Zvex - Box of Rock  [traced]

General documentation, gut shot, schematic links, ongoing circuit tracing, deep thoughts ... all about boutique stompboxes.
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5thumbs
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Post by 5thumbs »

kurtlives wrote:Been meaning to build this one for a long time and finally getting around to it...
Did anyone save a copy of Torchy's vero layout before he pulled them?

Here's the veroboard layout I downloaded from this thread a while ago. I can't vouch for it because I never used it, as I ended up modifying madbeans' layout and running with it.

If Torchy (or other originator of this image, as there is no ID or copyright info on the image) wants to exercise their copyright and have me remove it, please let me know. I did not originate this design, so I will respect the copyright claims of the originator.
BOXOFRAWK.jpg
Modding a DS-1? Please read 'Build Your Own DS-1 Distortion'.

"Other than a good first-in-line buffer/booster, using other FX to improve bad clean tone is like gift-wrapping garbage."

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telecaster
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Post by telecaster »

Found this, don't know if this is it.
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Box of Rock 3.jpg
KindaFuzzy - Looks like a blue nail polish and nutella sandwich.
Freekish - "Our originality is in the basement. Our business is in the toilet"
Guitarlcarl - I did take offence at being called an idiot by a moron.

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kurtlives
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Post by kurtlives »

^^Thanks 5thumbs.

^telecaster that is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks so much.

Now to build... :horsey:

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Post by sevinisthenumber »

i have built 2 or three of these and the one i just built has a weird gain knob issue,... When the gain is in the last 5% of rotation it fizzles out to 0 volume...? ANy ideas? Ive verified all the bs170's position, wiring, caps, etc...
"The man who says he knows everything will never know the truth"
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Post by Evz »

This is a silly question, but as i have notice, the ZV pedals "Box of...." are cascaded SHO's, so Theoretically, if i take the BOR or the BOM circuit can i just remove the tone and boost/gate circuit to get a simple distortion box? (i dont really care for any tone feature)... would that be possible?

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Post by 5thumbs »

Evz wrote:This is a silly question, but as i have notice, the ZV pedals "Box of...." are cascaded SHO's, so Theoretically, if i take the BOR or the BOM circuit can i just remove the tone and boost/gate circuit to get a simple distortion box? (i dont really care for any tone feature)... would that be possible?
If you read back earlier in this thread, you'll find that someone has already done a BoR layout with the boost stage removed. I believe there were both vero and PCB layouts in this configuration.

As for BoM, if you go look through that thread, there were layouts available for it, minus the gate portion (which you prefer.)

If the layouts aren't still there, you could nicely ask the folks on those threads to repost the files. I'm sure they'll cough them up for you.

Good luck!
Modding a DS-1? Please read 'Build Your Own DS-1 Distortion'.

"Other than a good first-in-line buffer/booster, using other FX to improve bad clean tone is like gift-wrapping garbage."

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Post by nickeroo »

I have a (probably totally noob-tastic) question about the layout telecaster posted above.

c9 and c10 ask for a 2nf capacitor...and I can't seem to find one (I'm in the UK)

I can find a whole load of types of 2.22 nf caps, but no 2 nfs. I was using Musikding first, and could get everything there except those two caps. Maplin and RS didn't give me any joy.

can anyone help...?

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madbean
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Post by madbean »

2n2 is fine. You most likely would not notice the difference.

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Post by nickeroo »

I was hoping someone would say that... :¬D

Thank you, madbean.

Finally, for the non-polarised caps, do I need to look at specific capacitor types, would I notice if all were ceramic, or if there's a mix between poly and ceramic. Couldn't see any specific indication to say if there's any need to favour one type for one cap, another type for another?

(again, possibly a very noob-ish question...!)

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Post by madbean »

nickeroo wrote:I was hoping someone would say that... :¬D

Thank you, madbean.

Finally, for the non-polarised caps, do I need to look at specific capacitor types, would I notice if all were ceramic, or if there's a mix between poly and ceramic. Couldn't see any specific indication to say if there's any need to favour one type for one cap, another type for another?

(again, possibly a very noob-ish question...!)
It's more a matter of personal taste. You would likely notice a difference between all ceramic and all poly-film. I believe the stock unit actually uses multi-layered ceramics (little blue dudes) and tantalums. Anyway, I personally stick to all ceramic under 1n and metallized/poly film for 1n-1uF. You can't fault a bad sounding pedal on components if you stick to those types, IMO.

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Post by nickeroo »

Thank you again, madbean. You've improved my life a little, and hopefully opened a few doors with your advice. I actually found the "2nf" question answered in an FAQ on another subforum of the board (this place gets a bit confusing with all the updates and revisions and so on!!) a little while after I read your answer.

:applause:

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Post by kurtlives »

Image

Can someone check the boost section? It looks like there is a set 5K resistance from source to ground. Doesnt look like the wiper is doing anything.

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madbean
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Post by madbean »

Wiper should be connected to ground.

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Post by kurtlives »

Yes exactly, so the PCB mounted pot is wrong.

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Post by kurtlives »

If you do build using Torchy's vero...
Switch lugs 3 and 1 on the tone pot around.
On the boost circuit, ground lug 3, lug 2 goes to the MOSFET's source.

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Post by BaLaClavaAa »

So wait, which vero layout is correct?

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Post by rasta_maleek »

hi from spain, i did make some layout for this, i use the gutshots and the schematic, i do reversed process
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Post by delaystomper »

hi guys im new to this forum and i ran across this topic .. im very interested and desperate to build the zvex box of rock , can anyone help me out and point me to the right schematic and layout that were posted here ,,?there is been so many that im a bit lost.
thanks .
by the way i just finished building the fuzz factory and i got to say im very please with it.!!

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Post by 5thumbs »

delaystomper wrote:hi guys im new to this forum and i ran across this topic .. im very interested and desperate to build the zvex box of rock , can anyone help me out and point me to the right schematic and layout that were posted here ,,?there is been so many that im a bit lost.
thanks .
by the way i just finished building the fuzz factory and i got to say im very please with it.!!
I used madbeans' layout for the BOR w/boost; I had zero problems with it. For simplicity's sake, I repackaged his images into a PDF document, which I've also attached to this reply. (Mr. Beans, if you don't appreciate the repackaging/reposting of your work, please let me know and I'll pull it.)

Good luck!
Krankosaurus.pdf
Original madbeans layout + schematic + PCB files, packaged into a PDF
(226.52 KiB) Downloaded 729 times
Modding a DS-1? Please read 'Build Your Own DS-1 Distortion'.

"Other than a good first-in-line buffer/booster, using other FX to improve bad clean tone is like gift-wrapping garbage."

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Post by delaystomper »

thank you friend i will give it a try this weekend and hope it works, i think i'll be getting my bs170 by that time also
thanks agian !!!

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