Just attempted to mod my DS-1

[Blue Calx]

Yeah, fairly straightforward instructions, didn't seem to be having a hard time at all - used a solder wick, the parts all fit nicely, I was real careful with the iron...

And the result? Well, it's super beefy-sounding.... when it decides to work. It's pretty intermittant. Most of the time, I have to hold my foot down on the pedal to get it to work. Maybe I messed up the crappy plastic switch when I removed it? I think there's something else wrong too, since the high end will sometimes get really really choppy - farty-like. Sounds kinda cool, but weak. I wonder where I went wrong........ hmmmmmmmmmmm

Any sagelike advice from people who know the DS-1 inside and out? *ahem*stratdeluxer*ahem* ?

http://fuzzcentral.tripod.com/DS1.html there's the instructions I followed.

 

[mrid]

Re: Just attempted to mod my DS-1

What kind of soldering iron did you use? Something might-a gotten fried...

Also, did you check that IC was a M5223AL like the webpage said?

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Just attempted to mod my DS-1

Yeah, fairly straightforward instructions, didn't seem to be having a hard time at all - used a solder wick, the parts all fit nicely, I was real careful with the iron...

And the result? Well, it's super beefy-sounding.... when it decides to work. It's pretty intermittant. Most of the time, I have to hold my foot down on the pedal to get it to work. Maybe I messed up the crappy plastic switch when I removed it? I think there's something else wrong too, since the high end will sometimes get really really choppy - farty-like. Sounds kinda cool, but weak. I wonder where I went wrong........ hmmmmmmmmmmm

Any sagelike advice from people who know the DS-1 inside and out? *ahem*stratdeluxer*ahem* ?

http://fuzzcentral.tripod.com/DS1.html there's the instructions I followed.

Wish you would have sent me the pedal buddy...Why did you remove the switch? I just take the pcb and lay it over and work on the board like that..I use a soldering iron/solder sucker...This gives me a clean removal of each component and also saves the removed component...We live so close to each other,plus I change out the inline chip for a better sounding JRC one...Even if I have to fix your pedal for no charge,it's a shame to have an intermittent pedal....Man send me your DS1....That's just crazy buddy! I'll get it squared away for ya...Either you burned through a trace on the board or you have a bad or cold solder joint? The work is tedious and you have to where some magnifyer type glasses etc..or you won't be able to see the pcb clear...The connections are spaced very close together also and it's really easy to bridge across a component....I also don't stay with all silicon diodes and prefer to change one over to either an 1N34 or a 4001/4002....You might be missing out on the tone? It's your call.....LOL

John

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Just attempted to mod my DS-1

I just looked at that website...My mods are based on my own ears and differ from those...I guess if it sounds good,it is good....

John

 

[mrid]

Re: Just attempted to mod my DS-1

Man send me your DS1....That's just crazy buddy! I'll get it squared away for ya...

Do it, BC! I highly recommend John's mods! :cool3:

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Just attempted to mod my DS-1

Do it, BC! I highly recommend John's mods! :cool3:

Thanks MRID....We live less than 2 hours from each other...Drive over here and I'll fix it and you can watch and learn something at the same time...One of our other forum members is driving over here Monday from Orlando so I can put some Alnico 2s in his Les Paul...Contact me so I can help...If money is tight,don't worry about it... :smack:

John

 

[Blue Calx]

Re: Just attempted to mod my DS-1

Yeah, I would've sent the pedal to John straight away, but I like to get my hands dirty. Figured this would be a fun project to try with a pedal that I couldn't get a useable sound out of stock.

It wasn't a question of saving $$ by doing it myself, I just wanted to for the fun of it.

And those instructions specify that specific IC, but on the forum philip says that he just hasn't tested it with other models, and he just put that disclaimer to cover his bum. I checked and made sure beforehand that each of the components that I was to replace were of the same value as those listed in the chart. So no, my IC doesn't match, but I didn't just dive blindly into the mod.

And John, sure I'll let ya have at it with my pedal - what're your rates for hte mod?

man, I somehow would rather know what went wrong than have a working mod that I didn't have a hand in :-(

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Just attempted to mod my DS-1

Yeah, I would've sent the pedal to John straight away, but I like to get my hands dirty. Figured this would be a fun project to try with a pedal that I couldn't get a useable sound out of stock.

It wasn't a question of saving $$ by doing it myself, I just wanted to for the fun of it.

And those instructions specify that specific IC, but on the forum philip says that he just hasn't tested it with other models, and he just put that disclaimer to cover his bum. I checked and made sure beforehand that each of the components that I was to replace were of the same value as those listed in the chart. So no, my IC doesn't match, but I didn't just dive blindly into the mod.

And John, sure I'll let ya have at it with my pedal - what're your rates for hte mod?

man, I somehow would rather know what went wrong than have a working mod that I didn't have a hand in :-(

It's very cool to want to undertake and learn from doing it yourself...But: Pedal mods are tedious,the boards are easy to screw up,and you do learn by doing(We all do)...Drive over,I'll fix your pedal,we can meet each other,and you can buy me lunch....If this scares ya? :saeek: IM me for my address and mail me your DS1....Pick something easier to learn on...Pedals are a real pain in the a$$ sometimes(Even for me now)and I've have modded several...Congrats on trying...Now get the pedal to me and let me see what you did... :smack: :wink:

 

[Blue Calx]

Re: Just attempted to mod my DS-1

Ok! Consider yourself PM-ified.

 

[bvc310]

Re: Just attempted to mod my DS-1

Yes, if this is your first pedal mod, DS-1s are not what to do it on. Try a wah pedal to start a lot less complicated and a few mods can change the sound completely. THat being said, I just modded my DS-1 with great results. At first I accidently had a lead fromone of the large metal film caps touching a jumper causeing massive volume loss, but after a quick inspection, I put some heat shrink tubing on the cap leads and that solved all of my problems. BTW the mod was based on keeleys mods with some changed values.

 

[mrid]

Re: Just attempted to mod my DS-1

Try a wah pedal to start a lot less complicated and a few mods can change the sound completely.

That's a great suggestion...especially the VOX's (jacks aren't on the PCB...yet :laugh2: ). I started on a VOX wah, myself.

 

[Mojoe01]

Re: Just attempted to mod my DS-1

What kind of changes can be made to a Vox Wah? The only complaint I have is the horrible tone coloring. Is there any way to bypass this when its at least turned off? It totally kills my treble.

 

[bvc310]

Re: Just attempted to mod my DS-1

What kind of changes can be made to a Vox Wah? The only complaint I have is the horrible tone coloring. Is there any way to bypass this when its at least turned off? It totally kills my treble.

Yes, true bypass mods would help with the coloring. Try a google search for true bypass mods on your vox wah. Also, you can try changing the value of a resistor in series with your inductor(im not familiar with Voxs, but I have modded crybabies in the past) to change the vowel sound of the wah. There are mamny sites out there with good wah modding tips. This is however, not particularly easy either. If you have only basic oldering skills, I suggest working on other things until your skills are refined enough for PCBs.

 

[Blue Calx]

Re: Just attempted to mod my DS-1

holy crap! I just removed the bottom plate from the pedal, and now it seems to be working perfectly! WTF is up with htat!??!?

Anyway, just wanted to say that because I knew I did a pretty good job following the instructions and being neat about it!

John, I'm still comin' by thursday for your mod anyway - at least I've now got the satisfaction that I did actually get it right... at least I think so, anyway.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Just attempted to mod my DS-1

holy crap! I just removed the bottom plate from the pedal, and now it seems to be working perfectly! WTF is up with htat!??!?

Anyway, just wanted to say that because I knew I did a pretty good job following the instructions and being neat about it!

John, I'm still comin' by thursday for your mod anyway - at least I've now got the satisfaction that I did actually get it right... at least I think so, anyway.

More than likely the plate is putting pressure on or allowing components to touch each other..See ya thur..

John

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Just attempted to mod my DS-1

What kind of changes can be made to a Vox Wah? The only complaint I have is the horrible tone coloring. Is there any way to bypass this when its at least turned off? It totally kills my treble.

I recently did a Vox 847 for one of our forum members(zeppelinfan8790)...I put a dpdt switch in his which gave him true bypass upon stomping out of the wah,beefed up some cap values,gave the pedal more gain,and tweaked the "Q" which made his wah more vocal...

The other 2 improvements which we could have done to his,but didn't,would have been adding the Fulltone pot and inductor....My own 847 has every mod,plus the Fulltone stuff I Mention...There are alot of mods you can do to the Vox and the Cry Babys to make them sound better..If you look at my pedal board pictures you'll notice that I've added a power supply to my Vox 847....AND NO,I DON'T USE ALL OF THESE PEDALS....They're all on and around my board for show..I pick and choose via velcro,what pedals to use..LOL

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/stratdeluxer602003/album?.dir=/57d2&urlhint=actn,del:s,1:f,0