Tuesday 1 January 2013

Boss SD1 Super Distortion

The SD-1 Super OverDrive pedal produces the warm, natural distortion of an overdriven tube amplifier while maintaining the subtle nuances of a player's picking technique. This is one of BOSS' more subtle and smooth overdrive pedals, perfect for blues and rock.






40 comments:

  1. Cool! Any chance of posting the Keeley Seeing Eye / Ultra modded version?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Keeley Ultra and Seeing Eye mods are for the Boss DS-1, not SD-1

      Delete
  2. Hey guys, this one's good to be tagged. Not much to say about it, it is what it is. And just in time too because it looks like Miro's just posted the Shredmaster!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha! Has the weekend started there too?!? :D

      Thanks man! I'll tag it right away.
      +m

      Delete
    2. :D The weekend never stops here.

      Delete
  3. I'd like to put in a request for the Boss ODB-3 bass OD. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi folks, I recently finished this build but seem to have run up against a brick wall.
    I substituted some of the parts for close matched in my stock and Im wondering if anyone can help by letting me know if Im right or wrong with regards to these changes.

    jrc4558 for a lf351n/ lm358n
    both 18nF caps for 15nF
    27nF cap for 22nF cap
    3 x 1n914 for 1n4148

    If these parts seem ok then if anyone can help diagnose, when I power up the unit im getting a buzz but no effect, however if I twang a string and unplug the unit I can hear the effect while the power drains from the unit.

    Any help is appreciated.

    Thanks
    Jim

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The LF351 is single channel, not dual.
      What are you IC and transistor voltages?

      Delete
  6. Hi Mark, Thanks for the quick reply. Swapped back to the 358 and noticed the +/- was connect wrong, school boy error I know however massive buzz coming through with the effect - took measures and here we are

    Pin 1 - 4.54
    Pin 2 - 4.53
    Pin 3 - 4.48
    Pin 5 - 4.53
    Pin 6 - 4.53
    Pin 7 - 4.53

    Top transistor - B - 1.91, E - 1.31
    Bottom transistor - B - 1.72, E - 1.21


    Have I measured them right ? Sorry I dont even think I scale up as an amature here. Thanks Jim.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi guys, i have a problem with this fx. No sound go out. It seems ok with connections but i have 8.34v on each pin exept pin 8 with battery volts. Somebody can help me where i can begin to control? Thx Rik

    ReplyDelete
  8. I forget to say i have MC4558 IC and BC547C

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There is a double link at pin 8 for the supply voltage at the opamp. Also in 4 is linked to ground so should be reading 0V. Check all your trace cuts and strips for shorts I would think.

      Delete
    2. BC547Cs would need rotating 180 degrees to keep the pinouts correct

      Delete
  9. I have tried to connect pin 4 to the ground dirwctly but its the same. Bc547c where rotating yet. I have a question cause i am newer one... in the layout pin 4 receive signal from E ccollettor of transistor. Is it right?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No pin 8 is connected to Q2 collector, because both need a 9V supply which it gets from the top row. Pin 4 is connected to the ground rail via a link. Remember the pinouts are like this

      1---8
      2---7
      3---6
      4---5

      Delete
  10. Sorry but if i look at the picture i see that pin 4 receive signal on the left that cames from transistor

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pin 4 is grounded, so the 10K resistor is simply a connection from Q1 emitter to ground. The signal goes from Q1 to pin 3 of the IC via the 18n cap.

      Delete
  11. Ok. I think some soldering aren't ok.. thx a lot fore info and patiente... i will control my work. Bye Rik

    ReplyDelete
  12. hello guys

    I have question according to led. Where does the Negative leg goes to?


    thanks

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hello could someone tell me if the vero been verified?
    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Ok it does not work at all :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It has been verified, plus it's based on the TS layout template and so has been built in one guise or another many times.

      Measure the DC voltage between all transistors and IC pins and ground and it should give us a good clue where your problem is.

      Delete
    2. I am building a new one from zero this night, cause I can't make it
      work. I can´t find the error :(

      Delete
    3. Did you do the double link and pin 8 of the opamp? Post the DC voltages you're getting between each pin of the transistors and IC, and ground and that could give a big clue where your problem lies.

      Delete
    4. I had a better luck today, it´s working with the new building now, it have not too much distortion but it´s ok I will be working in some mods. Thanks!!

      Delete
  15. Sorry for the newbie question, but is this diagram for the stock SD-1 with buffer bypass? And I'm not sure where to connect the switch, LED - and the 9V's ground wire...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No. Not buffered bypass, but input and output buffers for the effect are intact. Refer to offboard wiring guide here: http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.fi/2012/02/offboard-wiring.html
      +m

      Delete
    2. Thanks for the swift response. I'm actually doing a rebuild rather than a build, so all the parts are just stock SD-1 parts, the switch is just a 2 lug (momentary?) switch. I'm not sure how do I get that wired in. Also, which wire is the ground wire in the schematic above?

      Again, forgive me for asking newbie questions, this is my first (re)build project.

      Delete
    3. You can't do that with this layout. This layout omits the JFET-based switching altogether and requires the addition of complete true bypass method.
      +m

      Delete
    4. Aw, shucks. I didn't know that.. I guess I'll hold it off for some time before fitting in a 3PDT. Thanks for the help anyways, Miro!

      Delete
  16. Alternatively you can buy a "clickless true bypass" circuit that you should be able to use with the boss switch

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm pretty fine with the 3PDT actually, I don't mind the click. It makes it sound more substantial IMO. Thanks for the input anyways guys, you're all very helpful. After my coming gig (about 2 weeks later), I'll find some time to get the thing done and fired up.

      Cheers! :)

      Delete
  17. Has anyone seen this stripboard design with the markings indicating which components match up to the actual sd-1 schematic? For instance, c7, r6, r10 etc?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd love to know this as well. I've done some mods on my SD-1 I'd like to replicate when I build my own based on this tag board.

      If nobody has it probably won't be too hard to figure out by comparing to an SD-1 schematic...

      Delete
  18. Over the years..... its verified and sounds great! Jun fr Philippines

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi so I've built it, it passes signal and the tone and level control seem to be working fine but there's no clipping, gain knob doesn't seem to do anything. Logically the problem should reside somewhere in the gain area then (diodes/drive pot) but so far no luck, any suggestions? The IC measures about 4.5 volt on pins 1,2,3,5,6 and 7, pin 4 has 0 and pin 8 the full battery voltage.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I’ve built this, and it works in bypass, but no signal goes through when engaged, and there is intermittent crackling and popping.

    My voltages relative to ground are as follows:
    JRC4558D
    1: 7.47
    2: Varies wildly before settling on 8.24
    3: 4.08
    4: 0
    5: 7.4
    6: 7.47
    7: 7.47
    8: 9.01

    Q1 5088
    C: 9.01
    B: 2.84
    E: 3.41

    Q2 5088
    C: 9.01
    B: 8.92
    E: 8.35

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There was some kinda continuity between strips 1 and 2. Now that they’re gone, the voltages are as follows:
      JRC4558D
      1: 5.49
      2: 4.51
      3: 4.05
      4: 0
      5: 5.39-5.43 (cycled between both)
      6: 5.49
      7: 5.49-5.82 (cycled between both)
      8: 9.03

      Q1 5088
      C: 9.03
      B: 2.80
      E: 3.42
      (The tone pot would vary these values ever so slightly. Furthermore, there was an obnoxious, varying, loud, high-pitched squeal at the low end of the pot that would raise in pitch as the pot was turned, until fading out and being replaced by intermittent crackling.)

      Q2 5088
      C: 9.03
      B: 5.58 (probing this one caused the hiss to increase in volume.)
      E: 6.35

      Delete
  21. Works great, thanks! But the 10K Level pot should be linear, not logarithmic.

    ReplyDelete