzy.
The Nashville is pretty thick and nasty with .02 caps, I don't think thats stock though. 6 or 7 I've seen now all had .05 or .01 caps.

It sounds like it needs a cap job (a lot of times anything over 10-20 years old needs one). I would go through and replace all with as close to the originals as you can get (ceramic for ceramic, poly for poly, etc.).

Use modern ceramic caps, not those great big ones the original had. IMO if your cloning one they sound best with ceramic caps and carbon comp. resistors like the original.

I've built about 4....and they each sounded different.  But it's an easy circuit to tweak/understand.
I preferred lower gain trannys....and maybe a bit extra resistance here or there (input or Q1 emitter) to reduce the *nasal* sound.

Low gain transistors for sure but wouldn't adding a resistor on the input make it less pick sensitive?

[squidsquad]

Probobly right Richard.  I tend to *chase my tail*.  Used a high gain tranny...had oscillations...used a resistor on input to tame it....then figured I should use a low gain....then decided I wanted even less gain....etc....
Too bad I never made notes....I learned a lot....& have forgotten nearly everything...HA!
But I HAVE used a few vintage ones...(back in them days)...& they varied a lot also.

[RLBJR65]

Probobly right Richard.  I tend to *chase my tail*.  Used a high gain tranny...had oscillations...used a resistor on input to tame it....then figured I should use a low gain....then decided I wanted even less gain....etc....
Too bad I never made notes....I learned a lot....& have forgotten nearly everything...HA!

LOL, sounds like my usual method!

It's been a while since I messed with the Bosstone. Here are a few tricks, nothing new, they have all been noted here at one time or another.

Oscillating - Small resistor 100 ohm (or so) between Q1 E and ground.
It's easier to use a 500 ohm trim pot, crank up attack and vol. then adjust until the oscillation stops.

Add a Gain control - At Q1 E use a 1K pot wired as a variable resistor and 100 ohm (or so) fixed resistor in series to ground.
Again its easier to use a 500 ohm trim pot instead of a fixed R. Set the gain pot at 0 ohms then adjust the trim as above.

Transistor selection - Use low gain transistors both Q1 and Q2 under 200Hfe.
Personally I like Q1 around 100 Hfe and Q2 around 150 Hfe. I had a limited selection of transistors in those ranges so I was never really quite able to nail that down.

Have not tried them but 2N3903 / 2N3905 are in the ball park gain wise Plus they are cheap and still in production