PedalPCB Brownout Overdrive (Subdecay Variac)

[bluedmc777]

Build Rating

5.00 star(s)

Just buttoned this one up tonight but have a feeling I’m not finished with this one. Mine is incredibly dark whereas others I’ve asked say there’s is on the bright side. On a good note I can tell it’s gonna be a killer distortion/od once I’ve figured it out. Have a sneaky suspicion I installed a wrong cap or resistor value so I’ll keep this one updated!

Build went incredibly simple despite the somewhat tight layout.

 

[bluedmc777]

I’ve figured it out…I had some 100n mixed in with my 1n’s and put a 100n in place of a 1n! Hopefully that’s the problem.

 

[owlexifry]

put a 100n in place of a 1n! Hopefully that’s the problem.

yep - definitely been the culprit.
100n would have been shaving tonnes of treble off at the end.

 

[bluedmc777]

So I changed the 100n cap out for the correct 1n cap and holy smokes!!! This pedal rocks! Bridge position on a Strat this is probably THE most amp like pedal I’ve ever played. I actually enjoyed playing on the bridge position. This pedal isn’t a Van Halen brown sound pedal like the name would lead you to believe. It isn’t that high gain. It is a rock pedal but it shines as an overdrive. I’m tempted to build another with Chucks mods now. Man they didn’t market this pedal correctly!

 

[Einzeln]

OK thats it, gonna order this after next payday

 

[owlexifry]

So I changed the 100n cap out for the correct 1n cap and holy smokes!!! This pedal rocks! Bridge position on a Strat this is probably THE most amp like pedal I’ve ever played

heck yes.
this is good to hear, still yet to build my brownout

It isn’t that high gain.

have you tried boosting it with an SD-1?

 

[bluedmc777]

I haven’t yet…I was too impressed with whatever knob position i wound up on. Think everything was from 11-1 so I didn’t reach the extremes.

 

[Einzeln]

I’m tempted to build another with Chucks mods now.

Chucks mods require building on vero right?

 

[HamishR]

What impresses me about the Brownout/Variac is the variety of sounds available. That's rare IME. I really like leaving the Pentodes knob on zero and using the Preamp knob alone for gain. Then turning Preamp down a bit and raising the Pentodes knob.

I'm not sure which pedal I prefer - the Brownout or the Golden Falk. Both have that wonderful JFET richness.

 

[bluedmc777]

Chucks mods require building on vero right?

I believe so but I think he has the part number listed for a good bit of the value changes. I wouldn’t mind having two of these on my board for different settings regardless