1981 Inventions LVL

Here's the new boost from Matt Hoopes. Cornish buffer up front, so like the DRV, not a true bypass effect unless you want to wire it that way. Signal is then amplified by half of a 1458 op amp, and then back to back inverting and tone shaping op amp stages with the LM833. Schematic below. If you're going to wire it for true bypass you can omit C4, and R7-8. Also note that D1-2 aren't acting as clipping diodes, but as (I think?) a limiter to prevent clipping or at least too much of it. 

Jackson Audio Amp Mode

Here's Jackson Audio's MOSFET boost, the Amp Mode. Pretty simple MOSFET circuit with a BJT output buffer. Easy fit in a 1590B. 

J. Rockett Tim Pierce Overdrive

 Thought this one was interesting so I gave it a go. It's a fairly typical Rockett overdrive (.45 Caliber, Animal, Blue Note, etc.) with a fairly typical MOSFET boost (AMZ Booster, EQD Black Eye, etc.). Fits in a 125B with dual footswitches. Schematic and discussion found here. Fabricated version available on the store.

Fulltone 2B

 Happy 2022, everyone! Here's a buffer/booster from Fulltone. Engaged it's a booster with an interesting controllable germanium soft clipping setup, and when bypassed the diodes and gain control are shorted, creating a buffer. If you're just after the boost and want to skip the buffered bypass, just ignore the two Bypass pads and wire it normally. The original uses a 3PDT still for bypass, but you should be able to get away with a DPDT (just wire the bypass pads to lugs 1 and 2 of a DPDT, LED- to lug 4 and lug 5 to ground). Discussion and schematic over on FSB.

Spaceman Atlas III

Hope everyone's staying safe and healthy. Today's layout is a unique preamp booster from Spaceman Effects, the Atlas III. It uses some FETs I'd never heard of in conjunction with a couple low gain silicon BJTs (use something in the 175-225 hFE range). The switch controls the phase of your signal (it's internal in the original). Schematic can be found here for reference.

Also, I updated the Make a Difference page on the website to include a few funds working to help in the aftermath of the Beruit explosion. It's killed well over 150 people, injured 6000 and left over 300,000 people homeless. If you can, do some good, offer some home and help out some people who are really hurting.

Caline Purple Smoke

Got a little booster circuit that should go together pretty easily. It's pretty much an Electra without clipping diodes and a large value resistor between base and collector (similar to the EQD Arrows). Easy fit in a 1590B or even a 1590G (probably). Schematic on FSB.

AMZ Mini Booster SMD

What's everyone think of SMD? It seems more and more boutique builds are going that route, and with more parts only be available in SMD form, I wonder how long before it'll be hard to get quality parts in through-hole packages. All that to say, here's a simple etch-able SMD layout of the AMZ Mini Booster. I've left the power polarity diode and power filter cap (folded onto its side) as through-hole as getting the right packages can sometimes be a royal PITA. All the caps and resistors are 0805 size and note that C3 is a non-polarized cap. Should fit easily into a 1590A.

SoloDallas Storm

Had a couple requests for this one. Very cool design and story behind this circuit. Note, the 120pF cap right below the Boost pot, and the 10uF cap just above the LED are present in the original design, but not connected. Check out Aion's trace blog for more info and schematic. Also, use the 1981 DRV drill template for this one.

Fortin 33

This one's a monster of a boost. Runs off ~36 volts, which is converted internally from a 9v supply (don't try and run it off a 12 or 18v supply or things will fry). Also make sure your electrolytic caps are rated at 50v for this one. Schematic found here. Forgot to put it in the notes, but the Out is from Volume 2.

DOD 210 FET Preamp

Got a little simple boost/preamp for your Thursday. Should be a pretty easy fit in a 1590A. J113 alternatives would be J201, 2N5457, and probably a couple other JFETs that are obsolete. 😑

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:

Hornby Skewes Shatterbox

Got a request for this one for Fuzz Friday. Fairly simple fuzz + boost box. Originals used PNP silicon transistors, but you can use NPNs just as well. The perf side below reflects the original's positive ground and the etch side shows daisy-chain-able negative ground. If you want to put 2 footswitches in a 1590B you could, as the board is small enough for that. Schematic on FSB.

Boss FA-1 FET Amplifier

Originally a bit of a flop from Boss, the FET Amplifier was made famous by U2's The Edge. It features a 2-band Baxendall tone stack and the Volume control is more like a gain control. Originals use 2 single opamps that are pretty hard to come by these days, so they've been replaced by a dual opamp. Pots are board mounted and it should all fit in a 1590B.

EQD Bows

Here's Jamie's take on the classic Rangemaster circuit, with a NPN germanium transistor. There's an added toggle to switch between full range and treble input caps. Probably a tight a squeeze in a 1590A but should be doable. There is also a 1590A specific PCB with board mounted pot and switch in the store now (link below).

   

EFFECTS LAYOUTS BEAUREGARD

Escobedo MOSFET Duende

Here's a simple MOSFET-based booster circuit that'd be a nice alternative to the SHO. Should fit in a 1590A. FYI, the 1N4739 diode in the layout is a 9.1v zener. Here's the schematic for reference.

EQD Arrows

I traced this one a while back and created the Lawn Darts PCB over on the store from it. About time I made a perf and etch layout. If a Rangemaster and an Electra ever got together and had a baby, the Arrows would be the baby. Should be an easy fit in a 1590A with the pot board mounted.

JHS Haunting Mids

The JHS Haunting Mids is an EQ circuit that controls the mid frequencies along with giving a 10dB clean boost. From the JHS site:

The Mids and Sweep controls work very closely together so you can find the perfect frequencies to boost or scoop mid frequencies. When the Mids knob is at 12 o'clock, no frequencies are boosted or scooped.  Turning the Mids knob to the left of 12 o'clock will begin to scoop out midrange frequencies, while turning the Mids knob to the right of 12 o'clock will begin to boost midrange frequencies. The Sweep knob controls the what frequencies will be affected.  Sweep knob to the left will cause low-mids to be affected, while Sweep knob to the right will cause hi-mids to be affected.  The Lo/Hi toggle is like a "Q" function and controls how sharp the frequency peak is that you’re affecting with the Mids knob.  "Lo" is a softer and wider peak for slightly subtler affect as you tweak the Mids/Sweep knobs.  "Hi" is a sharper and steeper peak giving you a very pointed and defined effect as you tweak the Mids/Sweep knobs.

Should fit nicely in a 1590B. Schematic for reference.

Pink Jimi Photon 'Weetie Pi

Here's a really cool and versatile dirt pedal design by Pink Jimi Photon. He's made a lot of contributions to the DIY community and whips up some cool stuff. Check this thread on FSB for the schematic and Jimi's description of the circuit.

ThroBak Strange Master

Essentially a Rangemaster with a switch selecting the input cap (Hi/Lo) and another switch (Ge/Si) selecting between a germanium or silicon transistor. The bias pot helps to fine tune the bias (imagine that lol) differences between germanium and silicon modes. Other transistors can be used other than what's specified. Something in the 100-120 hFE range for the germanium and something around 250 hFE for the silicon. Schematic here.

Way Huge Tone Leper

This is a rare one from the early 90s from Way Huge and is based on the Craig Anderton Frequency Booster. Stock it gives a mid range boost (800Hz), but that frequency can be altered by swapping the 2, 22nF caps:

220nF - 90Hz (lows)
100nF - 200Hz (low mids)
10nF - 2kHz (mids)
4.7nF - 4kHz (upper mids)