A pair of Percolators

[lincolnic]

This is another long overdue build report. So way back when Brian announced the Pepper Spray boards were being discontinued, I decided to make good on my desire to build both the stock and Albini versions to see which I preferred. I got the boards populated pretty quickly, but boxing them took much longer. I finished the Albini version back in September, but didn't get the stock one boxed until right around Christmas.

Both of these have NOS 1N695s from Small Bear in the stock clipping position, and Telefunken OA126s I got from chromesphere in the other. I was pretty surprised by the different levels of compression the diode switch gets you, especially when you lift them altogether. I think that all three sounds can be usable in different situations, so it's a pretty helpful mod. I plan to record a demo where I A/B them back to back, but the short version is that I like the stock specs better.

The gray case on the left is the Albini specs, the vanilla one on the right is the stock build (a not-too-subtle nod to the original enclosures).



The wiring is neater in the Albini one because I had more patience at the time. I boxed up the stock one immediately after wiring up my Distortion + and having it not work due to a cold solder joint, so I wanted to end the day on a more positive note. So that one turned out a little sloppier; I wanted to feel better faster! Note the flying CLR in the Albini box - I know it looks like it's pretty low in the photo, but I promise there's actually plenty of clearance between it and the enclosure. Sometimes you just have to live dangerously.

[Bret608]

An Albini was my first build ever, and I recently did a stock specs build on Stomptown's board. Love 'em both! But I have to say, the stock specs are closer to what I heard on YouTube, etc. with various originals and clones. In particular, mine sounds most like Montgomery Appliances' "Harmonic Dominator", a clip for which I can no longer find. Strangely enough, I can get the diode lift on my stock one to sound a lot like the Albini with diodes engaged!

I used 1n914s on my Albini for the silicon, and I like it. I don't care for the diode lift on that one. On the stock, I like the diode lift, but 1n4148s seem a bit harsh/trebly. How do the OA126 sound on your stock version? I tried to order some from Pedalhacker on Ebay, but his store shows up as having 0 items! 

[lincolnic]

An Albini was my first build ever, and I recently did a stock specs build on Stomptown's board. Love 'em both! But I have to say, the stock specs are closer to what I heard on YouTube, etc. with various originals and clones. In particular, mine sounds most like Montgomery Appliances' "Harmonic Dominator", a clip for which I can no longer find. Strangely enough, I can get the diode lift on my stock one to sound a lot like the Albini with diodes engaged!

I used 1n914s on my Albini for the silicon, and I like it. I don't care for the diode lift on that one. On the stock, I like the diode lift, but 1n4148s seem a bit harsh/trebly. How do the OA126 sound on your stock version? I tried to order some from Pedalhacker on Ebay, but his store shows up as having 0 items! 

I haven't played with it since I boxed it up, but if memory serves the OA126s are a nice middle ground between the 1N695s and the diode lift - they're not as crazy compressed as the 1N695s, so not quite as over-the-top either, but they still give you enough squish to mess around. And they are loud.

I'd agree with you; the stock specs are closer to what I expected the circuit to sound like. Maybe you have to wear stilts to get that Albini tone...

[Bret608]

Cool, I guess I need to track down some OA126s then!

You bet man, the stilts are absolutely critical to getting a proper Albini sound. I've heard a weird aluminum-neck guitar with soapbar pickups doesn't hurt either.

Seriously though, I was attempting to play QoTSA's "Sick Sick Sick" through my Albini Percolator and it just sounded right. Somehow that subtle lower octave made up for the fact that I was not tuned to C standard.