Pharaoh owners

[Marbles]

Thanks!
I have the green ones. I like the characteristics. They seem to have high values, so guess it's ok? Hope adding 3 will bump it up a little though..

I must say: I have only played it at bedroom levels. Cause of compression and a small room, I do feel that the difference in volume from noon till 5 o'clock is never that noticable.

It could be less of a problem when placing in front of a loud amp.. I hope :D

[rocket88]

Could be. I think it many be more noticeable at lower amp volume levels , since you're already at low volume.  Not saying I play my amp at gig levels, but I don't exactly know how to play quiet. Lol

[Marbles]

Thanks for your reply! Finally had time to try it out yesterday.. No luck though, it seems to be even quieter . I really start to suspect there is something wrong. At least in how I wired the diodes.

I basically copied the structure in my picture, and put that on top of the others.

It sounds even quieter than I recall. It's becone an ugly mess of germ diodes now too. Maybe I should lay them out on verop and try to connect that to the switch.

I just can't believe it's that big of difference. Like, I have the no diode option selected. I have to bring the master down to like 9 o'clock cause it's too loud. Switch on germanium and you can't even hear it.

[rocket88]

Something doesn't make sense. You sure it works right in the ask and no diode option and that you're getting proper muff volume? Two more things to look over real quick. First check the transistors for orientation, gain, and that theyre in all the way/cold solder joints. Second check the diodes and make sure they're all good. I'm thinking it may be a faulty component. Just throwing in checking the transistors because I've had a muff or two act strange when the one of the transistors got a little loose in its socket, Q3 to be exact.  I'm going to look over your board after class, during my lunch and see if I spot anything.

And anytime man. You know I always help out when I can.

[Marbles]

You sure do! I appreciate it :), but no need to use your lunch for it.

I dunno.. I recorded a little bit, don't know if it's any use? It starts with the no diode settings. Later I switch to the silicon. This wasn't for debugging purposes, so I didn't record the germanium. I can do that later.

But it does show that the no diode is way loud, plus the sillicon sounds like it should? I do up the volume when switching to the sillicon part.

It could be a cold solder joint on the diodes or switch perhaps.. THey're old/dirty diodes. I sanded them and cleaned them before soldering, but maybe not enough? The solder didn't 'take' as easy as normal...


This is a short clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0H2O2k1I6I

[Sphere80]

This is the clipping arrangement on my Supreme clone. The signal is louder as you move to the right.



Here are some combo ideas to get more volume using germanium diodes.



I kept mine stock as I see the volume jump as a feature, at least when running it into an already driven amp. I can send it a heavily clipped quieter signal or a louder, less clipped signal that will overdrive the amp even more.

[Marbles]

Yeah, the order of loudness is def like that to owith me..

Just to double check.. I wired it correctly like this right? I could try the other options, thanks. Though I feel this should work..

I soldered it like this:





That is correct right?

[rocket88]

Not wired correctly. You have them all parallel. You need 4 diodes in series in one direction, then parallel to those you want 2 diodes in series in the opposite direction

[Marbles]

Oh wow.. Hm.. I'm proper confused now though haha.

Mabe my drawing is wrong, but I thought I have that?




Or am I making a mistake how to view things?

[rocket88]

The way you have your drawing doesn't look right. It has everything running parallel, as in right next to each other. You want the diodes to look like the diodes in the 2nd to the left diodes in the bottom picture posted by sphere. So you want 4 diodes in a line going in the same direction, and parallel to those 2 diodes in a line going the opposite direction.

[Marbles]

wow, I read it over, and over, and over again and just didn't get it.

i do now though.. man, sorry bout that.

I did wire it up right the first time right? If you think away the you 3 ones? I'm doubting everything now haha.

[Silver Blues]

What Rocket is saying, and what I was saying, is that you have your diode sets wired in parallel when you want them wired in series. I drew a quick and dirty schematic view to show you:

[rocket88]

Exactly, just to keep it asymmetrical one side will have 2 diodes and the other would have 4

[zedsnotdead]

I have built about 6 or 7 Pharaoh Fuzzs, and there is substancial volume loss when GE diodes are selected. This loss vary with type of Ge diodes installed. For my latest builds I used D9E/K and the unit volume was with the volume knob about 15:00/15:30, with the gain dimed. I also used 1N270, 1N34A, and another one I can't remember, but these russian ones are something special, I love them!

rocket88 wrote

Ive got 3yrs due to my undergrad degree, and I'll be going through the
summer too, I think I'll have a week vacation. It's pretty stressful since
it's midterm time.

Not sure if you know about g&l, but essentially it's the ultimate of Leo
fenders designs. He essentially took everything he learned when he created
fender and musicman and designed the destroy it. My friend is even pissed
when he compared my g&l legacy (strat) to his fender strat. It's funny cause
most people don't know about them and they're hard to find, mostly all made
to order, so not "customshop" extra charges. Still all handmade on the same
machines Leo used, and th pickups are glorious. For my hands nothing fits
better and sounds as thunderous, well one of the basses I built does give it
a run for it's money.

Oh yes yes!! G&L fanboy here also.
One time I took my S-500 for a regular setup to a local luthier (very good one) and the moment he took it on his hands he starts to check it top to bottom, feeling the neck, plugs it to it's Fender DR and tells me "This is quite a strat sir. Same construction quality as a USA Fender!"
My S500 is a Tribute series, made in Korea - about 500€ new.
Now I own 4 G&L's. Tribute ASAT Special (the clean sound of those MFD pickups, OMG!! Best I ever heard!), a Tribute S-500, a Tribute Legacy and a USA made 1996 Legacy that I found on used market and I couldn't resist to buy.
I usually say "if you want a real Fender, go pre-CBS or...get a G&L". They are that awesome.

[rocket88]

not to derail the original topic, but.....that's interesting that your tribute was made in korea, they're usually made in indonesia. the funny thing that people don't realize about the tribute series is that unlike other companies "lower tier" instruments, they are made with the same exact components as the USA models with 2 differences. first you don't get a choice of finish, as the USA ones are basically 100% custom ordered, so whatever you want they'll do, and unlike modern fender they don't charge you extra if you want a different style neck or finish 99% of the time. the second is that the USA models are made on the same equipment leo used, and i mean the same machines that are over 40yrs old, and they leave the markings from the machine to prove it was made on that machine just like leo did many years ago.

i've got 2 fender basses, one mexican from like 96 that i've had since i was a kid, and one of the chinese modern player jaguars. both of which have been completely taken apart to adjust the fitment, electronics replaced, fret leveling & dressing, new nuts, wired with high quality components, and all hardware replaced (hipshot tuners, jaguar has a hipshot bridge, jazz with a vintage badass bridge), basically all that's left is the wood. after all that they play and sound amazing, and a million times better then a USA fender IMHO for less.

i've posted them before, but here are my "fenders"

jazz: built during my Jaco phase when i was in high school before i realized that i can never play like or sound like him. been defretted with coated fretboard, and the pickups were custom wound by MJ at the Seymour Duncan Custom Shop made just like she did for Jaco when he replaced his in the late 70's early 80's. they're different then the ones they sell called "The Weather Report." I was lucky enough when i called asking about pickups for bass i was building, and got on the subject of this bass and the tech hooked me up and sweet talked her into doing it. best is they cost the same as the "The Weather Report"pickups, and she made them for me that day. plays like a fucking dream and the tone is like nothing i've heard before.


mustang: nothing really unique compared to the jazz, pickups are pj quarter pounders. great sounding tone, but have debated that when i have extra scratch maybe trying a different set of pickups or just adding an OBP-3 preamp. i also have a hipshot x-tender on the e string. also thinking about changing the neck out for a jazz neck or striping the finish and recoating it, as the stock finish is thick as shit and not as fast as my other basses.