Hard Wired MXR D+ Fun With Building Pedals

[STRATDELUXER97]

My buddy Brian sent me this MXR D+ awhile back that we modded...Something got screwed up with the original pcb for whatever reason and I couldn't figure out what happened to it? Anyway,I then gave Brian a really great sounding Boss OS-2 that I had modded for myself and kept this broken MXR D+

I decided to order a new board and totally re-wired it and did a series of very cool mods to it...This one has true bypass,a green water clear LED,9 volt power supply and the original MXR pots...Notice there was no room for the 9volt battery adapter plug and that I had to move the input and output jacks down below the switch...It has asymetrical clipping and some added smoothing caps on the board...The metal film resistors and good quality caps make the pedal very quiet....Am I building pedals for forum members now? Nope! LOL....Just having some fun building instead of just modding...

I don't have sound samples,but I'm very happy with the way this one sounds..It has more gain and is still crunchy,but it's alot smoother,and has alot more balls...I stuck with the single op-amp 741 chip,but I see myself trying different chips...The pedal is all about great early 70's tones...Reminds me of The Who "Live At leeds" tones or a warmer crunchy Foghat,Doobie Brothers,Bad Company tone from the earlier days..Not really a fuzz,but a combination of crunchy gainy overdrive and a warm fuzz at higher distortion settings..

My plan was to put it together and sell it,but I like it enough that I think I'll play through it and have some fun with it....Lately I'm into putting some pedals together...It's alot of fun... :dance:

 

[Imp]

Re: Hard Wired MXR D+ Fun With Building Pedals

man, you're so goddamned neat! im jealous!

you know the DOD 250, dist+ and the microamp have similar boards?

tom

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Hard Wired MXR D+ Fun With Building Pedals

man, you're so goddamned neat! im jealous!

you know the DOD 250, dist+ and the microamp have similar boards?

tom

Hi Tom....Yep and they are very similar pedals,as is the Ross Distortion...Actually my wiring is kinda sloppy,but my circuit boards are always clean and all lined up nicely..Just like on my mods.... :laugh2: :laugh2:

It's my second pedal I've put together over the last few days and the hard wiring doesn't really meet my approval,but the pedals work and sound great.. :dance:

 

[kjrocks]

Re: Hard Wired MXR D+ Fun With Building Pedals

and where did you find that perfect matching tape? Dont tell me you custom color that too :laugh2:

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Hard Wired MXR D+ Fun With Building Pedals

and where did you find that perfect matching tape? Dont tell me you custom color that too :laugh2:

My wife had it...She uses the labels to color code keys for her business! Hey,whatever works.... :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

 

[ErikH]

Re: Hard Wired MXR D+ Fun With Building Pedals

Very cool. That is a simple circuit. I like that one myself. I'm sure you've lurked around diystompboxes before with you modding and such. If not, check it out. Lots of cool stuff going on over there.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Hard Wired MXR D+ Fun With Building Pedals

Very cool. That is a simple circuit. I like that one myself. I'm sure you've lurked around diystompboxes before with you modding and such. If not, check it out. Lots of cool stuff going on over there.

Yep...Pretty much since i've been on the net...I Must say in all honesty though,that my mods,are "my own mods"....Lately I'm just copying cool pedal circuits from pedals I've liked over the years...I never really cared for the MXR D+ but my tweaked version sounds warm and full and I Like it's distortion character alot better..

I like the stuff that JD has on his Guitar Gadgets site and this is the basis for my own trial and errors on building some pedals..

 

[Artie]

Re: Hard Wired MXR D+ Fun With Building Pedals

That looks cool John. Love to hear it. I gotta get my DS-1 down to you soon to get it Spina-fied.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Hard Wired MXR D+ Fun With Building Pedals

That looks cool John. Love to hear it. I gotta get my DS-1 down to you soon to get it Spina-fied.

Hey Artie...Let me finish wanking and tweaking on my MXR and then I'll send it to you to listen to...It's a great pedal...Not at all thin,shrill,and buzzy like the stock versions..If it doesn't have good tone and balls,I won't plug into it.. :laugh2:

No popping from the switch on this pedal,but the IC Buffer does pop? Both have pulldown resistors in the identical places...Not a big deal really,if the buffer is in line it's going to engaged anyway.. :wink: I Like the ability to click in or click out of any pedal I use.

John

 

[Curly]

Re: Hard Wired MXR D+ Fun With Building Pedals

I have one I should send you .. I never play the darn thing

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Hard Wired MXR D+ Fun With Building Pedals

I have one I should send you .. I never play the darn thing

LOL.....Probably cause it's thin,buzzy,has crappy flatulent distortion,and lacks lowend balls! Right buddy? :smack: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

 

[Artie]

Re: Hard Wired MXR D+ Fun With Building Pedals

Hey Artie...Let me finish wanking and tweaking on my MXR and then I'll send it to you to listen to...It's a great pedal...Not at all thin,shrill,and buzzy like the stock versions..If it doesn't have good tone and balls,I won't plug into it.. :laugh2:

John

That would be very cool, John. Maybe I could send the DS-1 back down with it.

Sorry I missed you on the 4th. We just had too much "stuff" going on around here. (Still do.) :yell:

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Hard Wired MXR D+ Fun With Building Pedals

Good to see you're still messin with pedals...payday's tomorrow so expect to see my trashed DS-1 in your mailbox soon

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Hard Wired MXR D+ Fun With Building Pedals

That would be very cool, John. Maybe I could send the DS-1 back down with it.

Sorry I missed you on the 4th. We just had too much "stuff" going on around here. (Still do.) :yell:

That's ok Artie...I would like to spend another day with you..Maybe there's a Jacksonville Guitar Show and I can drive up to you this time? I'll check inside my Vintage Guitar Magazine for upcoming shows...Being busy is very much understood brother! :smack:

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Hard Wired MXR D+ Fun With Building Pedals

Good to see you're still messin with pedals...payday's tomorrow so expect to see my trashed DS-1 in your mailbox soon

Just send it whenever and we'll get it done quickly for ya..

 

[Curly]

Re: Hard Wired MXR D+ Fun With Building Pedals

LOL.....Probably cause it's thin,buzzy,has crappy flatulent distortion,and lacks lowend balls! Right buddy? :smack: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

yes ... as a matter of fact, it REALLY sucks!

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Hard Wired MXR D+ Fun With Building Pedals

yes ... as a matter of fact, it REALLY sucks!

I was never a fan of the MXR D+ in it's stock form,but I have managed to coax some cool tones from mine now...Sought of like a fuzz but there's more note articulation and the gain cleans up pretty well if you volume the guitar down...Really it was the fun of putting all the components together and getting the pedal working again.The pedal has a kind of cool early 70's crunchy vibe to it I Like.Reminds me of "Can't Get Enough" from Bad Company or early Ted Nugent crunch and it's a tone I didn't have before. :dance:

 

[proxy]

Re: Hard Wired MXR D+ Fun With Building Pedals

Hmm I might pick one up to tinker with. What sized caps are those? I know my resistor color codes.