Red Rooster vero build

[caiofilipini]

Just finished this Red Rooster on vero. My second vero build! The first one was a SHO on a 1590A that ended up so messy I decided not to publish it... ?

The layout is pretty similar to the original Red Rooster layout, as seen on this blog post. Except I used a PNP Mullard OC77 transistor I got from Smallbear. I also wired it for battery-only. Sounds pretty good to my ears!





The wiring still needs work, but overall I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. Also, here's a quick video I made:

 

[Chuck D. Bones]

Ooooooh, carbon comp. Looks good, sounds good! Nice demo. How much of the distortion is happening in the amp and how much in the pedal? Hard to tell from the demop because the amp is overdriven even in bypass mode. A suggestion: next time, move the switch towards the board so you can capture the battery between the switch and the end of the box.

 

[caiofilipini]

Ooooooh, carbon comp. Looks good, sounds good! Nice demo. How much of the distortion is happening in the amp and how much in the pedal? Hard to tell from the demop because the amp is overdriven even in bypass mode. A suggestion: next time, move the switch towards the board so you can capture the battery between the switch and the end of the box.

Thanks, Chuck! My first build using carbon comp, I had to try. I don't think they make a noticeable difference in sound, but they sure look cool.

You're right, the amp is already saturating in bypass, which is how I usually run it (I use the volume knob on my guitar a lot!). When I first engage the pedal, it doesn't add any gain, just filters the lower frequencies. At around 50s on the video, when I increase the boost knob to about 2 o'clock, the pedal starts to push the frontend of the amp a little harder, and that's when the magic happens in my opinion. Somewhere between 2 and 3 o'clock seems to be the sweet spot for me, when it really starts to "sing".

Good suggestion about the switch, I'll take that into consideration! I actually put a battery holder on the back plate of the enclosure, but I think it just looks and works better if I can fit it inside the box.

 

[BuddytheReow]

I love it! Been looking to start Vero myself. Just finishing up my Tayda shopping list lol

 

[caiofilipini]

I love it! Been looking to start Vero myself. Just finishing up my Tayda shopping list lol

It's tricky, but a ton of fun and super rewarding. Also, I learned a whole lot while doing it.

 

[HamishR]

I've made a few of these - my favourite booster. Nice work!

 

[caiofilipini]

I've made a few of these - my favourite booster. Nice work!

Thanks! Does my build sound in the same ballpark as the ones you built?

 

[HamishR]

Oh very much so. The Ge versions I have built have used that very same circuit. My layout is a little different but the circuit is the same. I've also built a few Si versions with low hfe silicon transistors. They don't break up quite the same but purely as a booster in front of an already dirty tone they act in a very similar way, and the basic sound is the same. Silicon is a little brighter but I use a cap to roll off some highs to simulate the response of the Ge transistor.

I love the honk these boosters have. They have that classic Rangemaster sound but are potentially more useful because of the well-voiced range control. I've made these with PNP Ge, NPN Ge and NPN Si trannies. My favourite of all is one I built with a Russian MP38, but the Si ones work just as well for my needs.

 

[caiofilipini]

Cool!

Yeah, I've been experimenting a lot. I build a Naga Viper that's super versatile, Si based treble booster and it sounds killer. I just like Ge more most of the time. I'm currently experimenting with different values on the input caps + range pot on the Red Rooster to maximize the "honk" factor, trying to find the sweet spot for my taste. We'll see.