Black Arts Toneworks BADASCAN

[traktop]

Love how it ended up
I added a "tone lift" switch. I took the idea from the model T preamp channel switcher, (it´s an on-on-on 3 position switch), so in the middle, the tonestack works as it should, up position prevents the "treble cap" from going to ground and when is down, it prevents the "bass cap" from going to ground.

I realized that the LSTR mode with mids pot all the way open and no clipping selected practically made a Black Arts Toneworks Revelation Super Lead.

[Sphere80]

wow, what a great job!  Any favorite settings?    Pics of the inside?

[BetterOffShred]

The eye of Ra is choice AF too

[traktop]

"wow, what a great job!  Thanks for sharing.  Any favorite settings?  Do you mostly play into clean amp or driven?  Pics of the inside?"

I use to play it on a slightly overdriven amp as this thing seemed to ask for a big amount of tube compression. I always find myself literally blasting my amp with the pedal pretty much cranking the volume pot on some clipping settings, so it could do its thing, otherwise it sounded like poo IMMO.

The pharaoh settings worked pretty good with any clipping setting being the last two, (germanium), the weakest.

The LSTR mode definitely didn´t liked germanium modes. Is not just volume, is like it underpowered Q3 making it sound farty and thin.

I had to wire a 39k resistor in series with the 500k pre control like the original lstr, as it buzzed on some settings with this control maxed.

The tone lift switch worked pretty good on the LSTR mode. There is not much to "lift" on the pharaoh tonestack that couldn´t be done  with the "highs" control though.

The inside is kind of messy, but I willl post some pics as soon as possible

[traktop]

Sphere80 wrote

Pics of the inside?

There you go:

[Crusty_Fuzz]

Hello fellas!
Have some problems with low, almost zero output signal... Everything is checked: all connectors, rows etc... everything is right. Transistors are MPSA13 (MPSA12 its very hard to find in my country).  
Any ideas what it can be?

[Sphere80]

Check each stage individually: boost, gain stage 1, gain stage 2.. Maybe socket the transistors and try others.

[Crusty_Fuzz]

Thx bud!

Check and biased each stage and now i got this thing to live, but at the same time its sounds like a low gain fuzz. Q1-Q4 have around 4.5V. Before that was 5-6V. Maybe problem with transistors... Anyone use equivalent to MPSA12 ?

[rocket88]

Did you check that the pinout is the same between the transistors you used and the one the layout calls for? Also, did you check to see if they have similar gain ranges?

[nostradoomus]

MPSA12 has a min Hfe of 20,000. MPSA13 has a min of 5000. Mine did not come to life until I got MPSA12 in there. Though I also tacked an MXR micro amp onto the input and that brought the juice.

[Crusty_Fuzz]

Thanks for the answers guys!

I've got update: gettin this thing to real life! Now this sounds fine! Put in Q1-Q3 BC550 and Q4 MPSA13. That's real high gain monster. I guess the problem is in shitty chinese transistors.
But one thing does not give me rest, and I would like to know what voltage you guys have on all stages?

[Travis]

Dude nice amps if the ones in your picture are yours

[Crusty_Fuzz]

Hehe, someday i'll catch one! I have 50W Orange OR120\Matamp clone "Tankamp Plutonaut" (a couple demos on YT).  
Sorry for offtop.

Anyway, i would be very grateful if someone tells the collector voltages on the proper working build.