KGR Arare/Lollar Overdrive

[Markus Kersius]

Question as follows: I build a KGR arare aka Lollar Overdrive on veroboard using the layout on Dirtboxlayouts.
Worked first time firing it up and sound unexpectedly good.
But I found it be a bit dark even with the treble pot set pretty high.
Parts are all correct and no substitute parts of different values
Is It inherent to this circuit?
It's just a Timmy with mids basically, but I don't remember having to up the treble so high.

 

[Markus Kersius]

No LED yet, I just boxed it and tested.
Yess.. and a white nylon washer.. I know I know.
Work in progress

 

[BuddytheReow]

Can you share a schematic?

 

[Markus Kersius]

This one is from dirtboxlayouts:


This one is from pedalpcb, "Cast Iron' should be the same pedal:

 

[HamishR]

I'd have to plug mine in again - built stock on the PedalPCB board - but I seem to remember it being slightly dark too. As soon as you add/subtract things from a circuit it changes the balance of the tones. Reducing the size of C5 might help. Maybe try a 4n7?

 

[Markus Kersius]

I'd have to plug mine in again - built stock on the PedalPCB board - but I seem to remember it being slightly dark too. As soon as you add/subtract things from a circuit it changes the balance of the tones. Reducing the size of C5 might help. Maybe try a 4n7?

I will try tonight

 

[Markus Kersius]

Ok.. I switched the 47nf with one of the 10nf around while populating the board
Reversed them and et voila: high content present in spades.

 

[HamishR]

I just looked at my Lollar Drive and found that I had swapped C5 for a 2n2. I definitely had found it too dark!

This is what I love most about this hobby - being able to adjust the sound of gear to suit me better. If I'd bought a Lollar Drive before I probably would have thought it sounded ok but was too dark and sold it. Sometimes a simple tweak can turn a circuit from meh into something you can use all the time. It's not necessarily that the circuit was poorly designed but that it doesn't work with your set up.