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Hey Guys, I've got a question about the power supply section of a circuit. Here is the whole schematic:



and the section in question:



I realize that this section is providing two different voltages. Is it also providing polarity protection? And if so, which components are doing that? I've seen it done with a diode before so I'm wondering.
Knowledge for knowledge's sake.
TIA   

Many schematics show non-polarized caps, but do not tell which kind to use. Consider this Schematic;



Which of the non-polarized caps are which? What is the criteria for the selection?
TIA

I'm having a hard time getting the transistors (2N5457) used in the blending portion of my pedal, so I spent most the afternoon looking for an alternative circuit. I believe I may have found it, but it doesn't name the IC.



I would guess a TL072, but I'm wouldn't know.
I also tried to get a schematic of S. MacCellen's B Blender, but I closest I could get was a PCB layout with no values. I would be willing to try either one.
TIA
 

Hey Gang. Thanks for all the help on the last question. As promised, I did my homework on the CD4049UBE, and learned that there are 6 hex inverters inside, each with an A and a Q pin. I totally get that.
My confusion lies in the fact that the four not connected to the input signal in the WHRL are all connected to +v on the "A" side with their "Q" side not connected. The SD has the four "A" to GRD. I have to believe it doesn't matter as I'm sure that both gentlemen have successfully built these pedals.
So, for Knowledge For Knowledge's Sake; What's the difference, and why are they even connected at all? I don't see what job they're doing. My best guess would be something wouldn't be happy if they were just left unconnected completely.
TIA

I am trying to do all my pedals from schematics, to help learn how to read them, then bend them to my will. Not always with happy results. . I would straight up follow the SD, except I like to use a 3p3t + led boards in my builds.

1.When I compare the two schematics, I find that the pin connections of the CD4049UBE don't quite match up.
2. Looking at SD schematic, I am COMPLETELY confused at the little circles with the word "pin" in them. Do all those "nodes" connect to each other?

I do realize these may be questions I should know. Please bare with me. I am reluctant to publish any pics, as I do not own the art work.

I spent most of the hiatus trying to complete at least one working pedal. After many many mistakes, all of which I learned from, I've finally have one. Its a clone of the Bazz Fuzz with an added blender to tame it for the Bass.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the latest offering from Nelson Audio...The Scuzz Bucket.




And the required gut shot



I like the way it sounds, but man is it scuzzy. I made a few layout mistakes, but I had a working PCB, so I went with it.
Operator 217 is a nod to my daughter Liz, which is 217 upside down.
I would like to thank everyone who replied to my many posts asking questions.

I've been trying to put a clear coat on an aluminum box, I get it to look good, then it doesn't take much (handling it to put in circuit) to scratch it off. I trying to protect the box with the finish, but if the finish is fragile...
What may I be doing wrong?
I wet sand the box to 1000 grit, the put a ton of THIN coats on it. Is there a clear primer or something?
What do others do? What brand CC do you use?
I would like to get a hard clear finish when I'm done.
TIA

OK, I used decals once on my first project, the Testors sheets. that was 2 years ago, and I didn't have a working printer, so I used my buddy's HP inkjet. Perfect results. Today I tried the new Epson inkjet I bought recently and I get vertical streaks. Image prints perfect on regular paper. Tech support from both companies was rather lacking, to say the least. 
Who Uses decals, and what setup do you use i.e. file type, operating system, printer.
Needless to say, I am quite miffed.

May one wire a trim pot backwards? Signal in 3, with 1 &2 wired together. Wouldn't this just make it run "backwards"? I screwed up etching the pcb with the trim pot backwards. The circuit worked fine on the bread board with the pot the right way, and except for the pot, its the same. It sounds good when I just pluck a string for input, using my audio probe for output, but when I remove the probe, and try to play my Bass, it sounds like doo doo.
The circuit in question is a Bass Fuzz with a blender

I have been working on a version of the Bass Fuss, adding a blender so I can mix in some dry. I read that Phase Inversion *could* cause some problems.
Playing by ear, its sounds great at either all fuzz, or all dry. It *seems* to drop a tad in the middle. Still sounds good, just a little less umph. Then again, I could just be looking for trouble.
How can one tell? Would the inversion be very noticeable to the ear?
I do not have access to an oscilloscope, and I did, I wouldn't have a clue what to do with it.
TIA

Just don't know the fix

Consider this Bass Fuss...



I have good strong signal at the collector of Q1. Pass the 120pf cap, not so much, and rotating to pot does nothing to increase the signal on pin2. I swapped both cap and pot.
I have bread boarded this circuit a couple times with these values, so I wouldn't think that's it. I must be on the right track, but keep missing the train.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
TIA

Please tell me if you have any issues with my layout. TIA

Yet another question:
Seeing I'm stuck in the house for 2 weeks, I'd thought I would try and finish up some boxes. I've breadboarded a classic Fuzz Face using silicon NPN trannys. The schematic calls for a 1KB pot for the fuzz. I have used both a 1KA, and a 1KC, because that is what I have on hand. I don't get fuzz with either one until the knob is around half way up. Although the reverse audio pot is a tad better, it is solder lug, not PCB mount, as I have my PCB designed, but no bigger there. Before I order pots, and have to wait on shipping to finish, will the 1KB have a better response, or should I buy smaller pots, like 500ohm? I still will have to wait, but I already have a truck load of pots that never seem to be what I need. I've tried bigger pots, to no avail, so I guess I understand how they work...all the way off is the highest resistance, decreasing as you turn it up (am I right?).
TIA
BTW, it sounds great! I would just like to spread out the level of fuzz a little

My latest PCB layout.
Schematic:

Tracings:

Component Placement:

Please note that we're looking at the underside, copper side of board, so the components, except for the pot, are "backward"
I used PS to do the layout, as I am very familiar with it. I color coded the nodes, then made all the tracings black. I found the learning curve of PCB design software too steep.
Any corrections, or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

On many of the schematics for effect pedals I find on line, there is no mention of what voltage rating needed for electrolytic caps. how do I determine this? TIA

I'm looking for the schematic for a one knob noise gate with a hard/soft switch. something like the Moor, or Donner or CNZ
TIA

Hello, I'm attempting to combine two different circuits. I play Bass, and found the fuzz I really like, but would like to be able to add some dry into it. Here are the two original schematics, fuzz first, then the blender:





I was told to connect the blender's send to the fuzz's input, and the fuzz's output to the blender's rvc.  And this is what I've come up with:



First, are there any glaring mistakes?
Second, I'm not sure if C2 and C5 will play well together, i.e. are they in series, or does R3 prevent that. If they are in series, does that make their value change? I'm thinking it's mute, due to if they were two different pedals then... I ask because I want to know why I'm right, or wrong.
NOTE: C3 is a very tiny ceramic cap to reduce rcv'ng radio signals.
TIA 

Working on my second project, less of a kit, more me bending circuits to my will.*
Is there a difference in sound quality between standard jacks and pcb mounted jacks, or is it just a matter of having more room in an enclosure.
Are all film caps the same? My first project used film caps that looked like huge red jelly beans. The ones I just got online look more like squares. Values and tolerances the same.
The same question about variable resistors/trim pots, first project called for ones that looked mostly like a plastic screw head to adjust, the ones I ordered more like squares with a little tiny screw to adjust resistance.
The reason I'm starting this hobby is not only I'm finding it cool to do this stuff, is to be able to build stuff with higher quality components. I've been ordering from Mouser to achieve this goal, but I am overwhelmed by the selection. Mostly I have NO idea which makers are better i.e. Earl makes the caps, John makes the transistors, etc.
*I'm trying to build a Bazz Fuzz with a blender function in a 1590b, because when I breadboard just the BF, even using big caps, I lose some of the Bass' umpth.

I'm trying to build a Bazz Fuzz on a breadboard and have perfected a single station Spanish speaking radio receiver. I hear fuzz over it, but right in the mid-range of the pot is the best radio reception. I have cut down all the component leads, to no avail. What are the usual suspects? TIA

I have just bread boarded a fuzz face, and although the fuzz sounds great, it only kicks in the final third of the pot's range. Is this normal, or do I maybe have a bad pot? I am using a 1K audio pot for the fuzz, but I did try a 1K linear, but only a slight difference. Also I am using a Bass as my input, as I don't have a 6 string available.
Don't know if it's related, but I get different amounts of fuzz depending on how I pluck the string. I am using notes that are in the range of a 6 string.
TIA