Perf week! My Little Klony, Cosmopolitan, and Capucino Fuzz [mini Percolator]

[midwayfair]

Capucino Fuzz -- Mini Harmonic Percolator with Brian's schematic (I would have bought his board, but it didn't look like it would fit in a 1590A). Who's an English major with two thumbs who can't spell? This guy.


The switch selects between the stock 1N695s and a pair of OA126s, which sound just freaking outstanding. I am mildly curious what they would have sounded like in the stock set up, but obviously it was more fun to label the switch "Even/Odd". This might be my favorite new fuzz. It's ridiculously versatile for a two-knob fuzz: it cleans up like the best Ge Fuzz Face but it's so much more aggressive in the OA126 setting; it's loud enough to be an overdrive with the input gain rolled off; it does buzzy AND ballsy with the flip of a switch; and it has if not endless at least impressive sustain. I love it. It makes me want to join a band that I'd use it in, heh.

I'll make a demo of this one soon.

My Little Klony, a true bypass Sunking. [Thanks to my buddy Keith for the name.]


There are two caps that are the "wrong" value (I reduced them for more treble) and I left off the 12v Zener because I frankly didn't see the point if the only power supply I ever use is my one-spot. Someday I might add it just to be safe (there's a space on the perf), but I really like what this one sounds like and I don't want to change it. It's got much better treble content than the last Klon I built (that was the GuitarPCB mini klon). I'm also shocked at how big of a difference the dual-gang pot made in the overall usability of the gain knob. It's also got this nice liquid quality that wasn't present in the other one. Diodes are, again, OA126, which I put in partly to be a little different -- I liked BAT41s a lot and OA1160s sounded great, but I thought they sounded a little more normal. I'll be using OA1160s in the Chimeara I just got from GrindCustoms, but I'm considering asymmetric in that one. Maybe someday I'll actually build a straight up clone ...

I might make a demo after I build one more Klon, just to A/B/C them.

Cosmopolitan.


I went as simple as possible on the graphic. A story about cosmopolitans: I used to bartend at my friend Elliot's parties, and I got him hooked on Cosmos for a little bit. Elliot is not a small person. Around the time we had both just gotten out of college, he went with me to a Seamus Kennedy show at a bar here in Baltimore. Seamus is a hilarious Irish singer who lives in Annapolis, but I first met him in Monterey, CA and had no idea he lived in my backyard. Anyway, Elliot ordered a cosmo, and they brought out this gigantic martini glass with pink booze, and Seamus proceeded to riff on him for three minutes straight. It's the longest I've ever seen Seamus make fun of anyone about anything.

The Ge is one of the MP38As from Gordelux04 on ebay. I got 20 of them from him, and there wasn't a bad one in the bunch (though I did have to turn one around backwards). Like the Lunar Module, this circuit's pretty much bulletproof.

[GrindCustoms]

Love the Tantalumination in the Klony!

The first build showed seems to be really interesting, i'll have to check it out....i'm also in perf mode these last days....

Rej

[nzCdog]

heehee! cool names and paintjobs 

time to join a band jon!  rock them pedals man!

[shawnee]

very cool!

[Bret608]

Say, on your Percolator did you go with "stock" or "Albini" specs? I did the latter, and the more build reports I see, the more it seems like the Albini specs may be a little lacking in gain and volume. I mean it's still awesome; just wondering if I'm missing out on something cool! Anyway, the coffee theme rules!

I am so happy someone here finally did an MLP-themed pedal. My daughters have been pushing me on that for some time now! I may just have to do it. I'm thinking "Friendship is Magic"...

[midwayfair]

Say, on your Percolator did you go with "stock" or "Albini" specs? I did the latter, and the more build reports I see, the more it seems like the Albini specs may be a little lacking in gain and volume. I mean it's still awesome; just wondering if I'm missing out on something cool! Anyway, the coffee theme rules!

I am so happy someone here finally did an MLP-themed pedal. My daughters have been pushing me on that for some time now! I may just have to do it. I'm thinking "Friendship is Magic"...

I went with "almost Albini specs" -- I picked and chose some values from both partly out of convenience and partly because my 1N404A is a little on the lower gain side. I get plenty of volume (well over unity) with both types of diodes. The 1n695s are much quieter, though.

nzCdog: I'm in a band, but it's 90% clean sounds. Plus delay. Mmmmmmmmmmm, delay...

[DutchMF]

Man, your boxes just look to good! Seriously, can I send you some stuff for painting?

Paul

[irmcdermott]

not to de-rail the thread, but random Albini story... my good friend plays guitar in a St. Louis noise rock band Jack Buck, and they recently played at the PRF BBQ in Chicago. they heard through the grapevine that Albini watched their set. they then got to tour his studio and met him there and he told them, "your band is outstanding". pretty cool/big moment for my buddy. the end.

continue...

[culturejam]

Nice builds!

Who's an English major with two thumbs who can't spell? This guy.

This guy, too. 

[Bret608]

That is an excellent and appropriate de-rail, Ian. Awesome story! I've heard Albini doesn't give out compliments easily.

[G.G.]

Hi Jon,
On your recommendation I ordered some of those MP38A's, they should be here this week. I was wondering if you might be able to post the pinouts? I would like to use one in my Cosmo build when I finally get around to it.

Thanks!
Gray

[midwayfair]

Hi Jon,
On your recommendation I ordered some of those MP38A's, they should be here this week. I was wondering if you might be able to post the pinouts? I would like to use one in my Cosmo build when I finally get around to it.

Thanks!
Gray

Cool! They're a pretty great deal still -- no ancient mojo to compete with.

Standard pinout for germaniums -- CBE, with the collector in the top of the triangle. Looking at it from the top with the triangle like this:

    B
C      E

I know it looks like mine might be twisted in the picture, but it was just bent over to make it short enough (without clipping the leads) to fit in the case.

[G.G.]

Cool! thanks, I'm looking forward to giving these a try.