Tube Bender

[Chuck D. Bones]

Not a PedalPCB build, not yet anyway. Aion released a board and build docs for the out-of-production Dinosaural Tube Bender. Allegedly produces tones somewhere between a Tube Scream and Tone Bender (which Tone bender, they don't say). Not sure I'm hearing that, but it is a nice low to medium gain distortion pedal. I think it works best with humbuckers, YMMV. Good pick sensitivity and volume clean-up. The DRIVE control goes from clean boost to crunchy. With the 3-way TONE SHIFT switch, the TONE control has a good range from dark to flat to scooped.

Rather than procure the Aion board, I went Vero. There is a Vero layout on Guitar Effects Layouts, but it contains an error so I designed my own and crammed it into a Handy Box. The circuit design is similar to the Keeley Fuzz Head, but without the diodes. I tried a few different transistors and they all sounded pretty much the same. I also tried tweaking some component values, even tried JFETs in the distortion stage. Nothing I did sounded as good as the original design.

At the moment it's unpainted, but will get the acrylic pour treatment soon enough.

 

[Elktronics]

Nice! I built the magazine circuit back in the day, and that sounds great too. I posted all of the build docs And schematic from the original magazine on the free stomp boxes board a few years ago, and no one cared back then! Glad to see it get its day.

 

[Nostradoomus]

Hell yeah love those handy box builds!

 

[Mcknib]

I don't know why but it kinda looks like Homer Simpson

He thinks so too

Nice wee build! like Homer you've sure crammed a lot in there

 

[music6000]

Crikey Chuck, It's Identical to the one I've just done!!!! ?

 

[Chuck D. Bones]

Imagine that!

 

[Barry]

Crikey Chuck, It's Identical to the one I've just done!!!! ?

View attachment 6222

something smells of photoshop here

 

[cooder]

Excellent crammage there and the funky enclosure strikes again!

 

[Chas Grant]

That's really sharp. Love the box!

 

[Chuck D. Bones]

Thanks for the kind words everyone. I plan on painting it this weekend.

 

[steelplayer]

Super cool and creative, love the Handy Box vibe!

 

[Chuck D. Bones]

Now with a proper paint job.

 

[Chas Grant]

Alright, That is a pretty darn slick pedal you built there!

 

[dmnCrawler]

I like the pour. Great looking pedal.

 

[music6000]

Cool Looking Pedal!!!

 

[Chuck D. Bones]

Thanks! Because the Handy Box has so many surface contours, I poured each color separately instead of all out of the same cup like I did on the Ward 8.

I just wish it sounded good with my Strat. Has a nice grind with Humbuckers, but the single coil pickups on my Strat, it just sound thin. Gonna try a friend's Strat to see how it sounds.

 

[Barry]

Love the paint job!

 

[music6000]

Thanks! Because the Handy Box has so many surface contours, I poured each color separately instead of all out of the same cup like I did on the Ward 8.

I just wish it sounded good with my Strat. Has a nice grind with Humbuckers, but the single coil pickups on my Strat, it just sound thin. Gonna try a friend's Strat to see how it sounds.

Sounds like it needs a Fat Switch, maybe 22nf to 47nf between Tone 2 & Volume 3, YMMV ! :

 

[Chuck D. Bones]

I don't have to actually install it, I can just Photoshop it onto the board. ?

 

[music6000]

Sounds like it needs a Fat Switch, maybe 22nf to 47nf between Tone 2 & Volume 3, YMMV ! :

View attachment 6402

I tried the PedalPCB with stock 10nF at the Input & 22nf via a toggle switch for a total of 32.5nF, It was too Fat!
Changed it to 10nf for a total of 20. 25nF.
I like it!!!
Typically, when you crank up the Gain, you can switch it back to 10nF (Stock) if it gets too Bloated.