Build Your Own Clone Message Board

I can't believe it took me this long to try out the Marshall Bluesbreaker circuit. This thing is awesome. (as I'm sure most of you already know)

So I started looking at schematics of the original and some boutique-moded versions. And I messed around yesterday and today with several variations on a breadboard. What I ended up with is a combination of a couple different versions of the circuit.

It breaks down like this: It's mostly stock Bluesbreaker. I made some minor value changes to normalize things (27K to 22K, 6K8 to 4K7, etc). I dropped a R/C filter element between the op amp stages. I also changed the clipping diodes from feedback loop to clippers to ground (virtual ground that is, but whatever), and added a switch to select between two sets of diodes (and with a center-off switch you could do no diodes as well). And I used the tonestack from the King of Tone, which has an extra pot for "presence". Gives it a bit more flexibility. And finally, I auditioned a half dozen op amps and settled on the rail-to-rail TLC2272. This one to me sounds a little more natural (read: amp-like). It's got a hair more headroom than a typical dual op amp.

So, it's kinda a rehash, but a little new at the same time. And it sounds friggin awesome.

I named it after a reference to a character in Game of Thrones. Maybe next I'll do the Tyrion Drive.

Definitely gonna get boards done for this. At least enough for me to build some. I'll keep you guys in the loop on that. Prolly be a month before that takes shapes. Too much stuff in the pipeline already.

For those that are inclined, please feel free to make layouts of all kinds and begin enjoying this bad boy now.

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TightCamera - Gear Reviews

I just finished watching an on-demand episode of Game of Thrones! The kingslayer is barely hanging on.. good show.

That circuit sounds most interesting, and I'm looking forward to building it once you do boards.. I'm sure I'll be down for my usual two

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EricBarao.com | Facebook Artist Page

OTRFX Website | OTRFX on Facebook
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Awesome man, you're on fire lately!

I'll probably take couple one as usual when you get them...

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Completed with the aid/hindrence of much vodka...righthand side looks like three octopi playing twister.
UNVERIFIED, may not get to build it myself for a week, so check it over and build at own peril.
***Edit: The only person who should build this is Rookie. Won't work, I'll revise......

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"Spud knows tone"

codtone.com

Brian already nicked the name way ahead of you


Thanks for the scheme and mods though eff, and the vodkavero Ben

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I seriously need a bread board. If for nothing else, to add a step in there to slow me down in between reading CJ's cool threads and immediately wiping out my PayPal.

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Damn, didn't realize bean already had the name taken. He comes out with 12 new projects a week.

I was watching Game of Thrones just before I breadboarded, so the name was in my head.

Damn, now what to do? I already ordered a couple boards.

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TightCamera - Gear Reviews

That website only says "Coming soon!"- It could be argued that he was refering to your boards CJ?

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"Spud knows tone"

codtone.com

Nah, I remember now seeing that before. It was an honest mistake on my part. Bummer, I really liked the name. I'll have to figure out some other clever GOT reference and rename it.

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TightCamera - Gear Reviews

For the boards you already ordered, you can just modify the current name on the silkscreen.

You could hand write in a "w", so that it reads "Kingslawyer." That should prevent any lawsuits.

For the next run, you could just use an anagram of Kingslayer. So far, my favorites are:

Argyle Skin
Grainy Elks
Ask Yen Girl

I knew someone here would be good with anagrams.

"GALS YINKER" was the best I could do

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"Spud knows tone"

codtone.com

I'll just figure out another name. No biggie.


Maybe I'll go with "King in the North".

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TightCamera - Gear Reviews

Too bad, I really liked Grainy Elks.

Dothraki Whore
The Imp
The Bastard
Mother of Dragons
The Wildling
Whitewalker

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EricBarao.com | Facebook Artist Page

OTRFX Website | OTRFX on Facebook
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Nice work, Eric. We'll make it a community project.

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TightCamera - Gear Reviews

I vote for «Swiking Slayer» and if it happens I buy 10! Hahaha!

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+1 Dothraki Whore

Also, it's cool to see how many GoT fans there are on here!

How bout The DebtPayor. You know, cos' a Lannister always....

Or something after Arya. She's a little badass.

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Or maybe, "Joffrey the Whore Wrecker"

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TightCamera - Gear Reviews

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The Needle

Give the man a name. Then a man can have a pcb printed. - Jaqen H'ghar

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MIL-TDD-41

Got the boards in and they work great.

However, the only thing I'm not loving is the output volume is lower than I would like, especially with the silicon diodes in the circuit. At max Volume and Gain, it's maybe 10% above unity. And with Gain less than 75%, it's probably a little less than unity.

So, can anyone (Geek, you're an expert here) suggest some changes that might yield a bit more output? Is this common with Bluesbreaker-based circuits, or is it something unique to this circuit? It's not *that* different from the original.

I think upping the second op amp's feedback resistor (R7) will just give more dirt and not necessarily more volume, but I'm willing to try it.

I'm also considering reducing R6 to maybe 4K7, and R8 down to about 470R. Those may yield small bumps in volume. R9 might also be reduce to give a bit more volume, but it will likely change the cutoff frequency of that part of the tonestack. Another option is to increase the Level pot to 250K or 500K.

I'm trying to avoid increase the Gain pot value, as I really dig the mid-level gain range, and that's were it's being quiet.

Any ideas you guys have are greatly appreciated.

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TightCamera - Gear Reviews

Sadly, I don't have any suggestions for a solution. But I can say that in both KOT clones I've built have unity volume way past noon, generally between 2:00 and 3:00 depending on the gain setting. So, it may be the nature of the circuit.

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Thanks, Sax. That's kind of what I thought.

Hmmm, maybe I'll drop the silicon diodes and just leave the LEDs. It's a good bit louder than unity with the LEDs.

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Function f(x)
TightCamera - Gear Reviews