Guitar-related Circuits
Note:
I designed the unique-sounding
KOVIAK
tube effect for a friend, but here's lots more schematics!
The date of this collection is 1995. The schematics
seem very readable, but some of the text in the GIfs is not so hot. Who
needs text anyway? I won't guarantee that the links
given at the end for updates and other circuits are valid. The credits for
the following collection appear at the end of this page.
--Pat Jankowiak
3btone.gif
(3 Band Tone Circuit)
Simple tone control from Graff`s Encyclopedia of Electronic
Circuits. Could be hacked into a pedal easily.
angrybd3.gif
(Angry Beard 3)
I won't claim this is the best fuzz out there. Its a very simple
circuit and sounds pretty grungy but it gets the job done. Uses a
overdriven germanium transistor.
bassman.gif
(Fender Bassman - Tweed)
Great old tube amp that uses 12AX7s and 5881s.
bclipper.gif
(Blue Clipper)
The circuit of the plug-in-the-guitar distorter from Dan Armstrong.
It's a back-to-back diode clipper driven by an op amp.
bigmufpi.gif
(Big Muff Pi)
For that smooth Hendrix sound. Very popular, now being made by
Sovtek. Great fuzz tone.
bosssg1.gif
(Slow Gear Atack Delay)
As the name implies it is an attack modifier to simulate backwards
playing.
brighten.gif
(Signal Brighteners)
One circuit brightens the signal across the entire audio spectrum,
has two controls for treble and bass brightening. The other just boosts
upper frequencies.
cln9powr.gif
(Ultra Clean +9v DC Power Supply)
The name says it all.
controfz.gif
(Contro Fuzz)
Blends fuzz and strait signal in a subtractive manner that gives
a clean attack with a distorted decay.
crybaby.gif
(Crybaby Wah-Wah)
Looks like one of the earlier models from the components but I could
be wrong. Still its hard to be the Cry Baby sound for what it is.
dodcomp.gif
(Compressor 280A)
Its a compressor pretty, simple except there is some speculation on
its acutal correctness.
dodenvf.gif
(Envelope Filter 440)
Pretty normal envelope filter except it uses a center tapped CDS/LED
device to achieve its enveloping effects.
dodoverd.gif
(Overdrive 250)
Say hello to the big cliche. MXR distortion + and a thousand
others... Diode based clipper with tone control.
dualpabb.gif
(Dual Preamp and A/B box)
Originally designed for switching between harmonica mics.
ehbsters.gif
(Eh Boosters)
File includes muliple schems for Hog's Foot, Screaming Tree,
LPB-1, and other simplistic boosters made by EH.
ehfuzzwa.gif
(Fuzz Wah)
Standard or reverse sweep, combines wah+fuzz, (either/or) and uses
a Muff Fuzz clipping section.
electra.gif
(Circuit similar to Electra Fuzz)
This circuit is close to the circuit placed in Electra guitars at
one point in time to achive overdrive. Is said to sound surprisingly
like a TS-9.
foxfzwah.gif
(Fuzz-Wah)
A fuzz, a wah, and an octaver all in one. Pretty nifty gadget.
fuzz001.gif
Simple op-amp diode based distorter.
fuzz002.gif
Transitor based distortion circuit.
fuzzface.gif
(Legendary Fuzz Face)
Jimi Hendrix's fuzz box. Roger Meyer probably "tuned" Jimi's though.
geuoctv.gif
(Guitar Effects Unit)
This is a fuzz/octaver with full wave rectification. Sounds
pretty snazzy.
grnring1.gif
grnring1 (Green Ringer)
Wierd ring modulator type effect.
harmswtn.gif
(Harmonic Sweetener)
Possibly a selected frequency band distortion device, not unlike
the idea present behind Aphex sound enhancement.
ibnzts9.gif
(TS-9)
If you don't know what this is, then don't ask. Consider yourself
lucky to be blind to the hype.
j9pow100.gif
(JCM900 100W Tube Power Amp)
A rather large scan from a tube amp book (sorry can't remember which,
probably Apsen Pitman's). Its a Marshall amp, need I say more?
j9pow50.gif
(JCM900 50W Tube Power Amp)
A rather large scan from a tube amp book (sorry can't remember which,
probably Apsen Pitman's).
j9pow50n.gif
(JCM900 50W Tube Power Amp)
A rather large scan from a tube amp book (sorry can't remember which,
probably Apsen Pitman's). Non-approved version, where as others are
usually CSA approved or something.
j9pre_dr.gif
(JCM900 Dual Reverb Tube Pre Amp)
A rather large scan from a tube amp book (sorry can't remember which,
probably Apsen Pitman's).
j9pre_mv.gif
(JCM900 Master Volume Pre Amp)
A rather large scan from a tube amp book (sorry can't remember which,
probably Apsen Pitman's).
jhfface.gif
(Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face)
Similar to the Dallas Arbiter model only uses more modern
transistors. More of an aproximation of the original than a clone.
jordan.gif
(Boss Tone)
jshfuzz.gif
(Fuzz)
Fraid I don't know much about this one, uses transistors and diodes
for clipping.
kaytrem.gif
(Tremolo)
This is a tremolo circuit from Kay, simple amplitude modulation.
lbgmuff.gif
(Little Big Muff)
A smaller version of the Big Muff Pi, this one has a slide tone
control and fewer options to take up less space.
maefuzz.gif
(Fuzz)
A fuzz device, made by Maestro.
mastrvol.gif
Master volume circuit using a dual pot for push-pull
tube guitar amps.
mboomer.gif
(Boomerang)
A wah-wah pedal made by the infamous folks at Maestro. Looks pretty
spiffy.
mboomer2.gif
(Boomer 2)
Cousin to the Boomerang... probably just another version of the
same effect, though it appears to function as a volume pedal as well.
mfuzrite.gif
(Fuzz-Rite)
Yet another vintage transistor fuzz. Pretty extreme fuzz when
I proto'd it.
mtsfuzz.gif
(Modified Tube Sound Fuzz)
A derivative of the Tube Sound Fuzz from Anderton. This one is
by M. Hammer, and sports a tone control as well as bright switch.
mufffuzz.gif
(Muff Fuzz)
Looks really basic, but sounds surprizingly sweet. This was the
first of its kind. I suggest driving it hard to obtain a good fuzz tone.
mxfdistp.gif
(Distortion +)
The 1976 version of this famous fuzz. Repleat with a ton of mods.
mxrhott.gif
(Hot Tube Distortion)
A Craig Anderton TS Fuzz look alike. Uses same 4049 chip trick.
obphaser.gif
(PS-1 Phase Shifter)
A six stage phaser with setup instructions. Has speed switches,
level controls.
olsonns.gif
(New Sound)
A very interesting fuzz tone. Only uses 1.5v!
pcrat.gif
(The Rat)
A distortion pedal. Model and revision unknown. Based on diode
clipping with a tone control.
pcratb.gif
(The Rat)
Same as above but newer (?) revision, type B. Only uses one
bipolar transistor where as the other uses two FETs.
pipebomb.gif
(Pipe Bomb)
A tone/fuzz mechanism based on piping a guitar through a piece of
PVC tubing to change the tonal characteristics. Gets wicked feedback if
you put it to close your amp, lots of fun, very grungy.
preamps.gif
Simple little op-amp and FET based preamps for guitar.
screverb.gif
(Stage Center Reverb)
A sample of spring reverb circuit from an old Guitar Player.
Article is by Craig Anderton.
smixer.gif
(Simple Mixer)
Try you effects in parallel, its pretty neat but you'll
need one of these to do it.
smlstone.gif
(Small Stone Phaser)
Issue J of the sought after Small Stone.
soulprch.gif
(Soul Preacher)
This is a compressor. The same one used in the sustain section
of a Deluxe Big Muff.
spreader.gif
(EM Stereo Spreader)
Subtractive stereo spreader, kit available from PAiA.
tonebstr.gif
(Tone Booster)
Circuit used to bring out clarity in sound.
toneccts.gif
Small preamp circuits with treble and bass controls.
tremoloc.gif
(Tremolo Circuit)
Basic modulation uses transistors, has rate and depth controls.
tubedist.gif
(Tube Distortion)
Uses real tube, 12AU7A to be exact.
univibe.gif
(Univibe)
Pedal used by Hendrix to simulate rotating speaker cabs.
Parts list and descriptive text.
uvspfuzz.gif
(Super Fuzz)
Fuzz. Uses all transistors... 2n2222's. Produces an octaving
effect.
voxtb.gif
(Tone Bender)
Similar to the Fuzzface. Vintage fuzz from the days of Paul Revere
and the Raiders.
voxtreb.gif
(Treble Booster)
This simple treble booster also includes mods on how to turn it
into a fuzz device.
