Clench n' Push aka Moonn Juichen aka Bronx Cheer

[jcpst]

As soon as I got my June order from Moonn, I almost immediately went to populate a few of the smaller boards. I had the pots and switches on-hand for the Juichen, so that's the first one I boxed up.

Up until now, I've only built on PPCB boards. Things I like about the Moonn documentation better: on the bom, the resistor values are in order with the count. I store my resistors in order by value, so this is pretty handy. Overall though, the PPCB docs are nicer- better looking schematic and off-board wiring diagrams. And the drill template- the moonn docs do not come with a template.

I wanted this because I had read that it's similar to a Prunes and Custard. It is, but there are some key differences. Like other fuzzes, this wants you to plug your guitar directly into it. Running anything before it sounds the same as turning off the filter switch, leaving a lo-fi distortion. Your guitar's tone knob basically controls the frequency of the filter, which is pretty cool.

This circuit is about as simple as it gets. It was kind of nice not building something with 100 components or stacked boards.

I didn't plan how I was going to do the offboard wiring, and it's a little wild. I've gotten so used to PPCB builds that I just do it from memory. With this one I wanted to try and follow the docs the first time. I think I might go with more of a PPCB style switch wiring next time.

 

[Fuzzonaut]

That's a sexy knob!

 

[Feral Feline]

... Like other fuzzes, this wants you to plug your guitar directly into it. Running anything before it sounds the same as turning off the filter switch, leaving a lo-fi distortion. Your guitar's tone knob basically controls the frequency of the filter, which is pretty cool.
...

I'm sure you're well aware the Juichen deviates slightly from the original Bronx Cheer, ie no transformer on the front end of the circuit.
If you were to add the transformer back in, wouldn't that negate the need for this to be first in the queue?
Then the tone-knob might not work so well controlling the filter's frequency, though...

I don't know, as it's been a long time since I last did any homework on the Bronx Cheer and I've never built one though I've always wanted to.

Fuzzonaut's right, you have a sexy knob there.

 

[jcpst]

I'm sure you're well aware the Juichen deviates slightly from the original Bronx Cheer, ie no transformer on the front end of the circuit.

To be honest, I had no idea- but I do see that after a quick seach.

I got into DIY because was looking for alternatives to the waveshaper setting on my SYB-3. Bronx Cheer was one of the ones that came up in my searches. Then I came across the Juichen while going on my pride month shopping spree.

 

[Feral Feline]

 

[Diynot]

I built the GGG Bronx Cheer not long ago and was wondering where the transformer had gone in this one. It is a fun little noise box though. You might need to build the real deal and give us a comparison

 

[Feral Feline]

I can't remember if I ordered the Juichen with Moonn's last Pride sale or not (if not, then next year), but I had planned to add the transformer via a switch to be able to go both ways.

 

[jcpst]

I was just thinking about how it would be cool to have the transformer sticking out the top a little bit like an engine blower

Juice up that Juichen!

 

[jcpst]

I think I want to add a transformer to mine.

n00b question
The transformer has six legs. Not confident how to interpret the schematic.
But Let me take a wild guess: On the primary side does leg 1 connect to R1 and leg 3 connect to C1?

 

[pricklyrobot]

Yeah, that’s weird, looks like you’re going in and out of the Primary side, and the Secondary is hooked up to…nothing?

So what is the transformer doing in this scenario?

* more noob questions

 

[jcpst]

Yeah, that’s weird, looks like you’re going in and out of the Primary side, and the Secondary is hooked up to…nothing?

Yeah, I guess so

 

[gonzo]

The transformer is just acting as a pickup simulator in a way by getting the impedance similar to the guitar pickup's. It's a cool easy trick to get stubborn first-in-line pedals to work with buffers in other pedals in front of them. I've used actual guitar pickups in a pinch in series to achieve the same thing.

 

[Chuck D. Bones]

That's a sexy knob!

I'm sure you only meant that one way.

 

[Fuzzonaut]

I'm sure you only meant that one way.

Of course! Why?

 

[pricklyrobot]

The transformer is just acting as a pickup simulator in a way by getting the impedance similar to the guitar pickup's…

Interesting

And the reason we can’t just stick a resistor there instead is that the coil has inductive reactance rather than just straight resistance!
I remember this one from ‘AC Theory’ class in my IBEW apprenticeship

 

[jcpst]

Ok- my n00b gears are starting to turn...

I think there's another mod that would be really cool to add.

When I roll the tone knob on my guitar, the filter change is not a gradient. Rolled all the way back it has a distinct filter not available on the pedal itself. When you start turning the tone up, the filter drops out, then all the way up goes back into the filter sound available on the pedal.

This makes me wonder, if the transformer acts as a pickup simulator, that I might be able to add the guitar tone stack to the pedal. But replace the pot with a switch and resistor so I can flip that tone on and off.