New project, a dual pedal. This one's an Xotic AC boost plus a 5F6A (my version of the Wampler Black 65 with some changes to make it more 5F6A accurate). The pedal order will be switchable so either can feed the other. I say it might be a triple because I couldn't fit it in a 1590BB case, so I moved up to a 1790 size, and now there is enough room for something else small. So I think I'm going to throw in a fuzz face--pretty much the smallest pedal I can think of besides a boost, which wouldn't really be necessary with the 5F6A in there. I'll follow the Sun Face schematic, and use a voltage inverter so it runs off a normal boss connector... maybe...
I realize it doesn't make for much of an exciting pic, but I got the JFETs biased last night, and once that's done, I feel like most of my work is done and it's all down hill from here... so here are the pretty JFETs and all the different biasing resistors...
suggestion for the third... EP circuit?
also... what's a 5F6A? fender preamp?
anyway, if not EP, stick a machine in there ;)
5F6A is the classic Fender Bassman... EP boost would be a good way to go, unfortunately it's about 3x the size of a fuzz face circuit. I could do an AMZ MOSFET boost or a zvex SHO-style, both of those have around 10 parts... but both of them boost with a smiley curve, and the 5F6A has that covered.
Pedal's done... it's only a dual, once I added the switching to change the effects routing I couldn't fit another pedal/footswitch... plus there's really no easy way to switch effects order between three effects.
Inside (can't see much, I know... suffice it to say lots of wiring for grounds and power, and I used shielded wire for the xotic AC side since I was getting some oscillation without it, when running the 5f6a pedal last in the effects order.
The back... unfortunately I distressed the front first, before I stumbled on the "star" pattern that I did on the back and on the sides. I like it! This one's called the "Earth Tone" because of the color, and because I built it for a friend who's pretty much a hippie. Xotic AC on one side (I tweaked the baxandall slightly for better high end, and boosted the gain structure for more gain). 5F6A on the other side (Wampler Black 65 with some component changes to make it slightly more Tweed-accurate, and biased much hotter and crunchier than the Wampler).
And the money shot. I wish I had written Earth Tone slightly larger... and I accidentally used an on/off/on switch for the effects order switch... which is annoying because no signal passes at all in the middle setting! I've got some new switches on order so if I get them before the client gets the money together I'll replace it with a straight on/on.
Looks good. That should be a cool combination of effects. Far out, man. Hippie man should dig that.
Yeah... running the 5f6a side, unboosted, into the AC boost side, and cranking the volume on the 5f6a, it is the most massive crunch ever. Completely drives the AC boost into creamy smashed goodness.
Interesting side effect... because the AC boost is a diode clipping pedal, when you push a ton of volume into it, it doesn't really get louder, just a lot more distorted... the diodes keep the voltage level in the opamp's negative feedback loop at .65v... however, when you go the opposite direction, and crank the AC volume into the 5f6a, there's so much more voltage swing on the FETs, about 4.5v of swing, it gets crunchier but also a lot louder.
