Here you can see the labeling explaining the toggle-switch settings. (click to enlarge)

Clones dream of electric overdrive.

This last week I’ve been busy building a brand new, dual boost/overdrive pedal for myself (as well as another pedal for a friend, which I may post about in the near future).  After fiddling around with modifying the DOD 250, I wanted to build an overdrive more from the ground up.

The DOD 250 was fun while it lasted, but it lacked the versatility I needed and didn’t push my Valve Jr quite the way I wanted it to. On top of that, it had been a while since I picked up the soldering iron. The results can be seen to the right.

The Build Your Own Clone (or BYOC for brevity’s sake) Overdrive 2 is an extremely versatile piece of gear. Not only is it a 2-in-1 Boost/Overdrive (both independently switchable), but because the pedal arrives un-assembled, you have the option of building it to several different specs. For instance, you could build the boost as mosfet transistor-based and the overdrive to classic 808 values, or the boost to the standard specs and the overdrive to mosfet. You also have the ability to modify each stage of the circuit, including the input/output buffers and clipping stage.

For further tweaking, the components used for clipping are selectable using an on-off-on toggle-switch (pairs of either silicon 1N914, mosfet transistors, or a diode lift). Three EQ options (full, normal or fat) are available as well.

I built the boost side using the mosfet option, and the overdrive to standard but with mosfet clipping. I’m currently auditioning the included Burr Brown opamp, but may swap it out for one of the other two supplied with the kit. The advantage of building a mosfet boost with the standard overdrive (and standard opamp), is that there is the option to run the pedal at 18v. This will give the signal more headroom, thereby allowing a richer and more driven effect to pass through.

So many wonderful knobs. (click to enlarge)

I have also wired the stomp switches so that the boost is first in the chain, feeding into the overdrive. Instead of simply making the overdrive louder when engaged, as is its original function, it now pushes a hotter signal through the drive, making for more clipping and a little bit meaner of a sound when I need it (as well as the volume increase). I had initially planned to make the order of the two sides of the pedal switchable via a toggle switch, but two things happened. One, I realized as I was building the pedal that I would almost exclusively (about 97% of the time, say) use the boost in front of the drive and two, I got lazy.

I’m particularly proud of the enclosure. I haven’t attempted etching a box since the EA tremolo I built over two years ago. I used the laser photo-paper method that can be found on several DIY sites, with Ferric Chloride as the etchant. I then painted in the details with model paint, giving it a light sanding after to bring the aluminum back out. I wasn’t too happy with the smaller details (such as the toggle-switch labels), so I picked up an old-school punch-labeler (which are surprisingly hard to find- tip: Michael’s) to add the final touches. With the knurled aluminum knobs from Smallbear, I think the aesthetic of the pedal really came together.

This pedal has become the cornerstone of my dirt section, and cannot wait to stack it with some other distortion. This afternoon I’m going to try a ProCo Rat after it in the effects chain to see how it modifies grittier distortion. I’m also curious to see how the DOD 250 performs both before and after it. Depending on the outcome, the 250 might stay on the board after all. Dirt is one of trickiest effects to nail down to taste, which may explain the plethora of available options on the market today (distortion being a fairly basic circuit to replicate might also be a contributing factor). The only thing to do is experiment.

Do yourself a favor and pick up a kit from the guys at Build Your Own Clone. Not only is it a great way to pass an afternoon or two, but when you’re done you’ll have one of the best overdrives on the market today. With a boost to boot.