Cornish pedals

[motterpaul]

There is a lot of "buzz" about the SS-3 in other pedal sites. Word is that it is just an SS-2 with a high-pass filter added to roll off some of the heavy low end people find in the SS-2.

Here in the Blog we have the G2 and the SS-2. Can anyone tell me how the HPF is implemented on the SS-2 to make it an SS-3? At the end, input, feedback loop?

Thanks in advance!

Also - has anyone here heard the SS2, SS3 and the G2 and can maybe mention some differences between them?

[Muadzin]

Considering that most pedals that apply a presence control, or a treble control, at the very end of a pedal my money is that its at the end as well. If that's the actual case we would have to wait for somebody to get their hands on an actual SS3. Considering that Cornish pedals cost their weight in gold its probably not going to happen quickly. Only three kinds of people can afford Cornish pedals. Rockstars, wannabe rockers from TGP and the people who run the FSB tracer fund. Rockstars don't frequent DIY boards, TGP wannabes have no interest in sharing their expensive pedals to DIY boards (god forbid we ever trace one, it would then make them less exclusive (they're probably still pissed off FSB managed to trace the Klon)) and the people who run the FSB tracer fund probably think the HPF in the SS3 is akin to a presence control at the end of a circuit so why waste tracer fund money to confirm what they already know?

Man, I do wish more Cornish pedals would get traced, especially the P1, but I think in the case of the G2 and SS2 that was just sheer luck of somebody getting their hands on an actual unit.

[Frank_NH]

I've built the SS2.  It's a nice, basic overdrive, not as mid heavy as a tube screamer.  The G2 is more like a Big Muff (heavy distortion, fuzz).

Go ahead and build the SS2.  You could probably mod it if you find it too bass heavy.

Schematic here:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BR8Ws2bkqsg/Ty2ELe1YX-I/AAAAAAAAA3g/0appc-QC2uM/s1600/cornish_ss2.png

[motterpaul]

It  is worth noting that even though Pete C. says in the pedal description "The G2 "takes off where the SS2 left off", that when it comes to the circuits they are nothing alike.

The SS2 actually seems pretty easy.

One of my mods is a Love Pedal Eternity boost and he wanted more bass. I seemed to recall reading someplace it was like an SS2 in concept, so if I had the S3 problem solved. (I could be wrong about that, but still, I'm just wondering about the best way to add low end. I don't like putting any tone control up front although I have definitely seen it done, I would rather have it later in the circuit.

[pyreweb]

Have you heard the demos of the Pete Cornish NG-2 or NG-3? I would like one very much. I might one day even fork out the £500 to buy one, in the far future when I can afford it. I have never heard anything else like it, but I am only new to fuzz, so perhaps other, cheaper equivalents exist.

[Muadzin]

pyreweb wrote

Have you heard the demos of the Pete Cornish NG-2 or NG-3? I would like one very much. I might one day even fork out the £500 to buy one, in the far future when I can afford it. I have never heard anything else like it, but I am only new to fuzz, so perhaps other, cheaper equivalents exist.

Personally I don't think any Pete Cornish pedal justifies the exorbitant price. Don't get me wrong, they're incredibly well built and will survive World War III and IV, including EMP attacks, but unless you're a rock god playing stadiums or a TGP dweller looking for bragging rights you don't need a PC pedal. The Pete Cornish buffer? Been traced, so you can do it yourself plus there are a gazillion other buffers out there who do the job just as well. Pete Cornish overdrives/fuzzes/Big Muff clones/variants? In the end they're just another flavor of dirt and there are already a gazillion flavors of dirt out there. I've built so many of them by now they all start to sound the same to me anyway. Dying amp tones? Basically every Death by Audio or Devi Ever fuzz sounds like your amp is about to die. Most of those have been traced as well. And even if you think the NG-2 or 3 trump those, keep in mind youtube audio compression, the amp which was used and the way that amp was set up and miked in that youtube video, so whatever sounds good on a youtube vid doesn't necessarily sound just as good in your own rig.

In the end Pete Cornish builds stuff for touring rock gods, who need gear that absofraggin'lutely will not break down, no matter the abuse they put it through. They're not that interested in getting the most insane sounds, they could get that in a million other places. In the end its the buildquality, ruggedness and reliability you pay for. That and TGP bragging rights for owning a piece of rare unobtainium. So unless you're a touring rock god playing stadiums, or a TGP dweller, I wouldn't bother with dropping 500 pounds on a Pete Cornish pedal. For that kind of money you could build dozens of fuzz pedals, have tons of fun doing it and through that make your own sonic discoveries. There will be successes, there will be failures, there will be frustrations, there will be elation. And in the process you will learn something, both about electronics and about yourself. And that is an experience no Pete Cornish pedal could give you.

[pyreweb]

Thank you, I will check out the Death By Audio and Devi Ever products in the hope of finding something along those lines. I am intending to attempt building my own as well, although I will try building something like a tube screamer first just to get used to it. I do hope that the NG-2 or NG-3 sound is achievable, I will look into it more.