Continuing with the Hornby Skewes theme, time for the Shatterbox - original layout below using the old school large format 0.15" stripboard. Although I'm not sure if I actually want to build one this way... apart from all the off-board components, it's PNP silicon, which is annoying having a positive earth circuit with none of the benefits of germanium transistors.
HORNBY SKEWES SHATTERBOX - ORIGINAL 0.15" VERO LAYOUT
Photo from freestompboxes for comparative purposes below - a thread can be found here. Scroll down for the rest of the photos and the schematic on the FSB thread, as it actually starts with someone building one (pinkjimiphoton), not liking it and coming up with an improved design.
The original design has a 100k resistor to ground across the output jack, subsequently affecting all signal through the pedal - so this is not in the true bypass camp as it stands. It will affect your signal, whether it's on or off.
I suggest you modernise the switching if you choose to build it, and while you're doing that, you may as well make it NPN and add some LEDs. Just remember to flip the polarity of the electrolytic caps if you do.
How about doing a layout for a Zonk Machine together with a JHS Treble Booster, like Keen suggested? In my point of view the better Shatterbox. :-)
ReplyDeleteI have a couple of layouts for a MKI & a Rangemaster with the variable input cap combined, I just haven't published them yet. It's a project for someone that I need to get back onto.
DeleteThat sounds great. With regards to the Zonk Machine, I always wondered if they very intended with the Treble Booster, and the Zonk II Germanium with the Selectatone.
DeletePerhaps with the limited choices available at the time, pedal nerds of the day would just buy both.
DeleteI prefer the Zonk Machine with a bit more level hitting it up front. To my ears they always sound better with higher output pickups. My test guitar is a telecaster, when I couldn't get a Zonk sounding right recently I switched to a 335 with late seventies or early eighties Di Marzio PAFs and it immediately sounded way better. The Di Marzios aren't super high output, just regular humbuckers. Very noticeable jump in output compared to the tele.