Tufnel Distortion

[newfish]

...What? No umlauts?

You know it'll need at least one...

[DougH]

Something else you might consider is adding a few extra LEDs on it to help you find the stage.

[BDuguay]

Something else you might consider is adding a few extra LEDs on it to help you find the stage.

Especially for those Cleveland gigs.
'Rock'n'Roll!!!
B.

[1878]

Something else you might consider is adding a few extra LEDs on it to help you find the stage.

That's just nit-picking innit...

On a serious note, I've been asked about an over the top distortion type-thing, so I'm quite interested in building this. Any chance of a soundclip ??

[raulgrell]

I'd also be interested in hearing some sound samples, I've been getting really into insane distortions 

[bassmasta17]

Something else you might consider is adding a few extra LEDs on it to help you find the stage.

Especially for those Cleveland gigs.
'Rock'n'Roll!!!
B.

did someone say Cleveland gigs??
haha. i have had a cupple of those. but i think you are using somekind of slang i havent heard of yet.

[CodeMonk]

I hasten to remind you that the zone where the gain is applied in the 386 can be determined simply by sticking a cap in series with the 1k gain pot.  Normally, we are used to the pin 1-8 path being bridged by either a pot, or a fixed resistor, or a pot and large value cap (10uf).  replace that cap with a smaller value (e.g., .047uf or .01uf) and the gain is applied only in the mids or upper frequencies.  It works a bit like emitter caps.

Another thought here...
How about the .01uf on one of the gain sections and say a .2uf on the other gain section?

And hey, I've got 4 386 chips with nothing to use them for, how about using all 4 ? (my nearest neighbor is about a 1/4 mile away). Then I could go up to 22 instead of just 11

[ilponiz]

In a recent quest to make the loudest rudest distortion as simply as possible I came back to my favorite chip ever: the 386.

Here are two of them cascaded. No silly tone knob because Nigel would have just sneered at that. Two gain controls, on volume knob, and loads of sustain.



And yes, it does go to 11.

you're the man, mate!
i'll build one and use it with an amp like this:





have a glorious day, dano

poniz

[dano12]

For the last few nights I've been meaning to take the tufnel off the breadboard to move onto other more pressing projects. But I just kept thinking about it and the few remaining tweaks that would make it really nice.

The first problem is that the V1 circuit really is overly bright. I tweaked C4 from 47n to 4n7 and it seem to tame a bit of the shrillness. Second was a lack of a filter control. Even thought the spirit of the design was for unadulterated raunchy distortion, it seemed a lot less useful on the pedalboard without a filter. So I added a simple filter at the end--these are the new VR3 and C11 parts. It is an effective, if crude, tone control.

So here is v1.1 of the tufnel, a bit more useful and still tons of fun.

[Paul Marossy]

Huh, very interesting circuit. I thought that the Smash Drive was intense enough, I can't imagine this one. Do any soundclips exist for this thing yet?

[dano12]

On a serious note, I've been asked about an over the top distortion type-thing, so I'm quite interested in building this. Any chance of a soundclip ??

On the breadboard, the high-gain nature of the circuit (doh) causes real extreme noise and oscillation.

I'm committing it to protoboard tonight, so hopefully that will solve some of the noise issues and I'll do a vid soon.

[raulgrell]

Ummmm... slightly nooby question... but what's that thing on your board wrapped in copper wire?

[dano12]

Ummmm... slightly nooby question... but what's that thing on your board wrapped in copper wire?

ninja part. first person who guesses its function wins. Prize = adulation.

[Nitefly182]

Ummmm... slightly nooby question... but what's that thing on your board wrapped in copper wire?

ninja part. first person who guesses its function wins. Prize = adulation.

Ninja parts are the new mojo parts.

[John Lyons]

Inductor/Choke I would guess.
Although there was talk of a resistor with a lot of current so maybe a homespun wire wound 10ohm?

John

[DougH]

It's an antenna.

[Paul Marossy]

I also thought it was an antenna. I've seen antennas like that in transistor radios when I was a kid in the 70s...

[doug deeper]

its an antenna, to simulate the scene at the military base when tufnels wireless picks up radio signals!

[dano12]

its an antenna, to simulate the scene at the military base when tufnels wireless picks up radio signals!

Lol! The great Band Breakup Scene!

it is not an antenna.

Here's a clue: what is 12 minus 12?

[frequencycentral]

its an antenna, to simulate the scene at the military base when tufnels wireless picks up radio signals!

Lol! The great Band Breakup Scene!

it is not an antenna.

Here's a clue: what is 12 minus 12?

It's a very cool ninja/mojo jumper/0 ohm resistor?