Saturday 26 September 2015

Keeley Oxblood

Info about the original:
The Keeley Oxblood Overdrive is our response to everyone kloning pedals.
We wanted to build a new circuit that let players blend from perfectly clean to amp-crushing roar.
We wanted that impossibly huge and focused midrange that makes any guitar… Strat, Paul, Tele, sound incredible.  We knew we could do it our way and offer you more tone.
So we designed this pedal over the course of a few days to outdo the klones.

With the Keeley Oxblood Overdrive you roll off the Drive Control down and get a perfectly clean sound, you can dial in any amount of distortion and volume to stomp an amp into pure tonal nirvana.  The Keeley Oxblood Overdrive offers you two ways to clip and saturate your signal with overtones by selecting carefully chosen diodes.  Magical and Mythical, Monstrous and Most Satisfying they are indeed.




 
Posted by at 12:55
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37 comments:

  1. Rafael Sampaio26 September 2015 at 14:22

    Wow awesome! I am definitely taking a shot at this one this week!

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  2. plush27 September 2015 at 09:03

    This is pure gold, thank you!

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  3. Doron Barness27 September 2015 at 10:32

    WWWoooooWWWW!!!

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  4. sgtpetter27 September 2015 at 22:49

    Thank you so much! If you could post the BOM on this one, it would help a lot.

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  5. EvrgrnFX28 September 2015 at 06:26

    How do you make your electrolytic capacitors look like that?

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  6. Alex28 September 2015 at 15:51

    I use DIY Layout V.2 with Mark's updated library.
    Regarding the BOM, I won't be able to post it cause I must have misplaced some of the original files by moving them from one computer to another.
    I'll do it as soon as I find them.

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    Replies
    1. [b.s.a.s.]28 September 2015 at 16:09

      Hi Alex, can you tell me where can I download the DIY Layout V.2 and the Mark's updated library so I can try to collaborate with some vero's for the blog? :D

      Delete
  7. Fingaauuz29 September 2015 at 06:56

    would this fit into a a 125 box ?

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    Replies
    1. Unknown29 September 2015 at 07:18

      Definitely, it could even fit into a 1590b with careful measuring (and no battery).

      Delete
  8. Alex29 September 2015 at 11:05

    You can find V.2 here:
    https://code.google.com/p/diy-layout-creator/downloads/detail?name=diylc2_beta.zip&can=4&q=

    I've downloaded Mark's library here:
    http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=81887366826976817646

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  9. Unknown30 September 2015 at 09:28

    You would have to omit the 9V battery.

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  10. Frederik Erikson13 October 2015 at 14:05

    Hello,
    As I cannot get hold of any MAX1044, may I use a ICL7660CPAZ instead and if so, without any change in the vero?
    Thanks in advance for your support.

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    Replies
    1. Unknown18 October 2015 at 20:26

      First of all - thank you Alex for this awesome layout. @Frederic - ICL7660 should work as a voltage doubler, but may cause high pitched whine. I've built oxblood yesterday using 7660 and the whine appeared. Today I ordered MAX1044 and i'll let you know if it helped :) Sorry for my poor english :)

      Delete
    2. Frederik Erikson22 October 2015 at 08:28

      Hi Macko, against all odds, I built this pedal with an ICL7660S (I insist on the version S). The pedal works. It began whistling when cranked all the way up the same way my other high gain pedals did. I then soldered shielded cable from the input jack chassis to the vero. It drastically reduces this flaw. Apart from that, I have the feeling my pedal doesn't actually sound like the genuine Robert Keeley's Oxblood recorded on uTube. Life seems so hard sometimes!

      Delete
    3. Alex22 October 2015 at 12:46

      What did you use for Q1 (Hfe?) and Schottky? Did you experiment?
      Robert Keeley has posted the schematic but didn't mention the final diodes he used.

      Delete
    4. Unknown22 October 2015 at 17:50

      Today I recieved MAX and the whine is still there. I have the same problem as Frederic. The higher the gain the higher the volume of the whine. It also turns up when I switch to normal diodes or add more treble. For Q1 i've used BC550C(about 450 Hfe) and a 2SK117 for fet. My Shottkys are BAT41. Any thoughts? BTW, Alex, have you built it?

      Delete
    5. Unknown22 October 2015 at 19:26

      @Frederic - one more question. How does your whistle sounded? Was it about 4.5 kHz frequency changing slightly with turning of volume knob and switching phat switch? I'm just asking, cause maybe it's me, who screwed up something :)

      Delete
    6. Alex23 October 2015 at 00:07

      Haven't built it but Hozy31 did in the Forum section.
      He used a J201 (original JFet), a 2n5089 for Q1 (Hfe must be higher than 500) and BAT85s for D4 & D5.
      He didn't mention any whining in his circuit.

      Delete
    7. Unknown23 October 2015 at 03:07

      You MUST use the 7660S - ENSURE that there is an S because that denotes the frequency boost which will put the whine out of an audible range.

      Delete
    8. Frederik Erikson23 October 2015 at 11:01

      @Alex,
      I swapped the J201 for one 2N5457 without any noticeable difference. AS far as Q1 is concerned, I couldn't get hold of any MMBT6429. Complying with Mark's advice, I bought one NPN BJT delivering 500Hfe, more specifically BC549C. I also swapped it for one MPSA14 (Hfe 20,000) to check out. It didn't alter the sound, not drastically in any case. And as for D4 and D5, I soldered BAT41s. They sound darker than the 1N4148s in D2 and D3.

      Delete
  11. Frederik Erikson23 October 2015 at 10:53

    Hello Macko, after enquiring, there's no difference between ICL7660S and MAX1044 in our case. You can use one or the other. Its purpose in the Oxblood pedal is not to double the voltage but to invert it into negative. It has then no link with any whining, whistling, microphonic problem. You have to use shielded components from the input to the veroboard, more specifically one shielded 6.35 mm jack chassis socket and shielded wires from the input chassis to the 3PDT stompswitch and from the 3PDT stompswitch to the stripboard. This is mandatory for reducing, killing this whistling when all the pots are all the way up.

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    Replies
    1. Unknown23 October 2015 at 23:09

      So, when you shielded your build, was the whine gone?

      Delete
  12. Frederik Erikson25 October 2015 at 07:18

    @Macko, Hi, shielded wires erased the whistling when this pedal is alone on my board. Putting my pedals side by side may sometimes bing it back. This is due to the well known radiation stemming from the veroboard we've been using in our builds. Indeed, PCBs would annihilate any whistling. That's the real difference between us cloning pedals and the original pedals IMO!

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    1. Unknown25 October 2015 at 14:47

      Thanks for info, Frederic :) I think that that's the price we have to pay for pedals 10x cheaper than original :) Maybe some day i'll switch to PCB but for now it isn't worth the time and effort it needs. May our pedals be noiseless and our soldier irons hot! ;)

      Delete
  13. Frederik Erikson6 December 2015 at 20:13

    Hi, for those who would need the voltages. Here are mine. I also tried with a couple of TL072 and they are nearly the same. One thing though on this pedal: the phat toggle switch doesn't drastically alter the sound. This is a bit disappointing.

    IC1 NE5532
    4,50v 9,01v
    4,50v 4,50v
    4,49v 4,50v
    0,00v 4,50v

    IC2 NE5532
    0,00v 9,02v
    0,00v 0,02v
    0,00v 0,00v
    -8,70v 0,00v

    IC3 ICL7660S
    9,02v 9,02v
    4,53v 6,93v
    0,00v 4,60v
    -4,28v -8,70v

    Q02 J201
    G 4,08v
    S 4,45v
    D 9,02v

    Q01 BC549C
    E 3,61v
    B 4,01v
    C 9,02v

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  14. Frederik Erikson7 December 2015 at 15:15

    And here's the BOM:

    Capacitors
    1µ*5
    1µ E*1
    10µ*1
    100µ*2
    100n*5
    100p*1
    10n*2
    1n*1
    220p*1
    47µ*1
    470n*1
    4n7*1

    Diodes
    1N4148*2
    1N4007*1
    BAT41*2

    Int.Circuits
    8pin IC socket*3
    NE5532*2
    MAX1044 <=> ICL7660S*1

    Resistors
    100K0*3
    100R*1
    10K0*8
    1K0*3
    1M0*2
    2K4*2
    390R*1
    470K0*1
    4K7*3

    Transistors
    J201*1
    BC549C <=> MMBT6429*1

    ReplyDelete
  15. Unknown1 January 2016 at 01:52

    This thing sounds awesome! He's super clean to super dirty! Awesome pedal!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Frederik Erikson17 January 2016 at 08:56

    One advice for those who'd find this pedal too honky & bassy. Replace the 100n cap located at the fifth lug of the upper IC NE5532 by a much lower value like 4n7 or 3n3 or even 2n2. This will deliver a clearer signal.

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  17. Unknown28 February 2016 at 20:24

    Just built this thing last night... man its loud! Almost too loud as I can barely use the volume without is blowing out my ears. I used 1N456 and Bat41s for my diodes and a 15n cap at C1. I think it sounds great. Can't wait to play it at practice and see if it holds up and a real band situation.

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  18. Unknown10 March 2016 at 22:55

    Fredrick, great tip. I was a bit disappointed how muddy this was actually sounding when I played it in my band. I expected it to cut through the mix more. I changed this out and went to 33n. Any lower and it would just squeal at high gain settings. Really brightened the pedal up nicely. Thanks for this.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Unknown8 June 2016 at 21:59

    Hi All,
    I have a bit of a problem with my build of this unit, as Ralf say's it is very, very loud! But no matter how loud I have it or how far the drive is turned up, I can't get it to distort. Have used 1N4148 in D2, D3 and BAT41 in D4, D5.
    I have been over and over the board with magnifying glass and usb microscope and have rectified any mistakes but still no distortion.
    I must have done something wrong as my voltages don't quite match those of Frederic. Can anyone point me in the right direction please?
    Voltages below:

    IC1 (5532)
    4.53v 9.15v
    4.53v 4.53v
    4.52v 4.53v
    0.00v 4.53v

    IC2 (5532)
    0.003v 9.15v
    0.001v 0.21v
    0.00v 0.00v
    -8.93v 0.00v

    IC3 (ICL7660S)
    9.15v 9.15v
    4.54v 6.03v
    0,00v 5,18v
    -4.47v -8.93v

    Q1 (BC549C)
    E 1.262v
    B 1.779v
    C 9.15v

    Q2 (J201)
    G 4.12v
    S 4.79v
    D 9.15v

    ReplyDelete
  20. Unknown5 January 2018 at 09:21

    This is gold, thank you so much for sharing! I'm glad I found this after reading this review https://guitarunited.com/keeley-oxblood-review-kron-killer-the-best-klone/ and I can't wait to get started on this build. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  21. ξεναγός νεκρόπολης11 February 2020 at 17:45

    build this and it's too loud...i can't really understand why this has the transistor after volume control.. it sounds fantastic in the first 5% of the volume but after that it gets really loud and starts squeaking
    any ideas?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. mirosol11 February 2020 at 19:54

      That transistor after volume control is a buffer. Similar to tubescreamer and others. It's there to keep the output impedance constant, not to add volume.

      You could try logarithmic 100K pot for volume. That may give you more lower volume sweep on the turn. And in many cases, the squeeling goes away once the circuit is boxed, as that gives proper grounded shield around it.
      +m

      Delete
    2. ξεναγός νεκρόπολης11 February 2020 at 21:04

      thanks mate.
      actually it's boxed...
      also..the thing that got me confused is the reference to VR of volume pin1, while in original klon it goes to ground...that's why i asked about the transistor. i didn't know if it needed that VR reference to work.
      anyways..tomorrow i'll get a logarithmic pot and report back.
      thanks

      Delete
  22. aircraft of the aces22 February 2021 at 15:14

    Any chance for a better resolution vero scheme?

    ReplyDelete

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