Reminder for people interested in the Highway89

[Doug_H]

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=48219.msg358410#msg358410

[Antero]

Another reminder:  The Highway 89 is AWESOME and sounds ridiculously huge.

[Ucho]

Another reminder:  The Highway 89 is AWESOME and sounds ridiculously huge.

I second and I take advantage of this thread to thank Doug.

I really LOVE my HW89, it has a fantastic sound and with its tone controls is possible not only to change the "tone" (intended as the 'frequencies') but also shape its sound and the way it distorts. It also is very touch sensitive, even at max gain, with a very tube-like behaviour.

The Gain, Bass and Treble knobs can give you a wide variety of tones, and I still can't decide wich setting i like the most.

Sometimes i like playng with gain on 2/10, bass 8 and treble 2 for a very light overdrive, using a booster in front of it for some gainier sound.
Other times i prefer using it with gain at half, treble on 6-7, bass on 3-4 for a nice cutting crunch, still powerful and very dynamic at the same time.
I also like sometimes using max gain and bass and min treble for a quasi-tonebender kind of sound, very 'wolly' and powerfull. With gain maxed and high treble it can perform like a distortion box good also for some light palm muting (more early VH than heavy metal by the way, think about little dreamer). Actually I use BSIABII for those kind of sounds, but I like to know that HW89 CAN do it.

It also have way too much volume: as an example, with gain at 2/10 i can reach unity with bypassed volume setting volume pot at 3-4/10. I never used volume pot setted more than half, even when i use HW89 for solos, so setting it with more volume than my rhythm sounds.

I also use a Peppermill and a BSIABII, both great od/dist pedals in their gain range (and the BSIABII sounds surprisingly good also at lower gain) but if I have to go to a jam session and I could bring with me only one stompbox, it would be the HW89!

So, Doung, THANKS THANKS THANKS !!!


PS: Someone wantig to share their most-loved 'settings'? I'm using a mahogany body guitar, 2 splittable HB (i use them  splitted most of the time... maybe i have to get a tele?!) going into a Laney VC30, clean, bright on, more highs than lows....

[Antero]

Heh.  I usually roll with the drive full up, Bass and Treble about 3 o'clock, volume at 9:30 or 10 because this thing has enough gain to eat the rest of the band.  I'm using a Carvin DC135 with a hb-sized P90 in the bridge position (courtesy of Vintage Vibe Guitars), into a Silvertone 1484 (with a Weber Chicago).  It sounds as thick as hell, tears through anything in its way, and lets me grab feedback whenever I want it.

Then I flip to the bridge/mid position, roll down the volume, and it's effectively turned into the sickest treble boost ever.  I'm talking Gang of Four Entertainment! stuff, harmonics everywhere.

[MikeH]

That thing sounds great!  So, if I gather correctly, the schematic isn't out there availiable to everyone, but if I contact Doug directly I can get it?  I'd like to build it if it's availiable.

[Antero]

That thing sounds great!  So, if I gather correctly, the schematic isn't out there availiable to everyone, but if I contact Doug directly I can get it?  I'd like to build it if it's availiable.

Yeah, you email him and he'll send it to you.

[Doug_H]

I honestly wasn't fishing for compliments here, but thanks for all the nice words.

I had to throw away a couple PMs and thought it was time for a reminder to use the email route.

I'm glad you all are enjoying it. It is one of my main 2 workhorse distortion pedals that I rely on.

[MartyMart]

No fishing required, it's a little cracker Doug 
Reminders of very cool circuits are always a good thing 

MM

[Jay Doyle]

I honestly wasn't fishing for compliments here, but thanks for all the nice words.

Sure you weren't. 

To quote Mr. Wolf from Pulp Fiction: "Let's not go sucking each other's #$%^'s quite yet..."

[Doug_H]

To quote Mr. Wolf from Pulp Fiction: "Let's not go sucking each other's #$%^'s quite yet..."

I knew there was a reason I'm glad I haven't seen that movie...

[oldrocker]

Go ahead toot your own horn if you can design your own horn.  If I designed that baby I'd be tooting every chance I got.  Nice sounding pedal man.

[luap77]

Doug,

Thank you for sending me a copy of your schematic via e-mail. I look forward to building it and enjoying what by all accounts is a very nice sounding medium-gain distortion.

Much appreciated,

Paul E

[col]

I think I've mentioned it before but mine kept an open Emin chord going for 58 seconds before it went slowly into feedback, and no compressor! I thought my triangle big muff or op amp vesion with a compressor was good for this but seriously the highway 89 beats them all. 3 chords and you've got a full song! I did have some problems with instability which I cured by putting some caps across the CB junctions of the transistors, finding the right values by trial and error. I also had to ground everything to the case. I built mine on stripboard so maybe my layout was to blame. Thanks Mr. H and please do some more.

[phil]

Another reminder:  The Highway 89 is AWESOME and sounds ridiculously huge.

+1 on that for sure!

Doug,

Thank you for the Hwy89 schematic you sent me via email - I did the build last night and just plugged it in about 30 minutes ago ... it sounds awesome! I've got to box it up to shield out some RFI, but it sounds so good I'll probably be playing for awhile before I can make the time to box it up.

Thanks for sharing this wonderful circuit and your other excellent designs ... I'm actually looking at building your Firefly amp next, using parts from a Valve Junior. If it's as great as the Highway 89, I'm in for a treat!

Phil