Small Good Distortion in 1590A box

[JackSkellington]

Hello, I ordered some 1590A type box. I used them a pair of time to build AB Box, and now I'm seraching some little project for these little box.

I alredy have in list an IC Buffer, then probably a SHO.

Now, I have to to find a small good real distortion. No fuzz circuit (One Knob Fuzz, Bazz Fuss, D*A*M Meathead...). I like them but some I built and some I'll try later, maybe.
Just no PCB, I used to build with stripboard or in case with protoboard. Max two pots because I don't want to fill too much the box, but also at least two pots to have gain and volume control.

In my list there are the MXR Distortion +, Blue Clipper and Acapulco Gold.

- MXR Distortion +
I build the DOD250, enough distortion though the pot I used is a 500k (1M gives more gain). I don't like too much the DOD250 I built, because my version is too harsh (it was my second pedal). So I could base the new schematic on the Distortion + and tweak it a bit to have more bass and in case less harshness.

- Blue Clipper
I don't know it, but it seems have enough distortion, I just afraid it sounds too fuzzy.

- Acapulco Gold
I didn't want LM386 based distortion pedal, indeed this has two! But it sounds good. Maybe a bit peculiar distortion, I hope that the layout I can found it's not too much large.

Any circuit I'll choose I can do some mods to adjust and improve the tone and to add gain if I can or I need.
I don't think there are many distortion circuits I could use, because I build just using stripboard or protoboard, but this is it, I can live with it. I don't want to buy PCB, too. It's ok If I work with tha board I told.

Suggestion?

Thanks!

Update: I can totally change my mind about LM386 distortion based on, because there's no enough distortion circuit small enough to stay into a A type box, excpet LM386 based on.

[Govmnt_Lacky]

Red Llama CMOS based OD/distortion??

[JackSkellington]

Thanks.
It should be this: http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/2012/06/way-huge-red-llama.html
Someone call it Red Llama Overdrive. I think it don't have enough gain for my taste, after I watched some videos.

[somnif]

Of course its all subjective, but there are a few distortion circuits that could fit a 1590a. However if you say the red llama is too tame, that does limit the list a bit, so lets say we want the hairy side of things.

There's always the Rat. I'm not a fan, personally, but its a grandaddy of a pedal and plenty of baby board layouts floating around.

Then there are the "amp in a box" style designs. I've seen 1590a scale Plexi-box and Sunn model-T designs both out there (The Acapulco Gold you mention above is part of that family).

I've also got a DOD FX55 (2 knob) in 1590a scale that I've never gotten around to boxing. Its very much a distortion rather than an overdrive, though your opinion of it may depend on your fondness for the late 80s to early 90s period of rock....

Or you could go ridiculously simple and just make an Electra distortion, always fun making circuits with fewer than 10 parts.

[pickdropper]

A while back, I fit a modified Gov'nor circuit (similar to the Suhr Riot) into a 1590a; that's probably got enough gain.

I also fit a BEOD in a 1590a, but that is not recommended.  It's a really tight fit and can be a bit prone to squealing.

[midwayfair]

I've done "a few" if you want some inspiration (there are perfboard layouts for many of these): https://jonpattonmusic.com/things-i-make/

[JackSkellington]

Of course its all subjective, but there are a few distortion circuits that could fit a 1590a. However if you say the red llama is too tame, that does limit the list a bit, so lets say we want the hairy side of things.

There's always the Rat. I'm not a fan, personally, but its a grandaddy of a pedal and plenty of baby board layouts floating around.

Then there are the "amp in a box" style designs. I've seen 1590a scale Plexi-box and Sunn model-T designs both out there (The Acapulco Gold you mention above is part of that family).

I've also got a DOD FX55 (2 knob) in 1590a scale that I've never gotten around to boxing. Its very much a distortion rather than an overdrive, though your opinion of it may depend on your fondness for the late 80s to early 90s period of rock....

Or you could go ridiculously simple and just make an Electra distortion, always fun making circuits with fewer than 10 parts.

I found the Red Llama in the demo in the TagBoard Guitar FX really weak, as well the Way Huge: more an overdrive than a distortion pedal. But yes, it's subjective. I know I can't find a Triple Wreck voice or similar in a few components circuit, but at least some hard rock distortion.
Actually I don't mind the style of the distortion, it's just to have fun to build it ina a smaller box and to play with a distortion pedal.

I like the Rat, but the only stock Rat I built oscillated, I built twice a sort of Multi Rat version that I loved. Anyway in both of cases will be too much bigger, I think. Honestly, I thought about the Rat, and in particular what about the Rat without the output stage? The Rat has a lot of volume and I was just wondering about this possibility. Anyway I don't know if it works well nor if there's some verified and small layout around.

Something "amp in a box". I guess I didn't see in my collection some small layout of them. It could be ok just if has enough distortion.

The DOD FX55 is now in my list, but I will built it just if I like it more than to the MXR Distortion +.

I think I excluded the Electra Distortion.

A while back, I fit a modified Gov'nor circuit (similar to the Suhr Riot) into a 1590a; that's probably got enough gain.

I also fit a BEOD in a 1590a, but that is not recommended.  It's a really tight fit and can be a bit prone to squealing.

Gov'nor probably has enough distortion, but I guess it's definetly too much large (as well the Surh Riot). Unless you know some Guv'nor layout wihtout equalizer.
Definitely not the BE-OD. If I will built it I'll use a larger box.

I've done "a few" if you want some inspiration (there are perfboard layouts for many of these): https://jonpattonmusic.com/things-i-make/

Cool! I'll take a look better later.
Tell me clearly in case you recommend some pure distortion circuit and not overdrive or fuzz.

Meanwhile, I found the Krank Maximus Distortion, more precisely, a sort of a modified and improved clone pedal: Protone Body Rot II. It's based on a LM386, and I know I told I don't want it, but with the Acapulco Gold I was already making an exception, at this point I say to include even LM386 circuit, then I will valuate case by case. Indeed, the Body Rot II sounds really good, it's small (but not  really really small) and has a lot of distortion. It's in my list in... a 1590B box, because it has an eq, too much knobs. Well, probably a too much large board for my 1590A box.
I can try to leave out the eq section. In the verboard layout by TagBoard Guitar FX I can't save space though this, but maybe I can reduce the protoboard layout here: http://effectslayouts.blogspot.com/2016/02/protone-body-rot-ii.html
And maybe I can do it better using this one: http://effectslayouts.blogspot.com/search?q=krank
I can just include an extra cap which is missing in the Krank Maximus.
To set the right output tone I can use the last schematic I found here: https://guitar-dreamer.blogspot.com/2017/03/krank-distortus-maximus-diy-and-mods.html even if I can't say it's verified. I think it should be ok.

I just to try draw it by myself.

Else, in this moment this is my list:
1. MXR Distortion +
2. DOD FX55
3. Acapulco Gold

[pickdropper]

A rat isn't that tight of a fit if you use 1/8W resistors and don't add a bunch of mods. I can easily fit that circuit in a mini; the hardware is tough on mine because I use four pots and a toggle switch, but a straight Rat should fit OK.

[JackSkellington]

Thanks pickdropper, I want just to remind you, guys, that I build just using stripboard or protoboard.
I built the Rat a couple of time and I'm going to build it again, but not using this little box.
Anyway, just for saying: I have some of layout of the Rat. Excluding the Sabrotone layouts because those have some extra features I also have some from TagBoard Guitar FX. I built one once, and I got a bad squeal/oscillation issue. I had to build again the Sabrotone version though without the extra parts. In this case it will be too much large for a 1590A box. Even other alternative ProCo Rat layouts from TagBoard Guitar FX seem have oscillation problem much often.
Then I found this: http://diy-layout.com/61 and this: https://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=38709&g2_serialNumber=4
Enough narrow, but a bit long.
In case someone want to build a Rat in a 1590A box I don't think we could squeeze a rat more than that using stripboard.

[pickdropper]

THanks pickdropper, I want just to remind you, guys, that I build just using stripboard or protoboard.
I built the Rat a couple of time and I'm going to build it again, but not using this little box.
Anyway, just for saying: I have some of layout of the Rat. Excluding the Sabrotone layouts because those have some extra features I also have some from TagBoard Guitar FX. I built one once, and I got a bad squeal/oscillation issue. I had to build again the Sabrotone version though without the extra parts. In this case it will be too much large for a 1590A box. Even other alternative ProCo Rat layouts from TagBoard Guitar FX seem have oscillation problem much often.
Then I found this: http://diy-layout.com/61 and this: https://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=38709&g2_serialNumber=4
Enough narrow, but a bit long.
In case someone want to build a Rat in a 1590A box I don't think we could squeeze a rat more than that using stripboard.

Fair point.  You might be able to on perf, but I get why you wouldn't want to.

[JackSkellington]

Update:
I can totally change my mind about LM386 distortion based on, because there's no enough distortion circuit small enough to stay into a A type box, excpet LM386 based on.

But I have some doubt about the Acapulco Gold. I am a bit scared because some people get squeal noise problem with it. I didn't find any definitive solution, somebody luckiest than other.
I heard some demo of the DOD FX55, but I think I don't like it.

So, this is the list, until now:
1. MXR Distortion +
2. DOD FX55
3. Acapulco Gold

And I have some doubts even for the Distortion+ because the board could be a bit large, even if not too much. The pots will be 9mm for sure.
I'm searching even some info about the Ross Distortion and some mods I can apreciate about this kind of circuit.

I still have to try if I can leave out the eq section of the Guv'Nor and to find some alternative good LM386 distortion-no fuzz (taking count I already build the ProTone Body Rot board, and I don't want two pedal too much similar).

[Tremster]

Runoffgroove Big Daddy?
http://www.runoffgroove.com/grace.html
(Chunky High Gain Distortion, very few parts)
(LM386 based, though)

http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/2013/01/runoffgroove-big-daddy.html

[JackSkellington]

Thanks. I'm looking the Smash Drive, too. LM386 and without JFET stage. A bit different control gain, and the demo I found seems good enough, with a lot of gain.
The Smash Drive has the a Marshall style eq, but I there's even a simple version. I found some version and replicas, I have to choice the better layout to modify a bit, in case.

[ahiddentableau]

I think the Distortion+ is a good choice.  Maybe it's a sentimental fav for me because it was the first pedal I built, but it's flexible, sounds good, is simple to build and easy to mod (I think Brian Wampler's mods are all over the place and he does a good job of laying things out).  One reservation, though: make sure it has enough gain for you.  I think a lot of people would consider it more an OD than a distortion.  I don't have a strong opinion.  With the gain maxxed it's got a fair bit of gain, but it's never over the top.  It also functions well as a cleanish boost and OD.  But if you're thinking you want heavy metal levels of distortion you're going to be disappointed.

I think it would be a mistake to just discount LM386 based designs out of hand.  There are a lot of designs out there and they can sound quite different from one another.  Purple plexi?  Smash drive?  They also tend to be compact, which is going be awfully important for you if you're dead set on stripboarding into a A-size enclosure!

[JackSkellington]

Distortion+ has enough gain for me in this case. Maybe I can try to increase the gain even more, but I guess this circuit is already pretty maximized. I'll do some research, anyway.
I know it's impossible find something metal, on stripboard, of course.

Now, I like the Smash Drive, I'm trying to built a layout by myself, and I could add some mods to tame high or add bass, considering it will not have eq nor tone control. I heard it can tend to have much shrilling treble.