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Tube Screamer Page

Finally! I was trying to make that happen like ages now. Well made TS stripboard is really hard to design, specially to me. It isn’t possible to make one without jumpers (as well as most IC based FX’s). For some reasons I don’t like jumpers, so all my entries to design it was instantly trashed. The other main reason is… well… I hate OD/Distortions in general, I’m a booster/fuzz bloke. Tubescreamer is a part of music history, almost as much iconic as all well known and loved users by over last 30 years, on top with my personal hero SRV!

Anyway… It’s done now, and I do quite like it. I couldn’t get away with jumpers (I use 0-ohm resistors instead) but it’s still quite nice. Doing this I had couple purposes in mind. Firstly – all none polarized caps at 5mm raster (two stripboard rows) and Panasonic SMF’s as a type of my choice. 100uF and 47uF’s the same – 5mm raster. Why so big? AM Silver Modded TS uses Sanyo OsCon type caps, and those values I have are 5mm raster. The other E-Cap (10uF) is 2,5mm radial, so standard stuff here.

What else… ah, yeah! The size 🙂 Will easily fit into small B sized Hammond (or similar) enclosure. I was going to make it for 125B really, it’s similar size to real TS-9, that’s why my layout shows ins and outs in upper position, nor side located. I’ll go with 125B anyway, as I have some evil plans for this project. Of course I won’t shy to show of.

Few more things needs to point out:

– Transistors. Originally seen 2SC1815 low quality noisy Q’s was changed to accommodate more ordinary pinout wise, and better quality in general 2N4401 transistors for in/out buffers, as recommended by GGG instructions.

– Optional Clipping Diode Switch pads are shown for future project extension, but you can easily crank yourself what it is, and what it does

– One none original part to standard TS series in input pull-down (anti-pop) resistor (2M2)

Two layouts for classic exemplars:

Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer

Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer

As we all know, TS series was, and still is Poo-Teeque Cart-Horse, so expect shitload of variants very soon

UPDATE 10/06/2012

Here You can find layouts for simplified TS type circuits without input and output buffers:

Son of Tube Screamer
Son of Clay Jones Overdrive
Son of Clay Jones Overdrive with added Bass knob and switchable clipping section

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…more coming  very soon

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[0.1″ stripboard] La Pelusa Retro Fuzz

Ok… now – what the fuck is La Pelusa Retro Fuzz?

It’s Silicon “proprietary chip set” based version of well loved Tone Bender MKII fuzz unit my son!

Nothing to add, nothing to cut…

Layout contains full off-board wiring, and will fit into Hammond “B” type enclosure

.pdf file is here

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Fuzz Face Family

Welcome to new section. Since t.org shows at least few projects based on good-ol Fuzz Face I decided to keep them all in one room. This is also good time to look at them again – correcting possible errors and update with new info.

Firstly – let’s look at Dunlop EJ-F1 Eric Johnson Fuzz Face. Attached project is based on 0,1″ pitch perfboard layout done at one point by Electric Warrior, with specific components added to match EJ-F1 spec, full off-board wiring as usual, no shielded wire, just like in real one.

So what we have here is basically standard Fuzz Face spec, originally Q2 resistor is paired with trimmer to set quite cold bias at 3v range. I decided to do it as an fixed bias for layout simplify and vintage look of sake of it. Just set the bias with potentiometer, pick  the closest value resistor from your stash and solder it in.

What we also see here is small value capacitors between transistors Collector and Base. In traced unit at Freestompboxes there is only Q2 limiting cap, SMD type, no marking visible, but it shouldn’t be big. Our B.man  have one coming soon, so as soon as we get the correct info, let’s say it’s about 39pF. For Q1 there is no cap, but there is a place for one, perhaps in later issues, when/if/in case if Dunlop will use hotter transistors for Q1 this cap will be there, at this point with recommended transistor pair omit the fucker.

Lastly, we have small value 27R resistor in line with 15uF cap to prevent squealing and few shifts in component values making this unit unique. Give it a try!

And here is the same as abowe, but for .15″ pitch retro-style vero. Will fit into hammond 125B enclosure, nice and old-school

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Another Dunlop Fuzz Face variant – Joe Bonamassa Signature Fuzz Face.

As my previous layout, this perfboard is based on Electric Warrior’s work with just few components added to match it to JBF-3 spec.

What’s the Fuzz is All About? Firstly, it has one more component to (AFAIK) prevent squealing at higher Fuzz settings.

Secondly, it’s PNP germanium circuit. Old stock Russian transistors ware used.

JBF-3 was short lived limited to 300 units only. It’s gone by now, so here’s your chance to build one.

I did another layout with external bipolar power supply, but I wasn’t sure connections, so I decide to let you see it as is – bare bone.

Get your PDF project file here (project revision 2 – final error corrected)

Enjoy

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Another project is is made for 0,15″ pitch veroboard. It’s classic Dallas Arbiter silicon BC183L Fuzz Face. First Si transistor issue. Wide space vero I did is still small enough to be fit into Hammond B style enclosure. No mods, no fucking around, just a plain and simple silicon Fuzz Face we all love, and hate…

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John Hollis RockFace

Here’s description from John Hollis website

What we see here is slightly twicked (to JBF3 spec) Fuzz Face circuit with Q2 collector autobias. How cool is that?

Few notes:
– Draw designed to accommodate C-E-B short leg transistors as I have quite large stash of old Russian Ge’s with that pinout. It shouldn’t be a problem since most ge’s are long legged, you can bend them as you wish…
– It’s not exact RockFace schematic take. 100n in John’s is 10n in my layout, 47uF cap from mid lug fuzz pot to V+ is standard 22uF in mine. I’ve added 10R anti-squeal resistor in line with that 22uF, as known in Dunlop JHF3 Fuzz Face. Pot values are also taken from new-ish Dunlop FF’s
– Triple checked – not verified

Small enough to be fit into B sized Hammond enclosure, I’ve draw it with 0,1″ pitch stripboard in mind

Get that there

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More variants coming soon…

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[0.15″ pitch veroboard] Colorsound – Power Boost / Overdriver

Two different effects, shared (almost) the same component layout.

Very lush sounding units I must admit.

As most of effects from Colorsound line classic and adored!

Power Boost was recently reissued by Macari’s with Castledine  Electronics colaboration

Transistor info: Factory schemo shows BC109C’s but AFAIK those ware never seen in reality. What we see usually is BC169B’s or BC349B (and mix of both) in vintage units, and reissues with BC184L (also seen in vintage Powerboost) or BC184C. Use any NPN Silicon’s with similar spec.

Big hug and high fife to monkeyxx from FSB forum for cool mod ideas.

What you get below is two versions of Power Boost named as Early, and Later spec, and an Overdriver. Another three docs contains the same shit, but in different flavor as per monkeyxx instructions – added master volume control, changed drive pot taper.

Taste it, you’ll love it

– Power Boost Early Spec

– Power Boost Later Spec

– Overdriver.pdf

Modified:

– Power Boost Early Spec (Monkeyxx Mods)

– Power Boost Later Spec (Monkeyxx Mods)

– Overdriver (Monkeyxx Mods)

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[Tagboard] Creepy Fingers Effects Si Fuzz Face

Yo!

Here’s lovely tagboard layout for si fuzz face clone made by Brad from Creepy Fingers Effects for charity auction where 100% of the proceeds of auction will go to Naoto Matsumura and Tomioka’s animals. Very cool initiative and very nice fuzz face layout on single tagboard. Love it!

Small mods in circuit – added 10R resistor between Q2 emitter and fuzz pot plus small ceramic cap 39pF to lower noise and prevent oscilations on higher fuzz settings.

Transistors are TFK BC130c.

Get the project file here [.pdf]

Enjoy!
b.man

PAGE UPDATE 18/04/2012

Corrected layout updated.