Dunlop Crybaby Board Rev I

[robrhy]

Finally getting round to wiring up the Dunlop Crybaby board i got from  forum member "Rockhorst". I got wiring instructions with the board but as i intend to do the true bypass and led mods i need to know what each pin does.Anyone help please.

[Clayford]

I have a harness at home I can snap a shot of and you can trace out from there. Headed to class in a bit - but can get you after we get out of class at 9:45pm(EST)

[Clayford]

Had time between classes - figured I'd come home rather than sit around campus for almost 2 hours ( I live 5 min away )
From the left with the headers pointing up or "north" if you choose
This is a rev H board, but the pinout is the same, yes it's missing a few components - it's a sacrificial board.

I am labeling the switch as such:

Code Select Expand

3    1
     2
1 - Black -9v Battery (Ground)
2 - Red +9v Battery (Positive)
3 - Black Pot CCW (Pot1)
4 - Green Switch 3 (Main in)
5 - Yellow Pot Wiper (Pot2)
6 - Blue Circuit Output - Connects to switch 1 then Pot CW (Pot3)
7 - Violet Main Out (Switch 2)
8 - N/C

Pics are attached - pardon my messiness, I was eating dinner while I traced.

[robrhy]

Thanks just what i'm looking for.

[Clayford]

Ahh... That's because you haven't created it yet! For true bypass you'll need to remove that hideous buffer circuit and add two wires.

Locate and remove R14, Q3, C9, C10, R16, R13. I've marked them with red X's in the picture
Add a wire for ground at the south of R14 (black)
Effect in is now at Pin1 (left most) of q3. Add a different color wire here (Red)
Wire up a Carling 316PP DPDT or a Dunlop ECB035 (The ECB555 is different!) as follows. Joe Gagan had a bunch for sale you might check with him. You can use a 3PDT/2PDT that is traditionally used for effect pedals, but you may need to remove the bottom nut to make it work, and the switching "feel" will be entirely different. So people like it, others hate it.   
The colors assume you have the harness have followed the color schema from Dunlop and my suggested colors . If not you'll need to translate. Only solder the connection between SW1 and SW6 at SW6 at this point, since we're going to stuff a wire in SW1 as well.

Code Select Expand


GRN 1\  4 BLK
VIO 2 \ 5 RED
BLU 3  \6 Pin1



SW1 - Main In - Green
SW2 - Main Out - Violet
SW3 - Effect out - Blue
SW4 - Ground - Black (South of R14)
SW5 - Effect Input - Red (Pin1 of Q3)
SW6 - Jumper to SW1

A popular mod set:
As always, socketing is encouraged.
Gain
R9 Replace 390Ω with 330Ω
You can go lower and increasing your gain (and dirt) as you do, or you could even stick a jumper in. 
As Madbean points out - this results in a very bad, filthy, dirty wah that needs to be punished.

Q/Mid Shape
R1 Replace 1k5 with 1k7 or 1k8 (You can go higher but it gets interactive with the Vocal Mod)

Vocal
R5 Replace 33k with 68K

Sweep Cap
C5 (above Q2) - It should be a 10n. 15n and 22n are also popular choices. 22n would be the Jimi/Zack settings. Bass wah would see a 68nf here.

You'll want to adjust the pot sweep to your liking by making adjustments to the rack tension and pot gear. For the sake of your pot, do not set up the treadle so that it will make the pot bottom out at either heel or toe. I've already replaced 2 wah pots for customers this year and it's only the beginning of Feb. 
There are other mods you can do - removal of the buffer and changing those three Resistors seems to be the most popular mod I do to wahs. Dunlop should have figured this all out by now, but I'm happy they haven't as each one I do puts money in my pocket

This is all from memory on my lunch break and not my workbench. As such errors could have been made. Caveat emptor.

[robrhy]

You obviously saw my post about the input before i deleted it.I was looking at the bypass mod when i saw where the new input came from.I'll probably try some of the mods you mentioned.Do you know of any demos of a wah with the buffer and then without,don't want to remove it then find i prefer to have it.

[Clayford]

I did. Since i subscribed to the topic I saw when you responded. I didn't reply immediately and I didn't see you had edited it until after I posted the info - but it's good to have for someone else right?
I'm not aware of a demo that compares the two, I can only tell you that I have NEVER replaced the input buffer once it was out. If you want to demo for yourself the effect the wah has on your signal chain, the easiest way is to hook it into a simple bypass looper It's about halfway down the page. Guitar in -> send -> Wah Input ->wah output-> return -> Out to amp. First with the wah OFF, simply compare the difference between the wah being in the signal path or out of it. While you're at it stuff it into a 1590a and use it for your older beloved effects. Heck you can use it as your Wah bypass if you prefer.

There is a "simpler" way to do a bypass mod, I don't like it as much because it leaves the buffer IN but at least it's only there when the effect is on.
You will need to cut the trace between the input tip and C9 in the red area pictured as pictured.


Now you'll add your wires TO the components. I've updated my previous picture below, pretend the components are there. The ground location doesn't change, just solder it to the south leg of R14 and your new Effect input wire gets soldered to the north leg of C9.


This is a very clean way of wiring a wah with the 3PDT if you want an LED. I can not take credit for it, I just had it on my harddrive at home.
Power for the LED comes from the north leg of D1, and you will need to lubricate the shell and drill bit when you drill. WD40 is not lubricant. 3in1 or a touch of motor oil will suffice.


If you want a deeper look into why what does wah - look at R.G's excellent article on the Wah

[Blues Healer]

I'd also suggest taking a look at the wah section on DIY Guitarist:
http://www.diyguitarist.com/StompboxStuff.htm

[robrhy]

I did. Since i subscribed to the topic I saw when you responded. I didn't reply immediately and I didn't see you had edited it until after I posted the info - but it's good to have for someone else right?
I'm not aware of a demo that compares the two, I can only tell you that I have NEVER replaced the input buffer once it was out. If you want to demo for yourself the effect the wah has on your signal chain, the easiest way is to hook it into a simple bypass looper It's about halfway down the page. Guitar in -> send -> Wah Input ->wah output-> return -> Out to amp. First with the wah OFF, simply compare the difference between the wah being in the signal path or out of it. While you're at it stuff it into a 1590a and use it for your older beloved effects. Heck you can use it as your Wah bypass if you prefer.

There is a "simpler" way to do a bypass mod, I don't like it as much because it leaves the buffer IN but at least it's only there when the effect is on.
You will need to cut the trace between the input tip and C9 in the red area pictured as pictured.


Now you'll add your wires TO the components. I've updated my previous picture below, pretend the components are there. The ground location doesn't change, just solder it to the south leg of R14 and your new Effect input wire gets soldered to the north leg of C9.


This is a very clean way of wiring a wah with the 3PDT if you want an LED. I can not take credit for it, I just had it on my harddrive at home.
Power for the LED comes from the north leg of D1, and you will need to lubricate the shell and drill bit when you drill. WD40 is not lubricant. 3in1 or a touch of motor oil will suffice.


If you want a deeper look into why what does wah - look at R.G's excellent article on the Wah

Thanks for the info and tips.Afraid it will all have to wait until the weekend now.

[robrhy]

I'd also suggest taking a look at the wah section on DIY Guitarist:
http://www.diyguitarist.com/StompboxStuff.htm

I had already seen that,Thanks anyway.

[snz728]

Thanks for sharing the info Clay.
Another piece of advice for wah modders is to change the transistors for different ones with different high or low hfe's.

[Rockhorst]

How is it working out Robrhy?

[robrhy]

Sorry for the late reply Rockhorst missed this post 
I was getting ready to box the board up when my mate appeared and said "can i have that but can you put it in a box like Robin Trowers Fulltone wah" so to cut a long story short that's what i've done for him.
To be honest it's no use for a clean wah sound but with some gain / distortion on it you get some very good usable sounds from it.I did the true bypass mod that Clayford suggested,the one where you leave the buffer in,but it still sounds like there's a bit of tone sucking there,so it maybe better with the buffer out.Added an led as well.My mate's away with it just now giving it a good "test run" in a live situation.