AMZ-FX Guitar Effects Blog

Updated Firefox Button

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:49:26 +0000

I have updated the AMZ button to work with Firefox version 10. It adds a small icon on your Firefox toolbar that will take you directly to the AMZ Guitar FX blog. I’ve tested it with several versions of Firefox, but you should be updated to the latest version for security purposes anyway.

Just install the button by clicking the link below, and then restart Firefox once it has been installed. You may need to position the icon on the toolbar when Firefox restarts. This is done by going to the Firefox menu selection of View/Toolbars/Customize. Find the AMZ-FX icon and drag it onto the toolbar in the position you want it to occupy… for example, next to the Home icon or down past the end of the location entry bar. Enjoy!

AMZ Firefox Tool

New Pedal Boxes?

admin — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 21:46:53 +0000

Arrived in the mail today. Are these Hammond boxes new?

I ran across them while doing a search for 1590s on Mouser and thought they looked like they were made specifically for pedal builders. Maybe Hammond is trying to tap into a growing market.

The one on the left is a 1590TRPB and is a trapezoid shape; wider at the top than the bottom. This would be a nice enclosure for a booster.

The octagon box is a 1590STPC, and I’m thinking a fuzz face type circuit would be perfect for this one. The jacks would fit nicely on the angled corners at the top.

Click on either of the pix for a larger view.

Copr. 2008 by Jack Orman Visit my site to learn more about guitar effects, download free projects or buy pc boards and germanium transistors.

Microprocessor and Relay Bypass Box

admin — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:38:06 +0000

Here is a prototype of my ATtiny development board, and a printout of a bypass pcb that can control 4 pedals.

The microprocessor board is a generic pcb that I developed for general use with the 20-pin ATtiny AVR microprocessors. It is multi-purpose but when I received the prototypes, I realized that it could be used to control 4 relays to make a 4 pedal true bypass switching box. All that would be required would be a pcb with the 4 relays on it, and the print in the background is the first pass at the design. I should have some prototypes of the relay board soon.

Copr. 2008 by Jack Orman Visit my site to learn more about guitar effects, download free projects or buy pc boards and germanium transistors.

Vintage Fuzz

admin — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 22:17:59 +0000

If you like vintage electronics magazines, there are scans of some quite old issues of Practical Electronics in the Internet Archive.

The fuzz schematic above came from the November 1967 issue.

Copr. 2008 by Jack Orman Visit my site to learn more about guitar effects, download free projects or buy pc boards and germanium transistors.

SSM2166 Compressor Project

admin — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 09:27:31 +0000

Update: The parts needed for this project arrived and the pcb is populated and ready to test. The ssm2166 adapter is mounted in the socket on the right.

Prototype pcb for the SSM2166 Compressor

I am in the process of revising the compressor project that is based on the SSM2166 chip from Analog Devices. The DIP version of the chip is out of production but Small Bear has assembled a large number of the SMD chips onto an adapter, which is shown the foreground. More news on this project once I test the redesigned circuit.

Also, in the package of prototype pc boards that I just received were these two items that I made for switches. The one on the right is for true bypassing with the 3PDT, while the board on the left is an adapter for a mini rotary 1P6T switch. This allows 6 capacitors to be selected by turning the knob, and I intend to use it on the input of a treble booster.

Copr. 2008 by Jack Orman Visit my site to learn more about guitar effects, download free projects or buy pc boards and germanium transistors.

Improved Buffer

admin — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 03:31:42 +0000

What makes this buffer board special is that the input has been designed to duplicate the input circuitry of the typical tube amp, and it thereby preserves the interaction between the guitar’s pickups and the buffer circuit. This makes the sound of the guitar more natural, with a similar resonant peak, while still providing a low impedance output drive for your cables and pedalboard.

Read the complete details

Copr. 2008 by Jack Orman Visit my site to learn more about guitar effects, download free projects or buy pc boards and germanium transistors.

Wah Inductors

admin — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 01:01:37 +0000

In the back are a couple of custom wah inductors that I had made, while in the foreground are a Dunlop Fasel (the red one) and a standard Dunlop coil (right front).

They’ve got the size mojo if nothing else!

Copr. 2008 by Jack Orman Visit my site to learn more about guitar effects, download free projects or buy pc boards and germanium transistors.

A/B Box with the Relay Bypass

admin — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 14:35:16 +0000

I have added instructions to the relay bypass support page to show how to use it as an A/B box controller. Also added are instructions on using the relay board to switch the booster/buffer outputs of the AMZ Mosfet Booster.

Order the AMZ Relay Bypass.

Copr. 2008 by Jack Orman Visit my site to learn more about guitar effects, download free projects or buy pc boards and germanium transistors.

Pedal pix

admin — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 11:01:06 +0000

A mini-booster with paint job in a gold-top Les Paul theme, including cream binding. Inspired by a pedal painted by Donner. The mahogany paint job on the back was my own idea and it worked out great. I’ve never written it up since it requires a special paint to go over the creme background. If I can find the paint, I’ll write an instructable about how to recreate it.

A balanced line output direct box made with on of my Opamp Multi-Purpose pc boards. I use this to drive the input of my recording desk.

S-Comp with one of my true bypass relays inside… you can tell since the momentary switch has a more rounded cap than the 3PDT types.

Copr. 2008 by Jack Orman Visit my site to learn more about guitar effects, download free projects or buy pc boards and germanium transistors.

The Multi-Fuzz (mini-muff version)

admin — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 10:14:37 +0000

The Big Muff may be a classic distortion design, but it is often too much of a good thing. The cascaded gain stages with the dual diode clipping will remove most of the dynamic range from the sound. This article is about trimming down the basic design to give back some of the dynamics, enhance transparency and make the pedal a more useful and versatile distortion/overdrive.

When I was designing the pcb for the Multi-Fuzz, which uses mosfet, germanium and silicon transistors, it occurred to me that I could build a simplified Big Muff on the same pcb, if I made a few additions to it. Since this has always been a project that I wanted to try, I made those changes and the mini-muff version was born.

It turned out to be a great project with some nice low gain overdrive sounds. It is perfect for adding just a bit of crunch to fatten up a guitar tone. The full schematic is available online for you to build on perfboard or stripboard, but you can order the Mini-Muff pcb to make construction easier.

Get the full schematic and parts list for this transistor overdrive.

Here is the prototype of the mini-muff pedal that I installed in an pedalbox that I recycled from an old project, which is why it has the Cheesetone decal on it.

I usually power this pedal with my standard AC power supply sent through a V-Doubler converter which provides a stable positive ground 9v supply needed for this circuit. (see image below)

I have also powered it with my rechargeable battery pack through the V-Doubler, and that works just as well.

Copr. 2008 by Jack Orman Visit my site to learn more about guitar effects, download free projects or buy pc boards and germanium transistors.