SMD RAT

There's no getting around it, through hole components have long been on the way out and being replaced by SMD. I've had several clients I do board design work for either going full SMD or at least a hybrid with SMD for resistors and a few other components, and TH for caps. This RAT layout goes the more hybrid route, giving you the option for TH or SMD caps (except for electrolytic caps). The opamp remains TH so the LM308 can still be used. 

Build doc with scaled etch image and drill templates here.

Marshall Shredmaster

 Here's another old layout redone for all you Jonny Greenwood fans. I think the old layout was based on an old and incorrect schematic (here's the schematic used for this layout), but this one should be right and a much easier fit in an enclosure than the old one. 

Black Cat OD-1

 Did this one quite a while ago, but wanted to redo some of the old layouts with board mounted pots. The schematic online has the topology correct but the 100nF caps are 47nF from the gut shots I've seen, so that's reflected below. Might be good to socket and experiment with.

Greer Amps Black Mountian

 Here's one of Greer's latest offerings. Seems like a simplified OCD circuit with some value changes and different clipping diodes. Schematic for reference. Easy fit in a 1590B.

EHX/JHS Lizard Queen

 Happy Fuzz Friday everyone! You probably didn't miss this collaboration between Josh Scott and Mike Matthews, and because of the old school style of the big box version, it wasn't to hard to trace. There's still a few things we don't know about the circuit, so have your sockets handy if you put this together (see notes below). There's some debate over the touted originality of the circuit, as it appears to be a Bazz Fuss into a Tim Escobedo PushMe PullYou, but do your best and leave that discussion to the forums. FSB trace thread for reference.

Notes:

• Q1 is a large can (TO-39 by the looks of it) transistor. I doubt it's germanium, so I assume it's something relatively low hFE like a 2N1711. I'd try out 2N2222A, 2N3904, 2N5550 and see what works/sounds best. The transistor types listed in the layout are an assumption based on the PushMe PullYou.
• D1 appears to be old stock of some sort, with orange and green color bands. I would assume a 1N4148 will work just fine here like in a typical Bazz Fuss.
• C1 is a small ceramic cap, value unknown. I'd start experimenting with anything between 100-470p.
• The 10uF cap off lug 2 of the Balance pot is an assumption based on the PushMe PullYou. It could be as large as 100uF as it's the same size axial capacitor in the original as the power filter caps.

Caroline Wave Cannon

 Here's a very cool Rat variant now out of production. Fairly straight forward Rat with a variation of the Ruetz Mod, LEDs for clipping and a switch to toggle a feedback loop. On the original this is a toggle (SPST), but would be fun to put on a momentary footswitch. Couldn't confirm the IC in the original, as the markings were painted over. Might be easy to assume the IC is an LM308 or OP07 since it's based on the Rat, but it's missing the compensator cap (30pF cap across pins 1-8 in a normal Rat) so I'm guessing a TL071/LM741, but an OP07 would work too. Fits nicely in a 1590B or 125B. Schematic here

Ghost of Kyiv

 Happy Fuzz Friday, everyone! Here's a very cool Big Muff variation designed by Zzoyd. Zzoyd lives in Kyiv and named the circuit after the famed fighter pilot defending the Ukrainian skies from Russian aggression. It reminds a bit of the Musket but with a 2-band EQ and a germanium pre section. Should fit nicely in a 125B. 

Not A Muff

Happy Fuzz Friday, all! Recently I got a request for the new EQD Hizumitas. Found a schematic for it over on FSB and it's just a BMP. The values are tweaked, but the topology is the exact same as a standard Muff. If you've hung around here for really any length of time you know how many times I've laid out the BMP. There are so many clones out there dating back to the early 70s, most of which I haven't really explored here on the blog. So using Kit Rae's fantastic Big Muff site, I put together a BOM of 6 versions of non-muffs, including the Hizumitas and the Elk Sustainar the Hizumitas is derived from. So for your building and experimenting pleasure, here's the Not A Muff. (BOM, schematic and drilling templates linked below)

Build Doc

Also, if you're interested in how I laid out this board, I did a livestream over on YouTube. I've been trying to do a couple streams a month of just chilling and doing some layout work in Eagle. So go and sub and all that nonsense.

Grind Customs FX Ultra '78

 Happy Fuzz Friday, everyone! Here's a cool take on the IC Big Muff by JuanSolo and Grind Customs. It's essentially the '78 IC Big Muff with the tone bypass switch with the tone stack from the Ultrastoner. Should be able to squeeze it into a 1590B. 

Marshall Guv'nor

Here's another layout that needed a refresh/correction. Old layout was pretty trash and had a few errors which have all be resolved. Similar to the Blues Breaker (at least in circuit topography), but with a 3-band EQ and hard clipping. Bit more gain and distortion on tap. Here's the schematic for reference. Should fit nicely in a 1590B.

Ibanez MT10 Mostortion

It's New Years Eve and time for the last layout of 2019 and I'm pretty sure it's the 800th on the blog! So here's the Mostortion. Why is it called that? The CA3260E opamp at it's core is MOSFET based. Unfortunately, this chip has been discontinued, so building a straight clone may be a little difficult, but a regular dual opamp like a JRC4558 or TL072 will work just fine as well. It's pretty similar to a TS10, just with a MOSFET chip and 3-band EQ, which is pretty handy. Schematic and more info here. Should be able to squeeze it into a 1590B.

VFE Distortion 3

Always a fan of the MXR Distortion+/DOD 250 as you all have probably figure out by now. Here's VFE's take on the classic circuit. Bunch of extra controls and mods including soft clipping, along with bass and tone controls. Schematic here for reference.

Seymour Duncan Dirty Deed

Here's a pretty interesting distortion from Seymour Duncan. 2N3906 transistors for hard clipping and a two band gyrator EQ section. Originals I assume are all SMD and use MC33178 ICs, which I believe are equivalent to the LM833, but other dual opamps should work fine. Schematic here. Should be able to squeeze it in a 1590B with small profile jacks.

Ibanez BS10 Bass Stack

Time for some bass distortion. This one's a RAT with an input buffer and soft clipping instead of hard. Apparently these were built on the same PCB as the Fat Cat and LA Metal. For a drilling template just use the Fat Cat one.

Discrete Distortion +

I've seen a few people playing around with discrete opamps in classic circuits, and thought I'd give it a go with one of my favorite circuits, the classic MXR Distortion + (or DOD 250, etc.). The typical 741 opamp has been replaced with Joe Davisson's Diode-Compression Opamp. The 6.8k resistor in the bottom left corner of the board may need to be adjusted till the collector of Q3 is around 4.5v. I haven't tested this, but it should work.

Revv G4

This one was actually pretty easy to knock out after doing the G3. Slightly simpler and with less clipping than the G3, it's got loads of gain on tap. This also has the same pot layout as the the G3, so just use that drill template.

Revv G3

You guys super pestered me to do this one, so here it is. Now get off my back! 😄 Layout turned out fairly big, but not overly so. It should fit nicely in a 1590BB.

Fulltone Mas Malo

For Fuzz Friday, here's Fulltone's take on the Big Muff. The main differences over a regular BMP is the input and output stages. The input stage has it's own gain control and the output stage is a JFET-based gain circuit. Also the volume control has been moved immediately after the tone stack, with the output stage after the volume pot. Schematic for reference.

EarthQuaker Devices Life Pedal

For Fuzz Friday here's the coolest Green Ringer + Rat pedal around! (To be fair, it's an awesome combo) The Green Ringer is on a JFET blend and the Rat section is pretty standard. There's also a fairly generic MOSFET boost on board as well, similar to a SHO or Black Eye. This should all fit nicely in a 1590BB with board mounted pots.

As requested, here's the schematic:

Steel Panther Pu55y M3lt3r

I've held off in laying this one out just for the name alone (it was banned from Reverb for this very reason), but the circuit is fairly interesting so it was time. It features a MOSFET buffer into a pretty standard opamp gain stage with LED clipping into a MOSFET gain stage. Schematic and discussion over on FSB. I took a few liberties with the power section simplify it and make it all fit in a 1590B.