This is a library of perfboard and single-sided PCB effect layouts for guitar and bass. I'm not an electrical engineer by any stretch of the imagination, just a DIY'er who likes drawing layouts. It is meant for the hobbyist (so commercial use of any of these layout is not allowed without permission) and as a way to give back to the online DIY community.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

ProTone Dead Horse Overdrive

I actually own one of these from the Dead Pony run, and the other night when I'd run out of solder I traced it. It's essentially a TS-808 clone with a couple of very minor changes. There was a jumper where an extra diode could be for asymmetrical clipping, so I've included room for the extra diode in the layout. Couldn't read the exact type of diodes, but they looked like 1N4148s. Use your favorites or socket and experiment. Also a lot of the capacitors were axial ceramic types, so the below layout reflects that. Here's the schematic I drew up.



28 comments:

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    1. of course you would call BS, but I assure you, several are wrong.

      We've been vocal about what it is and which mods we've added... its all out there. Yes, I could tell you exactly which parts are wrong, but wheres the explorer spirit in that?

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  2. OK, so I gave you the benefit of the doubt... and after a good amount of reading I'm calling your Bullsh*t.

    Nowhere can I find a list of circuit changes, just wishy-washy PR speak about adding unspecified mods to the TS circuit.

    You are what is wrong with the "boutique pedal market". You clone a TS808 with some changes then claim to hold the key to the holy-grail of tone. All the greats can only find there great tone with you secret recipe... blah, blah blah... bullsh*t.

    Your just trying to murky the waters around your BS stories, BS testimonials and PR BS.

    For the record; the guy who runs this blog, dedicates hours of work for the DIY community and who you are trying to discredit holds much more credit than you and the dozens of people who clone TubeScreamers and try to pass them off as there own special circuit and the next big thing.

    I'm sick of people like you taking advantage of people who don't know any better. Your not special, you have copied a often copied guitar pedal. Once again I'll say it. Post the changes, post a schematic or you are full of shi*.

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    1. No discredit implied or intended, there are simply values that are not correct.

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  3. lol..what does he need to post changes for, its just a tubescreamer ...breadboard your own and tweak it to your liking. this is common practice in electronics eg you cant reinvent the wheel ..most of these circuits are in analog/digital 101 academic level books as learning examples ..

    dont be a hater because he is good at marketing and advertising. being jealous gets you nowhere.

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  4. No reason to get hot and heavy over this. It's a free country and ProTone can make what they like, just as we as consumers and DIY'ers can trace what others make. The one I traced is a "My Dead Pony," which is stated to be the same as the Dead Horse, just with My Little Pony inspired graphics. Below are pics I took of the board and a drawing of the parts layout. It's quite possible I misread a few values.

    http://i756.photobucket.com/albums/xx206/storyboards27/Mobile%20Uploads/48C88F7D-2E50-4A9F-8AB0-0377C60767C0_zps9s65esf9.jpg

    http://i756.photobucket.com/albums/xx206/storyboards27/Mobile%20Uploads/4F748B34-9B7F-4A82-BD09-DD44CD0250AF_zpssg7fnlhx.jpg

    http://i756.photobucket.com/albums/xx206/storyboards27/Mobile%20Uploads/A0182354-25E1-4657-8CF2-AECA2F6CAEEB_zpsuylsssjy.jpg

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    1. I believe I've found what is wrong. One is your fault, one I think is protone's.

      One of the 200n caps in your hand drawn image that didn't make it to the schematic, it goes right before the tone control, going to ground.

      The second thing that is "wrong" is the 51 ohm resistor, and I don't know why its there. On the original deadhorse there is what looks to be a 51pf ceramic capacitor in that spot, similar to the original tubescreamer its based on. I've seen the insides of two deadponys and both had the 51 ohm resistor instead, despite being marketed as the same pedal.

      I've been told that increasing the potentiometer for drive increases the available drive, and this 51 ohm resistor in parallel with the potentiometer must be reducing the available drive no?

      Additionally, the full size deadhorse has a switch to add in an additional 1N914 diode for asymmetrical clipping.

      Delete
    2. Yeah I found a couple other errors as well. I forgot 2 components off the negative feedback loop. The 51Ω resistor threw me too. I've updated the layout and it should be good now. I've also added a pad at that 51Ω spot for a 51p capacitor if someone would rather go with the traditional component there.

      Delete
  5. Any idea which cap is the one changed in the "variable attack" version?

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  6. Probably the input cap. Try putting a 100n cap and the stock 27n on a DPDT.

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  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  8. Hi guys!

    I'm gonna try to make this one (I have already make some DIY pedals...), can you please make a list of components?

    Thank you in advance ;)

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  9. it will make a considerable difference to use 220nF caps instead 200nF?

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  10. it's unverified? :( i really want to do this pedal

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  11. if i want to add gain to the dead horse, what do you guys recommend, ps. sorry for necropost

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  12. It works, as long as you replace the 51R with a 51pF capacitor. Also, the Drive pot should be A500K to get a more usable range, I found that using B500K makes it go 0-90% in the first quarter of the turn

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  13. I have one of these on my bench. Pro tone is correct, a couple values are off.
    Gain pot is 1MA (most significant difference)
    51R resistor in loop is 50pF cap (this must have been a mistake in the original traced unit?)
    both tone caps are 220nF (not worth changing if you already installed the 200nF).
    polarity protection diode is 1N4004 (any 1N400x will do, I just wanted to be specific).
    Everything else is correct.

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  14. The 200nF/1k in series from the feedback loop (pin 3 of the 4558) goes to ground instead of the bias voltage as on the schematic. The board has enough room to reposition the 1k under the 200nF and make the appropriate connection. I do not know how much the change would affect the circuit, since other ODs like the DOD250 have a capacitor/resistor combo going from the feedback loop to ground.

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