Jan Ray (aka Timmy) clone

[Coda-effects]

Hello !

I have just finished this clone.

I made it on a veroboard, using the scheme from Guitar FX Layouts. Not much to tell you about the making, this is quite a straightfoward pedal to make, evenif the board is quite compact in the end ! 1uF Panasonic SMF capacitors are very space-consuming, so maybe it would be better with a slightly bigger board. I started with by drilling the holes and placing the linkers (and checking connections with a multimeter), then the IC socket, resistors, capacitors, pots and jack inputs. I used a PCB for the 3PDT to make it a bit cleaner looking, as there is already a lot of wires going everywhere (4 pots is quite a lot)... With high gauge wire (like 50), I tried to twist the cables to make a structure to maintain the veroboard in the enclosure.

I used a prepainted enclosure from Banzai music (the european version of Mammoth electronics), in vintage orange sparkle. It is a little bit more expensive than raw aluminium boxes, but it is really cleaner looking (my painting skills are not super good when it comes to enclosure spray painting...) I used the same knobs as in the Jan Ray (vintage fender, yeah !), and used a laser engraved logo.

The conception "work" done to create this pedal can be criticized a lot, but I have to recognize that it sounds very very good. Nice saturation that goes from something light like a klon, goes through blues / rock like AC/DC, to finish with a nice overdrive / distorsion. Always very nice sounding, not compressed and mushy, with a possible huuuuuge volume intake. The volume equivalent to the bypass volume is at one quarter of the knob value ! Great for soloing or to play with a volume pedal placed after it. Equalisation is reactive and allows you to add or withdraw bass and treble efficiently. It is a very transparent overdrive which respects the guitar and amplifier that you use.





I am currently looking at the schematics, and I have some trouble in understanding how the bass control works exactly... Can someone enlighten me on this matter ?

Thank you !

[jimilee]

That looks great. Very clean all the way around.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[micromegas]

Wow, that banzai enclosure looks awesome and the logo really classy ! I was thinking about ordering some enclosures from them.... once I get paid....

About the bass control, as I understand it is similar to the Timmy. You have a non-inverting stage with diodes in the feedback loop (like in almost every op-amp/diode based od out there) whose freq response is dependant of the designed network. In this case you have a bass roll-off too, so mids and highs are gained up.

You can follow a good explanation of the feedback network design on tube-screamers here:
http://www.geofex.com/article_folders/tstech/tsxtech.htm

[Cortexturizer]

I am always postponing building this one. Maybe I should get down to it.
yours looks amazing!
how would you compare the gain level with let's say a plexidrive from wampler, or the zendrive?

[Coda-effects]

About the bass control, as I understand it is similar to the Timmy. You have a non-inverting stage with diodes in the feedback loop (like in almost every op-amp/diode based od out there) whose freq response is dependant of the designed network. In this case you have a bass roll-off too, so mids and highs are gained up.

Oh ok (stupid me !) I got it now, the comparison with the tube screamer was helpful !

how would you compare the gain level with let's say a plexidrive from wampler, or the zendrive?

Unfortunately, I never tried a plexidrive or zendrive... But from I have heard on youtube, the jan ray is really less saturated..
As soon as I can, I will try to make sample. Next week, my brother is comming with his yamaha THR5, which sould allow good recording.

Thanks for your comments

[flanagan0718]

This looks super sharp! Just added your blog to my read list.

[chordball]

Very nice work! I will have to try this one as well. Where/how did you make the logo plate?

[billstein]

Beautiful pedal. Love those knobs, anybody know who carries those in the states.

[bcalla]

Nicely done!  Knobs are a great match for the enclosure.

[Rockhorst]

Banzai must've upped their game on enclosures. They used to have only 'bulk' enclosures, that 'may have imperfections'. In fact, they looked below any par. This looks great though.

[mcallisterra]

Beautiful pedal. Love those knobs, anybody know who carries those in the states.

Mammoth does, in lots of colors.

[pedalhealer]

Nice build! Is the logo aluminium or plastic?

[Coda-effects]

Hello all !
Thanks again for your kind words
The logo is "laser engraved", technically black ink/powder is projected against a stainless steel plate. The steel is then cut in small pieces. I did not have the tools to do it myself, so i went through a french manufacturer (HPM laser) which was kind enough to make me a small quantity for a reasonable price.
Check my blog for a few details
http://codaeffects.blogspot.fr/2015/03/laser-engraved-plates.html

[Coda-effects]

I have just finished to record some samples... Not the best recording ever (camera mic...), but it can give you an idea of the "gainness" of the unit :

At first it is low gain with controls at noon to show the transparency of the unit. I then increased the gain and bass, and diminished a bit the trebles. When the delay is used in the end (I could not resist the appeal of the 80s sound since I got an old boss DD2), the gain is at the maximum.

I hope it can help you a bit to understand the average gain of this pedal

[luks999]

very nice and elegant. love the enclosure and the knobs ;-)