How To Modify Effect Pedals, for MAXIMUM TONEl

Designed for the absolute electronics beginner

Written by Brian Wampler
!ndyGuitarist.com f ToneClonePedals.com f WamplerPedals.com
2009 evision
Table Of Contents
Tools and Items Needed ................................................................................................. S
Te Basics ......................................................................................................................
Basic Definitions and Concepts ......................................................................................
Understanding Schematics .......................................................................................... +
True Bypass in your existing pedal ................................................................................. 22
All about Components ................................................................................................... 4
Component chart ......................................................................................................... 2+
Capacitor Codes ............................................................................................................. 7
!nstalling pots and sitches ........................................................................................... 29
Installin a Pot in place of a Resistor ........................................................................... 3
How to use a Multimeter ............................................................................................... 3
How To Desolder ........................................................................................................... 37
How To Solder ............................................................................................................... 39
Ho to repair a broken solder tab on an effect pedal ....................................................... ++
Troublesootin ............................................................................................................ 49
Ho to build an audio probe ......................................................................................... 5
How To Modify Guitar Pedals ........................................................................................ 5
General mods for nearly any pedal ................................................................................. 62
How to Modify Danelectro Pedals ................................................................................. 7
How to read te parts list for eac modification. ......................................................... 7
Were To Buy Parts ....................................................................................................... 73
Modification Details for eac pedal ............................................................................... 79
Arion Tubulator ............................................................................................................. 80
A!ON ND!-2 BASS D!STOT!ON ................................................................................... 83
BD-2 BLUES D!vE ..................................................................................................... 8+
Boss BF-2 flanger mod ................................................................................................... 99
Boss CE-2 chorus ......................................................................................................... 0+
Boss CE-3 Chorus ........................................................................................................ 07
Boss CH- Chorus ........................................................................................................ 08
Boss CS-2 Compressor Nodification .............................................................................. 3
Boss CS-3 compressor mods ........................................................................................ 5
Delay pedal modifications ............................................................................................ 20
Boss DF-2 super feedbacker 8 distortion ....................................................................... 2
Boss DS- Distortion .................................................................................................... 2+
Boss DS-2 turbo distortion ........................................................................................... 3+
Boss GE-7 Equalizer QU!ET f Tin mod ....................................................................... 37
Boss HN-2 mod ........................................................................................................... +2
Boss ND-2 mods ......................................................................................................... +6
Boss NT-2 Netalzone .................................................................................................. 52
Boss od- mod ............................................................................................................ 56
Boss OD-2 NOD ....................................................................................................... 59
Boss OD-2 NOD ......................................................................................................... 6
3
Boss OD-3 ................................................................................................................... 65
Boss odb-3 bass overdrive ........................................................................................... 7
Boss OS-2 Nod ............................................................................................................ 73
BOSS SD- Nods ......................................................................................................... 77
Boss sd-2 Dual Overdrive ............................................................................................. 89
Boss T-2 Tremolo ...................................................................................................... 9+
Boss tortion T-2 ....................................................................................................... 97
Crybaby gcb-95 ah mod ............................................................................................ 99
Danelectro Daddy-o ..................................................................................................... 20
Danolectro Fabtone Nod .............................................................................................. 20
Digitech Bad Nonkey ................................................................................................... 22
DOD F60 Chorus ........................................................................................................ 23
DOD Grunge ............................................................................................................... 2+
DOD od250fN308 .................................................................................................... 26
Supra distortion F-55B older style ............................................................................... 220
Supra Distortion F55C mod neer style pedal ........................................................... 22
ussian Big Nuff Pi Nod .............................................................................................. 22+
Electro Harmonix Smallclone Chorus ............................................................................. 23
!banez CN-5 Distortion ................................................................................................ 233
!banez DL-5 Delay Nod ............................................................................................... 23+
!banez DS-7 Distortion ................................................................................................. 235
!banez NS-0 mod ...................................................................................................... 236
!banez Poerlead PL-5 ................................................................................................ 238
Dod F59 Thrashmaster ............................................................................................... 2+0
!banez TN-5 Thrashmaster .......................................................................................... 2+2
!banez F-7 fuzz .......................................................................................................... 2++
!banez TS-7 NOD ........................................................................................................ 2+5
!banez TS-5 Tubescreamer .......................................................................................... 2+8
!banez TS-9 TubeScreamer .......................................................................................... 252
TS-9D Turbo Tubescreamer ....................................................................................... 258
!banez SN-9 Nod ........................................................................................................ 262
!banez Smashbox SN-7 Distortion ................................................................................ 262
acques Tube Bloer ................................................................................................... 26+
ohnson Distortion plus EQ ........................................................................................ 265
Narshall bb-2 bluesbreaker mod ................................................................................... 266
Narshall Guvnor Plus Gv-2 .......................................................................................... 269
Narshall Shredmaster ................................................................................................. 272
Naxon OD808 TubeScreamer ....................................................................................... 27+
Norley Classic Wah ...................................................................................................... 276
Norley PWOv Poer Wah volume ................................................................................ 278
N Distortion Plus neer versions ............................................................................ 280
N Dynacomp oss Nod ......................................................................................... 283
N PHASE 90 NODS ................................................................................................ 285
Nobels OD- Overdrive .............................................................................................. 293
Nobels DT- ................................................................................................................ 296
4
Nobels OD-B ............................................................................................................. 298
Nobels OD-S ............................................................................................................. 300
Proco at .................................................................................................................... 302
ocktron Sonic Glory Overdrive .................................................................................... 307
vooDoo Lab Sparkle Drive ............................................................................................ 32
vooDoo Labs Nicrovibe ................................................................................................ 36
Tube Driver 3 knob version ....................................................................................... 37
visual Sound Quick Ho-to Guide ................................................................................. 39
oute 66 ..................................................................................................................... 32
ekyll 8 hyde gray box version mod ........................................................................... 32+
ekyll 8 hyde ed Box version mod ............................................................................ 328
vox 8+7 ah ............................................................................................................... 329
H 8 Warp factor ...................................................................................................... 33
In Closin. ................................................................................................................. 334
Contact Information .................................................................................................... 335
5
Disclaimers
Warning Disclaimer These modifications are recommended for persons over the age of 8. !f
you are under 8 you should have adult supervision before attempting modifications. Please use
safety precautions hen modding using tools and soldering. We are not to be held responsible if
you get hurt hurt someone else or destroy property. By vieing any of the links belo you com-
ply ith the above statement and fully realize any risks that may be involved ith performing any
of the modifications listed. Alays ear safety protection and follo safety guidelines and direc-
tions on products. Solder can pop in your eyes burn skin etc. Some materials used in guitar
pedals can be harmful if inhaled. Batteries can explode acid on your skin and clothing. USE PE-
CAUT!ONS EAD D!ECT!ONS AND ALWAS WEA SAFET POTECT!ON.
By folloing the directions in this book you agree to not hold any person party or company
associated ith this book including but not limited to Brian Wampler Guitartone.net
!ndyguitarist.com or any person party or company associated ith them. ou also agree that
you are over age 8 of a sound mind and take full and complete responsibility for your actions.
Boss !banez N Fulltone visual Sound Tubeorks Tonebone Danelectro
voodoo Labs vox Hughes 8 ettner Electro Harmonix DOD Dunlop Norley
Crybaby Narshall Proco at Arion Nobels Nesa Boogie Bogner and any
other company mentioned here are used respective of their trademark.
Special thanks to Andy Carrol of Dragonfly F Aron Nelson of httpff.diystompboxes.com
ack Orman of .muzique.com G een of .geofex.com Nero ohan NartyNart of
Arons forum Dirk Hendrik all of those that contributed schematics links are given here
applicable Nark Hammer of hammer.ampage.org colin of experamentalistsanonymouse.com
and anyone else ! may be forgetting
All images copyright by their oner here listed and by !ndyguitarist.com 2002-2007
All intellectual property copyright 2002-2007 by !ndyguitarist.com
For updates make absolutely sure you email diy-kit-updatesgetresponse.com to be notified
first.
6
Introduction
The spirit of D! do it yourself is stronger no than it ever has been. The possibilities have
really exploded ith the arrival of the internet. !n guitar effects specifically it is easier no than
it ever has been to build O modify your on effect pedals for AN instrument and make them
sound NUCH better and ork NUCH better for your needs than any other mass manufactured
pedal.
A quick lesson on this Nost mass manufacturers of guitar pedals have several engineers or a
department of engineers hose ob is to come up ith a decent sounding circuit for a given
need. These ideas are largely math-driven meaning that on paper it should sound good for
the largest percentage of their customer base or at least good enough until that consumer gros
tired of the particular pedal and buys a different one. Honestly even if they D!D set up circuit
using their ears instead of calculators you probably ont like it then either many of the
engineers orking for these companies arent musicians andfor dont have the ability to notice
ho a pedal can react or sound differently ith different modifications done to it. Sort of like
eating at a restaurant here the chef or cook doesnt have any taste buds. !n addition the
products are generally scrutinized closely to figure out ho to cut costs most often by using the
cheapest parts available at the time not ones that are necessarily the best for tone.
The truth is that modifying guitar pedals is NOT hard once you understand the basics.
Unfortunately many of the D! communities and books ould rather you learn the ay they
didby trial and error andfor reading Electrical Theory books and trying to absorb it someho.
!t is my goal to lead you to the onderful but addicting hobby of using your on to hands to
create tones that make you have a hard time putting don the guitarthe sounds tones and
dynamics that guitar pedals SHOULD have but dont alays.
!m not going to dive into a ton of theory that really isnt the intent of this book and it is
unnecessary if you ant to simply modify some pedals for yourself andfor your friends. Once you
have read this book and are comfortable ith modifying pedals if you ish to dive in further you
may ant to check out my other books at .guitartone.net and even amplifier mods at
.D!ampmods.com
A big thank you to everyone hos contacted me and supported our D! cause No lets dive
into the 2009 revision of the !ndyguitarist f Guitartone.net D! Ho-to modify effect pedals
Guide
7
Tools and Items Needed
ou ill need to havefpurchase a fe basic items first in order to start correctly but keep in
mind that all of these things are one-time purchases and should last you a very long time.
These items listed belo are the exact ones that ! used to get started and are all found at your
local adio Shack but ! H!GHL recommend buying them from .smallbearelec.com - not
only are the parts and tools a much higher quality but in many cases less expensive as ell.
First ! must assume that you have access to or plan on purchasing needle-nose pliers ire
cutters and a drill if installing larger leds.
30-+0 Watt soldering iron look for one ith a grounded tip a good feature to have
60f+0 rosin core solder
De-soldering braid
De-soldering pump optional but makes it easier to desolder
colored felt tip markers sharpies ork great
Digital Nultimeter
Go to www.smallbearelec.com to buy these products.
A high quality solder iron is your best bet cheaper radio shack
ones ill ork but !ve found these Wellers to be top notch for
this type of ork.
PODUCT FEATUES
httpff.smallbearelec.comfDetail.bokno378
S
!f you dont have much in the ay of tools you ould probably
ant to get this unless you can borro a fe of the basic
tools.
httpff.smallbearelec.comfDetail.bokno390
!f you have a fe extra dollars to spend you may ant to think
about getting a orkstation like one of these
! recommend using a soldering station like one of these if you
are going to be modifying more than one or to pedals.
httpff.smallbearelec.comfDetail.bokno378
Absolutely ithout a doubt do not use one of the solder irons that advertises the
ability to solder ithout heat. Using them makes it very very easy to tear up a circuit
board in a hurry
9
Solder is the glue that holds the parts onto the
circuitboard. Here is hat ! recommend
httpff.smallbearelec.comfDetail.bokno382
Desoldering Braid is hat you ill use to desolder parts
if you need to for any reason. Here is the one !
recommend
httpff.smallbearelec.comfDetail.bokno383
Catalog 64-5
Catalog 64-9
adio Shack
Catalog 64-95
Catalog 64-9S
httpff.smallbearelec.comfSearch.bok
categoryTools-PliersandCutters

Te Basics
Lets get started
Nodifying a guitar pedal is really not a hard thing to do. Once you follo a fe simple rules and
become familiar ith the internal parts of a pedal you ill have no problem at all.
Nany mistakenly think that they need to go to college or a trade school to learn ho to do this.
Well dispel this myth and sho you ust ho easy it is.
Basic Definitions and Concepts
Lets take ust a minute and go through the basics of electrical circuits. Anytime you have an
electrical circuit you have voltage and current. By building circuits you are able to control
voltage and current.
Current
Current is hat flos through a ire. Think of it as ater floing in a river. The current flos
from one point to another point ust like ater in a river.
The unit of measurement for current is the Ampere or Amp for short and abbreviated as A.
Common currents are 0.00 Amps 0.00A to 0.5 Amps 0.5A. Since currents are usually small
they are usually given in the form of milliAmps abbreviated mA. The prefix milli means divided
by 000 so 0.00 Amps equals milliAmp mA. Likeise 0.5 Amps equals 500 milliAmps
500mA.
voltage
voltage indicates the poer level of a point. voltage is measured in volts. Using the ater
analogy a point at the top of a hill ould be at a high voltage level and a point at the bottom of
a hill ould be at a lo voltage level. Then ust as ater flos from a high point to a lo point
current flos from a point of high voltage to a point of lo voltage. !f one point is at 5 volts and
another point is at 0 volts then hen a ire is connected beteen them current ill flo from
the point at 5 volts to the point at 0 volts.

We call the loest voltage in a circuit zero volts and give it the name ground. Then all other
points in the circuit are compared to that ground point. ivers alays flo toards sea level and
currents alays flo toards ground.
A battery is similar to a dam. On one side is a lot of stored up energy. When a path is formed
from that side to the other side then current flos. !f there is no path then current does not flo
and the energy ust stays there aiting for a path to form to the other side. The path can be a
big path ith lots of current floing or a small path ith ust a little bit of current floing. With a
dam a little bit of ater flo could go on for a long time but flo through a big path that lets all
the ater go at once ould only last a short hile. A battery is the same. !f there is big path
from the high voltage side to the lo voltage side then the battery ill not last long.
There are to special cases that e give names. One is hen the current is zero open circuit
and the other is hen the voltage is zero short circuit.
Open Circuit
An open circuit is hen to points are not connected by anything. No current flos and nothing
happens. !f a ire in your vacuum cleaner breaks it can cause an open circuit and no current can
flo so it does not do anything. There may be a voltage beteen those to points but the
current cannot flo ith out a connection.
Short Circuit
A short circuit or short is hen to points ith different voltage levels are connected ith no
resistance see resistors beteen to points. This can cause a large amount of current to flo.
!f a short circuit happens in your house it ill usually cause a circuit breaker to break or a fuse
to blo. !f there is no device to limit the current the ires may melt and cause a fire. This
situation is something like a dam breaking. There is a large amount of energy suddenly free to
flo from a high point to a lo point ith nothing to limit the current.
Series Connection
A series connection is hen to components are oined together by a common leg and nothing
else is connected to that point as shon belo.

Parallel Connection
A parallel connection is hen to components are oined together by both legs as shon belo.
3
Understandin Scematics.
Schematics are basically electrical roadmaps shoing a person ho a circuit is connected and
uses funny looking symbols. Lets take a closer look at some of the most common symbols in
guitar pedals.

Connect to ground i.e. take all the points pointing to
ground connect them together then connect them to
the ground lug of the input ack. Take the poer
supply 9v ack andfor battery and connect the ground
side of it to this same spot..
Connections are shon at
the right. Pretend as if
beteen each part is a
ire. !f to ires cross and
are connected you
sometimes ill see a round
dot at the intersection or
they ill simply cross each
other.
!f they are not connected
you ill see on of the ires
appear to go over a bridge
or make a half circle
around the other ire at
the intersection.
4
esistors
esistors are not directional and come in many
different values sizes and several different types.
Nany pedal builders like to use metal film resistors
insisting that they are quieter. Others like the sound of
carbon composite or other carbon based resistors.
esistors are not directional so there is no certain
direction they need to be oriented.
Each resistor has colored bands on them. ou can use
these bands to determine hat value your resistor is.
Some resistors have + bands and some have 5 bands
of colors.
!f you go .GuitarTone.netfcalculator you ill be
able to enter the colors into the ebpage and it ill tell
you hat value your resistor is.
5
Potentiometers also called pots hich can also be thought of as a variable
resistor. This is hat knobs attach to.
Pots come in different tapers. The ones e use most are audio tapers and linear
tapers. Why different tapers Gain and tone knobs are generally linear taper. volume
controls are audio taper. This is because the human ear does not respond linearly to
loudness. !t responds to a logarithm of loudness.
According to G eene of .geofex.com that means that for a sound to seem
tice as loud it has to be almost ten times the actual change in air pressure. For us
to have a control pot that seems to make a linear change in loudness per unit of
rotation the control must compensate for the human ears oddity and supply ever-
increasing amounts of signal per unit rotation. This compensating resistance taper is
called an audio or log pot. !n these pots the iper traverses resistance very sloly at
first then faster as the rotation increases.
!f you used an audioflog taper pot for the control of the poer supply e mentioned
the output voltage ould increase very sloly at first creeping up to maybe 0 of
the final output at 50 of the pot rotation. !t ould then blast the other 90 in the
last half of the rotation hich isnt very handy hen trying to control volume.
Capacitors caps
Capacitors basically block DC. What this means for an
effect circuit is that it acts as a filter of sorts. Wiring a
resistor or pot in conunction ith a cap ill result in
equalization controls.
6
Diodes
LED SNBOL
Diodes are components that allo current to flo in
only one direction. They have a positive side leg and
a negative side. When the voltage on the positive leg
is higher than on the negative leg then current flos
through the diode the resistance is very lo. When
the voltage is loer on the positive leg than on the
negative leg then the current does not flo the
resistance is very high. The negative leg of a diode is
the one ith the line closest to it. !t is called the
cathode. The positive end is called the anode.
Diodes do many different functions. Overdrive
distortion and some fuzz pedals ill use them to clip
the signal creating the distortion effect. Leds hich
are light emitting Diodes can be used for the same
thing and in some circuits ill actually light up hen
signal is present.
LEDs use a special material hich emits light hen
current flos through it. Unlike light bulbs LEDs never
burn out unless their current limit is passed. They have
a positive leg and a negative leg ust like regular
diodes. To find the positive side of an LED look for a
line in the metal inside the LED. !t may be difficult to
see the line. This line is closest to the positive side of
the LED. Another ay of finding the positive side is to
find a flat spot on the edge of the LED. This flat spot is
on the negative side.
The main reason for using different diodes for clipping is that they ill all sound different and
clip the signal a little bit differently. Experimentation is the key here.
LEDs are of course used to signify if a pedal is on or off as ell simply by turning on the voltage
going to the LED.
7
Diodes are also used in other places such as protecting against using the rong current or
polarity in a poer supply. There are many types of diodes the main ones ell be using are
germanium n3+as n+00 hich orks the same as the n+002 n+003 n+00+ etc hen
used as clipping diode and n9+fn++8 same thing basically.
Transistor
Transistors are basic components in all of todays
electronics. They are ust simple sitches that e can
use to turn things on and off but can be arranged in a
certain ay in conunction ith other components and
ill amplify an audio signal.
The transistor has three legs the Collector C Base
B and Emitter E. Sometimes they are labeled on
the flat side of the transistor. Transistors alays have
one round side and one flat side. !f the round side is
facing you the Collector leg is on the left the Base leg
is in the middle and the Emitter leg is on the right but
alays check the datasheet pinout for the particular
transistor you are using since these pinouts can differ.
Another type of transistor is the FET types FET or
unction Field Effect Transistor and NOSFET or Netal
Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor. FETs are
transistors ith a very high input resistance. They have
three terminals Drain Gate and Source. Nany popular
distortion overdrive and clean boost circuits are made
ith FETs.
acks

Stereo ack
Nost often used hen you ant your pedals poer to
disconnect hen you unplug your guitar cable from the
pedal. What you ill do is connect the poers ground
ire to the sleeve connection. Whenever a plug is in-
serted in the ack this ill make the poers ground
go don the plug sleeve connect to the ring connec-
tion hich is connected to the rest of the circuits
ground.
S

Nono ack
!f you are using a 9v adaptor ack on your pedal and
not a battery connection ! recommend ust using
mono acks simply because they are generally less ex-
pensive and easier to use hen you are first starting
out.
9
!C chip op-amp

!ntegrated circuits !Cs are much as their
name ould suggest small circuits integrated
into a plastic "chip." They provide a handy
source of rich functionality in a tiny package.
Opamps hich are a type of integrated circuit
are primarily designed as voltage amplifiers
meaning it ill amplify a signal.
When installing !C chips alays use an !C
socket. This ill allo you to sap the chips to
a different kind should you need to. Also it is
much safer to use the !C socket since most !C
chips are very sensitive to heat.

Sitches
There are several different types of sitches that e ill
use for stompboxes. 3pdt triple pole double thro dpdt
double pole double thro spdt single pole double
thro and spst single pole single thro.
Out of all these there are only to that e ill use for the
stomp bypass sitch the 3pdt and the dpdt. Nost use the
3pdt because it allos you to easily connect a LED to
indicate if the pedal is on or not. A dpdt can also be used
but additional circuitry is required to turn the LED on and
off.
The picture above shos a 3pdt sitch. This is the kind of sitch that many people associate
ith being a true bypass sitch. Though this sitch is used for that it can also be used for
anything that any other type of sitch can be used for.
Looking at the picture here is ho the sitch orks. With the open ends of the lugs facing you
the holes in the lugs facing you A connects to B. D connects to E. G connects to H. Step on the
sitch and then B connects to C E connects to F and H connects to !. Notice the one constant
the lugs B E and H are alays on or constant.
A dpdt spdt and spst orks the same basically. On a dpdt there ould only be lugs A B C D E
and F. On a spdt there ould only be lugs A B and C. On a spst there ould only be lugs A and
B.

True Bypass in your existin pedal

By far a common question ! get is ho to make a Boss !banez DOD or other pedal ith
electronic sitching have true bypass. This can actually be a fairly complicated procedure
unless you are already familiar ith the electronic sitching circuits called flip-flop circuits.
!n order to make these pedals into true bypass it requires making the pedal so it is alays
on then connecting it to a mechanical sitch. Also it generally requires you to rehouse your
pedal into a regular Hammond style box instead of the enclosure there simply isnt enough
room for the sitch.
The exact details on ho to do this vary from pedal to pedal. The easier ay is to use a true
bypass box hich allos you to bypass the signal going to the pedal or pedals of your
choice. See httpff.indyguitarist.comftb-explain.htm for more information.

When iring up your on pedal or acks this shos hat the individual parts go to. The ring
is connected to ground the tip is carrying the signal.
3
All about Components
Component cart
4
Film caps
Tantalum cap
NOTEThe positive side is marked
on tantalums here as the
negative side is marked on
electrolytics. When sapping them
out for one another make sure you
orientate them correctly or youll
risk messing the pedal up.
5
Polarized capacitors have a negative and a positive to them and can only be installed
in one direction.
6

LEDS
light emitting diodes hen used in place of a
clipping diode they may or may not light up
depending on hich circuit the pedal is composed of.
Notice there is one leg longer than the other. The
longer leg is the positive leg of the led.
Note about picture on left ith the lighted Led !f you
do this make sure you use an old battery not one
ith full poer or you ill burn the led out and
render it useless.
Capacitor Codes
Large capacitors have their values printed on them in plain terms such as 00 uF some on the
eb use mf. We use the letter u as a substitute for the Greek letter micron so "00 uF"
represents 00 micro-farads.
Small capacitors often use a 3-digit code to indicate their value. This code is similar to the
resistor color code scheme except that it uses digits instead of colored stripes. The first to
characters are the st and 2nd significant digits and the third digit is a multiplier. values are
expressed in pico-farads.
Examples of some of the more common caps e use
Writing On
Capacitor
value of
Capacitor
03 .0.uF
223 .022uF
+73 .0+7uF
0+ .uF
!f there are only 2 digits printed on a small disc capacitor
this is likely to be the value ritten directly in picofarads
such as "+7" +7 pF. +70 ALSO +7pf.Letters are used
to indicate tolerances. For example a cap marked 02 has
7
22+ .22uF
+7+ .+7uF
05 uF
02 .00
uFf000 pf
0 00 pf
00 0 pf
a nominal value of 000 pFf .00uF and a f- 5
tolerance. !t can have an actual capacitance as lo as 950
or as high as 050 pF.
Wat typeJsize of part do I need? Wat wattJvoltJratin?
Another common question ! get quite a bit is ho many volts do the capsfresistorsfledsfetc
need to be
The main difference as far as e are concerned is size. As long as the capacitor is rated 8 volts
or more you ill be totally safe ith nearly any guitar pedal circuit and all the pedals that e
have mods for. esistors e use are commonly f8 att and att mainly due to size.
Wat is te difference between capsJresistor types?
! generally use film caps henever possible. Netal film from digikey part numbers elsehere in
this book and at .guitartone.netfbuyparts.htm to be exact. They are a better tolerance !
like the sound of them better and they are a little quieter here noise can be of concern. !f you
ant to be a true audiophile instead of the smaller ceramic caps try using silver mica caps. !
rarely if ever do though. ! dont like the sound of them ! try not to use tantalum caps simply
because ! dont like the ay they sound generally though there are a fe exceptions. eep in
mind!m being anal and picky. Dont seat the type of capfresistorfetc too much.
esistors ! use metal film here noise is a main concern and standard carbon films almost
everyhere else. Some like the sound of the carbon composites best though hich are very
similar but made out of a different material. They can be hard to find in various values though.
S
Installin pots and switces
Note that if you are sitching capacitors diodes or another part substitute that part in place of
here you see the resistors in the picture.
When connecting a sitch to your pedal you ill hook it up as shon above. The above sitch is
a spdt hich means single pull double thro.
The above diagrams are examples simply substitute the resistors for hatever part you ant to
change.
9
Installin a Pot in place of a
Resistor
To install a pot potentiometer in place of a resistor ire as shon. !f you are replacing a 0k
resistor simply use a 0k potentiometer or pot and connect as shon. The black circles
indicate the circuit board holes that the resistor is connected to to begin ith. emove the
resistor and ire the pot in as shon. This ill give you a variable resistance and youll be able
to teak to your hearts content.
3
How to use a Multimeter
What do meters measure
A meter is a measuring instrument. An ammeter measures current a voltmeter measures the
potential difference voltage beteen to points and an ohmmeter measures resistance. A
multimeter combines these functions and possibly some additional ones as ell into a single
instrument.
Before going in to detail about multimeters it is important for you to have a clear idea of ho
meters are connected into circuits. Diagrams A and B belo sho a circuit before and after
connecting an ammeter
A

B

to measure current the circuit must be broken to allo the
ammeter to be connected in series
Think about the changes you ould have to make to a practical circuit in order to include the
ammeter. To start ith you need to break the circuit so that the ammeter can be connected in
series. All the current floing in the circuit must pass through the ammeter.
Diagram C shos the same circuit after connecting a voltmeter
3
A

C

to measure potential difference voltage the circuit is not changed
the voltmeter is connected in parallel
This time you do not need to break the circuit. The voltmeter is connected in parallel beteen
the to points here the measurement is to be made. Since the voltmeter provides a parallel
pathay it should take as little current as possible. voltage measurements are used much more
often than current measurements.
The processing of electronic signals is usually thought of in voltage terms. !t is an added
advantage that a voltage measurement is easier to make. The original circuit does not need to be
changed. Often the meter probes are connected simply by touching them to the points of
interest.
An ohmmeter does not function ith a circuit connected to a poer supply. !f you ant to
measure the resistance of a particular component you must take it out of the circuit altogether
and test it separately as shon in diagram D
A

D

to measure resistance the component must be removed from the circuit altogether.
3
Ohmmeters ork by passing a small current through the component and measuring the voltage
produced. !f you try this ith the component connected into a circuit ith a poer supply the
most likely result is that the meter ill be damaged. Nost multimeters have a fuse to help protect
against misuse.
Digital multimeters
Nultimeters are designed and mass produced for electronics engineers. Even the simplest and
cheapest types may include features hich you are not likely to use. Digital meters give an
output in numbers usually on a liquid crystal display.
The diagram belo shos a sitched range multimeter
33
Sitched range multimeter
The central knob has lots of positions and you must choose
hich one is appropriate for the measurement you ant to
make. !f the meter is sitched to 20 v DC for example then
20 v is the maximum voltage hich can be measured This is
sometimes called 20 v fsd here fsd is short for full scale
deflection.
For circuits ith poer supplies of up to 20 v hich includes
all the circuits you are likely to build the 20 v DC voltage
range is the most useful.
DC ranges are indicated by on the meter. Sometimes
you ill ant to measure smaller voltages and in this case
the 2 v or 200 mv ranges are used.
What does DC mean DC means direct current. !n any circuit hich operates from a steady
voltage source such as a battery current flo is alays in the same direction. Every proect e
ill talk about uses dc current.
AC means alternating current. !n an electric lamp connected to the domestic mains electricity
current flos first one ay then the other. That is the current reverses or alternates in
direction.
For safety reasons you must NEvE connect a multimeter to the mains supply.
ou are not at all likely to use the AC ranges indicated by on your multimeter.
An alternative style of multimeter is the autoranging multimeter
34
Autoranging multimeter
The central knob has feer positions and all you need to
do is to sitch it to the quantity you ant to measure.
Once sitched to v the meter automatically adusts its
range to give a meaningful reading and the display
includes the unit of measurement v or mv. This type of
meter is more expensive but obviously much easier to use.
Where are the to meter probes connected The black
lead is alays connected into the socket marked CON
short for CONNON. The red lead is connected into the
socket labelled v mA. The 0A socket is very rarely used.
35
Analogue multimeters
An analogue meter moves a needle along a scale. Sitched range analogue multimeters are very
cheap but are difficult for beginners to read accurately especially on resistance scales. The meter
movement is delicate and dropping the meter is likely to damage it
Each type of meter has its advantages. Used as a voltmeter a digital meter is usually better
because its resistance is much higher N or 0 N compared to 200 for a analogue
multimeter on a similar range. On the other hand it is easier to follo a sloly changing voltage
by atching the needle on an analogue display.
36
How To Desolder
Ho To Desolder
De-soldering is required hen electronic components need to be removed from a circuit.
A proper desoldering technique can soon be acquired ith practice all you need to do is buy
some scrap boards to have a go ith and desolder to your hearts content
Select a suitable idth of braid and press it
don onto the COLD oint using the hot tip
of the iron.
37
ight Nolten solder is dran up by capillary
action into the braid. Care not to overheat or
drag hiskers of solder over the board nor
let the braid solidify on the oint
The component may drop out of the board
after desoldering. Sometimes it may need
persuading ith pliers hoever.
Here is a close-up shot of both oints no
desoldered and ready for the replacement
part to be fitted.
3S
How To Solder
Ho To Solder
Soldering is a delicate manual skill that only comes ith practice. Bad soldering technique can
be a cause of maor disappointment hich damages your confidence. !t neednt be like that
soldering is really easy to learn and like learning to ride a bike once mastered is never
forgotten
!f youre a beginner our advice is that its best to practice your soldering technique using some
clean ne parts. Also practice desoldering.
Clean the iron bit tip using a damp
sponge
39
!nsert components and spread them apart a little
so that the part is held in place.
Apply a clean iron tip to the copper and
the lead in order to heat both items at
the same time.
4
Continue heating and apply a little bit of
solder...dont use too much !f you doyou run
the risk of soldering to solder pads together
that arent supposed to be oined or soldered
together. emove the iron and allo the solder
oint to cool naturally ust takes a second or
to
!t only takes a second or to to make
the perfect oint hich should be nice
and shiny.
4
An example of a dry oint the solder failed to
flo and instead beaded to form globs of solder
around the ire.
An example of a bridged oint the
solder spilled over to the solder oint
next to it touching somehere it is not
supposed to. Avoid this This is a
common reason for a pedal not orking
after a modification.
4
How to repair a broken solder tab on an effect
pedal
-Notice the image belo. The brokenfmissing solder tab is shon as ell as the 2 locations
connected to this solder tab shon as point a and point b.

44
-ou ill either be soldering on the solder traces shon outlined in yello here or you can
connect it directly to your pedals point a and point b.

We ill need to scratch off a small amount of the protective coating that covers the solder trace.
This ill allo the solder to bond ith the solder trace.
-The yello circles here sho here you need to scratch off the protective coating.
45
When finished soldering for the day make sure
you dip your iron into a small container of tip
tinner and cleaner 6+-020d at radio shack or
glob a bit of solder on the end of your iron and
turn the iron off letting it sit ith the solder on it
to protect the tip.
43
-insert your ne part keeping the component leg extra long until after it is soldered. Solder a
scrap piece of ire or old component leg to connect the traces.
46
-This shos hat it looks like after you solder the component leg onto the trace. Nake sure your
solder doesnt touch anything else other solder tabs or other traces.

-Notice the solder trace going to location a that has already been scraped don to the bare
copper.
47
-This is after the extra leg as soldered to the component leg hich connects the to traces on
each side of the solder tab.

This is actually one long piece of solder though the shados make it look like it is 2 separate
pieces.
Thats it your finished
4S
Troublesootin
Check all connections that go to ground or poer.
Check all of your connections especially making sure that everything is supposed to go to
ground does indeed to go ground.
Using the resistor measuring function or ohmmeter on your multimeter you can check for
continuity here all the components should be connected to ground.
Nake sure that all points that are supposed to receive poer really are getting poer by
looking at the connections and by measuring ith a voltmeter. Connect the black lead of the
voltmeter to ground of your circuit and touch the connection ith the red lead of the voltmeter.
!f you have changed a transistor or !C double-check the orientation of the transistor or !C
make sure that the transistor or !C has the right pins in the right places.
Check the orientation of your electrolytic capacitors if you used used them
Check your resistor values throughout your circuit. !t is easy to accidentally use a +70k resistor
instead of a +.7k for example and this could easily make a circuit not ork correctly or at all.
With the circuit going measure the voltage at the battery terminal and make sure there is 9
volts. !f there are zero volts its possible you have a short in the circuit.
very gently tist the circuit board andfor move the iring connected to it to see if you have
bad solder connections. Sometimes the circuit ill spring to life because of a bad solder oint and
this can help to sho if you do or not.
!f you are testing the board in the enclosure and it orked hile it as out of the box look for
any place the enclosure or a pot or stray ire might be touching the board or a ire and
grounding out the circuit.
!f you are still having problems at this point make an Audio Probe see belo and trace
through the circuit.
Usin an Audio Probe
Using a standard guitar cord cut off one of the f+" connectors. Put a .uF non polarized
capacitor on the hot lead put the shieldfground to the ground of your circuit. Then simply plug
the other end into an amp and turn the volume lo. Once this is done you can use the tip of the
capacitor to probe around the circuit. ou can hear ho the circuit orks by touching different
places in the circuit. Start from the input of your stompbox and ork your ay through the
circuit. Follo the signal path to see here your problem lies.
49
ou can plug your guitar into the circuit and have someone else strum it hile you probe O you
can use some sort of a signal generator such as a keyboard radio etc to send signal into the
circuit. ou can hear the effect change the tone of the input signal.
This simple technique can alert you to cold solder oints if you hear audio before a oint then
none right after its probably a cold solder oint. ou can hear ho a transistor is amplifying the
audio. There is a lot you can learn by probing around the circuit
Special thanks to Aron of .diystompboxes.com and .diypedals.com for help ith
this trouble shooting guide
5
How to build an audio probe:
5
How To Modify Guitar Pedals
For this demonstration !ll use the sd-...but by folloing the
directions in this book youll be able to modify nearly any pedal
The first thing youll need to do is unscre the four scres on the
bottom of the pedal.
Put the scres the clear plastic and the bottom plate into a small tray
or bol of some sort so you can avoid losing any parts.
For other odd shaped pedals such as the visual sound please use
this guide ith the specific guide for those pedals included.
Lift up gently on the circuit board. This is hat the inside of the sd- ill look like.
5
When orking ith guitar pedals or any other electronic
equipment its advisable to discharge the capacitors
hich means you are bleeding off any stored electricity
inside the pedal.
Simply use a scredriver ith a rubberfplastic handle and
touch the solder pads and the pedal case at the same
time. Nothing ill happen visually that you can see but if
this ere a higher voltage piece of equipment like a guitar
amp you ould see a huge spark and hear a loud POP
All you are doing here is running a little bitty tiny bit of electricity to ground hich on a pedal is
ultimately the case.
DO NOT USE THE SOLDE!NG !ON TO DO TH!S-you ill end up messing up the solder oints.
Lets take a look at ho these D! kits are put together in this book using the D! forms. Here is
a sample D! form for the Boss SD-. We have three columns and sometimes there ill be a
fourth column. There ill be columns for Location of circuit board part mod value hich tells
you hat you are installing in this location and if applicable hat it affects. Sometimes there
ill be a stock value as ell this is simply telling you hat the stock part as though in the
neer D! forms ! dont list that usually.
Also notice that there isnt alays something under hat it affects. This is because not EvE
change is going to yield a huge change sometimes + or 5 changes together ill give you a
specific change but individually the change is subtle.
53
Carefully look over your modification details locate the first change to be made. ou can
actually start herever you ant but its generally good habit to start from the top.
T!P On any circuit board you ill see letters and numbers generally
hich ill be referenced on the mod
details.
!f you arent sure hat kind of part it is heres a tip
D D!ODE
C CAPAC!TO
ES!STO
!C !C CH!P ALSO CALLED OP-ANP
Q TANS!STO
Locate the part numbers on the pedals circuit board and the modification details. Begin marking
the solder oints ith a black felt tip marker AN color ill do actually
54
When done marking the solder pads it ill
look something like this of course
depending on the specific changes OU
pedal requires
T!P !f you mark the rong capacitor dont orry about it you can
leave it alone or hat ! sometimes do is reheat the
solder oint ust slightly hich ill remove the marker.
Leaving it ont hurt anything it ust might confuse
you if you have a lot of markings on your pedal
To remove the current component that ill be replaced you ill need your de-
soldering braid and solder iron.
Place the face of your de-soldering braid on the solder pad on the circuit board. Apply your hot
solder iron to it for ust a fe seconds if it doesnt soak it all up pull the iron aay ait about
3 seconds and try it again ith a cleanfne piece of desolder braid.
ou ill see the soldering braid suck up the solder.
No Change the first component on the list. Then of course cut the legs off after you solder it
like you do after each component is installed.
NOTE On some boss pedals you ill see a bit of
yello epoxy be careful and use a needle nose pliers
to remove hatever you need to remove to get the
part in
No the most important time saver TEST THE PEDAL
AFTE EACH CHANGE
Let me say that again TEST THE PEDAL AFTE EACH
CHANGE
55

Why test the pedal That ay if you D!D mess up you kno that it has something to do ith
that last part you installed. !f you contact me about a problem be prepared the first question !ll
ask is Did you test the pedal after each change !f you say no ! cant be of much help to you
No need to put the back cover on ust plug it into your guitar and amp and make sure
everything is going as it should.
!f you dont hear any sound or it makes a funny sound then you kno something is not right.
First iggle the pedal a little bit to make sure nothing is grounding out against the case since
the cover and circuit board is no loose.
!f that doesnt fix it make sure the orientation of part is correct as in electrolytic caps
tantalum caps diodes and leds see chart included ith this kit.
Double-check the solder oints to make sure they are done properly-use of a magnifying glass
makes it a ton easier
Nake sure that the component you installed doesnt have its legs touching any other
components legs or against the case or anything that might cause it to ground out.
!f your still having problems simply remove the part and try it again.
99.9 of the time it is an incorrectly soldered oint. !f this doesnt solve the problem see the
troubleshooting chapter elsehere in this book.
Continue replacing parts on the circuit board by going don the
list. Check the pedal after each component is installed.
Resistors and capacitors (except electrolytic and tantalum
capacitors) do not need to be orientated any certain way,
there is no positive or negative side of them.
When replacing electrolytic and tantalum capacitors diodes LEDs LEDs are a type of diode that
gives off light hen voltage is applied to it all need to be orientated correctly.
See the Component chart elsehere in this book to get a better understanding of ho to kno
if a component ill need orientated or not.
56
When changing diodes make ABSOLUTEL sure you put them in correctly !f you dont the
pedal ill not ork hen on. Here is ho you ould orientate them in relation to the circuitboard
diagram andfor schematic
57
Some mods call for transistors to be used in place of diodes. This is because in some circuits the
transistors sound better. They also have a built in diode and a little bit of capacitance andfor
resistance hich gives them a unique tone hich is pleasing to the ear.
5S
Another ay of connecting the mpf02
59
Lastly you might ant to change the LED onfoff indicator. Unscre the scre and pull out the
mini circuit board gently ith your needle nose pliers.

Nake sure you mark the orientation of the led. ! alays mark the side that has the longest leg
hich ill be the straight side of the element see pic above arro is pointing to it but you can
mark either side. ust remember hichever ay the stock led is orientated the ne led must be
orientated the same ay. !f its not the led simply ont ork. !f in doubt touch your ne LED
6
on their solder pads ith the pedal plugged in and on. !f it lights up your good !f it doesnt
turn the led around.
!f you use a 3mm led like ! do you ont have to drill the case if you use a 5 mm led you ill
have to drill. First find a drill bit that is ust barely larger than the led.
Drill vE carefully and sloly. ou dont ant to go fast and go through quickly and risk hitting
something inside. Blo the metal debris out a can of compressed air helps but not absolutely
necessary.
Test everything once again before you put the cover back on.
oure Done Plug it in and play
6
General mods for nearly any pedal
!ncreasing gain using diodes

With distortion overdrive and fuzz pedals that use diodes for clipping you can increase the
output level of the circuit ith the expense of a little distortion by putting to diodes here there
ere one or changing the diodes to LEDs instead of the stock n++8 types.
Diode Configurations
Standard Symmetrical
clipping is common in most overdrives and
distortions some fuzzes. This diagram is hat a
typical clipping diodes section ill look like.
Notice that though they are in parallel they are
both pointing opposite directions.
Add a diode in series ith both diodes to
increase headroom make louder hile still
keeping it symmetrical.
Substitute stock diodes ith any sizefcolorftype
of LED to increase headroom make louder
hile still keeping it symmetrical.
6
Asymmetrical clipping is often used to make the
clipping more responsive and dynamic. !t more
closely resembles ho tube amps clip the
signal. There are a number of different
combinations a person can use. This diagram
shos a n++8 or n+00used ith a LED.
Still another ay for Asymmetrical clipping is
using to diodes one direction and only one
diode the other direction.
Naking the clipping smoother using a capacitor around diodes contd on next page
ou can put a capacitor in parallel around the 2
diode pair and mello out the high end of the
distortion. !ncreasing the capacitor value ill
cut out more and more of the highs.
Changing the capacitor value ill change the
amount of highs get cut from the clipping. Start
ith 00pf and use a larger size if needed.
Other possible sizes 200pf 500pf 750pf .
00uf .0022uf and so on. On the blues driver
mods ! sometimes use a .00+7uf to tame the
brittleness and it orks onderfully.


Change the capacitor material type

ou can also change the electrolytic and ceramic capacitors to any type of film capacitor. Some
people think this makes a huge difference in tone hile others can tell little difference.
63
Electrolytic caps have a looser tolerance f- 20 so a uf cap can actually measure a .8uf or
a .2uf and still be considered a uf. Changing to a higher quality film cap ill allo you to use
parts ith closer tolerances sometimes as close as f- 5 or even ! think this is here
most folks hear the difference mainly hen the cap is in the signal path. With that said as your
ears improve you ill start to notice that different types of components sound and feel different
from each other.
Change the diode type

Change the clipping diodes to different types and combinations in series to get different
"shades" of distortion. For example Germanium diodes ill be compressed and smooth-fuzzy
type clipping. Silicon n++8 n+00 n9+ etc tend to be more crisp tight and focused
sounding. Fets transistors and mosfets used in place of a diode see boss sd- mods for
example tends to add a little armth as ell as a nice squishy compressed clipping. Leds sound
armer as ell offer a great crunch and usually ill make the pedal sound louder as explained
a fe pages back.
Add a lowpass or ipass filter to cane te tonality.
!f you have a distortion overdrive or other effect that doesnt have a tone control
here is an easy ay to add one. This is called a lopass filter. The signal goes into
lug 3 of the volume pot lug of the volume pot connects to ground lug 2 goes both
to the tone control AND to the output hich is here the volume should still be
connected to. What you are doing is simply adding a ire from lug 2 of the volume pot
into lugs 2 and 3 or ust lug 2 it doesnt make a difference here lug of the tone
control pot connects to a capacitor hich then connects to ground. ou can also use a
mini-trim pot and keep this control inside the pedal. This mod orks GEAT on N
Distortion Pluss and DOD OD250 overdrives
64
Sould you use audio taper or linear taper pots?
ou can use either one at any time. The taper may not be as optimum on some applications.
Generally you ant to use audio for volume controls and sometimes drive use linear for
everything else. That being said you can use linear for everything. The both do the same ob
the difference is the rate at hich the resistance changes as you turn the knob.
!f you are using an audio taper pot and notice that it sounds as if the pot is very sensitive either
at the end or beginning of the turn of the pot that is a good indication to use a linear taper.
65
Wat kind of wire sould you use in your pedals?
!n general any type of hookup ire ill ork - from size 22 gauge and smaller. The larger the
number the smaller the ire - so 26 gauge is skinnier than 22.! like the "pre-bondedhookup
ire" from Small Bear Electronics.
httpff.SmallBearElec.com
!ts a cross beteen stranded and solid core - very nice. !n general solid core ill stay here you
ant but ill not like being moved and can break easily. Stranded is much tougher but resists
bends and ill generally not look as "neat" in an enclosure. !f the circuit is being mounted in an
enclosure and ill not be removed- solid core is ok.
Connectin a Potentiometer in place of were a resistor once
was.
Note that this picture ust shos you ho to hook the mini-pot up you ill need to remove the
resistor and connect ires to the legs of the mini-pot. Note that the resistor is shon only so you
understand hat to hook the pot up to. ou are actually going to remove the resistor and replace
ith ires connected to your pot.
see next page
!f you ant an external potentiometer to instead of an internal mini-pot here is ho it ould be
connected. Note that the resistor is shon only so you understand hat to hook the pot up to.
ou are actually going to remove the resistor and replace ith ires connected to your pot.
66
67
Nany overdrive pedals are a variant of a tubescreamer and most distortion pedals are a variant
of a N Distortion Plus. Even beteen these they can be mixed and be somehat similar.
To start lets look at a schematic of the Tubescreamer courtesy of General Guitar Gadgets.com.

6fC+ C netork controls gain eq along ith r9 and c7. For example for more bass make
c3 larger. This creates a frequency range that gets boosted and then distorted. For example a
stock tubescreamer ill have the frequency set at 720.8hz hich is very midrangey. We can
loer that frequency. Here are a fe examples
ey 6 resistor C3 capacitor frequency center
+.7k .uf 338.8hz
+.7k .5uf 225.9hz
+.7k .22uf 5+hz
To keep the same frequency response but add more gain to the circuit ill double the capacitor
value and divide in half the resistor value basically.
2.2k .uf 723.8hz
2.2k .22uf 329hz
2.2k .+7uf 5+hz
Here is a great page to find the frequency for your needs .muzique.comfschemffilter.htm
7 is loered to provide a cleaner tone ith the gain knob is turned don and r9 hich on the
tubescreamer is a pot can be increased to provide more gain. D and D2 are the clipping diodes
of course. C+ is a filter hich filters the highs and helps control oscillations histling feedback
sound
The N Distortion Plus schematic orks similar except that the gain pot ould be hat is 6 in
the above schematic and 9 is a regular resistor. This hoever makes the sound a bit muddy
hen the gain knob is turned lo since it is changing the frequency of the clipping.
6S
22 keeps the sitch from making a pop sound every time you step on it. The signal goes
through C and then goes into a transistor hich is acting as a buffer - making the signal a
lo impedance type of signal. The signal leaves this transistor and goes through C2 before going
into the opamp hich is the first gain stage. 5 here is setting a bias for the opamp hich
simply is needed to make it ork properly. !f e didnt have the input buffer e ould make this
resistor a larger value 00k or larger.
Sinal flow for te Tubescreamer
The signal is boosted and clipped beteen pins and 2 here D and D2 are diodes that soft
clip the signal. C+ helps to keep the noise don. The 500k gain pot orks ith 6 and C3 in
order to set the gain. C3 and 6 together form a calculation that ill determine hat frequencies
mainly ill get boosted and clipped. With a +.7k and .0+7uf as shon that frequency is 723 hz.
ou can change this by changing either C3 or 6 or both. The smaller the resistor the more gain
you ill have up to a certain point. !f it is too small you ill get oscillations high pitched hining
sounds.
The signal leaves pin and goes through 8 before passing 6 setting bias for the next stage
and passing C5 hich forms a "lo pass" filter - it shaves off the highs above 723 hz.
The signal then forms a lo pass ith the tone control frequency depends on here the tone
control is set hile going into pin 5. This stage not only shaves off more high end via the lo
pass filter that the tone pot forms but also boosts highs as ell. The signal then leaves and goes
through C8 and 8 before connecting to the volume control.
The signal then goes out of the volume control through C0 past 2 r2 and r2 both set bias
for the buffer stages and then into the output buffer. The signal leaves this buffer and goes
through 5 and C before going to the output.
69
How to Modify Danelectro Pedals
The Dano Pedals are a bit different so !ll detail a fe differences in getting them open here.
Nainly the main difference is that youll need to take the knobs off and the removal of the
circuitboard shon here over the next fe pages.
First unscre the back scres and all the scres in
the circuitboard. Put in a safe place. Pull the knobs off
of the front. !f you use pliers be careful-they can
scratch the knobs if they move around on the plastic.
Next gently pull the first smaller circuit board off of
the pins
7
At the same time pull the board in the direction
opposite of the acks.
Push gently on the knobs to pull the 2
nd
circuitboard out.
No follo the same directions and procedures as you ould ith any other guitar pedal as
detailed in the previous chapters.
When re-assembling reverse directions.
When installing 2
nd
circuitboard gently push the pins out ith your finger and insert the acks
first then set the circuit board don on the pins.
7
How to read te parts list for eac
modification.
Notice the circuit board location.
!f it starts ith a C it is a cap.
!f it starts ith an it is a resistor
!f it starts ith a D it is a diode
!f it starts ith a Q it is a transistor
Also uffmf nf and pf are all values of capacitors.
Uf is pronounced microfarad hich is hy some rite mf. Nf is pronounced Ninofarad pf is pro-
nounced picofarad.
7
Were To Buy Parts
ou can alays get parts kits from us at Guitartone.net our kits are specially laid out in such a
ay to make it very easy and eliminates the hassle of combing the various electronic parts
manufacturers ebsites searching through tons and tons of spec sheets looking for the special
part you need.
For example here is ho our parts kits look hen you get them
Hoever there are a number of other places to get parts. Nost notably
.digikey.com
.mouser.com
.diyStompBoxes.comfcartf -- Aron Nelsons WONDEFUL ebsite the Pinnacle of the D!
orld Aron has excellent 3pdt sitches transistors vero board diodes including the hard to
find germanium diodes.
.smallbearelec.com
Super great company to do business ith The oner is a stompbox guru himself and even has
several kits you can build. He caters to the stompbox builders and generally has everything you
ould ever need. Easier to navigate than digikey and mouser as ell.
Also adio Shack has comparable parts but they are a bit more expensive.
!f you go to adio Shack or a local electronic parts supply any film cap ill ork as long as it is
6 volts or LAGE. Same ith esistors and anyfall other parts. ! do not recommend using the
uF film capacitors from there though they are huge
73
Leds can be nearly any type get superbright or ultrabright leds
for onfoff light hoever minimum 000 mcd rating.
Nost importantly for any part is tolerance the closer the tolerance the more the pedal ill
sound like it is intended to. This is the main difference beteen poly film and metal film caps
the tolerance is usually closer on metal film though sometimes they might sound a little bit
different even the same values. Netal film sound a little more high end to me a bit cleaner.
Small Bear Electronics
For an easy ay to purchase from Small Bear go to
ttp:JJwww.uitartone.netJsmallbear.tm
SNALL BEA ELECT!C PATS L!ST highly recommended for stompbox builders
Part
Description
Link to purchase part
esistors httpff.smallbearelec.comfSearch.bokcategoryesistors
Capacitors httpff.smallbearelec.comfSearch.bokcategoryCapacitors2CLovoltagePolyFilm
!C chips httpff.smallbearelec.comfSearch.bokcategory!Cs-Op-AmpsandLinear
Diodes httpff.smallbearelec.comfSearch.bokcategoryDiodesandectifiers
Sitches httpff.smallbearelec.comfSearch.bokcategorySitches
True bypass
sitches
3pdt
httpff.diystompboxes.comfpedalsfindex2.html -- H!GHL ECONNENDED
Wire httpff.smallbearelec.comfDetail.bokno85
74
DIGIKEY
D!G!E PODUCTS www.diikey.com Diikey Part Number
Caps
+7pF Silver Nica CAPAC!TO 338-08+-ND
200 pf ceramic cap CAPAC!TO 375PH-ND
220pF Silver Nica CAPAC!TO 338-0+6-ND
+70pF Silver Nica CAPAC!TO 338-0+3-ND
.0 uF f .02 uF CAPAC!TO P+5+-ND
.0 uf metal film CAPAC!TO
P+53-ND O
P+5+-ND
.022 uf metal film CAPAC!TO
P+57-ND O
P+58-ND
.033 uf metal film CAPAC!TO P+59-ND
0.0+7F Netal Film CAPAC!TO P+52-ND
.056uF Netal film CAPAC!TO P+522-ND
0.F Netal Film CAPAC!TO P+525-ND
.5 uF metal film CAPAC!TO P+538-ND
.22uF metal film CAPAC!TO P+667-ND
.+7uf metal film cap CAPAC!TO P+5++-ND
F Netal Film CAPAC!TO P+675-ND
For more digikey caps ttp:JJdkc3.diikey.comJPDJT5J93.pdf
Any voltage is fine -- the smaller the voltage the smaller the part hich is easier to fit in a
pedal.
There ill be no difference in sound.
75
Nore Part numbers for digikey capacitors
76
Other
D!G!E PODUCTS www.diikey.com
Diikey Part Number
3mm White Super Bright LED 67-606-ND
ALUN BO 7.6 +.+ 2.2" HN8+3-ND
ALUN BO - + 3f+" W!DE
3 3f+" TALL f8" TALL
HN52-ND
n++8 diode N++8NSCT-ND
n+00 diode
n+002 n+003 n+00+ etc. ill all ork the
same. There is no n500 it is a typo in a fe
of the diy kits.
N+00G!CT-ND
0 desolder braid EB097-ND
generic 3mm red clipping led
LEDS used in place of diode
P363-ND
ultrabright 5mm red led CND3750-ND
ultrabright 5mm green led CND3+50-ND
TL072 !C chip op amp 296-282-5-ND

Digikey tolerance metal film resistors Part Number
00 ohm Netal Film esistor P00CACT-ND
+70 ohm Netal Film esistor P+70CACT-ND
Netal Film esistor P.00CACT-ND
2.2k Netal Film esistor P2.20CACT-ND
3.3k Netal Film esistor P3.30CACT-ND
+.7k Netal Film esistor P+.70CACT-ND
0k Netal Film esistor P0.0CACT-ND
22k Netal Film esistor P22.0CACT-ND
+7k Netal Film esistor P+7.0CACT-ND
00k Netal Film esistor P00CACT-ND
220k Netal Film esistor P220CACT-ND
+70k Netal Film esistor P+70CACT-ND
77
MOUSER
NOUSE PODUCTS
WWW.MOUSER.COM
PAT NUNBE
GENE!C CL!PP!NG LEDS 638-20+HD
BOSS STLE POWE ACS 63-+302
n3+a Germanium diodes
ill ork for n270 diodes as ell
526-N3+A
Neutrik f+" acks 568-NS23+-3
0.uF caps NT87+006+
0.5uF caps NT826+506+
SPDT Niniature toggle sitch 08-mstbmqe
DPDT Niniature toggle sitch 08-mdtbmqe
.00uf ceramic cap 75-c25x7r02k050b
n+00 diodes 82-n+00
n3+a Germanium diodes httpff.eb-tronics.comfn3+.html

7S
Modification Details for eac pedal
Boss !banez N Fulltone visual Sound Tubeorks Tonebone Danelectro
voodoo Labs vox Hughes 8 ettner Electro Harmonix DOD Dunlop Norley
Crybaby Narshall Proco at Arion Nobels Nesa Boogie Bogner and any
other company mentioned here are used respective of their trademark.
Notes Unless specified assume all capacitors ill be film capacitors. ! prefer the metal film caps
from Digikey.com see httpff.guitartone.netfbuyparts.htm . Also for clipping LEDs ! use
generic 3mm red ones though it doesnt matter. !t ont make a difference in tone generally. As
far as the changes !m making the folloing D! mods are simply guidelines and suggestions
from my experiments. They are made to allo OU to experiment ith hat ill ork best for
your needs.
! have tried to post a schematic henever possible and have gotten permission from everyone
ho oned the copyright of the particular schematic unless no contact information as given. !n
this instance ! have simply put found on eb on it if you kno of the person ho needs to be
given credit for it please contact me and full credit ill be given.
ERY IMPORTANT NOTEl TO BE NOT!F!ED OF UPDATES TO THESE NOD!F!CAT!ONS PLEASE
ENA!L diy-kit-updatesgetresponse.com and you ill be put on a mailing list to receive the
updates. ou ill receive an automatic reply if you dont your email is filtering it and marking it
as spam or unk mail.
To purchase ne pedals to modify at the loest prices go to www.uitartone.netJmf.tm
79
Arion Tubulator
BSN Brent Nason NOD
Location Nod value
A ES!STO
B .+7 Capacitor
C 0 ES
D N+00
E n+00 n+00 SE!ES
F
2 OF
THEN
UF F!LN CAPS
G .5 uf cap
"316 MOD"
Location Nod value
A ES!STO
B .22UF
C 0 ES!STO
D LED
E LED n++8 in SE!ES
F
2 OF
THEN
UF F!LN CAPS
S
Modification similar to a boutique overdrive *
Location Nod value
C 22k
G .5uf
B .uf
DE n++8 n++8 diodes connected in series one
set of these connected diodes ill replace one
stock diode.
A 3.3k
Tone pot Connect a 0k resistor on lug and lug 3 of the
tone pot.
*any LED will work about the same when used as a cliing diode
*This mod only reflects a similar sound to a oular overdrive oularized
by many avid overdrive edal fans
Note The Arion Tubulator is nearly identical to the tubescreamer circuitry.
S
Tubulator Schematic
S
ARION MDI- BASS DISTORTION
Location Stock value Nod value What it effects
C6 .003 .0 LOWES H!GHS AND SNOOTHENS
D!STOT!ON
D3 ++8 Germanium-led
in parallel
Adds los creates smoothness to tone. Also
makes it much fuller.
S3
BD- BUES DRIER
ull Body mod Tube mod
ocation Cane to ocation Cane to
C+ .22uF C+ .uF
C8 .uF C7 .0uF
C7 .uF C9 .0+7uF
C9 .uF C8 .22uF
C8 .0uF C00 .uF
C9 ENOvE NO
UNPE
D9 LED
D8 LED D0 N3+A
germanium
D0 LED C0 .uF
D9 UNPE C35 .0+7uF
C00 .uF C3+ .uF
C0 .uF C27 .0022uF
C35 .0+7uF C0 uF
C3+ .uF C7 uF
C27 .0022uF
C0 uF
C7 uF
S4
Hot Rod mod Brent Mason mod
ocation Cane to
C+ .uF C+ .uF
C7 .0uF C7 .0uF
C9 .00+7uF C9 .0uF
C8 .22uF C00 .22uF
C9 ENOvE no
umper
D9 LED AND .00uF
CAP !N PAALLEL
D0SEE !NAGE
ON NET PAGES
C00 .0+7uF D0 LED
D0 LED D3 LED
C0 .uF C0 .uF
C35 .0+7uF C35 .0+7uF
C3+ .uF C3+ .uF
C27 .0022uF C27 .0022uF
C0 uF C0 uF
C7 uF C7 uF
S5