PedalPCB Golden Falk/Columbo Plexi Breed

[OD is Glorious]

Build Rating

5.00 star(s)

M̶e̶h̶ I̶ a̶m̶ n̶o̶t̶ a̶ f̶a̶n̶;̶ I̶ o̶r̶i̶g̶i̶n̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ g̶a̶v̶e̶ i̶t̶ 3̶ s̶t̶a̶r̶s̶ b̶u̶t̶ t̶h̶e̶n̶ c̶h̶a̶n̶g̶e̶d̶ i̶t̶ t̶o̶ 4̶ b̶e̶c̶a̶u̶s̶e̶ i̶t̶ h̶a̶s̶ s̶o̶m̶e̶ u̶s̶e̶a̶b̶l̶e̶ t̶o̶n̶e̶s̶.
Update: Ok plugged this in my Super and it was great. I should never do a review off of my Vibroverb alone. It was indeed fantastic. Loads of tone to be had and all of it useable. Very powerful tool with the ability to make appreciable tone changes - also very dynamic. I guess my 64 Vibroverb is just the wrong amp to show off this circuit.

More rolling sustaining distortion. It can clean up with the controls but it never really gets me the crunch of a proper overdrive. It sustains and gives me loads of saturation. I am happy with how it turned out and I think it has some useable tones as a distortion pedal - as an overdrive it is a bit complicated to set. I set the trim pots by ear.

I used a Tayda Metallic Golden water texture 125b. I used a 3mm red diffused LED without a bezel (1/8th hole). The knobs are Davies 1510 and the decal is a film free with a 2k clear coat. The toggle is a black Taiway on/off/on SDPT with a black dress nut. I also used a black footswitch with a PPCB brightness control breakout board. I used a 10k trim pot there. I used a PPCB top jack plate and enclosed jacks. The build does not use any oddball parts or values.

This circuit did not work straight away so I went through my checks and I missed a solder on this and you can see where it was in the picture.

Notes

1. The BOM calls for ceramic caps in many more places - I used some alternative film caps that the BOM suggests
2. I used SMD J201s soldered to boards - I also used bent male/male pin headers to mount them
3. You need four 330p ceramic caps and one 470p - from there you can use film caps

 

[bluedmc777]

Wow I’m suprised you couldn’t get on with this one. You need to build the Mr. Black Thunderclaw just so you can clone the graphics. I have one in the queue to be built.

 

[MattG]

Great build (as always), but I feel the shot of the back of the PCB is the real star of the show - that's some really nice soldering and a super-clean PCB! I assume you clean your boards after the soldering is done?

 

[OD is Glorious]

Wow I’m suprised you couldn’t get on with this one. You need to build the Mr. Black Thunderclaw just so you can clone the graphics. I have one in the queue to be built.

Maybe I am just in a foul mood. I see most builders love it.

Oh my I do love the graphic on that Mr. Black Thunderclaw

 

[OD is Glorious]

Great build (as always), but I feel the shot of the back of the PCB is the real star of the show - that's some really nice soldering and a super-clean PCB! I assume you clean your boards after the soldering is done?

Thanks, I learned by watching how other forum-users assemble. I do use isopropyl - was using 91% but now I switched to 99%. I also use a Stewmac side cutter to trim leads close. The back of my boards are relatively smooth as a result.

 

[bluedmc777]

Maybe I am just in a foul mood. I see most builders love it.

Oh my I do love the graphic on that Mr. Black Thunderclaw

Me too! I’ll let you know how it sounds.

 

[OD is Glorious]

Me too! I’ll let you know how it sounds.

Looks cool- but on the original pedal I hate that the knobs are too big for the design. I included a picture - first one, the knobs are too wide in circumference. Second picture: this is how I begin to make the decal. I strip off the LED, the knobs, the footswitch and I make it a black and white design

 

[bluedmc777]

I could live with the knobs. It actually looks like the board isn’t exactly centered cause the knob appears to be barely hanging off on the right while it isn’t on the left. Cool looking graphic though.

 

[HamishR]

Don't be afraid to tweak the trimmers. JFETs are fickle buggers. Just because one unit used particular drain voltages doesn't mean using those same voltages will work on the next pedal. Did you read Chuck's thread on this pedal? Chuck's writing on JFETs has helped me enormously.

Maybe this pedal isn't for you. But it is a remarkable OD. FWIW I reduced the amount of low end in the Normal channel - and I do that in the Marshall amps I build too. You could just about use the pedal with Normal on zero anyway! You could use 10µF for C3 or even 2µ2.

Anyway, really nice job with the build. I think it would be with fiddling with the bias - you can always put it back to how it was.

*EDIT* If you want less compression you can increase drain voltage a bit -that way you get less dirt, more headroom. For more dirt reduce the voltage.

 

[OD is Glorious]

Don't be afraid to tweak the trimmers. JFETs are fickle buggers. Just because one unit used particular drain voltages doesn't mean using those same voltages will work on the next pedal. Did you read Chuck's thread on this pedal? Chuck's writing on JFETs has helped me enormously.

Maybe this pedal isn't for you. But it is a remarkable OD. FWIW I reduced the amount of low end in the Normal channel - and I do that in the Marshall amps I build too. You could just about use the pedal with Normal on zero anyway! You could use 10µF for C3 or even 2µ2.

Anyway, really nice job with the build. I think it would be with fiddling with the bias - you can always put it back to how it was.

*EDIT* If you want less compression you can increase drain voltage a bit -that way you get less dirt, more headroom. For more dirt reduce the voltage.

Thanks. I will have to read Chuck's thread on this pedal. I just adjust until it sounds good to my ear so it is possible that others have adjusted things better than I have.

 

[HamishR]

Selecting Q3 and Q4 can be critical! Yell out here if you need help!

 

[OD is Glorious]

Ok plugged this in my Super and it was great. I should never do a review off of my Vibroverb alone. It was indeed fantastic. Loads of tone to be had and all of it useable. I see the error of my review @HamishR @bluedmc777

 

[bluedmc777]

I can have a tendency to be too bassy at times… but then again so did some of the earlier Marshall’s. It’s the most authentic Marshall sounding pedal I’ve tried. Most others sound like Jose modded Marshall’s which are great too!

 

[OD is Glorious]

I can have a tendency to be too bassy at times… but then again so did some of the earlier Marshall’s. It’s the most authentic Marshall sounding pedal I’ve tried. Most others sound like Jose modded Marshall’s which are great too!

Yes, perhaps I was in a foul mood and it was coming through my Vibroverb poorly. Single 15”. Sounds terrific on the super reverb.

 

[Chuck D. Bones]

If you don't select Q3 / Q4 properly, you run the risk of tone.

 

[OD is Glorious]

If you don't select Q3 / Q4 properly, you run the risk of tone.

Thanks, I think it sounds amazing at every setting now.
Some of my builds do not sound good on the Vibroverb. I have some 62 year old tubes in that thing and it is low, I think the tubes are taxed because it can sound flubby. I am ashamed of myself for writing a review before trying the 65 super reverb

 

[Chuck D. Bones]

OK, but you might want to check the bias on Q3 & Q4 just to be sure it's correct.

 

[bluedmc777]

Thanks, I think it sounds amazing at every setting now.
Many of my builds do not sound good on the Vibroverb. I have some 62 year old tubes in that thing and it is low, I think the tubes are taxed because it can sound flubby. I am ashamed of myself for writing a review before trying the 65 super reverb

Dude put some new tubes in that thing!

 

[HamishR]

There are many things which can make an old amp sound weak and flubby. I once fixed up a '65 Super Reverb which was very low volume because of dropping resistors which had gone waaaay off spec. Instead of being 100K they measured close to 1M. Just replacing a few resistors really woke that amp up. Then there's old electrolytics, tired old speakers and leaky coupling caps. A good 15" speaker shouldn't sound flubby.

Anyway I'm glad you are happy with the pedal now. I'm not surprised it sounds good into a '65 Super Reverb!

 

[OD is Glorious]

There are many things which can make an old amp sound weak and flubby. I once fixed up a '65 Super Reverb which was very low volume because of dropping resistors which had gone waaaay off spec. Instead of being 100K they measured close to 1M. Just replacing a few resistors really woke that amp up. Then there's old electrolytics, tired old speakers and leaky coupling caps. A good 15" speaker shouldn't sound flubby.

Anyway I'm glad you are happy with the pedal now. I'm not surprised it sounds good into a '65 Super Reverb!

The 1964 Vibroverb's 15" sounds great and the amp is all original. Most circuits sound great on that amp. As you have said, some components may be out of spec because it has never been serviced. Still has the two prong chord! I think as I said, I was in a bad mood when I tested this circuit: I was thinking this circuit was just another sustaining bumble bee distortion box. I explored it a bit more after seeing that others praised the circuit.

The 65 Super has new matched power tubes and the last owner also serviced it. Before I replaced the power tubes the amp sounded great for about ten minutes and then it would get very noisy. Now it is great.