Danelectro - CTO2 Transparent Overdrive  [schematic]

All about modern commercial stompbox circuits from Electro Harmonix over MXR, Boss and Ibanez into the nineties.
Post Reply
User avatar
Greg
Old Solderhand
Information
Posts: 3047
Joined: 03 Nov 2007, 09:35
my favorite amplifier: Tophat Emplexador & Supreme 16.
Completed builds: LOTS..
Location: Australia
Has thanked: 65 times
Been thanked: 164 times

Post by Greg »

After reading good reports everywhere about the Danelectro CoolCat Transparent Overdrive, I decided to buy one... expecting to be disappointed. Well, it's sounds really good. I mean REALLY good.
Naturally it came apart straight away.. :mrgreen:

It's a diode clipper with a TL072 opamp, possibly a Baxandall Tone Control.
I'd trace it, but I'm not really familiar with smd... if I post some good pics or send them to someone, would someone with smd experience like to trace this one out ?
It'd be a lot quicker than me trying to identify what the parts are, but I can work with them on markings, etc.

This will be great project for the DIY community IMO.
I'm sure it's nothing Earth Shattering, but it's simple and sounds great..
+ it's already True Bypass.
:horsey:
culturejam wrote: We are equal opportunity exposure artists.

User avatar
TubeDude22
Breadboard Brother
Information
Posts: 131
Joined: 31 Dec 2007, 01:07
Has thanked: 16 times
Been thanked: 20 times

Post by TubeDude22 »

Thanks for the mini review. I'm considering picking one of those up for myself. What guitar and amp did you test it with?

User avatar
Greg
Old Solderhand
Information
Posts: 3047
Joined: 03 Nov 2007, 09:35
my favorite amplifier: Tophat Emplexador & Supreme 16.
Completed builds: LOTS..
Location: Australia
Has thanked: 65 times
Been thanked: 164 times

Post by Greg »

I mainly use a PRS Custom 22 Soapbar - the model with 3 P-90s.
For quiet use I have a modded Fender Champion 600 and for louder.. a Tophat Supreme 16.
I suspect this OD will sound good with pretty much anything though because it actually lives up to it's name and is pretty transparent as far as eq goes, so you don't have say a mid push that suits certain guitar/amp combos, etc.

I hope someone will trace it.
I can give it a go, but I know I'll spend most of the time trying to identify components.
Who's the smd expert here ?
I think AnalogGuru might be up for it, but I haven't seen him for a while - vacation ?
culturejam wrote: We are equal opportunity exposure artists.

User avatar
ShortScaleMike
Resistor Ronker
Information
Posts: 387
Joined: 12 Feb 2008, 14:36
my favorite amplifier: Marshall JCM800
Location: London, UK
Has thanked: 16 times
Been thanked: 93 times
Contact:

Post by ShortScaleMike »

I've heard great things about these aswell. A lot of people have claimed it's like a Klon but it doesn't have that thick midrange character the Klon does (which may or may not be a good thing) but it does seem to sound good. I'm going to pick one up at some point.

User avatar
Greg
Old Solderhand
Information
Posts: 3047
Joined: 03 Nov 2007, 09:35
my favorite amplifier: Tophat Emplexador & Supreme 16.
Completed builds: LOTS..
Location: Australia
Has thanked: 65 times
Been thanked: 164 times

Post by Greg »

I've now realised the difficulties of reversing this thing:
-You can't see where many traces go without removing components.
-Not all components are marked.
-The silk screening makes it hard to see where some tracks go.

I think I'm going to just take everything off the board and measure it individually, clean the silkscreening away, and then trace...
I doubt I'll put it back together... the through hole components, pots, etc are very hard to remove, and I'd say the pcb will get overheated in places, so I'll probably trash it for the team.
Luckily they're pretty cheap and hopefully I can build a clone after the effort and tweak away..
That's what we do :mrgreen:

BTW Shortscalemike.. I have a Klon, I don't think this sounds anything like it.
The Klon really takes over your tone, this doesn't at all.
culturejam wrote: We are equal opportunity exposure artists.

User avatar
briggs
Tube Twister
Information
Posts: 1971
Joined: 12 Jul 2007, 10:02
my favorite amplifier: Briggs Custom Suprono
Completed builds: Too many to still class myself as sane....
Location: Breaking into Heaven.
Has thanked: 27 times
Been thanked: 128 times
Contact:

Post by briggs »

I'm looking forward to seeing this Greg! I'm into the Danelectro range of pedals. Mybe post a few photos and we might be able to identify the circuit structure a little better and work out if it is a clone or a new one!
Image

I am Klon.

User avatar
Greg
Old Solderhand
Information
Posts: 3047
Joined: 03 Nov 2007, 09:35
my favorite amplifier: Tophat Emplexador & Supreme 16.
Completed builds: LOTS..
Location: Australia
Has thanked: 65 times
Been thanked: 164 times

Post by Greg »

briggs wrote:I'm looking forward to seeing this Greg! I'm into the Danelectro range of pedals. Mybe post a few photos and we might be able to identify the circuit structure a little better and work out if it is a clone or a new one!
OK.. I'll try to get a decent pic up. :thumbsup
It'll probably be tomorrow.. busy day today.
culturejam wrote: We are equal opportunity exposure artists.

User avatar
Greg
Old Solderhand
Information
Posts: 3047
Joined: 03 Nov 2007, 09:35
my favorite amplifier: Tophat Emplexador & Supreme 16.
Completed builds: LOTS..
Location: Australia
Has thanked: 65 times
Been thanked: 164 times

Post by Greg »

I probably need a better camera or better skills to get a really clear pic, but these will give you an idea of what's going on... TL072 opamp, 2 silicon diodes each way in the feedback loop plus an unmarked cap. Dual concentric pot for the Treble and Bass:

Image

Image
culturejam wrote: We are equal opportunity exposure artists.

User avatar
Greg
Old Solderhand
Information
Posts: 3047
Joined: 03 Nov 2007, 09:35
my favorite amplifier: Tophat Emplexador & Supreme 16.
Completed builds: LOTS..
Location: Australia
Has thanked: 65 times
Been thanked: 164 times

Post by Greg »

I finally got around to tracing this... it took about 3 hours as I struggled with the smd a bit.
When I finished it I was more than a little surprised at the result - you might be too...

Here's a hint:

Image
culturejam wrote: We are equal opportunity exposure artists.

User avatar
Greg
Old Solderhand
Information
Posts: 3047
Joined: 03 Nov 2007, 09:35
my favorite amplifier: Tophat Emplexador & Supreme 16.
Completed builds: LOTS..
Location: Australia
Has thanked: 65 times
Been thanked: 164 times

Post by Greg »

And here's the schmatic for the Danelectro Transparent Overdrive.
Just change the 2 power filter caps to 100uf and that's it !!

Image
Attachments
Danelectro Transparent Overdrive = Timmy schematic
Danelectro Transparent Overdrive = Timmy schematic
culturejam wrote: We are equal opportunity exposure artists.

User avatar
WhiteKeyHole
Cap Cooler
Information
Posts: 546
Joined: 05 Apr 2008, 04:38
Has thanked: 24 times
Been thanked: 220 times

Post by WhiteKeyHole »

Oh shi-...

User avatar
modman
a d m i n
Information
Posts: 4890
Joined: 19 Jun 2007, 16:57
Has thanked: 4394 times
Been thanked: 2131 times

Post by modman »

:shock: :scratch:

I mean -- when did Danelectro start producing the Transparent OD? Harmony central review don't go back further than last year.... :hmmm:

Danelectro boys reading this forum?
Please, support freestompboxes.org on Patreon for just 1 pcb per year! Or donate directly through PayPal

User avatar
soulsonic
Old Solderhand
Information
Posts: 3880
Joined: 27 Jun 2007, 03:38
my favorite amplifier: Traynor YVM-1
Completed builds: too many!
Location: Morgantown, WV
Has thanked: 183 times
Been thanked: 468 times
Contact:

Post by soulsonic »

Oh man... TGP is going to have a collective freakout... almost as bad as if you had opened it and found a Klon Centaur inside.
Crazy that they'd pick the Timmy out of all the simple stripped Screamers out there.
"Analog electronics in music is dead. Analog effects pedal design is a dead art." - Fran

User avatar
RnFR
Old Solderhand
Information
Posts: 4879
Joined: 09 Jan 2008, 06:02
my favorite amplifier: Traynor YBA-III, Fender Super Six
Completed builds: custom fuzz.
Location: Inner Earth
Has thanked: 139 times
Been thanked: 133 times
Contact:

Post by RnFR »

it's pretty new. just came out as part of their Cool Cat line- metal case, true bypass, etc.. in a vid i saw with a dano rep at NAMM, the guy specifically mentioned that they were as good as "boutique" boxes.

now we know why! so far the the two that have been traced so far are the peach fuzz and the timmy. can't wait to see who else they ripped off.

at least they're good designs!
"You've converted me to Cubic thinking. Where do I sign up for the newsletter? I need to learn more about how I can break free from ONEism Death Math." - Soulsonic

Blog-APOCALYPSE AUDIO

User avatar
Greg
Old Solderhand
Information
Posts: 3047
Joined: 03 Nov 2007, 09:35
my favorite amplifier: Tophat Emplexador & Supreme 16.
Completed builds: LOTS..
Location: Australia
Has thanked: 65 times
Been thanked: 164 times

Post by Greg »

soulsonic wrote:Oh man... TGP is going to have a collective freakout... almost as bad as if you had opened it and found a Klon Centaur inside.
Crazy that they'd pick the Timmy out of all the simple stripped Screamers out there.
Yeah, I was surprised they didn't even tweak the thing... all the values are the same.

Sorry - other changes are the opamp and there's no switching on the diodes.
culturejam wrote: We are equal opportunity exposure artists.

User avatar
briggs
Tube Twister
Information
Posts: 1971
Joined: 12 Jul 2007, 10:02
my favorite amplifier: Briggs Custom Suprono
Completed builds: Too many to still class myself as sane....
Location: Breaking into Heaven.
Has thanked: 27 times
Been thanked: 128 times
Contact:

Post by briggs »

Wow. We all knew there was the potential for mass fx builders to do this.... As it's been said before - freestompboxes is the least of their worries.

Kudos to PaulC though!
Image

I am Klon.

User avatar
Uma Floresta
Breadboard Brother
Information
Posts: 118
Joined: 03 Nov 2007, 21:42
Been thanked: 1 time

Post by Uma Floresta »

Woah! I didn't see that coming! :o

User avatar
moltenmetalburn
Resistor Ronker
Information
Posts: 309
Joined: 03 Nov 2008, 14:01
Location: Indiana
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 7 times

Post by moltenmetalburn »

WOW! after all the recent talk in the Timmy thread it seems crazy that danelectro of all people are the ones to rip off Paul C and sell for profit, Not one of us! Makes me feel bad for paul as danelectro may steal a huge portion of his sales once this get out...
"The Humans Will Never Destroy Us"

User avatar
The Rotagilla
Diode Debunker
Information
Posts: 744
Joined: 20 Aug 2007, 18:24
Has thanked: 7 times
Been thanked: 61 times

Post by The Rotagilla »

If true...that's f**ked up.
The television will not be revolutionized.

User avatar
sevinisthenumber
Cap Cooler
Information
Posts: 453
Joined: 26 Dec 2008, 01:42
Been thanked: 29 times

Post by sevinisthenumber »

nice.... :D
"The man who says he knows everything will never know the truth"
C.S. Lewis

Post Reply