Bass Overdriver + Stage 3 + Buff&blend question

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone greetings from Italy this is my 1st post so sorry for my ENG mistakes 😉

I’m quite new in DIY pedal building, and even if I’m gaing proprer handling, i’m not a pro in menagement & reading electronic stuff so…longstory short (extra details after)

I need to know how the Bass Overdriver pots works:  Volume is a boost or not? “all the sound” is from the drive?

I Already have a “boutique” ( no longer in production ) pedal that features,  an SVT style preamp (with bias etc ) that works like i said.

BYPASS/Unity gain is around VOL at 3 o’clock to full; with DRIVE rolled off  –  just for reference
use this stand alone is a NICE sound. BUT, after a Comp (with hotter out i think) and i have that “extra grit” that i need with more breakup

that’s why i need to know if i can Add a Stage 3 to have a usable signal alone and then add all the drive i need
OR if the VOL knob is a boost itself. so better to avoid the stage 3
As bonus with a buff&blend i can use it as 1st pedal of my chain adding a Loop

I’ve this project in my mind by a while and looking at some pictures i found here, that i can probably put all this 3 pcbs in a 125B enclosure

Let me know what you think

Best regards

[Anonymous]

Welcome to the forum!

The Drive pot on the Bass Overdriver provides most of the dirt and gain.  The Volume pot acts like a valve to determine the final amount of signal provided.  At full CW, the maximum level is provided.

The Stage 3 can boost additional clean signal level.  The Buff N Blend gives you the option to blend two different signals together.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the answer!

So. Awesome, seems like i thought!  <span style=”color: #ff0000;”>my idea is  (S3 -switch- BO) to B&B In – FX LOOP</span>
if i put a Stage3 BEFORE the B.O. i can have a “Clean” boosted value to the Vol and then set the amount of Drive i need.
then Using a switch i can even Fix the Phase in FX loop

One question more if i can:

If want try to set ALL the jfets as j201,
i red that i need to put a jumper instead of 1k for the S3 can you help me for the others?

Thanks again

[Anonymous]

I have not tried using J201 on the Bass Overdriver.  You may have difficulty biasing them with the trimmers.  But, give it a try!  Let your ears tell you if you like it!

[Barry]

Increase the trimmers to 20k or so and you should be able to Bias all the options fine.

That will of course depend on the transistors themselves but like Wilkie said try em out.

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I have a question with the combination of “BnB->FX-Send->BassOverdriver->Stage3->FX-Rec->BnB”.
Have someone that combination running?
When I use my Bass Overdriver with a Stage 3 Boost (after the BO) it’s very very silent, also without the Stage3.
But when I use my Bass Overdriver with a “Schalltechnik04 VONG” in series, the BO is working correctly.

That sounds the Stage 3 is wrong/failed, but when I replace the BO with e.g. Tech21 VT Bass, it works perfect with and without the Stage 3 Booster. -> that is very strange…

Do you have any idea why this is happen?

Is there maybe a problem with the Stage 3 Booster?

When I run the Stage 3 without the BnB, it boosts the signal, as expected….

Many thanks
Best regards
Michael

[Author]

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