Big Muff Mid-boost w/Footswitch!!!

[Baltar]

I just did mine and did it wrong the first time. When you google the mod it will give you this youtube vid on how to do it.

This is wrong.  When you do the mod this way it will actually decrease your volume by -6db.

Here's the link to do it correctly, so that you get a +6db increase, and holy shit do you ever.

http://roadsideguitars.blogspot.ca/2009/04/adding-tone-bypass-to-ny-big-muff.html

This was dum-dum simple to do.  As in connect-the-dots colouring book simple.

Just make sure to lift up the leg that is closer to the edge of the board on C8 cap.  And the same goes for the R5 resistor.  And questions, just bmail me.  This can be done with DPDT and 3PDT switches w/ LED's so you know when it's on or off.




EDIT!!!!!

I just popped the toggle switch out and added a 3PDT w/ an LED!!!  Here's the pics plus the guts this time!!!!

[SpaceTrucker]

Gonna give it a shot, any tips for not fucking it up? other than "Don't fuck it up". Its for a friend so thats why i'm asking.

[Baltar]

Just make sure not to apply too much heat to the board.  I've fucked up a killer MXR 108 Fuzz and my LPB-1.  When you go to pull the legs off Resistor 5 and Cap 8 and they're not wanting to come out, just clip the leg with cutters and run the wires.  That way the traces won't get cooked.  Sometimes those legs are bent a bit and just pushing on them won't do the job. 

I also suggest using a 3PDT foot-switch instead, you'll save your back some grief and you'll be able to boost on the fly.  Plus you can add an LED easily w/ a 3PDT. 

Here's some helpful diagrams:





So basically you would just run the wires from lugs 1 & 2 on the SPDT the same as 1 & 2 on the 3PDT, then add the LED.  Hope this helps.

[Hemisaurus]

Just make sure not to apply too much heat to the board.  I've fucked up a killer MXR 108 Fuzz and my LPB-1.  When you go to pull the legs off Resistor 5 and Cap 8 and they're not wanting to come out, just clip the leg with cutters and run the wires.  That way the traces won't get cooked.  Sometimes those legs are bent a bit and just pushing on them won't do the job.  

How fucked is fucked? Components can be replaced, and boards can be repaired. Take some pics if you like and we'll take a look and make suggestions. Broken lands (pads in American?), you can replace with an eyelet or even a turret and solder to the trace, or the next component down the line.

this vid is similar to the method we were taught, but on occasion rather than using a through hole eyelet, we'd use a small turret instead and fix the component to that.

[Corey Y]

I did this to my NYC Big Muff a couple years ago. Definitely gives it a nice mid boost and a huge volume boost. It worked for about a day and then I had to have a friend fix it. One of the pots broke (just bad coincidence) and then trying to replace that a ton of wire came loose, it was like touching spiderwebs. My buddy rewired it with thicker gauge wires, redid the soldering on everything and replaced the caps with higher quality components for me. The tone stack bypass is pretty good for making that pedal a bit more useful in a full band mix though.

[Baltar]

Just make sure not to apply too much heat to the board.  I've fucked up a killer MXR 108 Fuzz and my LPB-1.  When you go to pull the legs off Resistor 5 and Cap 8 and they're not wanting to come out, just clip the leg with cutters and run the wires.  That way the traces won't get cooked.  Sometimes those legs are bent a bit and just pushing on them won't do the job.  

How fucked is fucked? Components can be replaced, and boards can be repaired. Take some pics if you like and we'll take a look and make suggestions. Broken lands (pads in American?), you can replace with an eyelet or even a turret and solder to the trace, or the next component down the line.

this vid is similar to the method we were taught, but on occasion rather than using a through hole eyelet, we'd use a small turret instead and fix the component to that.

Ugh I forgot to take pics when I did it.  I'm not tearing it apart again.  Just follow the first link I posted, it has the cap and resistor circled.  It's only 4 wires, 2 on lug 1, 2 on lug 2. One set goes to the legs of the cap and resistor, one set goes to the spots on the board where the legs used to be. That's all. Almost as easy as the R28 mod for the Phase 90.

[Baltar]

Oh, you mean the broken ones.  I think I gave the MXR to a buddy, I still have the LPB-1, It's switch broke off the board.  I'm not fucking with it, plus I cooked the traces where the LED went.  If you wanna buy it cheap for $20, or fix it for me and I'll pay you $20, I'll mail it to you.  I'll cover shipping, coming and going if you're in N. America.

[Hemisaurus]

How fucked is fucked? Components can be replaced, and boards can be repaired. Take some pics if you like and we'll take a look and make suggestions. Broken lands (pads in American?), you can replace with an eyelet or even a turret and solder to the trace, or the next component down the line.

Ugh I forgot to take pics when I did it.  I'm not tearing it apart again.  Just follow the first link I posted, it has the cap and resistor circled.  It's only 4 wires, 2 on lug 1, 2 on lug 2. One set goes to the legs of the cap and resistor, one set goes to the spots on the board where the legs used to be. That's all. Almost as easy as the R28 mod for the Phase 90.

I was referring to your MXR fuzz and LPB-1, most things can be resurrected.

[Hemisaurus]

Oh, you mean the broken ones.  I think I gave the MXR to a buddy, I still have the LPB-1, It's switch broke off the board.  I'm not fucking with it, plus I cooked the traces where the LED went.  If you wanna buy it cheap for $20, or fix it for me and I'll pay you $20, I'll mail it to you.  I'll cover shipping, coming and going if you're in N. America.

I actually have an LPB-1,  well actually it's a Hogs Foot/Mole, built into a wah pedal, for variable bass boost, but sure, if you want it fixed, send it on, there's like one transistor in there, it's not too bad.

[Baltar]

Message sent.

[Baltar]

BUMP!!!

[Hemisaurus]

Bump again

The Tone Wicker mod. That's just lifting one side of the 3 470pF caps that are in each gain section, right?



It's so freaking easy to mod between all the different versions

[Baltar]

C8 is a little hard to see in the photo, but lift the leg on the far end of the board. R5's right leg should be lifted. Just heat up the joint on the bottom of the board and pull gently on the leg of the component with needle nose pliers from the other side to remove. Careful not to damage anything. After the parts are lifted, clean up the holes with desoldering braid.


Next: The leads from contact 1 of the switch need to be soldered into the holes from where the components were just lifted.

The leads from contact 2 go to the legs of the components themselves. I recommend using heat shrink on these joints.

Here's my switch:



Lug number 3 is where you connect the LED.

[ryansummit]

hey
so i got the bm w/tw
gigged it last night and it ruled would like to change toggle to footswitch like you have
where should i start in process
seems like i should be able to splice led after switch, put led in toggle hole, then new hole for footswitch
is that about right or does the led have to come somewhere of the board
or should i leave well enough alone

[Hemisaurus]

which bit, the wicker switch, or the tone bypass?

[ryansummit]

i think the tone switch to get the boost real quick
how ive been playing lately and the guitar i use i dont notice much wicker diff
unless i got it backwards
but i think kickin the switchto get a boost would be a plus instead of bending over
heres a thought replace both toggles w/ footswitches
but first tings first, im no expert or genius and i lust for info from seasoned tradesmen
which one would you change to footswitch,if any

[Baltar]

Hmm, I'm not so sure on how to mod the new one. The toggle switches are probably mounted right to the board.  I'm done fucking with tiny boards like that.  To get the LED to work for me, I ran a wire off the board and one to lug 3 on the switch.

[ryansummit]

ill enjoy it for a bit
let someone else  crack theirs an let me know what happens
that boost is beast though

[Hemisaurus]

Hey Ryan, can you take a pic of the inside? Don't need to peel it apart, just so we can see what the board covers.

Ideally you should be able to solder a footswitch across the toggle, if there is sufficient space inside. That way, with the toggle off, you can use the footswitch, with the footswitch off, you can still use the toggle. Or you can just drop out the toggle, and solder wires into the holes, and hook them to the footswitch.

[ryansummit]

wow a camera a couple new pedals and some swords
and i breezed right through grammer class
im writin however the fuck i want from now on
pig latin, sandscrit, sumerian cuneform
askand ye shall recieve but let me peck my keyboard like a chicken on xanax

[Hemisaurus]

I think it will be as simple as getting a DPDT (or 3PDT will do, whichever is cheaper) footswitch, drilling the hole beside the current footswitch, and wiring the footswitch across the toggle switch, see coloured lines.



You probably won't even need to take the circuit out the box, just run the wires to the PCB lands, if it's a heavyish wire, fix them to the PCB with a blob of silicon caulk, or glue.

sorry, my first guess at where the switch was, was wrong, hence the update

[ryansummit]

i thought that i would be an easy process
puttin led in toggle hole
but that requires removing the board out eh
so if i put the FS in per your sketch
id have the toggle still working as well?
unless i took out board and worked it from the other side

[Hemisaurus]

Removing the board isn't too difficult, you need to take the knobs off, undo the nuts on the pots, switches, and jacks. You could put an LED in there, and use a 3PDT footswitch to toggle the LED. NB I was only guessing at the toggle to footswitch conversion, I have not seen a schematic for this model, nor have I yet had one to examine

[ryansummit]

ive used it a couple times at practice
and the tone switch comes in handy when throwing in echo
but  i have to bend down to switch it, no biggie
maybe i a few months
if you dont have one in front of you
i can take pics of process(slooow process)
and you could walk me through it
my asscrack stickin out aint too tuff