Guitar-related Circuits

This directory contains various guitar effects schematics. There are so many of them, I decided to create for them a directory all of their own.

Files in this directory:

Most of the files found in this directory were contributed by Jamie Heilman, and all comments and observations are his. Address all questions to n9343176@cc.wwu.edu.
FXinfo.txt
A summary of the files in this directory.
4bandeq.ps.Z
4 band equalizer circuit
angrybd3.gif angrybd3.ps.Z
(Angry Beard 3) I won't claim this is the best fuzz out there. Its a very simple circuit and sounds pretty grungy but it gets the job done. Uses a overdriven germanium transistor.
axgrindr.ps.Z
axgrindr (Axe Grinder Distortion) Nice sounding distortion pedal with blend controls and surprising versatility.
bassman.gif bassman.ps.Z
(Fender Bassman - Tweed) Great old tube amp that uses 12AX7s and 5881s.
bclipper.gif bclipper.ps.Z
(Blue Clipper) The circuit of the plug-in-the-guitar distorter from Dan Armstrong. It's a back-to-back diode clipper driven by an op amp.
bigmufpi.gif bigmufpi.ps.Z
(Big Muff Pi) For that smooth Hendrix sound. Very popular, now being made by Sovtek. Great fuzz tone.
bosssg1.gif bosssg1.ps.Z
(Slow Gear Atack Delay) As the name implies it is an attack modifier to simulate backwards playing.
brighten.gif brighten.ps.Z
(Signal Brighteners) One circuit brightens the signal across the entire audio spectrum, has two controls for treble and bass brightening. The other just boosts upper frequencies.
bsynthX.tar.Z
(Bass Micro Synth) This is just about too much to explain, its sort of complex and it can do alot of pseudo synthish things. Comes in Guitar too. PostScript only.
cln9powr.gif cln9powr.ps.Z
(Ultra Clean +9v DC Power Supply) The name says it all.
controfz.gif controfz.ps.Z
(Contro Fuzz) Blends fuzz and strait signal in a subtractive manner that gives a clean attack with a distorted decay.
crybaby.gif crybaby.ps.Z
(Crybaby Wah-Wah) Looks like one of the earlier models from the components but I could be wrong. Still its hard to be the Cry Baby sound for what it is.
dodcomp.gif dodcomp.ps.Z
(Compressor 280A) Its a compressor pretty, simple except there is some speculation on its acutal correctness.
dodenvf.gif dodenvf.ps.Z
(Envelope Filter 440) Pretty normal envelope filter except it uses a center tapped CDS/LED device to achieve its enveloping effects.
dodfx75.ps.Z
(FX-75 Flanger) Flanger made using the MN30XX series chips. PostScript only.
dodoverd.gif dodoverd.ps.Z
(Overdrive 250) Say hello to the big cliche. MXR distortion + and a thousand others... Diode based clipper with tone control.
dualpabb.gif dualpabb.ps.Z
(Dual Preamp and A/B box) Originally designed for switching between harmonica mics.
ehbsters.gif ehbsters.ps.Z
(Eh Boosters) File includes muliple schems for Hog's Foot, Screaming Tree, LPB-1, and other simplistic boosters made by EH.
ehfuzzwa.gif ehfuzzwa.ps.Z
(Fuzz Wah) Standard or reverse sweep, combines wah+fuzz, (either/or) and uses a Muff Fuzz clipping section.
electra.gif electra.ps.Z
(Circuit similar to Electra Fuzz) This circuit is close to the circuit placed in Electra guitars at one point in time to achive overdrive. Is said to sound surprisingly like a TS-9.
eq.ps.Z
(10-band EQ circuit) Its a 10 band EQ, notch and boost fun.
fblender.ps.Z
fblender (Fender Blender) Excelent sounding fuzz device. Crazy octving effect, lots of fun.
foxfzwah.gif foxfzwah.ps.Z
(Fuzz-Wah) A fuzz, a wah, and an octaver all in one. Pretty nifty gadget.
fuzz001.gif fuzz001.ps.Z
Simple op-amp diode based distorter.
fuzz002.gif fuzz002.ps.Z
Transitor based distortion circuit.
fuzzface.gif fuzzface.ps.Z
(Legendary Fuzz Face) Jimi Hendrix's fuzz box. Roger Meyer probably "tuned" Jimi's though.
geuoctv.gif geuoctv.ps.Z
(Guitar Effects Unit) This is a fuzz/octaver with full wave rectification. Sounds pretty snazzy.
grnring1.gif grnring1.ps.Z
grnring1 (Green Ringer) Wierd ring modulator type effect.
gsynth.tar.Z
(Guitar Micro Synth) This is just about too much to explain, its sort of complex and it can do alot of pseudo synthish things. Comes in Bass too. PostScript only.
harmswtn.gif harmswtn.ps.Z
(Harmonic Sweetener) Possibly a selected frequency band distortion device, not unlike the idea present behind Aphex sound enhancement.
ibnzts9.gif ibnzts9.ps.Z
(TS-9) If you don't know what this is, then don't ask. Consider yourself lucky to be blind to the hype.
jhfface.gif jhfface.ps.Z
(Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face) Similar to the Dallas Arbiter model only uses more modern transistors. More of an aproximation of the original than a clone.
jordan.gif jordan.ps.Z
(Boss Tone)
jshfuzz.gif jshfuzz.ps.Z
(Fuzz) Fraid I don't know much about this one, uses transistors and diodes for clipping.
kaytrem.gif kaytrem.ps.Z
(Tremolo) This is a tremolo circuit from Kay, simple amplitude modulation.
lbgmuff.gif lbgmuff.ps.Z
(Little Big Muff) A smaller version of the Big Muff Pi, this one has a slide tone control and fewer options to take up less space.
maefuzz.gif maefuzz.ps.Z
(Fuzz) A fuzz device, made by Maestro.
mastrvol.gif
Master volume circuit using a dual pot for push-pull tube guitar amps.
mboomer.gif mboomer.ps.Z
(Boomerang) A wah-wah pedal made by the infamous folks at Maestro. Looks pretty spiffy.
mboomer2.gif mboomer2.ps.Z
(Boomer 2) Cousin to the Boomerang... probably just another version of the same effect, though it appears to function as a volume pedal as well.
mfuzrite.gif mfuzrite.ps.Z
(Fuzz-Rite) Yet another vintage transistor fuzz. Pretty extreme fuzz when I proto'd it.
mtsfuzz.gif mtsfuzz.ps.Z
(Modified Tube Sound Fuzz) A derivative of the Tube Sound Fuzz from Anderton. This one is by M. Hammer, and sports a tone control as well as bright switch.
mufffuzz.gif mufffuzz.ps.Z
(Muff Fuzz) Looks really basic, but sounds surprizingly sweet. This was the first of its kind. I suggest driving it hard to obtain a good fuzz tone.
mxfdistp.gif mxfdistp.ps.Z
(Distortion +) The 1976 version of this famous fuzz. Repleat with a ton of mods.
mxrhott.gif mxrhott.ps.Z
(Hot Tube Distortion) A Craig Anderton TS Fuzz look alike. Uses same 4049 chip trick.
obphaser.gif obphaser.ps.Z
(PS-1 Phase Shifter) A six stage phaser with setup instructions. Has speed switches, level controls.
olsonns.gif olsonns.ps.Z
(New Sound) A very interesting fuzz tone. Only uses 1.5v!
panner.ps.Z
(Forrest Cook's VC Panner) A voltage controlled panner designed for synths.
pcrat.gif pcrat.ps.Z
(The Rat) A distortion pedal. Model and revision unknown. Based on diode clipping with a tone control.
pcratb.gif pcratb.ps.Z
(The Rat) Same as above but newer (?) revision, type B. Only uses one bipolar transistor where as the other uses two FETs.
pipebomb.gif pipebomb.ps.Z
(Pipe Bomb) A tone/fuzz mechanism based on piping a guitar through a piece of PVC tubing to change the tonal characteristics. Gets wicked feedback if you put it to close your amp, lots of fun, very grungy.
preamps.gif preamps.ps.Z
Simple little op-amp and FET based preamps for guitar.
rd.ps.Z
(RD Artist) This is the schem for the RD Artist, a guitar with active electronics including a compressor and an expander in its circuitry.
screverb.gif screverb.ps.Z
(Stage Center Reverb) A sample of spring reverb circuit from an old Guitar Player. Article is by Craig Anderton.
smixer.gif smixer.ps.Z
(Simple Mixer) Try you effects in parallel, its pretty neat but you'll need one of these to do it.
smlstone.gif smlstone.ps.Z
(Small Stone Phaser) Issue J of the sought after Small Stone.
soulprch.gif soulprch.ps.Z
(Soul Preacher) This is a compressor. The same one used in the sustain section of a Deluxe Big Muff.
spreader.gif spreader.ps.Z
(EM Stereo Spreader) Subtractive stereo spreader, kit available from PAiA.
tonebstr.gif tonebstr.ps.Z
(Tone Booster) Circuit used to bring out clarity in sound.
toneccts.gif toneccts.ps.Z
Small preamp circuits with treble and bass controls.
tremoloc.gif tremoloc.ps.Z
(Tremolo Circuit) Basic modulation uses transistors, has rate and depth controls.
tubedist.gif tubedist.ps.Z
(Tube Distortion) Uses real tube, 12AU7A to be exact.
tubehead.ps.Z
(Tubehead Guitar 2 channel preamp) A stereo preamp. Hybrid system, uses 2 12AX7's to achive tube coloration without the hassles of hefty transformers.
tubemicp.ps.Z
tubemicp (Tube Mic Preamp) Similar to above, only one channel and optimized for mics, includes a page of mods.
univibe.gif univibe.ps.Z
(Univibe) Pedal used by Hendrix to simulate rotating speaker cabs. Parts list and descriptive text.
unvbachk.ps.Z unvbbchk.ps.Z
(Univibe check plots) Check Plots for R.G. Keen's univibe pcb layout.
unvbapcb.ps.Z unvbbpcb.ps.Z
(Univibe pcb layouts) Layouts for two versions of univibe circuits by R.G. Keen.
uvspfuzz.gif uvspfuzz.ps.Z
(Super Fuzz) Fuzz. Uses all transistors... 2n2222's. Produces an octaving effect.
voxtb.gif voxtb.ps.Z
(Tone Bender) Similar to the Fuzzface. Vintage fuzz from the days of Paul Revere and the Raiders.
voxtreb.gif voxtreb.ps.Z
(Treble Booster) This simple treble booster also includes mods on how to turn it into a fuzz device.


If you have any questions about the Circuit Cookbook archive or these Web pages, please contact Dan Charrois.