- Build Rating
This is a clone of the Skreddy Lunar Module based on a custom PCB of my own design. A few years ago, I built this circuit using the PedalPCB Aldrin Fuzz board. I also used the Aldrin Fuzz board to additionally build the two variants, the Screwdriver and Hybrid Fuzz Driver (thanks to the great work of @Chuck D. Bones).
I built this up alongside my Custom PCB Catalinbread Varioboost, but it had some subtle issue. I spent far too long debugging it for what turned out to be a simple problem: R11 is supposed to be 2k7, and I misread that as 27k. The resulting error was weird: it seemed like it was working, but the note decay wasn't nice and gradual, but rather abrupt. And that wasn't consistent either: sometimes I thought I was imagining it, because I could play a bit with virtually no issue. And and other times, it would cut out so suddenly, that it seemed like string plucks didn't register at all. Or there would be a delay: I'd pluck the string, hear nothing, then after half a second or so, I'd hear the tone. The issue was more pronounced with fuzz maxed out. And because the sound seemed to be coming in and out rather slowly, I suspected maybe C11 was and/or Q3 was bad. I was going to try randomly replacing those, when I checked the part values for the hundredth time, and finally realized it was simply R11 that was 10x too big. I used alligator clips to put a 3k in parallel with the erroneous 27k I had soldered in (3k // 27k = 2k7), and it worked perfectly! So I made the fix permanent with a little solder surgery.
I've long since sold the original Aldrin Fuzz I built, and I forgot how great this is. Though I remember it having more gain/more fuzz-like tone. If I max out range, fuzz, and body, then it definitely sounds like a fuzz pedal. But with any of those controls backed off, it's IMO definitely more in the overdrive category. It certainly sounds fantastic though. Marc Ahlfs (Skreddy) clearly has similar tastes as me, because I really love the voicing of all his pedals. His Diamond Peak as tweaked by @Chuck D. Bones has been my primary drive for longer than any other pedal.
My goal with this build was to be the (rarely used) high-gain spot on my board. I've been using my Kewpie Fuzz for this, and as great as it sounds, it's a bit too abrasive for my tastes.
As for the circuit itself, I jazzed it up a bit for my custom PCB:
Why the pink donkey? The enclosure was a limited powder coat run from Love My Switches (I think it was February's, maybe?). One of my daughters was into bedazzling things, and my original plan was to make something completely over the top: sparkly pink enclosure, bedazzled, and then coated in Envirotex for durability. As much as I wanted to do that, it just seemed like a lot of work. So I settled for a simple waterslide decal. So why a donkey? Because this was for the Lunar Module, I spent some time looking at moon-related clip art, but nothing really touched me where I wanted to be touched. Then I remembered: donkeys are cool animals, why don't I just put a donkey on there?
And why do I think donkeys are cool? There were three donkeys at the stables where my daughter used to take horseback riding lessons. There was always about 30 minutes before and after the lesson for tack-up/tack-down, and my wife and I would go engage with those donkeys. All three were really friendly, but two were more aloof than anything: they might come over for a quick pet, but more often than not, they just lazed around their pasture grazing. But the third one - she was super affectionate. She'd always come over and hang out with us. I found "the spot" on her neck where, if I scratched it, her eyelids would start to close, and she'd lean her entire neck/head on my arm. Also, earlier this year, my family took a vacation in Aruba, where we got to love on lots of donkeys at the donkey sanctuary.
As with my recent Varioboost build, I'm still struggling with the new Sunnyscopa glue. The donkey transferred almost perfectly, and the control labels pretty well. But most of the border didn't transfer. I manually drew a lot of it with Sharpie (hoping the Sunnyscopa Top Coat is enough to keep it from rubbing off). I'm just going to say that these imperfect waterslide transfers are part of a deliberate relic finish.
Edit: forgot to add, I have extra PCBs I'm happy to toss in the mail for anyone who wants one!
I built this up alongside my Custom PCB Catalinbread Varioboost, but it had some subtle issue. I spent far too long debugging it for what turned out to be a simple problem: R11 is supposed to be 2k7, and I misread that as 27k. The resulting error was weird: it seemed like it was working, but the note decay wasn't nice and gradual, but rather abrupt. And that wasn't consistent either: sometimes I thought I was imagining it, because I could play a bit with virtually no issue. And and other times, it would cut out so suddenly, that it seemed like string plucks didn't register at all. Or there would be a delay: I'd pluck the string, hear nothing, then after half a second or so, I'd hear the tone. The issue was more pronounced with fuzz maxed out. And because the sound seemed to be coming in and out rather slowly, I suspected maybe C11 was and/or Q3 was bad. I was going to try randomly replacing those, when I checked the part values for the hundredth time, and finally realized it was simply R11 that was 10x too big. I used alligator clips to put a 3k in parallel with the erroneous 27k I had soldered in (3k // 27k = 2k7), and it worked perfectly! So I made the fix permanent with a little solder surgery.
I've long since sold the original Aldrin Fuzz I built, and I forgot how great this is. Though I remember it having more gain/more fuzz-like tone. If I max out range, fuzz, and body, then it definitely sounds like a fuzz pedal. But with any of those controls backed off, it's IMO definitely more in the overdrive category. It certainly sounds fantastic though. Marc Ahlfs (Skreddy) clearly has similar tastes as me, because I really love the voicing of all his pedals. His Diamond Peak as tweaked by @Chuck D. Bones has been my primary drive for longer than any other pedal.
My goal with this build was to be the (rarely used) high-gain spot on my board. I've been using my Kewpie Fuzz for this, and as great as it sounds, it's a bit too abrasive for my tastes.
As for the circuit itself, I jazzed it up a bit for my custom PCB:
- Once again I'm using RG Keen's Advanced Power Switching and Polarity Protection scheme for reverse-polarity protection. You can see the deliciously overkill Infineon IRFU5305PBF p-channel mosfet at the top of the PCB.
- I also had room to sneak in a series ferrite bead on the +9V rail to filter out any (highly unlikely) noise in the MHz range.
- This is an electrically switched bypass scheme using a CD4053B as the switch (instead of a relay or other mechanical switch). This is essentially the same bypass scheme Boss uses in most of their pedals. More detail about that scheme here, Buffered Electrical Bypass Module.
- Usually I use a boring TL072 for the buffer in this electrical bypass scheme. But since the Lunar Module uses only discrete transistors, I kept with the idiom and used a Cornish buffer.
- I used all BC549C transistors. The Fuzz Aldrin calls for BC109C, but I believe BC549 and BC109 are the same, the only difference being plastic case versus metal can, respectively. BC549(C) are readily available, cheap, current-production commodity transistors.
- I put little blobs of hot melt glue where all the offboard wires meet the PCB for strain relief.
Why the pink donkey? The enclosure was a limited powder coat run from Love My Switches (I think it was February's, maybe?). One of my daughters was into bedazzling things, and my original plan was to make something completely over the top: sparkly pink enclosure, bedazzled, and then coated in Envirotex for durability. As much as I wanted to do that, it just seemed like a lot of work. So I settled for a simple waterslide decal. So why a donkey? Because this was for the Lunar Module, I spent some time looking at moon-related clip art, but nothing really touched me where I wanted to be touched. Then I remembered: donkeys are cool animals, why don't I just put a donkey on there?
And why do I think donkeys are cool? There were three donkeys at the stables where my daughter used to take horseback riding lessons. There was always about 30 minutes before and after the lesson for tack-up/tack-down, and my wife and I would go engage with those donkeys. All three were really friendly, but two were more aloof than anything: they might come over for a quick pet, but more often than not, they just lazed around their pasture grazing. But the third one - she was super affectionate. She'd always come over and hang out with us. I found "the spot" on her neck where, if I scratched it, her eyelids would start to close, and she'd lean her entire neck/head on my arm. Also, earlier this year, my family took a vacation in Aruba, where we got to love on lots of donkeys at the donkey sanctuary.
As with my recent Varioboost build, I'm still struggling with the new Sunnyscopa glue. The donkey transferred almost perfectly, and the control labels pretty well. But most of the border didn't transfer. I manually drew a lot of it with Sharpie (hoping the Sunnyscopa Top Coat is enough to keep it from rubbing off). I'm just going to say that these imperfect waterslide transfers are part of a deliberate relic finish.
Edit: forgot to add, I have extra PCBs I'm happy to toss in the mail for anyone who wants one!
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