Help! BYOC Tubescreamer Build

Rofl, oh I know. I just found it comical that he didn't try layman's terms first and just went all out with graphs and everything.

Layman's terms would require a dissertation - not paid to do that. Pictures are worth 1000+ words.
 
Basic overdrive circuit

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Basic distortion circuit

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Basic Fuzz

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As for the BYOC kits, I've done 4 now and have another 4 or 5 in the works.

The best advice I can give is to read through the instructions until you understand them before opening up the kit.

It all seems pretty straight forward but there can be some tricky steps that only experience will expose. The instructions are written by someone with that experience.

If there is anything that doesn't quite make sense, check out their forum. They have lots of tutorials on the techniques and skills required for a successful build.

It's not rocket surgery, but following the instructions and doing a little research can save you some frustration.

I've only ever had to troubleshoot one build and the amount of reading I did before trying anything gave me two things to check and a clear set of tests to verify the problem. I was done in half an hour.

If you're not good with a soldering iron, practice.
Always tin the wires.
Get a good soldering iron. A 15W pencil will do but just be careful about leaving the heat on for too long.
Don't press the iron into the circuit board. It feels like it helps transfer the heat faster (and it probably does a little bit) but it's more or less like pushing the button on the TV remote a little harder when the battery is dying. It doesn't really do any good and you're probably going to break something.
A good 80/20 solder will flow quicker and better, letting you get the heat off of the board and the component sooner.
Take your time. If you get frustrated, walk away and come back to it later.
Have fun.

I have the OD II to build soon. I haven't started thinking about graphics yet. So, check back in the winter. I might have come up with something by then. :grin:
I've got the Armstrong Twin and the Divided Octave as well as a couple others that I can't recall at the moment.
 
i need a tutorial on how to read those things.

I thought that you studied some of this? It is just a road map moving left to right. Transistors and op amp provide gain (gain of 1 to ?). Resistor's control flow, caps pass signal (AC) but block DC, Diodes can clamp or clip a voltage (depends on material type - Ger 0.3v or Sil 0.7v, LED's 1.5v, Zener - predetermined). Those are the main ones for the circuits shown.

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It's funny. I studied that stuff from about the age of 10 and all through college, and I don't think I can explain the circuits in great detail without a lot of thought and time.
I could get there, but I guess I'm saying that I don't think about it at level any more. Even when I'm building amps and pedals. (because I'm not designing them)
 
Fuck all that. Here's a fuzz I built about 200 years ago, from Craig Anderton's "Electronic Projects for Musicians" (Yeah, THAT Craig Anderton).

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All Radio Shack's finest components. I even etched the circuit board myself (can't you tell?). I had access to the welding shop at school for the case. I don't remember how long it took to get it to work, but it still works to this day! Three double A batteries and all.

I've since modded the shit out of a Maxon OD-808 (the supposed illegitimate mother of the Tubescreamer), built guitars, amps and effects from scratch.

Just

do-eet-72431463791.jpeg




So Goldtop, dude, really, NO FEAR!
 
Fuck all that. Here's a fuzz I built about 200 years ago, from Craig Anderton's "Electronic Projects for Musicians" (Yeah, THAT Craig Anderton).

View attachment 3342

View attachment 3343

View attachment 3344

All Radio Shack's finest components. I even etched the circuit board myself (can't you tell?). I had access to the welding shop at school for the case. I don't remember how long it took to get it to work, but it still works to this day! Three double A batteries and all.

I've since modded the shit out of a Maxon OD-808 (the supposed illegitimate mother of the Tubescreamer), built guitars, amps and effects from scratch.

Just

do-eet-72431463791.jpeg




So Goldtop, dude, really, NO FEAR!

the Craig Anderton Tube Sound Fuzz is the basis for the Way Huge Red Llama.
 
Well there you go.

On to the time-based effects.

Tougher on time based effects because of the bucket brigade device chips of the past vs the present. ie: SAD1024 which was a common BBD used in early delays, flangers, chorus and reverbs - this is now obsolete.

I don't know the number that they use today as I don't mess with BBD's. I did build an old Radio Shack Reverb eons ago and like triple B, built Anderton's fuzz as well. How back then it was no photoetched board but the standard fiberglass board where everything was point to point - much more difficult.
 
Tougher on time based effects because of the bucket brigade device chips of the past vs the present. ie: SAD1024 which was a common BBD used in early delays, flangers, chorus and reverbs - this is now obsolete.

I don't know the number that they use today as I don't mess with BBD's. I did build an old Radio Shack Reverb eons ago and like triple B, built Anderton's fuzz as well. How back then it was no photoetched board but the standard fiberglass board where everything was point to point - much more difficult.

a lot of companies simply moved on to the newer replacements. others went digital. on one hand, it's why a brand new EHX DMM doesn't sound like the old one. OTOH, the old ones were noisy and distorted in a bad way. the newer ones won't give you totally clear repeats, but they'll be cleaner than the old ones.
 
a lot of companies simply moved on to the newer replacements. others went digital. on one hand, it's why a brand new EHX DMM doesn't sound like the old one. OTOH, the old ones were noisy and distorted in a bad way. the newer ones won't give you totally clear repeats, but they'll be cleaner than the old ones.

Yep :thu:
 
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