Jaicen Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Certainly sounds a bit odd. Have you confirmed your wiring hasn't got damaged? I often have problems like that if It's not boxed immediately. Also check for shorts against enclosure etc. Does sound like you may have a bad transistor though. Can you get some pnp silicons to check it with?? Will PM in morning, not heard back so need to chase it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Certainly sounds a bit odd. Have you confirmed your wiring hasn't got damaged? I often have problems like that if It's not boxed immediately. Also check for shorts against enclosure etc. Does sound like you may have a bad transistor though. Can you get some pnp silicons to check it with?? Will PM in morning, not heard back so need to chase it up. I'll have to check. I've only ever tried it as you see it in the pictures. I suppose it's possible. Would all that drifting suggest a bad transistor? I've got another two on order, but I do have some that are around 80hfe (I know Q2 is supposed to be much higher though). Not sure if I can test with these. and that sounds good. The guitar they're going on is being sent over next week, and those will be the finishing touches Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don'tPostThePear Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 It seem like James deleted the post but yeah, volume pot lug 2 is the output and in case of the second circuit you posted most of the answers are in the bottom left corner of the layout pic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 It seem like James deleted the post but yeah' date=' volume pot lug 2 is the output and in case of the second circuit you posted most of the answers are in the bottom left corner of the layout pic.[/quote'] Don't blame me In other news... my transistors still aren't here, but the last I managed to do was replace the 10n cap and not COMPLETELY destroy it. I managed to ruin a couple of solder pads and lift a trace, but I think I got everything back together... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don'tPostThePear Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 Don't blame me In other news... my transistors still aren't here, but the last I managed to do was replace the 10n cap and not COMPLETELY destroy it. I managed to ruin a couple of solder pads and lift a trace, but I think I got everything back together... Where can you buy proper Fuzz Face transistors nowadays? Few years ago most of the DIY scene moved onto russian GE transistors but maybe even those are became rare since then. And messing up a populated PCB is the most annoying thing, i use a weak 15W soldering iron to keep the heat low (i should use adjustable) and it still happens sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 Where can you buy proper Fuzz Face transistors nowadays? Few years ago most of the DIY scene moved onto russian GE transistors but maybe even those are became rare since then. And messing up a populated PCB is the most annoying thing, i use a weak 15W soldering iron to keep the heat low (i should use adjustable) and it still happens sometimes. czech republic apparently they cost me under $20 shipped, but I have no idea who made them. Just that they're NOS and the correct HFE for the fuzz face, but I'll have to check that with my DMM when they arrive. And yeah it is. Removing components, even with a solder sucker and the correct tools is a pain. I think my iron is 30w, but I use this little heat sink on the board when I can be bothered Originally it worked but had low (and decreasing) output, now it's just gone silent. I'm hoping the original transistors were just faulty/damaged. I don't think I screwed it up THAT bad, unless I'm missing something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 It was the transistor(s). I found a few AC128s I bought a while back (both 77 HFE ) which I tested it with. Getting much more output and none of that static/fizz noise. So here's where it is now... You can see where the soldering fail occurred (where the 10nf cap goes in next to the 33k resistor). I also had to bridge connection underneath because of that lifted trace, but it all seems to work... I just need to get the correct transistors for it. Hopefully this week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidious911 Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 I'm suddenly right into this pedal building concept. I did a Wooly Mammoth Kit just try and see if I could solder some stuff together and produce a working product. I enjoyed myself way too much making it, that I've gone and ordered a ton of parts for two vero builds. Crazy how cheap it all is to do vero builds too! The site I ordered from had a restriction that you can only order resistors in sets of 10, so I have a lot of resistors coming in. For two builds, everything I needed, pots, caps, resistors, switches, LEDs veroboard, enclosures etc, I had a shopping cart of 270 items, for a total price of $42. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaicen Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 It's a slippery slope Sidious, before you know it you'll be knee deep in parts and half built circuit boards! I hardly ever actually 'finish' anything, I lose motivation once it's working, most stuff sits around waiting to get boxed up. Keep us updated though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidious911 Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 It's a slippery slope Sidious, before you know it you'll be knee deep in parts and half built circuit boards! I hardly ever actually 'finish' anything, I lose motivation once it's working, most stuff sits around waiting to get boxed up. Keep us updated though! Will do, going to refinish the first one I did, and clean up wiring. Now that I know I did wiring slightly out of order from doing it wrong, I should be able to improve (just talking wiring jacks all outside of enclosure). Will post that once done and new projects. Also, been pondering about how to wire both the midi circuit and the sustainer to the stereo jack. I had something like this in mind, will this be okay? I am still new to this wiring and circuits thing ha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 Just received the AC128s... I think they are legit. This is certainly the best it has sounded so far, but it's still a little quiet (as in low output). Certainly louder than before though... Are there any voltages I should check? here's the link if anyone else wants to try them. i figure DPTP might be interested as this guy isn't that far away from him. http://www.ebay.com/itm/110588794305 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don'tPostThePear Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 At this rate of price growth decent germanium transistors could be considered as investments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaicen Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 Maybe, you would probably have to buy up a lot of stock to make it worthwhile though, in the order of 10 's of thousands probably. Plus there's the issue of whiskers, which means the a lot of the stock could become useless over time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don'tPostThePear Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 Maybe, you would probably have to buy up a lot of stock to make it worthwhile though, in the order of 10 's of thousands probably. Plus there's the issue of whiskers, which means the a lot of the stock could become useless over time. It is already too late probably, buying now would be similar to the situation when middle aged lawyers first heard about bitcoin from mainstream investor magazines and bought in at 1000$ a piece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaicen Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 Honestly, not sure that NOS is really any better than the new production stuff. Those AC128's that RS are knocking out are pretty damn good to be fair. EDIT: And their AC127's are MUCH better than the NOS versions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 You still here Jaicen? this is all a bit silly http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSA2FD_lyTQ "6L6 and EL34 preamp sounds" ... that aside, I don't think many people would be able to tell the difference between the two power tubes in the same amp - especially when played clean like that. Anyway, next project... Unless someone else wants to do it instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave. Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 I need a bit of help here with pot values. I'm having another go at finishing my Les Paul kit but I'm sorting out electronics and I'm a bit stuck. I'd like to fit 300k pots as I'm basically going for a slightly darker sound ala Adam Jones. But online I can only seem to find 300k linear pots which would mean I could only really use them for the tone pots. Will I still get the same effect if I have 500k volume pots and 300k tone pots? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 I need a bit of help here with pot values. I'm having another go at finishing my Les Paul kit but I'm sorting out electronics and I'm a bit stuck. I'd like to fit 300k pots as I'm basically going for a slightly darker sound ala Adam Jones. But online I can only seem to find 300k linear pots which would mean I could only really use them for the tone pots. Will I still get the same effect if I have 500k volume pots and 300k tone pots? If I understand correctly, you'd be still darkening the sound, but just in a different way. I've never found lower value (usually 250k) tone pots to make a massive difference compared to 500k, but it's different with volume pots. What pickups will you be using? And would you consider 250k pots, or do you think that would be TOO dark? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave. Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 If I understand correctly, you'd be still darkening the sound, but just in a different way. I've never found lower value (usually 250k) tone pots to make a massive difference compared to 500k, but it's different with volume pots. What pickups will you be using? And would you consider 250k pots, or do you think that would be TOO dark? I plan to use some mid-to-high power humbuckers. People keep talking about Adam's amps/pedals being the key to his sound, but he still had it when he didn't have those things, but he still had the LP and some Norlin guitars had 300k pots which, in theory, create a fatter, biting sound that just turning down a 500k pot. And I reckon the 250k is too dark. I have them on my black start and while it does give the guitar a 'wall of sound' effect, it doesn't have the right 'rite' to it. Our guitarist re-wired his Strat, on my suggestion, to have the mid tone knob be the mid/bridge and he said even with the pot wide open it is slightly darker so the tone pots must have something to do with it. I do plan to do the treble bleed mod on this guitar so the tone knob maybe where this tone can be found, I just want to know for sure from someone who knows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don'tPostThePear Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 You can bridge the outer lugs of a 500k pot with a 750k resistor for an effective 300k resistance. edit: the pot will act weird especially with log/audio taper so you probably shouldn't do this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave. Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I've done a bit more research and found that those era of Gibsons had 300k linear volume pots and 100k log tone pots. Which is handy since I couldn't find a 300k log at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crowella Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Anyway, next project... Unless someone else wants to do it instead. I still want to do that but income etc; Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I've done a bit more research and found that those era of Gibsons had 300k linear volume pots and 100k log tone pots. Which is handy since I couldn't find a 300k log at all. 100k for the tone pot? Never heard of anything under 250k being used (at least for passive pickups) Might have to open up this 84 standard to see if it has the same configuration. Nice sounding guitar anyway I still want to do that but income etc; It was very expensive, which is why I'm having a hard time deciding whether or not to reverse engineer it...but on the other hand, if I can successfully do that (or have Jaicen do it) we could probably make a fortune selling accurate clones They told Matthijs 4-6 weeks until they have it in stock. Apparently they're still being made in japan, so I'm guessing that newish website we saw is just a dealer and the pedals are made the same way as before (including hiding the circuit!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crowella Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 It was very expensive, which is why I'm having a hard time deciding whether or not to reverse engineer it...but on the other hand, if I can successfully do that (or have Jaicen do it) we could probably make a fortune selling accurate clones They told Matthijs 4-6 weeks until they have it in stock. Apparently they're still being made in japan, so I'm guessing that newish website we saw is just a dealer and the pedals are made the same way as before (including hiding the circuit!) Did you go via Japan or via that expensive euro store? I am aware that they are still being manufactured. If Jaicen is up for it, then by all means send it his way, I know he will do wonders.* *schem plz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Did you go via Japan or via that expensive euro store? I am aware that they are still being manufactured. If Jaicen is up for it, then by all means send it his way, I know he will do wonders.* *schem plz. the expensive euro store. Couldn't figure out the whole process of ordering it from Japan I might, but I don't know if it'll be worth it. I'm surprised no one has already done this though, but I figure they're the same as me From the information that is available and any sound clips etc, would you say that this pedal is comparable to anything else out there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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