http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/2010/02/zvex-mastotron.html
This layout is also verified:
Geiri's demo of his build:
And Finally. In case anyone runs into problems, here are thevoltages from a working board with all the pots maxed.
Supply at 9,33V
Q1 Emitter: 0V, Base 0,58V, Collector 1,2V
Q2 Emitter: 0,88V, Base 1,2V, Collector 2,3V
Yours should be around 10% away from these.
That's awesome. Thanks.
ReplyDeletehad a go at this tonight
ReplyDeleteno testing, went straight to box, got to wire the input output and ground then test tommorow.
fingers crossed! and thanks for the verified layout. :)
:o) I'm confident it'll work first time! Although before it was verified I was still cautious (as I usually am), but I always do this so I can test it before I wire up the switch:
ReplyDeletehttp://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j6/IvIark_2006/DIY/Mark%20Builds/1012110003_2.jpg
Just one more thing to take out of the potential problem equation! :o)
HI IvIark
ReplyDeleteThrew caution to the wind as above, but my growing confidence has paid off, the beast roars first time.
:)
Gutshot: http://i56.tinypic.com/2sb205j.jpg
Outer case: http://i55.tinypic.com/20pbwco.jpg
I still havent decided on a "finishing" technique, I want to print labels like Devi Ever if possible. For now, everything is silver :( but its what it works/sounds like, right?!
Oh yeah good idea with the in/out coupling to test :)
ReplyDeleteI dunno guess Im just getting confident, and working in a bigger box this time was easier. The fuzz factory in the small box was tougher.
Need some more boxes now, im all out !
Excellent, good job. I'm never bothered about the finish for stuff for my own use, but sometimes if I'm selling something the customer wants something a bit more interesting. Unfortunately there's not a lot of choice for us in the UK so we've got to pay over the odds with carriage from places like Banzai and wait forever for delivery! Get a few tins of spray from B&Q and then some plastic coated printable labels could be the order of the day.
ReplyDeletedo you mean clear coat spray from B&Q ?
ReplyDeleteany particular recommendation on that and the stickers?
Not just the clear coat, last time I was in B&Q they had a massive selection of spray paints which are easy enough to apply evenly. Musikding in Germany sell printable decals, but I'm sure you'd find some locally or especially on eBay.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.musikding.de/index.php/cat/c42_Folien.html
Got some decals from ebay. Think its gonna look similar to what this chap MadeByMike does, with some luck. tho I imagine he uses water slide.
ReplyDeleteIve just gone for some simple transparent vinyl inkjet. I have a nice photo printer. So heres hoping. Maybe some results by the end of the week but im going to Ireland with work then San Francisco, so not much time free :)
Which seller did you get them from? I got an inkjet for Christmas so I may have a play about myself with them. :o)
ReplyDeletehttp://myworld.ebay.co.uk/steclar704/
ReplyDeleteI went with the vinyl (NOT paper) transparent version. They have various. The listings look a bit cluttered, but they sent the item already in the post (ordered yesterday) so turnaround seems fast.
There is a lot of options though, eg paper vs vinyl, gloss vs matte. Ill let you know how I get on.
Hi,
ReplyDeletenice job.
Just a question: wich type of capacitors did you use? 2 electrolytics, 3 film, and the little 10nF blue one is a ceramic?
Would it work with 4 film capacitor?
Thanks!
So can the 4K99 be 4K7?
ReplyDeleteI got big eyes from seller at local shop.
Yes the 4K7 would be fine
ReplyDeleteAnd 22K instead of 20K?
ReplyDeleteYou can use close values for any of the resistors or caps. Just try to stay within maybe 10% of the value.
ReplyDeleteAnd what about log not lin?
ReplyDeleteIs there any difference in what type of capacitors do we use here (electrolytics,film,ceramic) ?
ReplyDeleteSorry for the next very lame question, but I just could not get 2K pot. Can I put there 1K or 5K :-)?
ReplyDeleteThey'll both work but I'd try them both first to see which one you prefer because it will affect the gain range.
ReplyDeleteTomorrow will be the day of first sounds :-)
ReplyDeleteSo, it almost works, looks like my wool pot does nothing, and it is always 5k no matter how I set knob :-(
ReplyDeleteNic, apologies I missed your post. The blue one is a multi layer ceramic but you could certainly use 4 poly caps if you want. I only used the MLCC because it had a 2.5mm pitch.
ReplyDeletemarwooj, I've never tried it with a 5K but even so I suspect something is wrong if it is doing nothing. The Wool pot is basically the main fuzz control and should take it from more of a harsh overdrive type sound to the full on fuzz. Check for unwanted solder bridges with a multimeter and for cold joints.
It looks like pot was broken, i replaced it with 1K and "the device" works great, thank you for all your help.
ReplyDeleteI just wonder if I put 1K pot on full up I have more or less fuzz than on a 2K.
From my point it looks like there is no resistance then we have the biggest fuzz.
So putting 1K is like it will never go clean, but who would want clean fuzz?
I made it with a 1k pot for Wool and it gives a good range to my ears. I wouldnt want or need more fuzz (!)
ReplyDeleteI just made this again with the 1k wool and its fine, also I have added the 5th knob from the mastotron and it performs as expected.
ReplyDeletecheers !
will update my blog shortly...
http://hownotomakeapedal.blogspot.com/2011/06/impromptu-woolly-mammoth.html theres the build diary :)
ReplyDeleteCheers for the layouts
ok, i will use a ceramic pot too, thanks for the answer.
ReplyDeletevery useful and friendly blog, my compliments!
Built this for the bassist in my band.. he loves it.
ReplyDeleteExcellent, glad the layout came in handy for you.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteJust made one, sounds great! Thanks a lot!
I use it with a guitar (C tuning).
However when I turn the pinch pot while playing, the difference is very very slight in my opinion.
Is it normal according to you?
Thanks again!
Greetings from Belgium!
Dav
You should get a lot of variety with the pinch, from 8bit nintendo sounds through to full on massive fuzz. I find it really usable.
ReplyDeleteDid you use the correct potentiometer value/taper
Thank you for this fast answer :)
ReplyDeleteActually I ordered a 500k lin pot (that's what I can choose while ordering), and I got a B500K... is it correct?
I've just checked the solders, no change... Still a very smooth variation.
:)
I tested the pots, they're all ok (and all LIN) (except the EQ pot which goes from 0 to 6 Kohms instead of 10K...!?)
ReplyDeleteNevermind... I'm already satisfied (for the newbie I am....)
I'll try something harder next time! :-)
Thanks again for the help
Hopefully someone sees this... What are the red boxes?
ReplyDeleteCuts in the vero tracks
ReplyDeleteI built this to these specs and it worked out great the 1st time. Nice sick fuzzbox. However my pinch knob is reversed. Its backwards. When I dial it back I get more pinch and turn it up I get less. Its wired correctly. Any suggestions? Thanks for the layout however. this is an awesme pedal.
ReplyDeleteDo the transistors need to be "matched"? I know in many fuzz circuits like the fuzz face the transistors need certain gains and biasing (which I have no idea how to do).
ReplyDeleteAwesome site. You are a god.
Thanks for your comments about the site. I've made this a couple of times now and they both sounded really nice. I think it's always worth socketing the transistors though if you're in the mood to experiment.
ReplyDeleteI've got an active guitar circuit and would like to pull of the mastotron. I see how to do the push pull pot off the input, but I was wondering if you ever did a vero of it with the switch? I feel like I found one the other day and lost it now!
ReplyDeleteI haven't done a vero layout for the Mastotron, but if you give me a couple of days I'll put one together based on this. A few people have asked now so I think I should pull my finger out! :o)
DeleteExcellent job!
ReplyDeleteI have a silly question: What is the voltage used polarized capacitors?
The 100uf electrolytics I used in these pics were 16V. So in a 9V circuit go for anything rated 16V or upwards, you could use 450V rated caps if you wanted but you won't get an audible benefit in doing so and they'd be huge, so the smaller the better really.
DeleteThanks for quickly answer. Now just go and buy components to build. The problem I see in the search for suitable aluminum boxes, maybe the metal box of tea etc. :-) Where did you get the metal box?
ReplyDeleteI'm in the UK and get them from Rapid Electronics. I'm sure you'll find somewhere local to you though if you do a search on eBay. The box I used for this was a Hammond 1590B which is 111mm x 60mm x 27mm. The next size up is also a useful box for effects and is needed for some bigger layouts, the part number of that one is a Hammond 1590BB and the dimensions are 118mm x 94mm x 30mm.
DeleteJust finished this, awesome sound. One thing though, my pinch knob works in reverse? decrease for more, increase for less? not like youtube demos?
ReplyDeleteI've used B500k and all wiring seems ok?
You may well be right, it's been a while since I played the one I made and I probably wouldn't notice anyway! :o)
DeleteIt's not an issue but do you have any idea what might cause it to be in reverse?
DeleteYes, I may have noted the wrong pins.
DeleteAhh ok, So I guess I just flip the wires on the pinch knob then?
DeleteHope you don't think I'm being picky, Just curious how these things work ;-)
No of course not, that's the kind of feedback I want so I can make sure these are as accurate as possible. I've built this one, but because because the Pinch is a less obvious control (when compared to the main controls like volume and tone) then I could quite easily have missed it.
DeleteCool, I'll flip the wires then see what happens :)
DeleteFlipped and working :-)
DeleteI usually do two of everything..one for me and one for Ebay.. so it pays for my hobby... here it is..
http://s1170.photobucket.com/albums/r534/vince371/?start=all
Very cool
DeleteI'd like to have a go of this but i'm a little confused! what are those little sockets your using to put transistors in? and how do i wire up to the 3pdt footswitch? And how come there's 3 other little boards i can see inside your box.
ReplyDeleteSorry i'm a beginner in this type of stuff. At the moment i've only gone as far as building a little LFO synth which people may know as APC or step tone generator... But i want to make fuzz.
The sockets are PCB header sockets like these:
Deletehttp://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/390343087188
I use them in every build so I can swap transistors easily without having to re-solder, and sometimes for other parts like certain caps so I can fine tune something to my liking. It's like adding breadboard functionality to a build which can be useful.
The additional vero you can see is the way I do pots with PCB pins, as you can see in this post along with the suggested switch wiring:
http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/2012/02/offboard-wiring.html
Good luck with your build, I don't think you'll have too many problems with this.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteWas just about to throw another of these together and discovered I only have one B10k.. I do however have a A10k, would I get away with that for either the EQ or output log?
Use it for the output. Log for a volume control always works.
Deletei've never seen resistors like those in the picture of the wooly mammoth board. what are they?
ReplyDeleteDale CCF55's, they're very good quality with nice thick leads. I've got a full set of them but tend to save them now for my best builds or favourite keeper effects.
DeleteI revisited this and noticed my pinch knob wasn't functioning as it should so I swapped out the transistors (2N3904)for some others and it works as it should now?
ReplyDeleteThe 'working' ones were from a different order. Is it possible to buy dodgy ones?
I suppose so mate, I'm sure there are failures in most components and you could have been unlucky enough to get that 1 in 1000 (or whatever the failure rate is)
DeleteThese are the numbers on them.
DeleteWorking ones - 2N3904 - 026
dodgy ones - 2N3904 - 8331
2N3904 - 011
all of the dodgy ones tested (about 15) didn't work as supposed to.
Those numbers probs mean more to you than me?
You can get the same number transistors from different manufacturers with different pin arrangements. Have you got a transistor tester on your multimeter?
DeleteMy transistors are 2n3904 - 022
Deletedo they work for the pedal ?
(2 years later ... i hope i'll get an answer)
There's no reason why not, just give it a try and see what your results are like. I've never taken much notice of the suffix on my 2N3904s, but I've bought them a number of times from a variety of sellers, have build the Mammoth a number of times, and it's worked fine every time.
DeleteI haven't even got a multimeter lol!.. the seller sold out and refunded me and I never got round to getting another.. I Think I need one really... From what I can see they're only about £7 with a hfe tester.
ReplyDeleteThis do the trick?
Deletehttp://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DM830D-Multimeter-including-Transistor-Tester-MM107-/150764831445?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Test_Measurement_Equipment_ET&hash=item231a48c2d5#ht_2339wt_954
Yes that looks good. Also consider one time getting a Peak DCA55. They're more expensive but you don't even need to know the pinouts, just hook it up and it'll tell you what it is. It will also measure germanium transistors and leakage which makes it invaluable to anyone wanting to build some of those effects.
DeleteI've bookmarked one of them... I'll look into one if I start messing with germaniums.... cheers Mate.
DeleteI build the Mammoth to specs and tried different 2n3904´s with hfe ranging from 140-200´s...But the pinch knob can only provide sound at the last quarter of turn.At full rotation it goes into a clean boost...guess it must be a bias problem?.:-(Any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteI built the Mammoth to specs and tried different 2n3904´s with hfe ranging from 140-200´s.But the pinch knob can only provide sound at the last quarter of the turn and at full rotation it goes into clean boost.I guess it must be a bias problem??:-(
ReplyDeleteI haven't got my Woolly Mammoth any more so can't check it but I definitely got sound throughout the rotation. It's just a variable feedback resistor, like the fixed 100K found in the Fuzz Face.
DeleteAre you sure the pot is ok? If you've got a multimeter check the pot resistance (it may not be accurate in circuit but it would emphasise something going drastically wrong with it like non linear changes to resistance during rotation). Also check the voltages you're getting at the transistors at both ends of the pinch pot rotation.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI flipped the wires on the pinch knob.Should i also move the jumper on the pot from lug 1 to 2 to 2 to 3??.
ReplyDeleteVoltages at full rotation:
Q1
C:6.51
B:7.28
E:7:86
Q2
C:6.39
B:6:46
E:7.11
Turned all the way down it is:
Q1
C:6.24
B:7.21
E:7.78
Q2
C:6.82
B:6.21
E:6.87
I posted transistor voltages here..But now they are gone(Not the comment i deleted myself).Weird...Same thing happened the other day.hence the double post.I type in a comment and when i check in again it´s gone?
ReplyDeleteYour posts are automatically being filtered out as spam and so I have to set them as "not spam" for them to appear on the blog. I'd send an email to the blogspot support to see if your email address or account has been black listed for some reason.
DeleteThe jumper should be 2 to 3 as shown above. Vince corrected that above but I hadn't uploaded the new layout.
Post a front and back pic of your board, and if I can't spot anything out of place and your soldering is all good, then chances are there is a faulty component somewhere. We know this layout works so the problem lies elsewhere.
The email address for my google account gets some spam (Although most is filtered out)...Don´t know if that would be a problem though? :-/
ReplyDeleteAnyway my camera is´nt too great with close-ups but i hope it´s sufficient.I spotted some sloppy soldering at the bottom right corner (Ground wire) that has been corrected now...Did´nt make any difference though.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg167/lofi73/28-4-12028.jpg
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg167/lofi73/28-4-12032.jpg
Well the cuts look right and the components I see appear to be the right value, so it's pointing towards a cold joint somewhere or maybe a component fault (assuming you've scored in between the tracks with a knife to make sure you don't have any unwanted bridges). Have you actually tested the pot yet, to see what resistance you're getting between the each outer lug and the wiper through the rotation? We know that the layout is verified so the problem has to be in the build somewhere that I can't make out in the photo, or an issue with one of the parts.
DeleteApparently some "Unusual activity" was registered on my google account?...Don´t know what that is about but i had them send a verification code and reset my password..Appears that someone has been messing with my account :-/
ReplyDeletePot is fine and i scrubbed in between traces again just to make sure.Double checked component values...But the pedal is still silent at the first two thirds of rotation of the pinch pot.
ReplyDeleteCan a faulty capacitor make this happen?.An electrolytic perhaps?.I am assuming off board wiring could´nt be at fault here??.I used the "Star grounding" method.
What would be ideal hfe´s for the transistors?.The ones i have in now are 150-60ish as far as i remember.Too low?
I have´nt made one yet but i guess it is about time i made an audio probe.Don´t know if it will be able to detect the problem in this case though?
Anyone have a wiring diagram for the switch for this pedal.Built one no probs just need to wire in a switch etc.
ReplyDeleteAnyone have a wiring diagram for the switch for this pedal.Built one no probs just need to wire in a switch etc.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone tried 2n2222 transistors in this pedal??
ReplyDeleteI have and the pinch knob didn't react the way it should. In fact I had to go through a few 2n394's to get the right hfe. It seems if there is too much gain then the pinch knob won't gate it.
Delete2N3904's I meant... My zero key has a crumb under it.
DeleteWhat kind of HFe values work best?I just got a tone of 3904's and they are all quite different in HFE wondered what was the advised values for the best results?
DeleteI didn't even measure mine when I built it. The first lot I put in sounded great so I left them there. Maybe Vince will be able to give a bit more info because I know he has played with measured values.
Deletehi, I have a hfe of 210 (2N3904) in mine and they seem to make the pinch control act in the 'correct' way. I had 340 hfe in before and the pinch did not gate at all. I have also placed a 210 hfe in the second position and the 340 hfe in the first position and they reacted slightly different but I would say around 210 hfe seems do react well..
DeleteAnother thing to take into consideration in the pickups. I would imagine the power of the pups would have an effect too. I might be wrong but I think I've read somewhere that these pedals aren't recommended with active pups. Too powerful I imagine.
DeleteCheers for the advice guys.
ReplyDeleteCheers for the advice guys.
ReplyDeleteHi guys..
ReplyDeleteI am a noob and have been building the SHO. However my 5.1 rev log pots are still on order from Germany. So I thought I would give this one a bash over the weekend......The caps are confusing me..... Which ones do I buy for the none electrolytic...Cheers
MKS or MKT plastic box capacitors are very good, but you can get cheaper polyester mylar caps. Those are good too. It took me a while too to understand how the values add up from pico (pF) to nano (nF) to micro (uF - u is actually µ).
DeleteCheck out these stores:
http://www.musikding.de/Passive-parts/Capacitors/Film-Capacitors/Wima-MKS2-02:::306_56_59_172.html
http://www.musikding.de/Passive-parts/Capacitors/Film-Capacitors/Arcotronics-MKT:::306_56_59_89.html
http://www.taydaelectronics.com/capacitors/polyester-mylar-film-capacitors.html http://www.taydaelectronics.com/capacitors/polyester-film-box-type-capacitors.html
http://www.banzaimusic.com/MKS2-5mm/
http://www.banzaimusic.com/MKT-Standard/
And this page will be helpfull in understanding values (i have printed and laminated similar chart to my wall):
http://www.justradios.com/uFnFpF.html
Oh. And welcome to one of the greatest hobbies ever.
+m
(why can't i remember to write everything in one post :))
DeleteFor picofarad values, you'd be fine with those extremely cheap ceramic plate caps. You can get silver mica caps in those values too, but the price is quite different :)
+m
http://uk.farnell.com/panasonic/ecqv1j224jm/capacitor-220nf-63v-5/dp/1854853?Ntt=1854853
DeleteWill these do for the 220 nf and 10 nf
Thanks for the support...
They look good to go for me ;o)
DeleteYes. Those would be very good choice.
DeleteActually maybe even better than what i suggested. I forgot about panasonic caps altogether..
Better is kind of odd word here, because in my opinion (and limited experience), may the cap be plastic box or mylar or any other type - it doesn't affect the sound that much. Quality and expected lifetime of the cap does matter, but i still don't think you can really hear a difference between Panasonic drop and Wima MKS.
I have build some boards with ceramic discs only. I've done it for testing purposes, but when i've built the board again with high quality parts, i noticed differences from very, very subtle to none at all. And in this scenario it's 1 cent disc versus 15 cent plastic box. Yes, you can get ceramic discs easily up to 330nF..
In general, my rule of thumb for permanent build is that everything from 1 picofarad to 820 picofarad is always ceramic disc. Everything from 1nF to 1µF (non-polar) is always plastic box or mylar. Above that - electrolytic.
Like everything else in talking about components, it's always really just about the preference of the builder :)
+m
True, I ripped open a BOSS MT2 today to mod and it's full of cheap ceramic caps.. I've got two Meatheads too, one with all cheap parts, the other with all pricey mojo parts... no difference at all between them.
DeleteThank thats very useful information regarding caps.
ReplyDeleteAny tips for soldering on vero. I have been practicing and get some spot on some a right mess..
ReplyDeleteI'm no expert either but what I've learned is not to have a high watt soldering iron as it is easier to fry components and the board itself. I have a 25w and before that I used a 15w.. both work well.
DeleteThin solder wire too so it melts quicker.
0.6 solder wire is the best in my opinion. 1mm solders are too thick. They need too much heat and if you have some cheap 1mm wire that is intended for 100W iron, you are sure to get cold joints. A lot.
DeleteI've tried 1mm wire, but it always gets a bit messy with that. And it needs higher temperatures. Some time ago, i got my new cheap soldering station with max 40W. I'm running it normally somewhere between half 2/3 power - so i guess that would add up to around 22W. I set it lower for switches though.
Solder needs to flow, and if you release the iron relatively quickly, you should get nice and clean joint.
So, in my opinion, everything from 14W to 30W is generally good.
+m
Thanks guys.. I am using a 25 watt,I got a low watts one as I read they are the better for tinkering with guitars, which I always seem to be..Thanks again, I was unaware you could get thinner solder. Mine is 1mm, I am gonna buy o.6.
ReplyDeleteGonna start build today, I will keep you updated...
0,3 solder is also good. I'm sticking with 0,6 but some people seem to love 0,3...
DeleteI've built this Mammoth twice. It's nice and easy build, although it's much better with bass. It's too big sounding for guitar, at least for my taste. If you want to hear more of my opinions :), try some Skreddy design next. Those are a bit more complex, but they do sound excellent. Most of them are just amazing, highly evolved big muffs or [insert your favourite vintage fuzz here]s. Like comparing apes to humans :)
+m
Or even simpler...The famous Meathead ;o)
Deletehttp://tagboardeffects.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/dam-meathead.html?showComment=1337597207053#comment-c76048960926173973
Yeah. That one is really great too! I built that with switchable caps some time back, and it's really worth it.
Delete+m
I'm back! :o) Thanks Vince for letting everyone know I was away, and to you and mirosol for continuing verifying and posting while I was away.
ReplyDeleteNo problem. And welcome back! Thank you once again for perfect layouts. Saddly my VTL5C* shipment didn't arrive yet, so i'm not sure what to build today :) There are a few choices though...
DeleteSeems like you saw my comments about missing tags :) Number 172 definitely makes you the king of verified layouts. I don't think anyone else has done that many verified in the whole world. Well, 28 more to go 'till the magic 200! :)
+m
No worries, glad you're back ;o)
DeleteMy eq doesn't seem to work very well.Everythung else is great anyone got any ideas?It is the correct pot and the wiring is fine.Are there any mods to get more adjustment from the eq control?
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone.
Tone circuit from the big muff..
DeleteNoob here
ReplyDeleteI just attempted this build and have gotten (twice) to the point where everything seems to work, except that the output column is very quiet. If I turn up the amp, I can hear everything else working, but that's not a great option. Any ideas/suggestions?
Thanks
I also started my vero addiction out with Woolly Mammoth. I had some similar problems that were solved by re-soldering some of the pot joints.
DeleteDid you use sockets for transistors? Minimal amplification could also suggest a bad transistor. You can also use a knife to go through all the strip gaps - just in case there is some nearly invisible solder bridge.
This is nice and fairly simple circuit, but 4 pots is usually where people (me including) can go wrong with their soldering.
+m
Thanks for the suggestions.
DeleteNot long after I posted I started getting suspicious about the transistor orientation. Looked a little closer figured out that that was the problem. Desoldered, flipped, and resoldered and it's working great!
Thanks for the great resource!!!
Noob spotted,
ReplyDeleteThank you IvIark for those layouts.
I just finished this build and I have a prob with the potentiometers. If I turn just 1/8 of the "OUT", the output volume is really really to loud ! I placed a B10K potentiometer for the "OUT" (It's an Alpha Potentiometer B)
With the Pinch, if I turn it at maximum, I haven't any sound :/ (B500K). Do you have an idea if the problem comes from the potentiometers or from the board ?
Thanks
I had some trouble with this, I was really hoping this would be quick and easy! My wool pot doesn't seem to work but I tested it with my multimeter and it only read .2 while a new 2k pot reads 2.0 so I am guessing this is a bad pot and why it just sounded like crazy hard on fuzz no matter where I turned it. I also noticed after I built the darn thing that the comments mention the pinch wires need to be switched, so I will try that as well...It was hard to tell if it was working but my bass has active pickups so it was a bit hard to tell. I will report back in a bit if it works
ReplyDeletewool pot still isn't working...time to double check everything
ReplyDeletegot it to work :) still haven't switched the pinch wires though, too busy
DeleteThank you so much for all the work you do. I just did my first build (The Woolly Mammoth) and it is 90% of all kinds of awesome. There is one quirk that I can't quite diagnose:
ReplyDeleteThe 500K Lin "Pinch" pot is only reactive at very low values and produces a glitchy tremolo-esqe result coupled with a very aggressive gate that renders 90% of it's turn unusable. The pot itself is producing from 0-350K-ish ohm resistance. I tried to parse out what is going on in the layout such that I could understand which component(s) is/are working with the 500K pot to produce the pinch, or in this case, the malfunction, but I'm stuck.
Help? Pretty please with glorious bass fuzz on top?
hiya
ReplyDeleteIve built this for my mate, and one for me as well I've just mounted his up into the case and fitted the switch but it doesn't seem to work anymore. It worked in test mode without the switch.
It bypasses clean, but when you turn the volume knob down it adjusts the volume, and when you click the switch it goes off...
He only wanted it battery powered so have no 9v in, and also the LED isnt coming on... I used the wiring diagram on here. Any ideas?
(acertain_shadeof_green@hotmail.com)
Well if it worked before adding the switch but not after there's a good chance the switch is to blame. Check there are no bad solder joints and check with a multimeter that the contacts are making and breaking on the switch.
DeleteIf you think of the switch numbering like this:
1---4---7
2---5---8
3---6---9
2, 5 and 8 are the commons, and then as you switch you will alternately make and break the other throws. So looking at the first pole only if you get continuity between 1 and 2 you should get no continuity between 2 and 3, and those states change every time your press the stomp. If the switch is ok then it could be a grounding problem somewhere in the build. Again reflow and offboard ground connections and check with a multimeter if necessary to show continuity between all points of ground.
I think its a power issue... if I want to connect the battery so it goes off without a jack in, where would it be connected? I know how to do it with a Dc input, but not without.
DeleteI'm saying this as it does the same thing with or without a battery connected so its a fair assumption, the battery isn't flat either.
PS the kits are a good idea, lets have a fuzz factory!
Connect the negative side of the battery to the ring of a stereo input socket. Then you only complete the battery circuit when the cable is plugged in.
Deletestill no joy. No idea why. I'll have another look tomorrow! bit annoying!
Deletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ-noOFcVgs&feature=youtu.be
DeleteAnyone got an idea whats causing this problem on the video above?
It does it on my built pedals when connected to power supply but not 9v battery. No idea myself, anyone ever come across similar and solved it?
Sounds like it could be RF interference. A couple of things you could try:
DeletePut a low value resistor, like 100 ohm, in series with the supply. You can either do this offboard, or a better option would be to remove the 9V wire from the board and solder it to the left hand hole of the 4th row down instead. Then solder a 100 ohm resistor from the 2 hole 1st row, to the 2nd hole 4th row. And put in a track cut at the 3rd hole 4th row. That will mean the supply going to the board goes through the resistor first.
That should help but failing that you may have to fit a high value filter cap like 100u or 220u between the supply and ground. The problem with a high value filter cap is that it can tame down the fuzz too, so you want to do this as a last resort, and if you do it, socket the position and experiment to get a compromise between reduced noise and its affect on the fuzz.
would this be the case for all the builds i've done though? Its done it on a SHO as well but that pedal works perfectly with a battery! could it be the power supply thats the cause??
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI gave this one a go today, I'm 90% sure I've got everything done right but its not working.
ReplyDeleteI didn't have a spare LED lying around but that wouldn't make a difference.
However when I plugged in the bass, there was nothing, so i clicked the switch, then I just had the normal signal running through. So I turned the pots a bit had a play around, still nothing.
So I disconnected the batter, when I touched the battery, it was super hot, so I think I've done something to screw that up. Any common errors/ideas on this?
Cheers,
Connor.
Sounds like you have short there. Symptoms points there. As the battery gets hot, i can tell you that you should be happy for trying it with a battery and not a wall wart. You'd be one wall wart poorer. Battery can only get hot when it's shorted - all the juice is flowing from minus to plus terminal as fast as it can. I bet you don't have much voltage left in that battery.
DeleteCheck all the strip gaps and everything around the box. There must be a place where 9V wire or strip is touching something that it should not touch.
+m
Cheers mirosol, I've had another look through it, still cant find anything wrong with it, battery still gets hot :(
DeleteJust to verify, the black wire from the 9v battery, where should that be connected to?
Really hoping I don't have to desolder everything then start a new one tomorrow :(
Check the offboard wiring guide (courtesy of GGG, as it has battery attached to it):
Deletehttp://www.generalguitargadgets.com/pdf/ggg_sw_3pdt_tb_gi_dcj.pdf
Note that all the black (or ground) wires are connected together - all except for the battery -, as that goes to the ring of the input jack.
Now i'm guessing you have something really wrong with your offboard wiring... Hope the drawing above can help you sort it.
I used that for about 20+ of my first builds. Now i'm still wiring like that, except for grounding all "unused" pins on the switch.
+m
awesome dude! say I dont want a DC jack, what would I do with the red battery wire? I'm starting from scratch this evening :)
DeleteIf you want battery only, then take red battery wire to board +9V and negative to input jack ring - all other ground to input jack sleeve. This way you can still have battery disconnected if there's no plug in input jack.
Delete+m
I don't appear to have a ring, just a sleeve and tip :(
DeleteSo you have only mono jacks.. Well then you would wire it like this:
Deletehttp://tagboardeffects.blogspot.fi/2012/02/offboard-wiring.html
With a battery in place of 9V red and black leads.
Please note that there is one considerable downside to this. Your battery will keep feeding the circuit all the time unless you remove it. That means that the pedal will never be off and you'll need to change the battery every few days. So i wouldn't recommend doing that. I would either get a stereo jack or use DC jack only without a battery.
+m
ok need help, I built this as my first vero, so I might be (most likely am) making a stupid mistake somewhere...I built it, plugged it in, and it didnt let any signal through, and the LED did not light up...I looked closer and the LED burnt out...I looked even closer and realized the negative post on my power jack was butting against the top of a POT...i have since turned that so its free, I retested and of course still did not work...I am on my way to get more LED's and replace the burnt one and test again...is it likely that is my problem or would the LED being burnt out not prevent a clean or dirty signal from going thru to the amp?
ReplyDeleteNo the LED is a separate circuit and the effect would work fine whether the LED was burnt out or not. The negative post of the power adapter shouldn't cause any issues if it touched the back of the pot though. Both should be grounded anyway.
DeleteIf I were you when you're doing these, I'd build the board and attach the pots and then test it out of the box before you add the peripheral parts and stomp switch. Connect the input and output wires to the sockets using a terminal block, use a battery to a terminal block for the supply and attach all the grounds together to do the testing as per the offboard wiring layout here. If you don't do this first then you don't know whether any issue is the board itself, the offboard wiring, or even a faulty switch.
that's what I was afraid of about the separate circuit...thanks, the second part is great advice and will be followed in the future lol...lil late for this one tho haha...I have a gut feeling the issue is something to do with the jacks or the switch...mostly just because the layout was pretty easy to follow, but I had issues with the offboard wiring guide...mostly figuring out which posts on the jacks to use.
ReplyDeleteUse your multimeter to check continuity between lugs and contacts on the sockets. This is a pretty good image to save though:
Deletehttp://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a230/jj1565/jack-1.jpg
For the DC sockets, again use your multimeter to check which lug goes to which contact and remember the centre pin is always negative with this usual daisy chainable negative ground effects, so whichever lug gives continuity to the centre pin is the negative.
Hi
ReplyDeletedoes anybody know the voltage at the transistors pins in a full working unit?
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ReplyDeleteHello, (excuse my bad english)
ReplyDeleteI have finished mine today, it works great and on the first try. I had only problems with your true bypass wiring it didn't work and i have found something good on an other site, i don't understand why yours didn't worked.
Mine is not so clean then your pic, it's really messy actually.
Anyway thank you so much, i have lots of fun with this, and i will certainly do several others.
Hey There, This is my first build ever, and I'm just trying to wrap my head around wiring for the mammoth. I realize that all my grounds need to be daisy chained together. In your offboard wiring diagram you have the ground from the power jack connecting to the circuit board. Is the ground for my wool pot also going to connect to that same hole in the vero board? In your physical pictures of the pedal it appears like only one wire is attached at the ground bus on the left but it is hard to make out.
ReplyDeleteI also noticed that you are using 2 mono jacks is it wrong to use a stereo jack for the input on this pedal?
DeleteI used 1 stereo for the input and 1 mono for the output. You need a stereo socket for the input if you're using a battery snap to disconnect the battery when not in use. Having said that I only ever include a battery snap if I'm making a pedal for someone else who has requested one, for myself I always use 2 mono jacks and don't bother with a battery.
DeleteI can't remember how I connected all the grounds up in this particular pedal but I tend to solder a lot to the input and output sleeves and include a wire connecting the two together so you don't create a ground loop. But you could daisy chain them all if you wanted, out of one in to the next, out of that one and into the next etc. Or you could even use the bottom or 2nd row of the vero as a central point and solder all the grounds to the unused holes if you wanted to. They're ground rails so it would be perfectly acceptable to do that.
Built this guy today! Sounds awesome and worked perfectly
ReplyDeleteNice one Jacob
DeleteI built one of these with great results from the ptp layout, this layout the gate is not working and it is humming like crazy. I socketed the trannys and have gone through about 50 2n3904
ReplyDelete... No luck. Any ideas? I already reflowed my grounds.
I've built this a few times now, as have others so we know the layout is definitely right. If you're having issues then there are either problems with the build in terms of cold joint elsewhere, unwanted bridge, or you have a problem with one of the components. For things like this you're just going to have to methodically work through the possibilities to identify the issue.
DeleteTore it apart then tore out my hair when kept howling. So... I made another and went as far as cramming two 10k in parallel to get 4.99k stil howls. Here is the only difference in components the 3904 on the good pedal is marked k46, on the pedal that is giving me issues b331 not sure if this is an issue. I ordered one of th dc155 semiconductor detectives you mentioned in your layout for the ge tester. Have I thanked you lately?
DeleteI built my second mammoth and I have one problem, although it sounds great. Pinch knob don´t gate sound ("smooth 'gating' action, which gives you an absolutely eerie silence between notes") as it has to at the end (fully right). I don´t know if it is by bad hfe of 2n3904 (331) transistors, I measured about 400hfe both. I also measure these voltages on transistors: with PINCH fully RIGHT: Q1: C- 1,45v, B -0,55v, E-0v Q2: C- 1,34v, B -1,44v, E-0,84v; with PINCH fully LEFT: Q1: C- 1,21v, B -0,57v, E-0v Q2: C- 3,35v, B -1,21v, E-0,62v
ReplyDeletehi all, happy new yaear. i built this recently n it works fine... but it's very trebley n almost no low end.i know theyre sposed to have low end in spades so im a bit confused. any ideas where i could have gone wrong? cheers
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHey Guys!
ReplyDeleteThis is my first build on vero and i love it. Nice thick fuzz with a huge bottom end... What would you expect from a pedal thats called Woolly Mammoth^^
I have some issues with the tone knob, it basically does nothing and stays bassheavy with rich mids and almost no high end. There is no change in the overall sound at all. Any suggestions?
The wool knob works fine with a humbucker guitar, but with a strat, its more of a dull overdrive until i turn it all the way up. This is maybe because of the tone knob, but i dont really know, im quite new to this hobby. Any suggestions?
Thank you for your help and for this beautiful page.
Had the same trouble with the tone.So i fitted 2 resistors to simulate the tone in the middle position and then wired a seperate tone circuit to a pot.
ReplyDeleteHi!
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my first projects and it worked fine at first but, then i noticed that my guitar lost a lot a tone when going thru the pedal
any mods that makes this pedal appropriate for guitar?
Hi,
ReplyDeleteFirst-off, this is a great site and a HUGE treasure for musicians that are in the same boat that I'm in!
This will be my first build but I have a few questions - I'll try to keep it short.
I have two active circuitry basses (two 9v per bass) and a passive Thunderbird and they all get equal playing time.
1. I'd rather not have to build two Woolly Mammoth clones (one for my active one for passive basses). Is there a way that I could just build one and be able to use between them?
2. Is this layout only for 9V or can I connect it into my AC daisy chain?
3. lastly; I'm not clear on where the LED connects into.
I'm actually very mechanically inclined but I'm not so good at figuring out the parts/components list.
Thank you for any direction you can give me.
Hi, I don't think there should be any problems using the circuit with both active and passive pickups but I'm not really a bass guy. If the problem is the different level of the outputs then you could always add a pre-gain pot by taking the 'Input' wire to lug 3 of a 100k log pot, connect lug 2 to Input on the board and connecting lug 1 to ground. In answer to your other questions, the pedal will be compatible with almost any standard pedal power supply (Boss Type for example) and for the LED I'd take a look at the offboard wiring post. Hope this helps, good luck!
DeleteYep, the mammoth doesn't like active pups but as Madferret said about the pregain knob. Just like the impedance control on the Mastotron. Or just build the Mastotron as to my ears, sound near exactly the same but more versatile.
Deletehttp://tagboardeffects.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/zvex-mastotron.html
Thank you Madferret! I'll give it a shot - I expect to fiddle around a bit until I get it to how I want it. The off-board wiring page is a huge help, thank you very much for that!
ReplyDeleteCould I get a parts list please?
ReplyDeleteI built this one last week-end and i can't beleive the problem i'm having with such a small and simple circuit.
ReplyDeleteI almost have no sound out of it, just a very low signal with some dirty fuzzy saturation. All the pots do nothing.
I triple checked everything : cuts, solder bridges, component placement, component values, tried a few 3904...
So i started to probe it, and the thing that bugs me is if i connect the probe (ie the output) directly on the input jack, i have exactly the same very low fuzzy signal whereas i should get the clear guitar signal as it don't pass through the circuit.
I really don't understand...
Any idea folks ?
I recalled the first built of this one, and I had a very low fuzzy signal too. At first I thought it was supposed to be so, but when I twisted the fuzz(pinch) there was almost nothing changing. So I resoldered the wool and pinch knobs, and it finally worked as charm.
DeleteI'll check that, thanks
DeleteBuilt it a few months ago. Here are the pics:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=246863482121319&set=a.246863348787999.1073741827.100003930063241&type=3&theater
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=246863545454646&set=a.246863348787999.1073741827.100003930063241&type=3&theater
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=246863478787986&set=a.246863348787999.1073741827.100003930063241&type=3&theater
THX again.
I built this as my first pedal build. The problem I am having is that I get no sound unless I play the strings really hard, then i get a distorted tone. I checked all the values and orientation and everything seems normal. Everything works fine in bypass mode. Any ideas?
ReplyDeleteWill it be the problem of the pots? I once had a bad solder on the pinch knob, and it lost quite amount of fuzz and volume.
DeleteI have re soldered everything and still no luck. I did a test on the transistors and looks like one might be fried. I will be going out to pick up a few more tomorrow and hope that fixes the problem.
DeleteHi Mark and everyone, firstly thanks so much for the layouts, I've built this pedal and it worked first time :) I saw a clone online with an adjustable mid-frequency knob and I'd love to incorporate it into my build but I can't work out how.. I would imagine (and I could be completely wrong!) that you replace one of the resistors with a pot of similar value.. or alternatively use a pot to blend between two different cap values? if my theory is correct then i'm wondering which resistor or cap would be responsible for the mids in this circuit? I know that altering the input cap affects the low end, i haven't tried the output cap yet.. its a shame I still cant get my head around my breadboard to experiment with, my life would be a lot easier! Sorry if this is a noob question but any light you guys could shed on this would be super appreciated. Cheers
ReplyDeleteWhere do I find single row sockets like the ones in the image next to the layout? I'm tired of widening my boards to accommodate these huge round transistor sockets. That board looks juicy by the way :P
ReplyDeleteTry tayda.
Delete+m
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI built it yesterday. Pretty nice but with the 2n3904s the Pinch pot works more like some kind of crappy noise gate. When turning clokwise it gradually kills the sustain and adds some weird decay too to the sound. I changed the trannies to some old Russian crap that I had lying around which had significantly higher hfe value (about 530 instead of 130 which the 2n3904s were about) and the whole thing came alive. The Pinch makes still quite subtle changes, but it is useable now.
I have another problem too: the Wool pot seems to cut the fuzz pretty early, at about 1/4-1/3 of the whole turn there is no fuzz at all anymore. I plan to change it to an 5k pot that I have at home, let's see if that helps.
Also I plan to add some changes: an input resistor of 1M5 to make an appropriate input impedance and to prevent clicks, a diode in paralel to the 9V input to prevent problems of accidental reverse polarities and a cap in paralel to the 9V input for filtering the eventual noise from the power (though I have a filtered power source). These can be seen here: http://elkit.web.id/2011/04/zvex-woolly-mammoth-zvex-effects/
Further I think I'll try the bass/guitar mod from http://www.untrue.ch/test/WM/, except that I'm planning to use an on-off-on 3-way switch, so the middle position will be unchanged.
Any further ideas?
The pinch knob is meant to act as a gate.
DeleteAlso, I have built that PCB and there is no difference in sound compared to the above vero layout.
DeleteI see... Then it's just me not liking how it works with the 2n3904s ;) I did the other mods too. The input resistor decreased the overall gain a little and made the sound a tad muddier, but not too much, so I'll leave it that way. Also I added the components as mentioned in http://www.untrue.ch/test/WM/ The additional 15k resistor in paralel with the 10k resistor doesn't do too much according to my ear, but the 220nF cap in paralel with the 10nF cap at the EQ knob nicely brightens the sound if you are more into tha kind of sound. Overall a very nice and easy build, I made this first one for our bass player, but I might build one for myself as well :)
ReplyDeletePlayed a bit around, and found that putting a 2n3904 with hfe=140 in Q1 and a gainier tranny in Q2 (hfe=280) I get a nice result when I change the resistor at the collector of Q1 to about 10k and the resistor in series with the Pinch pot to about 28k. Lowering the resistor (to about 5k) at the collector of Q1 gives an even stronger effect when Punch is turned down, but then the juice is gone from the turned up status. Just if you wanted to know ;)
DeleteCsaba you prob need to clarify what you're using this with, i.e. bass, guitar, noise synth, etc...?
ReplyDeleteI've just finished this for bass. My boss says it sounds a little organic...I have to agree. But then I like that.
Cheers for the layout. I added in a dead battery pot, 5k....doesn't sound particularly amazing.
I've made a video of my build https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdHtwlebq94
ReplyDeleteThank you for this layout.
ReplyDeletehttp://i.imgur.com/A0hFtAU.jpg?1
I don't know if I will box it because I use the cutdown version but very cool.
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ReplyDeleteI'm very happy, this is the first time that a < 15 components build works at first try!
ReplyDeleteReally easy and great sounding fuzz, hope you like it:
Deletehttps://scontent-a-ams.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/1009899_539986242739895_197308749_n.jpg
BR
Guys, does anyone have experience with this using it for bass? I gave the one I built to our bass player and he couldn't be happier, but from time to time the effect "misbehaves", it does not have a sound, or just some weird farty sounds. Lately the second transistor died. Could this be because he is using it with an active bass? Plus from time to time he is using a Sweet Honey OD clone in fornt of it... Any advices are welcome, thanks!
ReplyDeleteIve made 4 of these now and is still one of my favorite fuzzes
ReplyDeletehttp://youtu.be/vEatCcHUY80
Got this one on breadboard right now. A really monstrous fuzz.
ReplyDeleteI Can really recommend adding a push/relax pot and a sub switch between EQ 2 and Output 3 like the Mastotron. (http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.nl/2012/02/zvex-mastotron.html)
They are almost similar.
That way you can have the 'original' Mammoth sound but also make it more usable for guitar.
I used 22n (+ 47n or 100u) for the 3way switch.
Now i can back it down almost to sound like a 'tube like' overdrive.
... and i have an active bass so the push/relax is a very usable feature.
DeleteWow! Just WOW! Can't believe the bottom end I'm getting out of my bass now when using this pedal. It has 2N3904's with hfe@191 and Panasonic ECQ/ECA caps. A quick and easy build producing some really incredible fuzz tones. One of my current effects is losing its spot on the pedal board tomorrow morning :)
ReplyDeleteWhat type of capacitor is the large 220 on the right side of the vero in this build? I've not seen anything like this yet (newbie). Is it essentially the same as the box cap you have used for the other 220 on the left? I have several of these 220 box caps but haven't used it in place of that huge cap as I wasn't sure it was correct to do so, and also the smalls pins on the box-shape caps aren't long enough to stretch over that many tracks on the vero. This is the only component I need to finish this build off. I'm in the UK and work right next to a maplins (rip off I know), but will happily pay over the odds for one component to get this working.
ReplyDeleteIt's a Vishay MKT368 100V +/-5% PET cap. I have quite a few values of that type of cap, I'm always looking out for things like that on eBay and often find lots of 100 or more single values going for good prices, so I get them when I see them basically.
DeleteI only used it because that cap had a perfect pitch for the span, but there's no problem in using any other 220n cap as long as the leads are long enough. So don't worry about that, I would have used a box cap myself if it had been a 5mm pitch.
Marvelous thanks for the quick reply. I guess this would also do the job then? It has a wider span than the 220n box caps i currently have.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.maplin.co.uk/p/metallised-polyester-film-022uf-capacitor-bx78k
Well it would work because it's the correct capacitance, but it's probably a bit too big. That has a 15mm pitch when you need 10mm so you may have to mess about a bit to get it to sit correctly.
Deletehttp://www.maplin.co.uk/p/polyester-layer-022uf-capacitor-ww45y
This one is 10mm pitch, but if you have 220n box caps with long enough leads, I'd honestly just use those. You won't notice a difference between them.
Excellent, thanks. Should get this one up and running tonight :)
ReplyDeleteHi, i think im having the same problem Csaba Dudás mentioned, im only having fuzz when the wooly is fully on otherwise is like a boost, and also when the pinch is all the way up im getting some weird noises. i made a small sample going the woolly all the way up with pinch off, and again with the pinch fully up and you can here the noise. Any ideas? Thanks
ReplyDeletehttps://www.dropbox.com/s/xfu6fjkhuiwlfw5/20140608%20173610.mp3
I had built one of these "manually" on perfboard a few years ago and forgot where it was, but I found it last night. I had robbed the footswitch from it, but it was all there otherwise, and dusty. I checked out this layout and ended up redoing it on a perfectly sized piece of vero that I had. It worked well, but the 2k wool pot was rather broken and was turning endlessly. I switched that out today and it's a great little box. Works well with my chain, especially on bass. My housemate hinted that he wanted one. Such a quick easy build, I'll have to make him one since he cleaned the toilet the other day. Thanks for the great site!
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI've built two WM following this layout, but i can't get them to work. i've tried to probe my signal and it seems that it stops on Q1 base. I've triple checked that part but i could not find any error. Also if i inject my signal on Q1 collector i can produce some sound from Q2 using only Whool EQ and Volume pots. Any ideas?
Thanks!
Triple check the 10n cap + 51k and 100k resistors. Also, a tiniest solder bridge connecting two lowest rows would explain it. What voltages you have on Q1?
Delete+m
Thanks mirosol for the fast reply!
DeleteEverything seems to be ok, no bridges or wrong connections!
PS 9.01V
Q1 C 1.68
B 0.13
E 0.00