Schaller Tremolo / Hearthrob Tremolo

Barcode · Post by **Barcode** » 20 Mar 2009, 17:21

FAC wrote:
RnFR wrote:
FAC wrote:
greenskull wrote:I really like this one a lot, but I'm having a problem with distortion at slower speeds and when I strike chords. Just my build, or has anyone else experienced this? I used 2n5089's instead of 2N5088's.
Viva Markm!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did anyone else have this problem? Or better yet, a fix?
the 5089's are a very high gain transistor. I can't speak from experience with this circuit, but that could be your reason for the distortion. you might want to try something with lower gain.
Tried both 5088's and 550's, all the same

I dont' think the 550 is much lower in gain. try a 2n3904

oldgravity · Post by **oldgravity** » 11 Apr 2009, 05:56

I really like the sound of this trem, and have built 2, but I would really like it go a bit faster and a bit slower. What components could I sub to achieve this?

rocklander · Post by **rocklander** » 11 Apr 2009, 08:54

just 'finished' another of these (heartthrob), and initially I got nothing at all..
I quickly (hell if I know how, cos who'd suspect it?

) discovered that I had a faulty input socket.
the actual jack is faulty.. tip is shorted to earth, but I've no idea how.. I can't see where it would be since it's mechanical and cannot see any short.. anyone seen that before? it's one of these (except stereo):

replaced it with a known good one so at least in bypass it works, but now all I hear out of it is a high pitched tone, that gradually gets higher until there's no tone at all.. I suspect dodgy electrolytic.. anyone care to tell me if they think I'm going down the right path?

rocklander · Post by **rocklander** » 12 Apr 2009, 05:10

shameless bump since the weenie spammer relegated my post to the 2nd page.. just hoping someone may be able to suggest if I'm on the right track WRT the caps being my likely problem. I've rechecked all the resistors (visually - colour coding) and they look right.. I don't see any dry joints or bridges...

Jimmy-H · Post by **Jimmy-H** » 14 Apr 2009, 10:50

I just looked at your schemo, found some mistakes.
The blinking led is extra, so is the anti-plop resistor.
Here is the updated version

rocklander · Post by **rocklander** » 14 Apr 2009, 11:51

thanks muchly!!

biggy boy · Post by **biggy boy** » 19 Apr 2009, 00:47

Hi there!
This is my first post on this forum.
I just finished building the Hearthrob, it works good.
I guess the dwell is the same idea as depth??
Anyway I played with it ,it works well just not sure what style of music it would lend itself to?

Glen

rocklander · Post by **rocklander** » 19 Apr 2009, 09:48

biggy boy wrote:Hi there!
This is my first post on this forum.
I just finished building the Hearthrob, it works good.
I guess the dwell is the same idea as depth??
Anyway I played with it ,it works well just not sure what style of music it would lend itself to?

Glen

welcome to the forum bb..
yep, dwell=depth
slow it down and you can do creedence clearwater revival's midnight special.

speed it up a lil and make the dwell full on (helecopter type stuff) and you can do some picking to get a good start of baba o'rielly from the who

biggy boy · Post by **biggy boy** » 19 Apr 2009, 13:42

Thanks for the welcome R.L.
I'll give thous songs a try.
My guitar skills are not the greatest yet, I took up playing two years ago at the age of 44

Anyway I have fun!!
I was thinking Crimson and Clover?

Glen

rocklander · Post by **rocklander** » 19 Apr 2009, 20:12

biggy boy wrote:Thanks for the welcome R.L.
I'll give thous songs a try.
My guitar skills are not the greatest yet, I took up playing two years ago at the age of 44
Anyway I have fun!!
I was thinking Crimson and Clover?

Glen

oh, crimson & clover absolutely for the win!!

Post by **jmwreck** » 23 Apr 2009, 08:22

I might wanna build this, im quite excited by the reviews

Jimmy-H · Post by **Jimmy-H** » 23 Apr 2009, 18:48

Hi there,

So this is my version of the hearthrob, the Heartube.
It's a hearthrob tremolo with an extra tube-booster behind it.
So it isn't a real tube tremolo.
The booster is the Pentaboost designed by frequencycentral (Rick Hold).
It's a clean booster with a 5672 pentode tube.
The tube is a little microphonic.
But I solved the most of this by placing foam at the bottom and top.

The only thing I changed is R2 (was 47K now it's 100K) to get some more signal at the input.
I also have a second switch to choose between tremolo or a clean boost.
And there is a rate led.
I've also placed a 2k2 resistor in series with the led.
If this resistor is smaller then 1K it influences the depth.
R24 is mounted on the back of the pcb.
I didn't used print-mounted pots, but normal ones.
So otherwise R24 would make a short with the pot.

The led behind the tube is painted gold at one side, so most of the light shines forward.
The voltage regulator to get 9 volts is build on perv., and is mounted directly on the housing.
Also the Q2 part is build on perv.,and is soldered on the pentaboost pcb with the ground and input cupper wire.
This is because I already had the pentaboost.
The extra booster makes the output more regulated.

I made anew pcb for the booster part and the Q2 part.
For those who want to try to build one.
If you use the transfer, scale it down to 50 percent.
So here are some pics.

Jimmy-H · Post by **Jimmy-H** » 23 Apr 2009, 19:21

I wrote That R24 was mounted on the back, but I meant R7 (330K).
And here are the layouts and transfers!

Jimmy-H · Post by **Jimmy-H** » 23 Apr 2009, 21:20

Shit........I could not edit my former post anymore!

But R24 was the right resistor!
I just posted the wrong layout!

here is the good one!

biggy boy · Post by **biggy boy** » 23 Apr 2009, 22:17

Nice work Jimmy

Looks good

Would love to hear it man!
Funny thing, I'm working on the same Idea to mate mine up with a ValveCaster.
Now I see clearly what I need to do.

So you used Q2 for added boost?
So I guess if one didn't need the extra boost it wouldn't be needed?

Glen

Jimmy-H · Post by **Jimmy-H** » 24 Apr 2009, 06:59

biggy boy wrote:Nice work Jimmy
Looks good

Thanks Glen!

biggy boy wrote: Would love to hear it man!

I don't know how to post samples, but it sounds pretty much as the samples that are already made here: http://www.mrdwab.com/john/soundclipspage.html
The only difference is the output can be adjusted.

biggy boy wrote:Funny thing, I'm working on the same Idea to mate mine up with a ValveCaster.
Now I see clearly what I need to do.

So you used Q2 for added boost?
So I guess if one didn't need the extra boost it wouldn't be needed?

Glen

That was my plan also with the pentode booster, to leave Q2 out.
But it didn't work out at that moment.
So I perved the Q2 section and mounted it.
Stil it didn't work!
But there was a short on the tremolo PCB (a very tiny one).
So now it works, but I don't know if it works without the Q2 section.
I don't want to take it apart now.
Maybe I try it in a while........

RnFR · Post by **RnFR** » 15 Dec 2009, 02:02

found a vero here-

http://www.newtone-online.nl/forum/inde ... pic=1814.0

IvIark · Post by **IvIark** » 15 Dec 2009, 09:22

Here's one I did a while ago based on the same Vero, just to make it larger.

dperry · Post by **dperry** » 10 Mar 2010, 08:59

Sorry if i have missed a trick, but the Schaller Tremolo everyone is talking about in this thread is this one right?

http://www.guitariste.com/forums/photos ... -1-big.jpg

Seiche · Post by **Seiche** » 05 Jan 2011, 14:08

rocklander wrote:just 'finished' another of these (heartthrob), and initially I got nothing at all..
I quickly (hell if I know how, cos who'd suspect it? ) discovered that I had a faulty input socket.
the actual jack is faulty.. tip is shorted to earth, but I've no idea how.. I can't see where it would be since it's mechanical and cannot see any short.. anyone seen that before? it's one of these (except stereo):

replaced it with a known good one so at least in bypass it works, but now all I hear out of it is a high pitched tone, that gradually gets higher until there's no tone at all.. I suspect dodgy electrolytic.. anyone care to tell me if they think I'm going down the right path?

yes they do that when you place them in the box so that when you plug in, the tip gets bend and touches the box from the inside. at least that's what happenend to me a couple of times. You just turn them till they are clear of the box or put some insolation tape underneath.

oh i just saw this thread is old, sorry, maybe it's of help for a beginner.