Most authentic Boss SD-1?
- Thread starter neiltheseal
- Start date
I'm going to guess lower gain transistors or the combo of lack of buffer and cable loading. "Less high end" is a tale tale sign of cable loading.
If you don't have a buffer somewhere before the Uber, try putting you sd-1, in bypass, in front of your Uber so that you're getting the benefit of the buffer.
If you don't have a buffer somewhere before the Uber, try putting you sd-1, in bypass, in front of your Uber so that you're getting the benefit of the buffer.
Fizz
Well-known member
I'll have to check that out when I get home today and post back.
The reason I asked as your transistors have been turned 180 degree & you may have also twisted the legs???
Fizz
Well-known member
I'll take another pic too... I think when that one was taken I had the input wired wrong and the transistors were in backwards. I was able to turn them around since I used sockets.
Fizz
Well-known member
@music6000 do those transistors look like they could be the issue? It looks like everything else should be good.
So these were from Tayda?, they are supposed to be the same so why were they 180 degrees to the transistor print on the 1st Picture?
They may have been damaged, is it still working as before now that you have them the correct way???
I knew something wasn't right as these transistors have a weird Pinout!
For the price you should have got extras.
Fizz
Well-known member
I put them in wrong in the first pic.. it was from my original post about why it wasn't working. I had the input wired wrong too but quickly the great folks here got me fixed up. I haven't tried different transistors yet but I will do that and report back. I believe everything came from Tayda.
This is the pinout of the NPN Transistor you need, 2SC1815, C1815!
Most Transistors have Base (2) & Collector (3)
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Fizz
Well-known member
Are you saying I need to bend and move 2 and 3?
No, you need to use as diagram shows which is 2SC1815, C1815 type pinout.
Fizz
Well-known member
Ok.. I realized I have a few2SC1815s that I got from Tayda so I'm going to swap these and see if there is a difference.
Fizz
Well-known member
Ok.. the results are in... I swapped the transistors out with a different pair of the same ones and it sounded the same so there is nothing wrong with the transistors. Funny thing is either way the pedal sounded better than I remembered but not as good as my new SD-1 by Boss. Not the new Waza Craft, just the regular new SD-1. It has a lot more gain and a little more treble but the same level.
But here's where it gets interesting. I play a beautiful (work of art) Ceriatone 2204 and it didn't come with a bright cap... so I installed one for the first time today and it made a big difference. I don't need a pedal to get 80s rock and metal tones now. It's amazing how that 1000p cap could make that big of a difference. It really increases the gain.
And what's funny is the Uber Drive is now my favorite pedal of all the ones I own. It pushes the amp perfectly and the others are now over the top. I probably just need to dial them in differently now the bright cap is in the amp but I love the Uber Drive much more now.
As a side note, the Face Melter reminds me of a regular SD-1 on steroids so I wasn't too worried after I built the Face Melter because I could get the SD-1 tones and more out of it.
But here's where it gets interesting. I play a beautiful (work of art) Ceriatone 2204 and it didn't come with a bright cap... so I installed one for the first time today and it made a big difference. I don't need a pedal to get 80s rock and metal tones now. It's amazing how that 1000p cap could make that big of a difference. It really increases the gain.
And what's funny is the Uber Drive is now my favorite pedal of all the ones I own. It pushes the amp perfectly and the others are now over the top. I probably just need to dial them in differently now the bright cap is in the amp but I love the Uber Drive much more now.
As a side note, the Face Melter reminds me of a regular SD-1 on steroids so I wasn't too worried after I built the Face Melter because I could get the SD-1 tones and more out of it.
Fizz
Well-known member
They don't all the way up because that's where I keep it on both. On the Uber everything is all the way up. On the Boss, I keep the level and tone all the way up and the gain from 0 to 9 o'clock. The Boss has way more gain. The levels seem to be the same. I haven't compared them with the tones all the way off though.
Looking to twist up an SD-1 clone, but trying to figure out when the PCBs will be back in stock from Buggs.
I purchased a couple different transistors (2SC732 and 2SC1815).
I got all of the parts in and tested the transistor. I know some folks said the 1815 was a replacement for the 732 I read, but they are significantly different!!
I read HFe of about 175 for the 1815, but the 732s read between 379 and 520!!!
Yeah, I was thinking about purchasing one (as you said, can be picked up for cheap $40-$75 and don't have to spend time building it), but I want True Bypass and no buffer.
I purchased a couple different transistors (2SC732 and 2SC1815).
I got all of the parts in and tested the transistor. I know some folks said the 1815 was a replacement for the 732 I read, but they are significantly different!!
I read HFe of about 175 for the 1815, but the 732s read between 379 and 520!!!
Yeah, I was thinking about purchasing one (as you said, can be picked up for cheap $40-$75 and don't have to spend time building it), but I want True Bypass and no buffer.
