@barry
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Nice to see you back Chris after about 5 or so years. Time flies.
I hope all is well. Paige kicks ass.
Our authorized USA Kit Dealer is PedalPartsandKits (see home page) which do take the additional measures to make sure that everything is done our way. Mammoth simply purchases boards at wholesale from me and makes kits. I get no commission etc.
That said I can see why they do not perhaps go out of their way to offer a Bi-Color LED in their kit. That is a guess of course as I do not really have much of a relationship with them. You can however use a standard on/off LED by not using the white pad which is to represent the “Off” color.
If you decide to purchase future kits I can highly recommend PedalPartsandKits since they not only provide everything needed per our build specs (including sockets) but also each and every enclosure can be ordered hand-drilled to be be a perfect fit to each of our boards. They cost a bit more but there is a lot more time and effort put into making each kit a perfect fit.
I hope that helps.
If you want an even cleaner boost you could try an MPF102 or J113 that I sell as a replacement. (I think I sent you some) as it will yield less distortion at maximum bias than a 2N5457 only if that is a thing you are wanting to try of course. It will require an approximate 2k4 resistor to Drain modification. This would then be a more accurate version of a Stage 3 Boost that I came up with about 10 years ago. That circuit was based on a Fetzer Valve a few years prior to me releasing the Stage 3 but at that time they were only showing the use of a J201 or 2N5457 which both yield a good but more colorful boost. I also noticed not long after the Stage 3 had become popular they added an MPF102 version with its different Bias value to their page which is fair. While I would say neither idea is completely original in the grand scheme all three versions offer a noticeable difference in distortion and tone.
I personally prefer less distortion as I do a lot of stacking as you may have guessed (as well as play fairly loud) so for me at least it would be a thing to try. Thus the Stage 3 (when using the J113) with its characteristic clean boost especially in the Bass and Top End became my perfect add-on gain stage or buffer.
You could also test this idea by simply placing a Stage 3 Boost (separate pedal) in series after a Sunn-T by turning it off and on to see what you think. I stack a Stage 3 with many of my circuits with excellent results.
Here is a good episode of That Pedal Show where they talk about stacking and do some great comparisons.
As they like to point out there are no real right or wrongs, just preferences.
Hello and welcome,
We suggest all beginners must read the Guides Page and all guides within which can be accessed from our Home Page or from the large banner on the Main Forum page. These will help you understand. All pedals use the same methods.
For ease here is the link to our Guides page:
Many people use Pre and Post EQ for different reasons. Let us know what you think if you decide to go ahead.
While the demo below uses a graphic EQ you will benefit equally by watching it. You will also notice that the Jester itself has a Tone TwEQ control built in. Keep that in mind when the demo the Graphic EQ pre and post.
I hope that helps you decide.
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This is my method which works excellent for me.
The only complaint I ever got was from people who were not patient enough to allow a 48 hour curing time.
Any Auto Body person will tell you the protection is tough as nails. They hate when people over spray.
It doesn’t smell or run and all my pedals still look fantastic years later.
Well done Cybercow and thanks for sharing!
That is a beautiful looking enclosure and nicely built on the inside. I love the sound that this circuit produces and you saved yourself a crispy $1,000.00 bill as seen HERE.
I actually do not think you have to be a “good player” per say but doing a quality sound demo is important.
While there are many ways to do a demo and believe me I have received plenty of criticism over 9+ years the biggest mistake I see IMHO is too many people room micing or using inferior mics especially when they cannot turn the volume to an appropriate level. You end up hearing the guitar pick hitting the strings while broadcasting an inferior version of the room sound.That said you can get a Shure SM57 used on eBay or any one of its “workalikes” for $20ish.
Then close mic the speaker to prevent hearing ambient room sounds and a plastic pick hitting the strings. Remember the “garbage in, garbage out” philosophy.You can simply strum very accurate 3 related chords like G, C & D repeatedly while turning a few knobs. You can then add some simple riffs which may consist of 3-5 notes. I personally find more inspiration while playing to a backing track that I create myself using Sony Acid Pro which you can get on Humble Bundle from time to time for like $15 plus a lot of Loops and other software. The loops are recorded live instruments that you simply drop and drag onto a timeline. Then open a new track below it and Drag & Drop another instrument till you get something you like. Very easy and Pro sounding once you get the hang of it.
The obvious alternative to creating a backing track is to just download one. I use “This Site” so that once I purchase a track I can then edit for whatever backing instrumentation I desire as many different ways or times as I like or even change the pitch. (Nice feature)
Once I have a backing track I like I may record one guitar and stop or layer multiple guitars to show off other features. I will usually play for 10 minutes or more and then pick the best 1:30 of it for the video demo. I noticed using analytics that for most demos people only have the attention span for that long on average. Once I have my song ready I grab a few fun background videos (sometimes blending them in and out) and use Cyberlink Power Director (also available from Humble Bundle) from time to time for an amazing price. Cyberlink is a bit higher of a learning curve but you can drag and drop your audio into it and do the same with any video backgrounds. You can then finish it all up with some Text to get your point across without worrying about poor voice audio. Finally nobody has to look at me (which suits me) while I am playing.
After years of experimenting that is my process for the last 2+ years.
Obviously you do not need to do everything I said but even if a few parts help then that is good.I hope that helps.
Thanks Mark. I really need to step up and figure out how to do post a demo file. I seem to remember you working on your demo rig. How’s that going?
If you are needing a quiet place to make demos then I suggest a device like the Hughes and Kettner Red Box 5. It is one of the best Direct Boxes I have heard. My Tubmeister amp had one built in. If you record an audio file, etc.. and want to pass it along I can help get it posted.
Thank you for sharing. I love to see people create their own unique takes on circuits instead of the same ‘ole if you get me. There is so much more you can do when making great combos that work. So many more tonal options as well as saving pedal board real estate. By adding our Easy Order switch board & Buff N Blend you have really made this a unique and versatile circuit dare I say way more value above and beyond the original $2k worth of circuits.
Thanks again for sharing and really putting the Do It Yourself into DIY!
That is a loaded question as I have spent 10+ years studying under the tutelage of an Electronics Engineer and a person who worked in guitar pedal and amplifier electronics since the early 70’s. That would be Tonmann as he is known to most of us. Also I would be negligent to not mention Wilkie1 (and a few others) as well who have plenty of experience and is a partner Moderator.
Point here is developing some friendships and taking full advantage of Skype etc..
That said I am still seeking answers to questions and have many things to learn.
There are many good books available. Check Amazon etc…
@ BillTex: Yes the single stripe (not other stripes or colors) indicates a 0 ohm resistor. I have a couple but do not use them as I always use wiring boards for the multiple 9v and ground pads eliminating a lot of extra long wiring. If you have an issue you need to post a proper troubleshoot thread.
Some other ideas while keeping in mind that I feel the above info is very good is that you can use our Mod Boards to add an additional Gain Stage while still fitting in the same enclosure (1590B or 125B) or larger by placing and After Blaster on the foot switch.
Additionally you can add an Active EQ to the circuit in the same enclosure by simply wiring it in series or by bypassing the passive tone control of many circuits using our Tone TwEQ which gives you 3 Bands of active EQ.
Also you can add a “Transparent” Boost inside the same enclosure wired in series (before or after) the main circuit by using a Stage 3 Booster which is only 1″x1″ in size and easy to hide.
These are additional ideas which are huge sellers for obvious reasons.
Well the same applies. Look at the coupling capacitors and see if they are above 100nF. If they are not you could increase the value to 220nF but that is what I call Bass Guitar Ready. I suggest if that does not help then start with the amp and work your way back. Again an EQ as outlined and explained in the above video can do wonders for your entire rig. I use a Whirlwind 10 Band EQ in my Marshall Jubilee Effects Loop and it is amazing and simply makes everything sound the way I want it to. All of that with no noise. I will never look back. All of my guitars and pedals now work the way I want them too.
Increasing the gain will increase the noise. Jimmy did not play with a lot of gain hence his mistakes when playing live being more noticeable and subject of many a conversations over the years. The best idea is what you already mentioned which is to stack it much in the same way that Jimmy put a pedal in front of his amplifier which is what the circuit emulates. If you plug into the front of a Supro you will notice there is not much gain or more accurately distortion but the amp sounds amazing and gives you the base sound that you need. If you plug a Fuzz or Boost in front of the amp then it is all there. Check out our Combo Build Guide for how we like to do these type of builds into a single pedal.
As for Bass Response a Boost in front or even better a graphic EQ are useful tools. When using pedals in series a Boost or EQ can also benefit the entire chain of Drive or Amp Sim pedals downstream. The circuit by itself is already designed to allow full Bass frequencies through which you can see by looking at the coupling capacitors which by value allow Bass frequency well below what any detuned guitar could put out. Simply put you cannot add more Bass than the full amount being allowed through without using an Active EQ or Boost. Again the best answer is to stack.
I hope that helps.
Showing some love for Hanks beautiful Ancestral Apparition build which mixes Reverb with a small amount of Delay for an exquisite mix!
This is also a great example of how to wire the 3PDT Wiring board first before installation so it can be trimmed to perfection once installed over the switch.
Also note that when assembled in this symmetrical fashion due to the design of the board and Hanks careful wiring it keeps all Power wiring away from the Audio Path wiring for a less noisy circuit. This is something everyone should consider as there are many wiring board scenarios where they run the audio path wire in a tight parallel with power wiring which will only introduce noise especially in higher gain circuits. We go through careful planning to design every main circuit board to eliminate any threat of noise and we certainly would not want to ruin it with a poor 3PDT design.
Excellent work Hank!
You would be surprised how little room you actually need to put a Tone TwEQ in. If you use 9mm on-board pots the finished and mounted circuit will literally hug the inner top of the enclosure leaving plenty of room to lay the main board over top of it in a 125B because of their extra height. Admittedly it would be even easier if there were no battery so you could add a little extra vertical room by moving the footswitch down a little but I have done it with a pre-drilled enclosure meant for a battery several times.
This example is not your exact scenario however the height available in a large Muff is similar in height to a 125B and basically gets my point across I hope.
This example features two circuits using a 125B enclosure and while the foot switches are lower that was more of a preference than needing the vertical room.
To answer your question anytime you have different forward voltage in clipping diodes the result will yield different volumes. For example Germanium Diodes are quieter than Silicon and Silicon are quieter that LEDS but if you remove the clipping Diodes altogether then you will certainly get a volume increase. Since this is not a mod you would use on the fly in the middle of a song it really is not a problem for most players to make a minor volume adjustment and use a specific favorite tone for an entire song or even set.
I hope that helps.
