LukeFRC Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 (edited) Some of you may have seen me asking lots of questions about building your own pedal over on the effects forum... this is the actual build... set out for all your enjoyment and my own records... [b]The background:[/b] Pretty much the greatest bass tone I've ever got was when we were supporting a band at an under 16's night (glasvegas) and shared their backline. A massive heavy 100w '70s fender bassman head. That fatness of tone. My Hughes and Kettner Q600 head can get pretty close to that sound, as well as a more modern sound. What it doesn't do is overdriven sounds. My first splashing out as a bass player was bought with the first months pay of a new part time job. A [url="http://www.owenelectronics.co.uk/9939.html"]owen bass overdrive[/url]. It was lovely, all sorts of fuzzy sounds, I used it for a bit in my old band at the beginning but as an new player it wasn't getting used. I found this random bass forum and sold it.... (to 99ster) Years later I start looking at effects again. lots of individual effects, yet I'm not sure what I want. I end up buying a Line 6 Bass Pod xt live. Use it for a few months. I find it a bit bulky and heavy to cart around (i only have a push bike) and also find that live I cant find a way to set it up easily to sound good. (but it does confirm I can get a better Fender bassman type tone with the H&K!) Other things niggle, the ability to accidentally save over your patches as you try to set it up to the room, the sheer number of options, the daft cable inputs (why have them at the back if i will be stood behind it?) and so on. I sell it. I found out that I was only using it for a number of things. 1) Tuner 2) an overdrive. not the effect but on the SVT model, it had the tone and responsiveness to touch I was looking for. I could dig in to make it overdrive, and play softly and it wouldn't. 3) chorus Looking again at effects I found a website listing different Big muff versions, looking at the schematics i thought I saw a way that I could save money, learn to do something new and have fun...the brief [b]the brief[/b] one box. two footswitches. 1) svt style overdrive 2) chorus Powered off adapter or battery and cables in sensible places. Oh and it has to fit in the front of my gigbag, if markbass can make a whole amp fit there surely i can build an effect that small. so after looking up lots and lots of different schematics i settled on a smallstone clone and a transistor based overdrive effect. my skills are limited my aim is large.... here we go Edited February 24, 2010 by LukeFRC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 22, 2010 Author Share Posted February 22, 2010 (edited) 22 Feb Box arrives from musikding EDIT: every little component is labled by hand! wow wasnt expecting that! Edited February 22, 2010 by LukeFRC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 Just been browsing the Musikding site - the Bass Amuser kit looks like an absolute mother f***er to build! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mancunianfox Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 I think the chaos fuzz looks like my next build. Blend plus options for both germanium and silicon fuzz each with its own volume control. That sounds like a money idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 [quote name='mancunianfox' post='755159' date='Feb 23 2010, 04:28 PM']I think the chaos fuzz looks like my next build. Blend plus options for both germanium and silicon fuzz each with its own volume control. That sounds like a money idea.[/quote] I had that in my shopping basket as well as a few other things to finish the build off, literally about to buy it, then my boss leans over my shoulder and says, "erm...work related?!". :blush: Think I'll buy it now though I'm home! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 23, 2010 Author Share Posted February 23, 2010 Honestly cannot praise musikding enough! Very impressed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 [quote name='LukeFRC' post='755276' date='Feb 23 2010, 06:02 PM']Honestly cannot praise musikding enough! Very impressed[/quote] Ordered some bits... :ph34r: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 23, 2010 Author Share Posted February 23, 2010 23rd feb. So soldered the first half the OD together. not tested it yet beyond individual joints. eek. Hopefully it will work..... anyway it's a wee OD i guess was originally based on the front end of a ampeg flip top. this circuit should be my approxamation of a catlinbread SFT the chorus half im waiting on a pcb from the states. I went and bought a box today from maplin. although a little one would be nice i couldn't see how i could use it as a foot switch with out a bit of space! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 24, 2010 Author Share Posted February 24, 2010 all together, wired it up and.... nothing... went out annoyed. 15 min with the multimeter and i find a bridge in the wrong place and a cap missing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Heeley Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 LOL - hang in there, I've thrown a few circuits across the room at times in frustration and then realised I forgot to insert the transistors into their sockets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 24, 2010 Author Share Posted February 24, 2010 well this is my christmas money from my grandparents. Grandad was a naval engineer so was overjoyed when I told him what i was spending the money they gave me on. He wouldn't be impressed if it didnt work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 24, 2010 Author Share Posted February 24, 2010 it is only the biggest cap in the build it forgot too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 24, 2010 Author Share Posted February 24, 2010 okayyyy it works kinda.... gain and volume max you can hear stuff and change the bass and treble, although not working brilliantly and doesn't work less than max, maybe i soldered the pot on upside down as it is a log penteometer... i guess going over each part with a multimeter is how you check it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 25, 2010 Author Share Posted February 25, 2010 (edited) it's there, but low low volume. gain control not giving me overdrive. very quiet. something's wrong. sleep now bingo, found it Edited February 25, 2010 by LukeFRC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 25, 2010 Author Share Posted February 25, 2010 late at night so could only play it at a low low low low volume... but it works! Oh yeah it does!!!!!! my very own clone of a catlinbread SFT.... now waiting on the PCB arriving for the other half Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 [quote name='LukeFRC' post='756669' date='Feb 25 2010, 12:38 AM']late at night so could only play it at a low low low low volume... but it works! Oh yeah it does!!!!!! my very own clone of a catlinbread SFT.... now waiting on the PCB arriving for the other half[/quote] Good news Luke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umph Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 sounds great dude! remember before firing up check everything then check it again to avoid disapointment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 25, 2010 Author Share Posted February 25, 2010 So I've just had it working with the P bass through it. Amazed. -Firstly with the gain right down the tone controls are very powerful. But in a musical way, I think it's a 'Baxandall' tone stack whatever that is. Sometimes when playing it feels like I've just got a guitar an octave down, just not enough bass, and the Eq on the amp doesn't seem to solve this... I've just found the solution. -secondly.... it overdrives when I dig in. yay! I could set it to my playing style. Flat out sounds pretty good and the tone of the OD is quite well effected by the tone controls. This thing sounds like I want a bass to sound! Very very impressed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mancunianfox Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 Which circuit is it that you have built for that side of the pedal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 25, 2010 Author Share Posted February 25, 2010 [quote name='mancunianfox' post='757553' date='Feb 25 2010, 08:44 PM']Which circuit is it that you have built for that side of the pedal?[/quote] Catlinbread SFT clone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 26, 2010 Author Share Posted February 26, 2010 well due to me buying a larger enclosure that I needed, and the fact I'll have to wait a wee while for the circuit board to turn up I've modified my plans slightly back to the original idea..... now it will be (based on) Overdrive ---- Fuzz ---- chorus. catalinbread SFT Sovtek Green Muff EH Small CLone..... Here's to it working! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mancunianfox Posted March 4, 2010 Share Posted March 4, 2010 I'm ordering stuff for that overdrive you have just done. Listened to some soundclips..sounds brilliant, especially at high gain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted March 10, 2010 Author Share Posted March 10, 2010 only just saw your reply! Yes it is brilliant. I've not put it in an enclosure yet but playing with it outside i have to say the Eq controls are brilliant. What it is AMAZING at, and what I've always missed in most other pedals I've had is that it's very touch sensitive, can do lovely warm motown style sounds too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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