MichaelW
Well-known member
- Build Rating
Taking a wee break from my Boss Overdrive Bonanzarama.... 
I buttoned this one up yesterday evening but only got a chance to test for function.
I spent a few minutes with it this morning and it's a glorious sounding drive.
Another one I never heard of before, but I saw it mentioned on the forum, and being an easily influenced type I threw it on my next order.
I like having a stash of very simple low parts counts builds for quick weekday solder fixes...hahah. And this one certainly fits the bill.
I think it has less components than the Zen drive.
When I saw "Ge diode and Ge Transistor" in the description it was all I needed to know hahaha.
It definitely delivers a raunchy yet creamy kind of overdrive. It reminds me a little bit of a cranked brownface deluxe at certain settings so it kinda gets into that early Billy Gibbons tone back before all the processing he used in the 80's.
For the Ge Diodes, I used a pair of Mullard/Phillips OA9's that both measured right around ~300 on my CCT. Which translates to probably low 200's on a DCA75 (I'm gonna have to invest in one of those one of these days).
For the GE transistor, the only NPN's I have on hand are some Russian GT404B's. I used one with an hfe ~100 and leakage ~.061 as I recall.
These transistors sound good but they are a biotch to fit in a 1590A.
I did spring for a Mullard OC139 from an allegedly good seller on Ebay so we'll see when it arrives if it makes any difference.
My last build report for a bit as I'm off on the road again tomorrow for work. Got a busy day today too, catching up on work that I didn't do last week because I was building Boss Overdrives............
No demo yet but I might try to squeak one in later this afternoon.
Build as usual went super smooth except shoehorning in that bigarse transistor.
Went with the Tayda Red Sand and MXR style knobs as a nod to the original Crimson Drive.
Sweet overdrive/distortion pedal, highly recommended for some raunchy, warm tones.
I've been on a real roll lately, I think the last 8 or 9 dirt boxes I've built I've really liked all of them.
I buttoned this one up yesterday evening but only got a chance to test for function.
I spent a few minutes with it this morning and it's a glorious sounding drive.
Another one I never heard of before, but I saw it mentioned on the forum, and being an easily influenced type I threw it on my next order.
I like having a stash of very simple low parts counts builds for quick weekday solder fixes...hahah. And this one certainly fits the bill.
I think it has less components than the Zen drive.
When I saw "Ge diode and Ge Transistor" in the description it was all I needed to know hahaha.
It definitely delivers a raunchy yet creamy kind of overdrive. It reminds me a little bit of a cranked brownface deluxe at certain settings so it kinda gets into that early Billy Gibbons tone back before all the processing he used in the 80's.
For the Ge Diodes, I used a pair of Mullard/Phillips OA9's that both measured right around ~300 on my CCT. Which translates to probably low 200's on a DCA75 (I'm gonna have to invest in one of those one of these days).
For the GE transistor, the only NPN's I have on hand are some Russian GT404B's. I used one with an hfe ~100 and leakage ~.061 as I recall.
These transistors sound good but they are a biotch to fit in a 1590A.
I did spring for a Mullard OC139 from an allegedly good seller on Ebay so we'll see when it arrives if it makes any difference.
My last build report for a bit as I'm off on the road again tomorrow for work. Got a busy day today too, catching up on work that I didn't do last week because I was building Boss Overdrives...........
.No demo yet but I might try to squeak one in later this afternoon.
Build as usual went super smooth except shoehorning in that bigarse transistor.
Went with the Tayda Red Sand and MXR style knobs as a nod to the original Crimson Drive.
Sweet overdrive/distortion pedal, highly recommended for some raunchy, warm tones.
I've been on a real roll lately, I think the last 8 or 9 dirt boxes I've built I've really liked all of them.
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