I have been interested in pedals, and I knew nothing, but I wanted to learn. So I just sort of started buying the cheapest versions of effects I could find to see what's in them and see how they sound. I still now almost nothing, but in the process of exploring things, I accidentally found the very cheapest way to get pedals shipped to the US.

If you are interested, below are some price examples so you can see what I mean, and my method for using AliExpress....

Another curious question of mine, are claims of a BBD chip inside true? This is the cheapest 4-knob flanger I could find so I grabbed it for $10 shipped.

Inside I found an MN3207 BBD, an MN3102 Clock Generator, 2 x RC4558, and an 062C. Three trimpots all with the index mark at exactly 6:00 and 12:00, which makes me wonder if they'd been adjusted after assembly at all. I'm still playing with it before I dare adjust those.

IMG_20241124_150956.jpg

IMG_20241124_151009.jpg...

Hello.
I traced a DemonFX Omicron Darkglass that appears to be a copy of the Omicron Darkglass Alfa. I ordered a few PCBs with the schematic I traced, and it works just like the original (Demonfx). The only thing I have changed is the switching bypass, which I have made truebypass (the original used a CD4003 and JFETS). The rest, as is. Here is the schematic, in case you are interested.

I recently bought a Surfybear Compact and after I put it on my board I had an interesting issue. The Surfybear Compact has a decay dial but it didn't work when on the board. It would always be maxed out.
After some testing the culprit was found. It was the J. Rockett Archer Ikon. After contacting Surfybear someone there explained how the decay circuit works and that loud signals could mess it up. A short search on the net showed me that other people had issues with the Archer messing up...

Usually suprised at the quality of their pedals. I have their v3 ep or bp comp, black one, and it’s pretty good. I’ve attached a pic of the version before mine as the last pic. I’d have to take mine apart and haven’t felt like it. Actually the comp is first. Have no clue what the goop is covering. It’s optical. Supposed to have an EP style boost.

Hi everyone,

I've been checking this forum for years, but this is my first post here.

So, I tried to add a mono jack to my EHX Freeze to use with an external switch, as instructed in this video (starting at 4:00):

So far so good.

However, my external switch (a mono keyboard sustain pedal) is working erratically.

I mean, sometimes it works when I press it, sometimes it doesn't. It's not practicable.

I check it with my keyboard, and it's working fine.

Does it have anything to do with...

Got my Mosky Silver Horse yesterday. Tried using it and after a day this is what mine does.

Can’t return it coz I sourced it from AliExpress via another country. My mom in law carried it for me. I’ve raised a dispute with AE and written to Mosky as well. No luck so far. Trying some DIY repair if possible.

Any tips on how I should go about this ?

Any checks I can do to figure out what component is causing this ?

Tests I’ve done so far :

D2, D3 and D4 have around 0.6V reading when...

Hello guys,

im having troubles to find what is going wrong with a Truetone Liquid Chorus and Echo Version 1. It was not turning on in the first place but i found a shorted cap close to the DC input, then i could turn on the pedal but it was acting like a bypass even though the leds indicate that either echo or chorus are ON. I found wrong voltages on the 2x 4558 op amp, i replaced them by 2 tl072 and recovered the right voltage on only one of them 4,5V on pin 123 and 567. The other one show...

So basically I just soldered a TRS jack between the output lug of the feedback pot and the pad where the lug is supposed to go. Pedals can go as inserts in the loop, but I noticed the PS-2 will start to oscillate when the pot is set to noon instead of 3 o'clock like it normally does when using pedals in the loop. Otherwise feedback behaves normal. Any ideas on how to solve this?

Small convenient practice tool that clips onto a belt. Plug an instrument or pedal board into one end and headphones into the other end. Powered by a 9v battery fit into a 1590A size enclosure.

GBisson_EHX_HeadphoneAmp_Schem_2024.10.25.png

EHX_HeadphoneAmp_top.jpg

EHX_HeadphoneAmp_bot.jpg

I got one in as it was cutting out while gigging. The IC socket was really loose and I could almost let the IC fall out of the socket. I added a new socket and now the unit functions again like it should.

Menatone - Red Snapper Mini.JPG

More pics and text on my blog; check the link in my sig

Hi all!

I got a reissue OD-850 in from Ibanez.
Traced the pedal and put it next to my vintage unit. They are quite similar.

OD850 RI.JPG

I added a lot of pics between my vintage one and the reissue on my blog; check the link in the sig

Hi all,

My first try at tracing a circuit and third layout.
The circuit has an input + buffered output and an xlr ofc.
Versatile as it can be powered 9-16VDC or by phantom power.

The layout is verified , as I built it a few hours ago and works perfectly !

Peavey-EDB1-schematic.png

Row H can be ommited as it is not connected to any component.

Peavey-EDB1-layout.jpg

Cheers !

I didn't see another thread about this one, so posting it here.
I picked up a new 2024 MXR YJM308 Overdrive yesterday and in the process of reverse-engineering it.
Many people speculated would just be based on the Fender unit or DOD YJM308, but this appears to be unique with through hole parts on top and SMD on the bottom!!

Still working on the BOM and need to confirm the SMD components, but here is a DRAFT BOM.
How does it sound....good. The original DOD308 I liked, but has a lot of bottom....

Germanium or silicon guns?

I was eyeing one for some time. The sound is like a muff but with more mids and a great selector switch.

EnjoY!

Biyang - FZ-7.JPG

More pics can be found on my blog; check the link in the sig

Hello everyone, this is my first post here and I am looking for some help. Please keep in mind that I am a novice with electronic repair and reading schematics but I am learning. So I’m starting my journey into pedals with a phase 100 script circa 1975. It came in the mail a few days ago and while it mostly works it does have a couple problems.

It is a little bit of a noisy pedal but that might go away after it warms up a bit or if I change its location in my chain, I’m not sure about that....

Hi guys.
Any idea where to find a schematic for a NUX HG5 pedal?
Thanks in advance.

Hi all!

I searched for it but no dedicated post was made on this effect pedal. There is one on the 'Probe series' but all probe pedals are discussed there.

I got one in for some TLC and to add a LED. The owner makes a lot of nice noise music but in the wash of his playing he couldn't hear if the pedal was on or off. I added an LED to the pedal (and a DC jack / he just cut a hole in the side to get a wire in)

You can find pics and a schematic in my blog; check the link in my sig.

I traced...

Reprinted in Guitar Player magazine circa 1971, from Electronics World Magazine January 1971. MultiTone.pdf
MultiTone1.png
MultiTone2.png

Hello everyone
I built a tonebender mkii, after some transistor choices I have the following parameter.
the sound is not bad, but there is doubt about the lack of leakage in Q1. Is the resistor sufficient?
trimpot Q2 and Q3

9.88v
HFE/Lk (DC55) C B E
Q1 AC128 - 65/0.036mA 8,00
Q2 NKT72u - 76/0.063mA 0.47 0.11
Q3 2N1309 -242/0.403mA 8.04 0.46 0.38

I put a 2m2 resistor Q1 collector base

I've never had a mkii in my hands, so I don't know if it's looking good.
Any tips?
thanks

I had one of these for a while, serial # 011 from 2009, and decided to trace it. I got far enough to realize it was looking a lot like a Big Muff, so I spot-checked the rest, and indeed it is. Starting from a stock Triangle BMP schematic, you can make these changes to get a Yeti:
Q1 - Q4 = BC239C
Add the AMZ Presence (mids) mod, except it's a 4-position switch instead of a pot, with the 4th position bypassing the Tone pot
Sustain pot is A100k instead of B100k
DC filter cap is 220uF...

I made some inroads towards tracing the PS-001 Distortion.

Turns out it is more than an MXR Distortion+ with a Muff tone control. Structurally it's more like a Boss DS-1.
(Given the similarity of the Guyatone PS-005 Overdrive to the Boss OD-1 it's not surprising there is some similarity to the Boss DS-1.)

Unfortunately there's some ambiguity regarding the tone control caps. (The two polyester caps on the middle-edge of the PCB where the wires are).

Enclosure:
guyatone PS-001 distortion -...

Guyatone made a large number of pedals by there's surprisingly few schematics.

I started off looking at the Guyatone PS-001 Distortion but there's not a lot of PCB pics out there.

In the process I found some info on the sister pedal Guyatone PS-005 Overdrive. At times people have tried to guess what this one is as well

I managed to trace the structure of the circuit. It looks like a Boss OD-1 (ish) circuit with a Muff Tone control. Unfortunately no values.
guyatone PS-005 overdrive -...

I got this fuzz as I wanted to try another Germanium Fuzz Face sound.

It is a great fuzz face like pedal with germanium NPN transistors (MP38A)

I traced the pedal:
ZCAT - Cat fuzz.jpg

More info and pics on my blog; in my sig is the link