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Welcome to the Blues Box wiki!
The purpose of this project is to design, develop and release a Blues guitar-oriented multi-effects unit. It will draw heavily upon the legacy of excellent guitar effects circuits that have been developed over the past seven (or so) decades. The Blues Box will identify a set of high-quality effects circuits for inclusion
The selected circuits will be collected and the schematics captured into KiCAD. They will be laid out, routed and a series of PCBs will be designed. Their Gerbers will be generated and made available through the bluesbox repository.
The project will design a custom chassis/enclosure for the unit. All pedals will be installed within the chassis. The design will be made available as a 3D CAD model. Space will be made available for kit designers to apply their individual logo on the enclosure.
A pair of documents will be written. The first is geared towards kit builders. It will explain how to properly assemble the Blues Box. It will include both assembly instructions and troubleshooting tips. All test points will be documented. It will include all schematics. When a PCB allows for different versions of a circuit to be created, the document will explain how to asemble each variant. A second document will be written that is geared towards guitarists (users) explaining how to use each of the individual effects and the unit as a whole.
Most of the circuits will be purely analog. A few mey include digital components (such as delay or reverb), but their controls will be analog. No DSP or microcontroller circuits are intended for use in the Blues Box.
All resultant work products will be released openly through this github site. The intent is that effect kit companies will provide kits that hobbyists can purchase and use to assemble their own Blues Box. Companies may also sell pre-built units for those that do not wish to (or are unable to) assemble their own.
I am Dave Richards and I am a blind Blues guitarist. I have spent many years refining my guitar rig. I have found a number of guitars and amps that I enjoy using. The problem that has existed throughout my exploration has been my inability to find a set of guitar effects that I can use effectively.
There are many excellent guitar effects units available today. Unfortunately, most of them are not accessible to the blind. Consider that multi-effects units these days almost universally use LCD displays and/or touchpads. These are visual aids and are, unfortunately,useless to blind users. None that I am aware of provide voice assistance, for example. This is unsurprising. Most musicians are not blind. For the few of us that do exist, modern multi-effects units are largely unusable.
The BOSS ME- line is a refreshing exception. Each of the control parameters are accessible via manual knobs and switches. No menu-diving is necessary. It is not a perfect solution, of course. It is a heavily effect laden product. There is a lot of multiplexing of effects on controls. As is common with BOSS multi-effect units, the ME- exposes its internal DSP architecture to the user. It takes time to learn, but can be done. What it lacks is the orthoginality of a sequence of analog effects, which is easier to understand and memorize.
There are some products available, like the Sonicake Twiggy or some of the Keeley workstations, that both provide some excellent Blues-oriented effects and are accessible to the blind. Unfortunately, they are not designed to be complete solutions. Instead, they are designed to sit side-by-side with other effects on a pedalboard. This is understandable, but limits their utility.
One might argue that the modern pedalboard would be the perfect solution for the blind. I have not found this to be true. Pedals come in different shapes and sizes. They may be laid out logically, but the distances between stomp switches are not equally-spaced. Nor are they always of the same height. Using velcro to adhere the effects to the board is also problematic. It is not difficult to disconnect them accidentally during movement. This is one advantage that many multi-effects units have over pedalboards. They are a single integrated unit. They will not come apart when moved. They are also regularly-spaced.
Thus, the Blues Box is an attempt to create a blind-accessible Blues guitar multi-effects unit. One that even I can use!
Every engineering project is an exercise in compromise. Trade-offs must be made in terms of circuit design, component selection, etc. We need a model for making these trade-offs.
Each decision can be viewed through the lens of the formula: return = vvalue / cost. Our goal is to maximize the return. Unfortunately, although cost may be objective, value is not. This does not make the formula unuseable, however. Consider a simple example of stomp switch selection. One can compare three candidate switches and rate them in ascending order of value (quality). One can then compare the costs of the various options and ask whether the quality of each switch justifies the increased cost. At some point one would conclude that the marginal value increase does not justify the marginal cost increase. It is at this point we would make our component selection.
A second selection criteria is the 80/20 rule. We recognize that a product will never satisfy 100% of potential customers. There are many reasons why this may be true. Perhaps the customer is a professional musician and wants complete control over the effects selected, the order of the signal chain, etc. In this case, the Blues Box may be too constraining. On the other end of the spectrum, there may be customers that cannot afford something as large as the Blues Box. They may be building their rig one pedal at a time (which is not a bad approach). In such cases (the 20%) these customers will not be satisfied with the Blues Box. The goal is to focus on the 80%, those that can be. . For example, I am blind. I will never be satisfied with a visual guitar tuner. Thus, In my case, the marginal return will always be 0. But if 80% of the potential customers want a guitar tuner, then the Blues Box should probably include one.
Applying these guidelines requires both good engineering judgement and intellectual honesty. The Blues Box can never be everything to everyone. There will always be compromise. The goal is to produce the highest value product at the lowest cost that satisfies 80% of potential customers' needs.
The first thing that needs to be determined is which, of the many available guitar effects, are both appropriate for, and sought after by Blues guitarists. There is a strong affinity amongst Blues guitarists towards vintage guitars, pickups, amps and effects. This is natural. Guitarists often attempt to emulate the tone of their heroes. This tendency is demonstrated by the effects they utilize.
In his article Must-have Guitar Pedals for Blues, Paul Kobylensky (Sweetwater), introduces some of the effects commonly used by Blues guitarists.
In his YouTube video, Blues Pedalboard Tips for Beginners, Chris Harvey shares his wisdom on the subject. He also includes some nice sound clips of the Ibanez Tube Screamer, Klon Centaur and Nobels ODR-1 overdrive pedals.
In a pair of articles, The best guitar pedals for the blues, and, 7 types of overdrive pedal for killer blues Tones, Aidan, the Happy Bluesman, dives deeply into the subject of Blues guitar effects and, more specifically, overdrive pedals. .
In his video, How To Get Any Blues Tone, Josh Scott (JHS Pedals) goes into the history of guitar Blues music and explains how several pedals can be used to create these classic tones.
Mason Maringella (Vertex Effects), recommends specific products for different effect types in his video, The Best Pedals You'll Ever Play.
The TrueFire guitar blog article, 16 Guitar Effects Pedals Every Guitar Player MUST Have, provides an excellent introduction to the different effect types, along with specific pedal recommendations.
The Wikipedia article, Effects Units, provides a broad introduction to guitar effects, in general, not specific to those used by Blues guitarists.
The following sections summarize the effect types recommended in the above articles/videos. These are the "candidate" effects for the Blues Box. Not every effect type may be included. Some effect types, (such as overdrive), may have more than a single instance. The decision as to which effect types, and how many instances of that type, will be included will solidify as the design develops.
A boost effect (or booster) is primarily a signal amplifier. A boost that does not modify the frequency spectrum of the original signal is known as a "clean boost". Many clean boost pedals exist and have appeared on artists' pedalboards.
Other boost effects were designed to modify the signal (in addition to amplifying it). This was done to address tonal differences between guitars and amplifiers. A famous class of this type of effect is the "treble booster".
The Wikipedia article, Treble booster discusses a number of popular early treble boosters.
The boost effect has been used in many musical genres, including the Blues.
Mason Maringella (Vertex Effects) does a deep-dive on boost pedals in his video, A Complete Guide to Boost Pedals.
Josh Scott (JHS Pedals) explores the use of boost pedals in his video, Why You NEED Boost Pedals.
Scott Wampler (Wampler Pedals) goes into the circuits behind boost pedals in his video, Boost Pedals (Explained in Depth).
Aidan, the Happy Bluesman, introduces the different types of boost pedals in his article, Which boost pedal is right for you?. He then goes on to make specific recommendations for boost pedals in his article, Boost pedals: a bluesman's buying guide.
A Buffer is usually a unity-gain amplifier circuit that presents a high (~1Mω) input impedance and produces a low (~100ω) output impedance.
In the video, What Does A Buffer Do For Your Guitar?, Josh Scott (JHS Pedals)--in his usual humorous manner--explores the use of buffer pedals in effect signal chains.
Mason Maringella (Vertex Effects), discusses the use of buffer pedals in his video, What makes a GREAT buffer? He also adresses where buffers should be used in his video, Where To Place Buffers In Your Rig
In the Native Instruments Blog article, What is the chorus effect? How to add depth and texture to your music, it describes the chorus effect as follows: The chorus effect is an audio processing technique that creates a richer, fuller sound by blending multiple copies of an original signal with slight pitch and timing variations. The result is a sound that resembles multiple instruments or voices playing in unison, with a bit of shimmer and thickness.
Although chorus is not used heavily in the Blues, it has become a nice adornment utilized by some artists. A Blues-oriented pedalboard could probably survive without a chorus effect, it is considered a nice addition to the modern Blues pedalboard.
The Pedaltown article, Compressor pedal: what is the use and how does it work?, provides an excellent introduction to the compressor effect.
One of the key benefits of a compressor is its ability to "even out" pick attack. In this manner, the compressor is a convenience pedal that makes ones tone more regular and professional-sounding. This is demonstrated in a lot of country music where compressors are a staple. The compressor is present both on pedalboards and in the studio. Because compressors often act as limiters, they are also present in broadcasting where they are used to ensure that the source signal does not exceed the valid radio spectrum.
Counterintuitively, Blues music is largely focused on subtle emotive picking. Thus, the Blues guitarist would not seem to benefit from a compressor. Another benefit of a properly-configured compressor, however, is its ability to increase sustain. It is this latter attribute that usually attracts Blues guitarists to compressor pedals.
The Wikipedia article, Delay (Audio Effect), introduces the use of "delay" in music production. It explores the different technologies that were employed over the years to create the effect. They cumulated in the modern digital delay pedals of woday.
The delay is capable of creating vast musical soundscapes. Multiple taps, extended delay buffers and added modulation have resulted in amazingly dense productions, and has been used in many musical genres.
The use of delay in the Blues, however, has generally been limited to more subtle effects. A common use has been that of the slapback delay. In this configuration, a short delay of approximately 60ms to 250ms is used to create a very short echo. It produces a thickened sound, and is often inserted before a reverb effect.
Both vintage analog and modern digital delay pedals may be used with great success in the Blues, but the capabilities of modern digital delays may go beyond the needs of many Blues artists.
The Wikipedia article, Equalization (audio), introduces many types of equalizers. The use of equalization in sound production/reproduction is legion. Entire books could be written on the subject, and would be beyond the scope of this introduction. Our focus on equalization is constrained to its use in guitar, pedal and amp circuits.
It is important to recognize that equalization is used extensively by guitarists. The electric guitar's single-knob tone circuit, for example, is just the beginning of its use. (Unsurprisingly, there are various guitar tone circuits used in guitars, today.) Later in the signal chain we encounter many other equalizers. Effect pedals often provide their own tone-shaping circuits controlled by one or more knobs. The amplifier, itself, usually provides additional tone-shaping through its 3-knob, or in some cases 4-knob, tone stack. Older amps even used a single knob tone circuit (similar to that used by guitar tone circuits). Thus, tone shaping through some form of equalization circuit is virtually ubiquitous.
The graphic equalizer is also commonly used by guitarists. They are often available as separate pedals, but some amps actually provide built-in versions.
The parametric equalizer is also routinely employed by guitarists. Anti-feedback circuits are such examples of parametric equalization, used to avoid feedback that results when hollow-body guitars resonate in response to amplified signals.
In his video, Why You Need an EQ Pedal Josh Scott (JHS Pedals) explores the various uses of the EQ pedal.
Michael Banfield demonstrates how he uses an EQ pedal in his video, My 10 Favourite Ways to Use an EQ Pedal.
Fuzz is a type of distortion effect. In the Blues context, it was initially made popular by Jimi Hendrix, but has been used extensively ever since. The Wikipedia article, Distortion (music), includes a section on the history of the fuzz effect.
The Wikipedia article, Distortion (Music), explores the use of distortion effects in music. Wikipedia also attempts to enumerate these distortion pedals in the article, List of distortion pedals.
Overdrive is one form of distortion effect. It attempts to re-create the distortion that occurs when the pre-amp stage of an amplifier is saturated. Overdrive is used extensively in the Blues. In fact, it is used to create the "edge of breakup" sound common in the Blues.
Josh Scott (JHS Pedals) explores the history of distortion pedals in his video, History Of Guitar Distortion . He further investigates the different types of overdrive pedals in his video, Understand The Types Of Overdrive Pedals On The Market.
The Wikipedia article, Reverb Effect, discusses the use and types of the reverberation effect in music.
The reverb is a staple in Blues music. It is commonly built into amplifiers utilized by Blues artists. It is also available in pedal form and is commonly found on Blues guitarist pedalboards everywhere. It is usually considered an "always on" effect. Although it is used in many musical genres, it is considered a mandatory effect in the Blues.
The Wikipedia article, Leslie Speaker, explores the origins of the rotary effect.
The Wikipedia article, Tremolo (electronic effect), discusses the use of the Tremolo effect in music.
Josh Scott (JHS Pedals) offers his wisdom on the tremolo effect in, What is Tremolo & How To Use It? (Keeley Zoma, BOSS TR-2, Z-Vex Seek Trem, DeArmond)
The Wikipedia article, Uni-Vibe, introduces the uni-vibe effect.
In the video, What Is Univibe and How To Use It!, Josh Scott (JHS Pedals), explores his personal journey of discovering the uni-vibe effect. He enumerates many of his favorite uni-vibe pedals and provide sound clips for a number of them.
The Wikipedia article, Wah-wah pedal, introduces the Wah-Wah pedal.
A necessary aspect of the Blues Box design will be to determine the order of the effects in the "signal chain".
There are a number of YouTube videos that explore the question of how effects should be ordered on a pedal board. They include, How to Set up a Pedal Board (Easy Step-by-Step Guide), Guitar Effects Pedal Order Explained, How to order guitar pedals effects in signal chain, and Mason Maringella's (Vertex Effects), Effects Pedal Order Explained. He goes on to recommend The BEST Way To Stack Your Overdrive Pedals .
Based on the above recommendations,The Blues Box will order its effects as follows:
- Tuner
- Fuzz
- Wah-Wah
- Input Buffer
- Uni-Vibe
- Compressor
- Overdrive
- Boost
- EQ
- FX Loop
- Tremolo
- Rotary
- Chorus
- Delay
- Reverb
- Output Buffer
This is only an approximation. The "proper" order of overdrive and/or boost pedals, for example, is contraversial. Similarly, given how delays and reverbs are used in the Blues, guitarists may prefer to order either before the other. . The good news is that routing circuits can be used for re-ordering effects in the signal chain when a single order is contested. This flexibility does, however, come at a price, i.e., increase design complexity and cost.
design/accutronicsreverb.com/btdr2.pdf
design/holtek.com/HT8955A.PDF
design/princeton.com/PT2399-s.pdf
design/spinsemi.com/fv-1.pdf
- Aion FX
- AMZ FX
- ANALOG ALCHEMY
- Analog Is Not Dead
- B.Y.O.C. (Build Your Own Clone) Effects Kits
- CopperSound Pedals
- ElectroSmash - Electronics for Audio Circuits
- EffDub Audio
- EffectPedalKits
- Experimentalists Anonymous
- Fuzz Dog's Pedal Parts
- General Guitar Gadgets
- GEOFX
- DIY GUITAR PEDALS / STOMPBOXES / PCB
- GuitarPCB
- Das Musikding
- PCB Guitar Mania
- Pedal Parts Australia
- PedalPCB.com
- runoffgroove.com
- StompBoxParts
- Tayda Instruction Center
- Zepplin Design Labs
- Analog Is Not Dead: Circuit Analysis : the Boss BD2
- Doctor Pedal - Pedal Effects Dissected
- ElectroSmash - Big Muff Pi Analysis
- ElectroSmash - Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster Circuit Analysis
- ElectroSmash - Dunlop Crybaby GCB-95 Circuit Analysis.
- ElectroSmash - Fuzz Face Analysis
- ElectroSmash - Klon Centaur Analysis
- ElectroSmash - MXR Dyna Comp Analysis
- ElectroSmash - PT2399 Analysis
- ElectroSmash - Tube Screamer Circuit Analysis
- ElectroSmash - You Can Build the Perfect Germanium Fuzz
- Guitar Effects FAQ
- wamplerpedals.com: How to design a basic overdrive pedal circuit
StewMac offers the following series of articles on guitar wiring:
- Understanding Guitar Wiring: Introduction
- Understanding Guitar Wiring, Part 1: How a magnetic pickup works
- Understanding Guitar Wiring, Part 2: What is a potentiometer, how does it work?
- Understanding Guitar Wiring, Part 3: How is a volume pot wired?
- Understanding Guitar Wiring, Part 4: What is a capacitor and how does it work?
- Understanding Guitar Wiring, Part 5: Selector Switches
- Understanding Guitar Wiring, Part 6: Mini toggle switch and push-pull pot basics
- Understanding Guitar Wiring, Part 7: Output Jacks
- Understanding Guitar Wiring, Part 8: Grounding and Shielding
- Understanding Guitar Wiring, Part 9: Impedance and impedance matching
- Understanding Guitar Wiring, Part 10: Wiring Glossary
- Understanding Guitar Wiring, Part 11: Sample Diagrams
design/experimentalistsanonymous.com/OOP Japanese Electronics Book/alembic-boo-pcb.gifdesign/experimentalistsanonymous.com/OOP Japanese Electronics Book/alembic-fet-booster.gifdesign/generalguitargadgets.com/sbb
From https://effectpedalkits.com/shop/black-hawk-booster-kit/:
The Black Hawk Booster is a discrete MosFETeffect pedal that delivers a maximum of 30dB of ultra-clean gain with a minimum tone coloration. One of the best features of the Black Hawk Booster is its high input impedance: with almost 5MΩ, you can use it at any place in your pedalboard, specially in front of any device you want to avoid to load. The Black Hawk Booster doesn’t produce any distortion on its own, but is great to place in front of an amp and push it naturally into distortion.
This pedal only has one external knob: with the Boost potentiometer you can set the amount of gain of the pedal. And in case you need to lower your volume, just turn it towards the minimum and the Black Hawk Booster will act an as attenuator! The internal trimmer can be set to adjust the overall gain volume of the circuit, and once the sweet spot has been found it’s better to let it fixed.
design/effectpedalkits.com/black-hawk-booster-kit-building-manual.pdf
From https://diyeffectspedals.com/pedal-kits/boss/boss-fa-1-fet-booster/:
The Boss FA-1 FET Booster is a guitar effects pedal that can add extra gain to your guitar signal, and can also help to shape the tone of your guitar. It features a FET (field-effect transistor) gain stage, which can add a warm and natural-sounding distortion to your guitar tone.
The pedal has bass & treble controls that allow you to adjust the EQ of your guitar signal, and a level control that can increase or decrease the overall volume of the pedal. The FA-1 FET Booster is a great choice for guitarists who want to add some extra volume to their sound, without sacrificing clarity or tone.
design/aionfx.com/prismdesign/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Distortion Boost and Overdrive/BOSS FA1.png
design/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Distortion Boost and Overdrive/Brian May Treble Booster.jpgdesign/generalguitargadgets.com/geb_may
From https://www.axeandyoushallreceive.com/product/byoc-mosfet-boost-pre-built-pedal:
The BYOC MOSFET Boost kit is based on the same circuit that the Zvex SHO is based on, but this one allows you to control both the gain and the volume.
A MOSFET boost, has nice tight low end and adds some sparkle to your tone, but it isn't as inherently clean as most people assume. The volume control on most MOSFET-based boosts is actually the gain control. The BYOC MOSFET Boost lets you dial in how dirty you want it and control the actual amount of boost as well. Approximately 25dB of boost at max gain setting (about 15dB when set clean).
- `design/byoc/mosfetboostinstructions.pdf
From https://effectpedalkits.com/wp-content/uploads/manuals/rangemaster-treble-booster-kit-building-manual.pdf:
The Dallas Rangemaster is the most famous treble booster effect pedal, and it was the first pedal of its kind. This effect pedal was responsible from some of the most famous ’70 rock tones: Eric Clapton in Cream, Jimmy Page in Led Zeppelin or Brian May in Queen. Unlike other treble boosters, the Rangemaster has a really sweet sound thanks to its germanium transistor. To avoid any polarity issue with your other pedals, in this circuit we’ve used a negative ground. That means that you’ll get the same tone from your Rangemaster Treble Booster and power it from a standard negative power supply, instead of having to use an isolated positive power supply! The Rangemaster Treble Booster only has one knob, but it’s more than enough to create a wide tone palette. As the pedal is touch-responsive, you can get a whole new tone simply by rolling back your guitar’s volume knob! While it had its origin on the need for boosting the high frequencies in the typical dark British amp sounds, now the Rangemaster Treble Booster is really useful to get a brighter tone and avoid any highs loss present in long wires.
design/aionfx.com/radiandesign/effectpedalkits.com/rangemaster-treble-boosterdesign/generalguitargadgets.com/geb_rmdesign/guitarpcb.com/2023-NostalgiTone-Singles-70s-Boost.pdf
The Austin Treble Blaster is a "workalike" clone of the Dallas Rangemaster. It is described in Technical description of the Dallas Rangemaster and how to build it.
design/geofex.com/atboost.pdf
design/generalguitargadgets.com/rgr
From https://www.ehx.com/products/lpb-1/:
Linear Power Booster
Provides boost and definition, and improves the gain and saturation of your amp!
design/generalguitargadgets.com/cb1
design/guitar-electronics.eu/Screaming-Bird-ENG.pdf
From https://aionfx.com/project/muramasa-jfet-boost/:
The Muramasa JFET Boost is an adaptation of the Keeley Katana, a two-stage JFET boost that was originally released in 2005, the second commercial product from Keeley Electronics after the Keeley Compressor. However, the circuit itself dates a little earlier to 2000, when Robert Keeley collaborated with Legendary Tones to create a pedal called the Time Machine Boost. The “modern” side of the TMB is nearly identical to the Katana, but without the Boost switch.
The pedal itself is fairly simple, using two cascaded JFETs powered by an 18V charge pump. The first JFET is capable of pushing the second into clipping, particularly when Boost mode is engaged.
There have been two major versions of the Katana. Version 1 used the 2N5484 or 2N5458 JFETs, while version 2 uses J201s. While the basic schematic is the same, nearly all of the component values are different in V2. The provided parts list shows the values for V1, while the V2 values are shown in the “Notes” column where applicable.
The JFETs used in the original Katana Boost are not currently manufactured in through-hole format. Extra pads have been provided if you want to use surface-mount JFETs (part number MMBFJ201 or MMBF5484 are still in production; the 2N5458 has no current SMD substitute). Aion FX also offers pre-soldered MMBFJ201s on adapter boards if you find surface-mount parts intimidating. See build documentation for more details.
The Muramasa allows the boost switch to be configured to boost either stage (but not both at once). Otherwise, it’s identical to the stock Katana Boost.
design/aionfx.com/muramasadesign/effectpedalkits.com/samurai-booster-kit-building-manual.pdfdesign/pcbguitarmania.com/Samurai-V2.pdfdesign/pedalparts.co.uk/Samurai-Sword-1v1-Building-Docs.pdf
From https://store.generalguitargadgets.com/products/mxr%E2%84%A2-microamp-replica-complete-kit:
This kit is a MXR Micro Amp Replica. Includes all the parts and materials you need to build one, including the PCB. It is a great sounding simple, clean booster
design/generalguitargadgets.com/mampdesign/guitar-electronics.eu/MC401-ENG.pdfdesign/pedalpcb.com/meb
design/guitarpcb.com/2023-NostalgiTone-Singles-Ascension-Boost.pdf
design/guitarpcb.com/2023-NostalgiTone-Singles-PreAmp-Boost.pdf
design/generalguitargadgets.com/geb_orange
design/generalguitargadgets.com/paddownbox
design/guitarpcb.com/BD_Stage-3-Mini.pdf
design/generalguitargadgets.com/geb_vox_tb
design/aionfx.com/malacandra- `design/guitar-electronics.eu/aC-BOOSTER-ENG.pdf
- `design/guitar-electronics.eu/RC-BOOSTER-ENG.pdf
design/aionfx.com/ephemerisdesign/guitar-electronics.eu/EP-BOOSTER-ENG.pdf
design/aionfx.com/xanthus
design/generalguitargadgets.com/buffer-bjt
design/generalguitargadgets.com/ic-bufferdesign/generalguitargadgets.com/dual-ic-buffer
design/generalguitargadgets.com/-buffer-jfetdesign/pedalpcb.com/buffer
- `design/effectpedalkits.com/opamp-buffer>
design/aionfx.com/azuredesign/byoc/analogchorusinstructions.pdfdesign/byoc/lilchorusinstructions.pdfdesign/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Chorus/Boss CE-1.gifdesign/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Chorus/BOSS CE-1.jpgdesign/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Chorus/BOSS CE-2.pdfdesign/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Chorus/BOSS CE-300.jpgdesign/pedalpcb.com/cepheid
- `design/aionfx.com/blueshift
design/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Chorus/BOSS DC-2.jpg
design/aionfx.com/lithiumdesign/guitar-electronics.eu/small-clone-chorus-ENG.pdfdesign/guitarpcb.com/MM_Build_Instructions_New-2021.pdf
design/pedalpcb.com/caesar-chorus
design/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Compressors Gates and Limiters/Boss CS-3.gifdesign/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Compressors Gates and Limiters/Boss CS-3.jpg
design/byoc/opticompinstructions.pdf
design/aionfx.com/convex
design/byoc/mimosajrinstructions.pdfdesign/generalguitargadgets.com/osc
design/aionfx.com/quartz
design/generalguitargadgets.com/dod280adesign/guitarpcb.com/BD_Squishy-Octopus.pdf
design/aionfx.com/proxima
design/generalguitargadgets.com/ibpcp10
design/aionfx.com/aurora-deluxedesign/pcbguitarmania.com/keepressor
The Wikipedia article, MXR Dyna Comp, introduces the classic MXR Dyna Comp compressor pedal.
design/byoc/lilcompinstructions.pdfdesign/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Circuit Bending and Modifications/MXR Dynacomp.pdfdesign/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Compressors Gates and Limiters/MXR Dynacomp.gifdesign/generalguitargadgets.com/dnr_dcdesign/guitar-electronics.eu/Dyna-Comp-ENG.pdf
design/guitarpcb.com/2023-NostalgiTone-Singles-Compressor.pdf
design/aionfx.com/oceanid
design/aionfx.com/auroradesign/byoc/classiccompressorinstructions.pdfdesign/generalguitargadgets.com/dnr_rossdesign/guitarpcb.com/BD_MoRC.pdf
design/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Delay Echo and Samplers/BOSS DD-2.png
design/aionfx.com/amethystdesign/byoc/analogdelayinstructions.pdfdesign/byoc/classicdelayscheme.pdfdesign/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Delay Echo and Samplers/BOSS DM-2.jpg
design/byoc/classicdelayinstructions.pdfdesign/byoc/classicdelayscheme.pdf
design/byoc/lilechoinstructions.pdf
design/guitarpcb.com/DLay-v3-2021.pdf
design/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Delay Echo and Samplers/Ibanez AD100.gifdesign/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Delay Echo and Samplers/Ibanez AD80.pdfdesign/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Delay Echo and Samplers/Ibanez AD9.pdfdesign/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Delay Echo and Samplers/Ibanez AD99.pdf
design/aionfx.com/elysiumdesign/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Delay Echo and Samplers/Ibanez EM5.png
design/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Circuit Bending and Modifications/Ibanez DL5 mods.pdfdesign/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Delay Echo and Samplers/Ibanez DL5 Delay.gif
design/aionfx.com/vectordesign/effectpedalkits.com/echo-delay-kit-building-manual.pdfdesign/guitar-electronics.eu/Deep-Blue-Delay-ENG.pdfdesign/pedalpcb.com/seabeddelay
design/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Delay Echo and Samplers/MXR Analog Delay 1.pngdesign/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Delay Echo and Samplers/MXR Analog Delay 2.pngdesign/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Delay Echo and Samplers/MXR Analog Delay 3.png
design/generalguitargadgets.com/pt-80design/guitar-electronics.eu/delay-PT80-plus-ENG.pdf
design/generalguitargadgets.com/ggg_shecho.pdf
design/generalguitargadgets.com/eq6bg
design/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Tone Control and EQs/10 Band Graphic EQ.gif
design/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Tone Control and EQs/BOSS GE-7.pdfdesign/guitar-electronics.eu/GE-7-graphic-equalizer-ENG.pdf
design/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Tone Control and EQs/Ibanez Graphic EQ.gif
design/guitarpcb.com/4-Track-Fuzz-2022.pdf
design/guitar-electronics/69-FUZZ-ENG.pdf
design/gitarpcb.com/American-Fuzz-v5-2021.pdf
design/aionfx.com/cinder
design/aionfx.com/astra
design/generalguitargadgets.com/geo_great_cheddar_v6.pdf
design/aionfx.com/zelus
design/aionfx.com/argentdesign/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Fuzz and Fuzzy Noisemakers/BOSS FZ-2.jpg
design/byoc/lilfuzzinstructions.pdf
design/aionfx.com/zeta
design/generalguitargadgets.com/tb_m2p
design/generalguitargadgets.com/tb3
design/generalguitargadgets.com/tb_jumbo
design/generalguitargadgets.com/tb_supadesign/guitarpcb.com/CT-Supa-Fuzz-v4-2022.pdf
design/aionfx.com/nysiad
design/aionfx.com/halo-deluxe
design/aionfx.com/epsilondesign/aionfx.com/proteusdesign/aionfx.com/solarisdesign/generalguitargadgets.com/ff5
design/guitarpcb.com/DSOTM-v4-2021.pdf
The Wikipedia article, Fuzz Face, provides background material on the Fuzz Face.
The Fandom article, Fuzz Face, provides background material on the Fuzz Face.
design/guitar-electronics.eu/Fuzz-Face-ENG.pdf
Loick Jouaud, provides us with The history of the big muff over time.
Kit Rae goes into great technical detail in his four-part article, Big Muff Pi Versions and Schematics.
design/aionfx.com/corvusdesign/aionfx.com/halodesign/byoc/largebeavernycinstructions.pdfdesign/byoc/largebeaverrussianinstructions.pdfdesign/byoc/largebeavertriangleinstructions.pdfdesign/byoc/lilbeaverinstructions.pdfdesign/byoc/lilbeavernycinstructions.pdfdesign/byoc/lilbeaveropampinstructions.pdfdesign/byoc/lilbeaverramsinstructions.pdfdesign/byoc/lilbeaverrussianinstructions.pdfdesign/generalguitargadgets.com/bmpdesign/generalguitargadgets.com/opamp-bmpdesign/guitar-electronics.eu/Big-Muff-ENG.pdfdesign/guitarpcb.com/BD_BMP-OP-AMP-v2.pdf- `design/guitarpcb.com/BMP-OPAMP-v4-2021.pdf
design/guitarpcb.com/MUFFN-v4-2022.pdf
design/generalguitargadgets.com/muff
design/aionfx.com/atom
design/guitarpcb.com/Fat-Cat-Fuzz-BD.pdf
design/guitarpcb.com/Foxtrot-Fuzz-v1-2023.pdf
design/aionfx.com/vulcandesign/generalguitargadgets.com/ftm
design/generalguitargadgets.com/ggg_controfuzz.pdf
design/guitarpcb.com/2023-NostalgiTone-Singles-Fuzz.pdf
design/guitarpcb.com/2023-NostalgiTone-Singles-Gypsy-Fuzz.pdf
design/guitarpcb.com/2023-NostalgiTone-Singles-Harbinger-Fuzz.pdf
design/generalguitargadgets.com/hornet
design/aionfx.com/zircon
design/aionfx.com/hypercube
design/guitarpcb.com/IndFuzz_v6-2022.pdfdesign/guitarpcb.com/IndFuzz_v7.pdf
The JHS Muffuletta integrates six different variations of the Big Muff circuit into a single effects pedal. The Blues Box should utilize a similar approach to maximize the fuzz variations available to the Blues guitarist.
In his YouTube video, EVERY Big Muff In This Pedal? JHS Pedals Muffuletta Fuzz Pedal, Josh Scott (JHS Pedals) does a deep-dive on the circuits immortalized in the Muffuletta.
design/generalguitargadgets.com/jbt
design/generalguitargadgets.com/muff_lr
design/byoc/lilblackkeyinstructions.pdfdesign/generalguitargadgets.com/fz1s
design/aionfx.com/orpheusdesign/generalgadgets.com/secf_mrfr
design/guitarpcb.com/2023-NostalgiTone-Singles-Luna-Fuzz.pdf
design/guitarpcb.com/OKF-v2-2021-Build-Document.pdf
design/generalgadgets.com/rocket
design/generalgadgets.com/secf_sc
The Wikipedia article, Tone Bender, introduces the Tone Bender Fuzz pedal.
design/aionfx.com/deimos
design/aionfx.com/phobos
design/aionfx.com/torus
design/generalgadgets.com/toct
design/aionfx.com/riftdesign/generalgadgets.com/superfuzz
design/pedalpcb.com/gerkin
design/aionfx.com/flaredesign/guitar-electronics.eu/FUZZ-FACTORY-ENG.pdf
design/guitar-electronics.eu/Wolly-Mammoth-ENG.pdfdesign/pedalpcb.com/snuffy
design/aionfx.com/achillesdesign/pedalpcb.com/pauper
The Fandom article, King of Tone, /provides background material on the King of Tone.
design/aionfx.com/theseusdesign/byoc/royalflushinstructions.pdfdesign/guitar-electronics.eu/King-Of-Tone-ENG.pdfdesign/pedalpcb.com/paragon
For background material on the BOSS BD-2 Blues Driver, consult the Fandom article, BD-2 Blues Driver.
The Gear Page thread, Boss Blues Driver Appreciation Society - All things BD related. Waza, Clones, Mods, Keeley Pedals and DIY Kits, is a potpourri of useful Blues Driver-related material.
design/aionfx.com/sapphiredesign/byoc/blueoverdriveinstructions.pdfdesign/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Distortion Boost and Overdrive/BOSS BD-2.gifdesign/guitar-electronics.eu/Crunch-Box-ENG.pdfdesign/pedalpcb.com/cobaltdesign/musikding.de/bloozehound
Josh Scott (JHS Pedals) discusses how to modify the BOSS BD-2 Blues Driver in his video, How To Modify A BOSS Blues Drive BD-2 Overdrive Pedal.
There is a thread in the Pedal PCB forum: BD-2 Mods
There is a thread in the Gear Page forum: [Boss BD-2 vs. Keeley BD-2] which essentially argues that Robert Keeley's mods are preferred over the stock BD-2.
Chris Pearson, outlines his Keeley-inspired mods to the BD-2 circuit in DIY Boss BD-2 Blues Driver "Keeley Mod"
This github site documents how to add the Keeley mod to the Pedal PCB Cobalt kit: colganr/Boss-BD2-Keeley-Mod-Documents: Supporting Documentation for PedalPCB to Keeley BD-2 Mod
Monte Allums Guitar & Pedal Mods includes four different mod kits for the BBD-2.
design/guitar-electronics.eu/Fulldrive2mosfet-ENG.pdf
The Wikipedia article, Ibanez Tube Screamer, introduces the classic tube screamer pedal.
design/aionfx.com/stratospheredesign/byoc/classicoverdriveinstructions.pdfdesign/byoc/classicodschematic.pdfdesign/byoc/mododinstructions.pdfdesign/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Distortion Boost and Overdrive/Ibanez TS-808.jpgdesign/generalguitargadgets.com/its8design/guitar-electronics.eu/Tube-Screamer-ENG.pdfdesign/guitarpcb.com/Tube-Screaming-Preamp-2021.pdfdesign/guitarpcb.com/Tube-Screaming-Ultra-v4-2021-.pdfdesign/pedalpcb.com/lgsm
design/aionfx.com/velorum
design/aionfx.com/stratusdesign/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Distortion Boost and Overdrive/Ibanez TS9.gif
design/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Distortion Boost and Overdrive/Ibanez TS-10.gif
Josh Scott (JHS Pedals) explains the JHS Bonsai in his video, JHS Pedals Bonsai: Nine Classic Tube Screamers in One Box. He goes into detail about the evolution of the "tube screamer" circuit over time.
The JHS Bonsai integrates nine different "tube screamer"-like circuits into a single effects pedal. The Blues Box should use a similar approach to combine the collective knowledge of the three different Ibanez circuits and the well-established modifications to them.
design/aionfx.com/ube-screamer
The Wikipedia article, Klon Centaur, provides background on the much-sought-after Klon Centaur pedal.
The Interstellar Audio Machines article, The History of the Klon Centaur, provides useful background on the seemingly mythical Klon Centaur overdrive pedal.
design/aionfx.com/refractordesign/byoc/silverponyinstructions.pdfdesign/byoc/silverponyschematic.pdfdesign/byoc/silverpony2instructions.pdfdesign/generalguitargadgets.com/kcdesign/guitar-electronics.eu/klon-centaur-ENG.pdfdesign/guitarpcb.com/MKC-v4-2021-Build-Document.pdfdesign/pedalpcb.com/kliche
For an introduction to the history of the Marshall Bluesbreaker pedal, consult the Pedaltown article, The Story of the Marshall Blues Breaker Pedal.
Josh Scott (JHS Pedals) does a deep-dive on the Marshall Bluesbreaker pedal in his video, What Is A Blues Breaker Guitar Pedal?.
design/aionfx.com/ceruleandesign/byoc/bbodinstructions.pdfdesign/byoc/britishbluesschematic.pdfdesign/byoc/lilbreakerinstructions.pdfdesign/generalguitargadgets.com/mbbdesign/guitar-electronics.eu/BB-Preamp-ENG.pdfdesign/guitarpcb.com/Blues-Buster-v2-2022.pdfdesign/pedalpcb.com/bluebreaker
design/aionfx.com/andromedadesign/aionfx.com/andromeda-deluxedesign/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Distortion Boost and Overdrive/Nobels ODR-1 Plus.pdfdesign/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Distortion Boost and Overdrive/Nobels ODR-1.pdfdesign/pedalpcb.com/nobleman
design/guitar-electronics.eu/reverb-ENG.pdf
design/guitarpcb.com/ADD-VERB-v1.5-2021.pdf
design/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Reverb/BOSS RV-3.jpg
design/byoc/lilreverbinstructions1_0.pdf
design/generalguitargadgets.com/d-verb
design/pedalpcb.com/spiritbox
design/pedalpcb.com/sproing
design/generalguitargadgets.com/sc_verb
design/generalguitargadgets.com/weslie
design/guitarpcb.com/BD_Apollo-Tremolo.pdf
design/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Tremolos and Panners/Boss TR-2.pdf
design/byoc/brownfacetremoloinstructions.pdf
design/generalguitargadgets.com/catrem
design/byoc/treminstructions.pdfdesign/byoc/tremolitoinstructions.pdfdesign/generalguitargadgets.com/eatdesign/guitarpcb.com/EA-Tremolo-v4-2021.pdf
design/guitarpcb.com/2023-NostalgiTone-Singles-Tremolo.pdf
design/aionfx.com/lunadesign/guitarpcb.com/apollo-tremolo
design/pedalpcb.com/vibrobot
design/pedalpcb.com/tuner
design/pedalpcb.com/electrovibe
design/guitarpcb.com/2024-NostalgiTone-Singles-Vibe.pdf
The project page for this pedal is located here.
design/aionfx.com/tri-vibedesign/musikding.de/tri-vibe
design/aionfx.com/straylightdesign/generalguitargadgets.com/univox-univibedesign/guitar-electronics.eu/univibe-ENG.pdf- `design/guitarpcb.com/The-Vibe-v4-2021.pdf
design/byoc/wahinstructions.pdf
design/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Filters Wahs and VCFs/Dunlop Crybaby 95.gifdesign/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Filters Wahs and VCFs/Dunlop Crybaby.pdfdesign/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Filters Wahs and VCFs/Dunlop Original Crybaby.gif
design/generalguitargadgets.com/wah
design/guitarpcb.com/BD_MoWah-Advanced-Mod-Guide.pdfdesign/guitarpcb.com/BD_MoWah.pdf
design/experimentalistsanonymous.com/Filters Wahs and VCFs/Vox Wah V847.gifdesign/generalguitargadgets.com/vox-847
design/guitarpcb.com/Buffer-Board-v3-2021.pdfdesign/guitarpcb.com/BD_Silent-Tuning-Buffer.pdf
design/generalguitargadgets.com/sw_ab
design/generalguitargadgets.com/sw_aby
design/generalguitargadgets.com/sw_loop
design/generalguitargadgets.com/sw_loop2
design/guitarpcb.com/BD_Easy-Order-Switching-Board-3PDT-Toggle.pdfdesign/guitarpcb.com/BD_Easy-Order-Switching-Board-4PDT-Footswitch.pdf
design/generalguitargadgets.com/sw_ordertl
design/generalguitargadgets.com/sw_tloc
Many companies and individuals have contributed to the collective knowledge of guitar effects. It would vbe the height of arrogance and ingratitude to ignore their contrabutions, or fail to give them proper credit for their work. Whether they participated in the original designs, modified existing designs, experimented with new circuits, were involved in tracing circuit designs, or worked on new circuit layouts, all participated in the grand work of preserving guitar effects. Moreover, failing to give them proper credit or feigning authorship for someone else's work is plagiarism. It is both unethical and unacceptable.
The Blues Box project will properly document all known contributions of others' work.