cosmopolitan, shape control very very subtle? [solved!]

[Cortexturizer]

I finally got to do my first cosmo. I can see now why lotws of you guys consider it your favorite fuzz, this thing is perfection. I love it!
I used a Tesla npn ge tranny wit unknown gain and lota of leakage and I am truly blown away by the sound and amount of versatility.

But I found the Shape control to be incredibly subtle, almost to a point where I can hear a slight difference on the ends of the pot rotation but nowhere in the middle. Is it supposed to be this subtle? I mean I haven't ruled out human error although it is jusr a couple of components, that part of the circuit, but I've ran through my wiring and values and foind nothing suspicious.

Do your builds act dramatically different when you turn the Shaoe knob gentlemen? Thanks!

[midwayfair]

It really shouldn't be subtle at all. It should have a pretty profound impact on the distortion content for one thing. I'm going to make my usual guess: check if you used an 820K instead of 820R for R6.

[Cortexturizer]

No it wasnt that, I reflowed some solder and it started working...them etched boards right...

Yeah it's a pretty big change in sound via that control. Lovely pedal musy say that I haven't imagined sometging will sneak onto my board easily but it seems like this thing just might

[pickdropper]

It is just a fantastic sounding circuit.  Kudos to Skreddy on that one.

[pryde]

I did a cosmo about 2-3 years ago and ended up selling it to a local fellow who just flipped over it. I am going to have to build another one and revisit the tones.

Anyway glad you got it working. Wondering, anyone doing a fabbed cosmo board these days?

[Bret608]

I think Pickdropper's is the only fabbed one I've seen.

I know what you guys mean though; this is the fuzz-drive I always come back to. Actually, after modding my Blues Jr., I've been spending even more quality time with it trying to dial it in in the best way to work with all the new tones coming from the amp. I particular, the amp has much more solid bass content now, so I find I need to shape knob to go more clockwise. Then of course, you lose some of the aggression, but I've found the brilliance knob also brings the teeth back in a big way.

[Cortexturizer]

I am yet to box it and spend some time with it on rehearsals but man...I don't know why I waited so much to build it. It is AWESOME.
It can do all sorts of tones that other pedals can, and there's no crazy tweaking needed at all. I mean I was doing simultaneously a Bumblebee and that one is giving me headaches...it works but I am not that convinced I dialed it right. Yet.

[ch1naski]

When I am in a position to build again, I will definitely build another Cosmo. It seems to be able to handle almost any amp setup.

Glad you finally built one, cortex

Curt.

[Jabulani Jonny]

I think Pickdropper's is the only fabbed one I've seen.

Wait, what?  There's a fabbed version?  Is there a link to said fabbed version of the Cosmo?  That's one of my next builds and I was just going to get one from Haber, but if there's a fabbed version... 

[pickdropper]

It's a small, fabbed board.  If you look up my Sonic Screwdriver build report you can see it.

It's sized for a 1590a, but you can certainly put it in a larger box if you want.

[Bret608]

I did a Haberdasher one, and it is awesome. You can do board mounted pots on it even though it is etched. I think Dave's (Pickdropper's) is called the Sonic Screwdriver. Just search on that and see if he still has any. Dave, weren't there both through-hole and SMD versions? Either way you're in for a treat!

Edit: just saw the man himself replied! Carry on...

[pickdropper]

Yeah, there were through-hole and SMT versions.  On the SMT, the trannies were through-hole and everything else was SMT.