What’s on *YOUR* workbench?

finebyfine said:
not the work bench per se, but I'm reaping the benefits of our tattoo shop's new professional photography setup:

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a coworker's wife has been on my case about making a website for my pedal building (so she can give it to her coworkers - so I genuinely appreciate the gentle push) and I'm trying to take photos of any decent looking pedals I have laying around for it.
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More photo fun today. Making me feel bad for ever posting a build report before this. Here’s a peavey csr2 clone and an old fox tone

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No pics but I have a Tone Bender MK1 on a breadboard again because the one I built in the wedge enclosure is crapping out on me.

I tried very leaky transistors, something like 400-700uA in Q1 and Q3. Super loud and super noisy, squeals easily. Only has a couple of sweet spots in the Attack knob.

Settled on Q1 hFE 62 leakage 150uA, Q2 hFE 90 leakage 650, Q3 hFE 68 leakage <100uA.
This one is loud, not so noisy, the decay is not too weird and it chugs decently without too many artifacts on the low strings. The full sweep of the Attack knob is usable. Log pot helps.

Using lower gain transistors in Q3 reduces background noise and improves the chug but of course it sounds weaker.
Using higher gain and lower leakage transistors also reduces noise but the higher gain means more artifacts in the decay and chug.

So this circuit works with all kinds of lower gain and lower leakage transistors too and it possibly behaves even better.

Still can't get it to sound like Stu Casteldine's. Dark and velcroy.
Well, I'll never be able to afford OC75s anyway.
 
I forgot to say I also tried a very high gain transistor in Q3, 189 hFE. No change in sound from hFE 85 or so.

I know nothing of electronics so it's all brute force here.
Stick one thing in play guitar try another thing turn a knob suck in flux flumes and done.
 
andare said:
No pics but I have a Tone Bender MK1 on a breadboard again because the one I built in the wedge enclosure is crapping out on me.

I tried very leaky transistors, something like 400-700uA in Q1 and Q3. Super loud and super noisy, squeals easily. Only has a couple of sweet spots in the Attack knob.

Settled on Q1 hFE 62 leakage 150uA, Q2 hFE 90 leakage 650, Q3 hFE 68 leakage <100uA.
This one is loud, not so noisy, the decay is not too weird and it chugs decently without too many artifacts on the low strings. The full sweep of the Attack knob is usable. Log pot helps.

Using lower gain transistors in Q3 reduces background noise and improves the chug but of course it sounds weaker.
Using higher gain and lower leakage transistors also reduces noise but the higher gain means more artifacts in the decay and chug.

So this circuit works with all kinds of lower gain and lower leakage transistors too and it possibly behaves even better.

Still can't get it to sound like Stu Casteldine's. Dark and velcroy.
Well, I'll never be able to afford OC75s anyway.
Click to expand...
That’s too bad about the wedge- that’s a cool pedal. I’m starting the Marigold hybrid tone bender this morning and look forward to it.
 
homebrewtj said:
That’s too bad about the wedge- that’s a cool pedal. I’m starting the Marigold hybrid tone bender this morning and look forward to it.
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I don't think it's the transistors acting up due to temperature, I think I must've botched the soldering somewhere. I had a lot of trouble heating up the turrets and they ended up being caked in solder. That's why I'm trying to build another one.
 
I spent a few more hours on the floor testing transistors in the MKI until I found the right combination that doesn't sound weird and is not noisy. No idea why these 3 work haha.

Then I spent a couple more hours testing different resistors in the voltage divider before Q2. Tried the 33k to ground and didn't hear any difference. Went with 2k2 over 1k8 into the Attack pot.
Then tried 180k, 240k, 330k and 470k for the resistor coming from -9V. 180k was weird, the attack range went from gated and farty with almost no gan to gainy and not gated to gated again at the end of the sweep. I chose 470k because it goes from gated and farty to massive, bassy and super gainy with a very good chug. I think I'm done.

Next up is a simple test with the Zonk machine input an output caps. The idea is to add a Zonkify toggle switch for a treblier tone. Then I need an enclosure and some expensive knobs.

I'm loving this, I really need to keep myself busy these days.
 
Kicking myself for not taking a pic of it but today good friend of mine brought over the climate control section for his sons 2006 toyota highlander. The 3 wires connecting the pot/switch for the temperature control and broken off. Rewired it for him it works great. Cost thru toyota dealership 700$... I declined payment but he ended up venmo'n me some money anyways. Now his son doesnt have to drive with his heater stuck at 85 degrees.

I would have had no idea how to do this before I started building pedals.
 
Locrian99 said:
Kicking myself for not taking a pic of it but today good friend of mine brought over the climate control section for his sons 2006 toyota highlander. The 3 wires connecting the pot/switch for the temperature control and broken off. Rewired it for him it works great. Cost thru toyota dealership 700$... I declined payment but he ended up venmo'n me some money anyways. Now his son doesnt have to drive with his heater stuck at 85 degrees.

I would have had no idea how to do this before I started building pedals.
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You have a superpower!
I also decline money from friends when I fix their guitars but I've gotten burgers and drinks for soldering one wire to the output jack and doing a basic setup.
 
andare said:
You have a superpower!
I also decline money from friends when I fix their guitars but I've gotten burgers and drinks for soldering one wire to the output jack and doing a basic setup.
Click to expand...
I have one friend that asks, can you build a pedal for me? I decline payment. I used to charge him costs, but I stopped. He throws me gear he has laying around. I have an SWR head I need to go through…someday. I’ve had it for years now.
 
jimilee said:
I have one friend that asks, can you build a pedal for me? I decline payment. I used to charge him costs, but I stopped. He throws me gear he has laying around. I have an SWR head I need to go through…someday. I’ve had it for years now.
Click to expand...
I sold a delay pedal I wasn't using to my friend who's a better soloist than I'll ever be. He insisted on paying so I sold it at cost.
Another guy I hadn't seen in years saw my pedals on my FB and just gave me a Boss DD3 for free that works great minus the hold function. Even Steven!
People are awesome!
 
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