First Overdrive Pedal Design

Post by **Mike** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 7:04 pm

So I knocked something up. It's nice and derivative and needs some tweaking, but it's a start.

Crappy phone video uploading.

Basically it's a two-bipolar stage overdrive with diode-clipping after the first stage Gain control, a 3-band Marshall style EQ and an Output Master Volume.

I'm going to also mess with some FET designs and some op-amps before committing to anything, but I think if I overgain the first stage more and play with asymmetrical diode clipping on the collector path also, that this one could be a winner and worth making at least one of.

More Cowbell · Post by **More Cowbell** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 7:05 pm

JVM CLONE PEDAL PLZ.

Post by **Mike** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 7:08 pm

lolz.

This one has.. um... one mode?

[youtube][/youtube]

This should be valid in 15 mins or so.

More Cowbell · Post by **More Cowbell** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 7:27 pm

awesome. This will have an optional salt boost made into it???

turtle · Post by **turtle** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 7:30 pm

Sounds awfully good

Post by **Mike** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 7:33 pm

More Cowbell wrote:awesome. This will have an optional salt boost made into it???

No, not as it stands, although the two stages are very similar to the SaltBooster, If you dialed the first gain stage down to about 11 o clock you would basically have a Salt Booster with a tone stack by just using the second gain stage.

turtle · Post by **turtle** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 7:41 pm

Will it come with a PDF instruction file?

Post by **Mike** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 7:42 pm

I doubt I'll make anything that ever needs instructions.

I'm a complete newbie.

Will · Post by **Will** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 9:28 pm

I like it - seems to sound Marshally (from what the camera can pick up). I don't know that a JFET would improve things - seems like it would make it too sparkly. A dual Opamp would certainly make it smaller and easier to assemble, though.

Post by **Doog** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 9:29 pm

Wuutz!

euan · Post by **euan** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 9:54 pm

Sounds like my Drivemaster with a lot less components.

Post by **Mike** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 9:58 pm

I don't think it sounds anywhere near as good as a Drivemaster though.

DSB - Funny you mention FETS, I just built a clone of the ZVex Box Of Rock from a Schematic, it's a 3-stage FET overdrive. Sounds pretty good to be honest, nice old school fuzzy and warm JTM45 style Marshall overdrive. I think I'll connect it to my 3-band Marshall tone stack instead of the single tone control at some point and see how that sounds.

I need more 1M resistors now. There's sodding loads of them in ZVex's stuff.

Justin J · Post by **Justin J** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 10:11 pm

Mike wrote:I need more 1M resistors now. There's sodding loads of them in ZVex's stuff.

funny, there's none in the woolly mammoth clone i made.

is this a pedal you're just making for fun or are you gonna sell 'em like you did with the booster? i might be interested. that's a malik-level of interest, though as i really know nothing of overdrive pedals. i've kinda been wanting one lately, though. i think i'm gonna do some more research first.

Post by **Mike** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 10:15 pm

Most likely I'll produce one off designs and if when I make a video of the prototypes people like them I will build them on a one-off basis.

I need to play with my circuit to gain it up a bit and move the clipping diodes around.
I also need to play with op-amps instead, I have TL071s and TL082s.
And also FET designs with BS170s and J201s.

Basically I want to try out all the flavours of OD I can mess with (bipolar, op-amp, FET) and then rip-off the one I like the best and throw on a Marshall 3-band EQ.

Fair warning anything of this complexity I make and sell will be like Â£50/$100+ because of the added complexity, pot count and bigger box/more routing etc. At the moment I'm just tossing about having fun with zero eye on selling anything in the future, but I have enjoyed getting people's feedback on my booster and I'm elated when people like it and start using it on their boards, so never say never basically.

More Cowbell · Post by **More Cowbell** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 11:23 pm

Whens the TUBESCREAMER coming out mike???

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 8:54 am

Impressive work for a first go Mike! I like it.

Post by **Mike** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 9:20 am

[youtube][/youtube]

This is a Box Of Rock clone I knocked up if anyone is interested.

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 1:14 pm

Cool! Sounded well good.
Was that just the BOR OD? Or have you included the boost as well?

Post by **Mike** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 1:36 pm

lamp wrote:Cool! Sounded well good.
Was that just the BOR OD? Or have you included the boost as well?

Nah I just built the Overdrive section. The boost is just a slightly modified SHO. I'm going to build one of those shortly also to have a play, apparently it can be mounted directly to a pot!

And here is a 2-in-1

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 1:54 pm

Sweet