Flavor of the month

[motterpaul]

Chase Tone Echoplex preamp - Google it. These things are waitlisted for 6 weeks and selling for $150. Its an "enhanced EP booster" but the "angle" is that they claim to be using "original components" - to me it just looks like big radial film caps. The IC is an LT1026 charge pump.

Flavor of the month at TGP (just fyi, I never hang with that pedal crowd, its not why I go there, but this is an interesting read).



You can google them for more images - no schematics available. It doesn't look like the same circuit as the popular EP Booster, this has a charge pump - but I am not sure what those four things next to the IC are...

[Luke51411]

I think the things next to the IC are diodes. Probably schotky for lower dropout? Looks like they used a package that looks like it has more "mojo"

[Frank_NH]

"Chase Tone" - an appropriate name!

It's good to know that my builds are about the same quality as these boutique builders.  Same kind of enclosure, same 3PDT, same 9V jack, same 1/4" audio jacks, same mounting of the boards on the pots (though if I were doing PCB, I'd get them professionally fabricated and have PCB-mounted pots instead.  Much easier to box that way).

One thing that got my mind going after seeing this image - would it be preferable sometimes to create vero layouts that go one more than one board and connect those boards with free wires?  There are examples already of small daughter boards for 18V charge pumps and such, but I'm thinking of larger sections of circuits on separate boards, as in this EP booster example.  Of course, there may be the danger of adding noise, but perhaps more complex builds could be made more modular.

[motterpaul]

I figured diodes also, but I couldn't figure out why 4 of them all seeming to face the same direction.

Yeah "Chase Tone" -

Frank - I think I read that is some kind of special, heavy duty footswitch? what brand is it?  

[Frank_NH]

It's the same pro-line 3PDT I get from Mammoth Electronics.



http://www.mammothelectronics.com/3PDT-True-Bypass-Footswitch-PRO-p/800-1005p.htm

[Luke51411]

Maybe diagonal traces under the diodes? If you look real close you can kind of see the traces, it looks like only two of the four are connected to the bottom trace which I assume to be ground.

[motterpaul]

I just read an article about the guy who makes these - pretty interesting. Of course, Premier Guitar is a little hypish, and they claim he gets NOS whenever he can .... (or else finds new parts that emulate older technology when he is forced to).

He makes a germanium fuzz that he sells for $249. Some people (guess who) strive to have one of everything he makes. He also does mods on wahs, etc.

[motterpaul]

Frank - nice switch. I didn't really know better switches were available. Someone here told me about an article with a comparison of them but I couldn't find the article.

The more you use things the more you appreciate the quality.

What do you use for guitar jacks? I noticed the last batch I got are not made well at all. Is switchcraft the best?

[Frank_NH]

I use Neutrik open frame 1/4" jacks (about $1 a piece).  Switchcraft are slightly better but not enough to make it worth double the cost.

It's good to remember that there is a big difference between the pedals I make for myself, which will not undergo any major abuse or large number of switch cycles, versus "road-worthy" gear of gigging musicians.  I can use the least expensive parts and they would serve me just fine.  But if I was building to sell to performers, I would want to make sure my components and construction methods were the best possible and would stand up to typical use and abuse.

[Muadzin]

TGP discussions are either incredibly sad to read, or so ***damn awful they become funny again. In moderation, otherwise I would lose all respect for my fellow guitarists. Anyway, for $156 a pop for a simple booster for a professional gigging musician I do expect top mounts though.

[rocket88]

really? i thought i was one of almost no one that likes top mount jacks. mostly because i feel that it makes it easier for placing the board inside the enclosure, and when i go to run wires for my pedalboard it's super easy to rout.

btw, i've been using the tayda jacks, mono and stereo, with not one hint of an issue, both gigging or around the house.

[motterpaul]

I have seen people say they like top mounts because you can put the pedals closer together, and that makes sense although by far most pedals have side mounts. I would not be surprised to see top mounts get more common though since it really does save space.

With this builder http://chasetone.com/ three of his newer pedals DO have top mounts, there are pictures on the website. This one is the exception that doesn't have then.





Also - a read a mod at TGP say that the effects section is the most popular section of TGP now. I don't really see it as "sad" - I just see them as hobbyists who love gear - it's like stamp collecting for a lot of them. There are also a lot of very serious players and knowledgeable people, it's a very big site with hundreds of thousands of users. Better than Harmony Central, anyway.

[motterpaul]

On some of the jacks I got (I don't remember where I got them), the center section (surrounding the sleeve) starts to turn around when I try to put on the bolt. I can't spin the bolt on if the threaded piece it is on turns with it. I guess they are just cheap. If I am careful it doesn't happen, but those thin bolts can sometimes slip a thread and get locked up and when you try to get it loose again that center piece breaks.

I'll just try to find out where I bought them and avoid in the future.  

It is harder to do top mounts because the jacks take up the space where you want your pots. But I have also seen entire threads on TGP where they say "show me your top-mount only boards" and there plenty of pictures of boards where every pedal is side by side. Actually, it makes it harder to hit a pedal because they are a little too close for fat feet.

But I do think the DC jack is good on the top, however, especially with those adapter chains for multi-DC plugs:



I also just noticed there are a lot of DIY people in there, one thread of "show us your DIY boards" got over 1000 messages. I'm just saying... I didn't know this before because I really don't go there.

[motterpaul]

Tube Screamer & EP Booster in one box - top mount.

Also - note the PCBs are separate and stacked (Frank) to save space inside. Pretty clean design, though I personally feel a little bit like I am cheating when I use PCBs now.

[Frank_NH]

That's a nice unit - probably worth the money.

"...though I personally feel a little bit like I am cheating when I use PCBs now."

I don't feel that way, and actually like using good quality PCBs for well-known circuits.  One big advantage is the ability to use PC mount pots, which makes the board+pots a nice modular unit, and boxing is a breeze.  If I were in the pedal building business I would definitely have custom boards fabricated, and probably farm out the enclosures as well.  That way, my time would be spent selecting and soldering parts and testing the units thoroughly.

Having said that, as a hobbyist veros are a great way to go if you want to build any schematic you come across or wish to make minor/major mods to a well-known circuit.  

[motterpaul]

Without a doubt, if I was in the biz, I would also have PCBs made. I just meant as a hobbyist right now.

At NAMM I was talking to a company that will do this... if you have a design for a new pedal they will give you consult time with an engineer to perfect the circuit, then they will design and make a PCB (multilayer with SMT if you want) and then they build you three prototypes - mounted in a box and ready to use, etc.

If you are happy, they can manufacture a small run (1500 units, I believe). The guy said they actually OEM a lot of well-known boutique pedal makers out there.

I know this is not new or unique, but it is interesting that the focus of THIS company was purely guitar effects pedals for independent designers.

[Neil mcNasty]

From what I can tell:
The 4 diodes makes the charge-pump put out about 24 volts, which is what the original was using.
Maybe the guy managed to get hold of the original JFet used as well, and therefore can say "original" parts...?
In this game it is all about the customers perception of your product, not reality...

[motterpaul]

Neil - that does make sense. I forgot that diodes are used with charge pumps. You can find the original schematics for the Echoplex, it is just kind of hard to see what parts power the preamp and what powers the tape features.

Like the "bias" feature is for the tape - not a transistor (I worked with tape a lot).

And I do think you are right, that he did get some rare, old transistors from someplace. But I doubt it is that hard to find a suitable replacement.

[motterpaul]

FIY: here is a thread about it on DIYstompbox - noting it is a 22v circuit in the preamp. There is also a schematic that has been taken down, but it is still up on Google images (but a little hard to read)

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=104756.0;prev_next=next

[Muadzin]

motterpaul wrote

I have seen people say they like top mounts because you can put the pedals closer together, and that makes sense although by far most pedals have side mounts. I would not be surprised to see top mounts get more common though since it really does save space.

There's a lot of inertia in that respect. Because it was always done that way I used to do side mounts because my first DIY pedals were BYOC kits and they had that. So when I began to source and build my own pedals I kept doing it as well. Even after doing a few GGG kits, which had top mounts. But which I found a lot easier to place on my pedal board. Then one day I went, hang on, why am I still doing things a certain way? Haven't built a side mount since.

It never hurts to ask that question though for everything. Be it in DIY, work or private life.

Also - a read a mod at TGP say that the effects section is the most popular section of TGP now. I don't really see it as "sad" - I just see them as hobbyists who love gear - it's like stamp collecting for a lot of them. There are also a lot of very serious players and knowledgeable people, it's a very big site with hundreds of thousands of users. Better than Harmony Central, anyway.

Nobody minds that they're enthusiastic about gear. We are that too. We make fun of them for running like lemmings behind the latest flavor of the month, which all to often turns out to be YATS. And for acting insulted when we point that out to them and that we can make that $350 dollar pedal for $30 worth in parts. And for being snobs who throw meaningless terms like transparant or smooth around like it makes them experts.