DEMO Blues Lawyer Overdrive (MI Audio Super Blues Pro)

[MichaelW]

Build Rating

5.00 star(s)

So I picked up this board as well as the MI Audio Blues Boy Deluxe (PPCB Blues Captain) recently.

These were completely under my radar until I saw a couple of demo videos of it.

According to the ad copy this the "TubeScreamer you've always wanted" or something like that.
But it doesn't look very TS-ish to me from the circuit.

Looks a bit more like an OCD to me. It's got some interesting clipping arrangements via two toggle switch.
One side is a 1N5817 + Mosfet (2n7000) and the other side is a 4148 + Mosfet.
So you can choose both Silicon, both Mosfet or any combination.

The LM833 opamp gives it a bit of the CrunchBox vibe.

It's also got some additional EQ controls with a "Detail" and "Trim" knobs. "Detail" is what they call the "tone" knob.
"Trim" sounds like an input gain knob.

All of which gives this pedal a lot of different sounds. I liked it the most in a low gain application.

I decided to use a blue enclosure. The Blue knobs are the standard Level, Gain, Tone (Detail) knobs and the two smaller knobs are the additional tweaker controls.

Some goofy components in this one. I subbed am A1M for the D1M pot. The RPD called for an 8M2 resistor. I could have probably gotten away with a 5M1 but I decided to teepee a set of resistors to get the desired value.

Neat pedal!






Demo will be in the next build report for the "Blues Captain".

I was tempted to use my fancy super flamed 10 top PRS McCarty for this since it's called "Blues Lawyer" hahaha but that guitar is cleaned and ready for sale and I've already emotionally detached from it.

 

[MichaelW]

Demo added here.

 

[eh là bas ma]

It would be an honor, a pleasure, and probably a source of inspiration to discover and admire your work on the soldering side of your stompboxes.

Isn't the soldering side the true face of a build ?

Maybe the component's side seems impeccable, but what if the other side is a devastated battlefield, with scary things hiding between pads ?

Surely, we already know it's not Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in there, but maybe you would consider adding a soldering side picture in your next build report ? Please ?

 

[MichaelW]

It would be an honor, a pleasure, and probably a source of inspiration to discover and admire your work on the soldering side of your stompboxes.

Isn't the soldering side the true face of a build ?

Maybe the component's side seems impeccable, but what if the other side is a devastated battlefield, with scary things hiding between pads ?

Surely, we already know it's not Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in there, but maybe you would consider adding a soldering side picture in your next build report ? Please ?

I can certainly add a photo of the back before boxing it up. But that might show my OCD even more hahahaha.
I clean the snot out of my PCB's and generally the back is cleaner than the front. I'll try to add that into my next build report.

 

[szukalski]

There are some weird fetishes on this forum. If you ever want to see a dirty, flea ridden hobo of a build, I can show you the underside of my builds

 

[eh là bas ma]

My comment might sound a bit suspicious of your soldering side. I was going to edit it, but i guess it's too late.

I am genuinely curious, and i am sure it will be as impressive as usual with your stompboxes.

Thanks for taking my request under consideration !

 

[MichaelW]

My comment might sound a bit suspicious of your soldering side. I was going to edit it, but i guess it's too late.

I am genuinely curious, and i am sure it will be as impressive as usual with your stompboxes.

Thanks for taking my request under consideration !

No offense taken at all. It's all part of learning and curiosity of how other people do things. But I'm sure I'll get some comments about how it's necessary to make the board so squeaky clean. But it's a bit of an obsession for me.

My process is populate the board with everything EXCEPT the IC's and any trimmers. The I use Flux remover fluid and a tooth brush and get all the flux off the back of the board. Then after that I do two applications of 99.99% IPA with a different, cleaner toothbrush and get anything missed. Then I rinse both sides of the PCB down with IPA out of a squirt bottle liberally and dry it all off with a heat gun.

Then I add any trimmers (diluted flux can get into the wipers and mess them up, so I always do then after cleaning).
I add the legs to attach to the 3PDT board. Then I solder the board into place with the pots already mounted.
Then after I check for power and voltage I go back with tweazers and some small cotton squares from cut up T-shirts, soak them in IPA and clean the front. Meaning the 3PDT board, the flux from the connections and the flux from soldering the pot legs. I usually use 3 or 4 "patches" to get the flux off and dry it.

 

[eh là bas ma]

My process is populate the board with everything EXCEPT the IC's and any trimmers. The I use Flux remover fluid and a tooth brush and get all the flux off the back of the board.

You use flux remover after populating the board.

I guess by "populate" you mean both putting the parts in position and soldering them ?

It means you've already applied flux on the whole soldering side of the pcb before populating, and use it on every pads ? All your resistors and caps are soldered with the flux's help ? First thing you do, when you start building a stompbox, is covering the pcb soldering side with flux ?

I am interested because i never used it and recently started a thread about flux :

Wondering if using flux on our usual pcbs (Aion's, Lectric FX, PPCB, etc.) is really necessary ?

An esteemed comrade forumite from diystompboxes often have some very dirty boards to troubleshoot. I just realized he was using "fluids" to help the soldering process. Once his work is done, the pcb looks covered with flux residues. Even after cleaning with isopropyl alcohol, there are still...

forum.pedalpcb.com

 

[MichaelW]

You use flux remover after populating the board.

I guess by "populate" you mean both putting the parts in position and soldering them ?

It means you've already applied flux on the whole soldering side of the pcb before populating, and use it on every pads ? All your resistors and caps are soldered with the flux's help ? First thing you do, when you start building a stompbox, is covering the pcb soldering side with flux ?

I am interested because i never used it and recently started a thread about flux :

Wondering if using flux on our usual pcbs (Aion's, Lectric FX, PPCB, etc.) is really necessary ?

An esteemed comrade forumite from diystompboxes often have some very dirty boards to troubleshoot. I just realized he was using "fluids" to help the soldering process. Once his work is done, the pcb looks covered with flux residues. Even after cleaning with isopropyl alcohol, there are still...

forum.pedalpcb.com

No I don't ever use any additional flux than what's already in the solder.

 

[eh là bas ma]

No I don't ever use any additional flux than what's already in the solder.

Ok, i get it. The flux remover is used to clean the flux residues from the solder around the pads.

Heat gun, flux remover, IPA, tweazers, pre-cut pieces of T-shirt... You are well equipped compared to me.

I also use my old toothbrush and a corner of the hoodie I am wearing the day I build something, and that's all.

Your method will be helpful, when i'll need to get my game up and sell some perfect circuits.

Thanks !

 

[Feral Feline]

No offense taken at all. It's all part of learning and curiosity of how other people do things. But I'm sure I'll get some comments about how it's necessary to make the board so squeaky clean. But it's a bit of an obsession for me.

My process is populate the board with everything EXCEPT the IC's and any trimmers. The I use Flux remover fluid and a tooth brush and get all the flux off the back of the board. Then after that I do two applications of 99.99% IPA with a different, cleaner toothbrush and get anything missed. Then I rinse both sides of the PCB down with IPA out of a squirt bottle liberally and dry it all off with a heat gun.

Then I add any trimmers (diluted flux can get into the wipers and mess them up, so I always do then after cleaning).
I add the legs to attach to the 3PDT board. Then I solder the board into place with the pots already mounted.
Then after I check for power and voltage I go back with tweazers and some small cotton squares from cut up T-shirts, soak them in IPA and clean the front. Meaning the 3PDT board, the flux from the connections and the flux from soldering the pot legs. I usually use 3 or 4 "patches" to get the flux off and dry it.

And yet, even with all that, you're still able to crank out several builds per week... and build guitars, make demo videos, hold down a job...


Amazed, I am, as always.

 

[MichaelW]

And yet, even with all that, you're still able to crank out several builds per week... and build guitars, make demo videos, hold down a job...


Amazed, I am, as always.

No job at the moment, I may have to go and join @eh là bas ma picking grapes in Champagne...... (That sounds idyllic to me.......)

 

[Feral Feline]

A journalist is never unemployed — when they aren't holding down a job, they're a "freelancer".

I guess in your line of work, when you don't have a job, then you're a "consultant".


Unlike a "freelancer" vs employed journalist, I bet you make more moolah when "consulting".