One for the beginners: Dead Easy Dirt

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culturejam
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One for the beginners: Dead Easy Dirt

Post by culturejam »

It doesn't get any easier than this, as far as I know. I started from one of the application circuits from the LM386 datasheet and started dropping off parts until it became obvious I couldn't simplify any further

No biasing, no VREF, no power filtering...hell, no resistors!!! :lol:

Just a one IC, one cap, two diodes, and a pot.

My goal: the simplest possible dirt circuit. Mission? Accomplished! 8)

If you have been wanting to get your feet wet with breadboarding or if you've been looking for something really easy for a first build, this is a great one to start with.

Schematic:

Image


Vero Layout:

Image


Perf Layout:

Image
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Re: One for the beginners: Dead Easy Dirt

Post by culturejam »

There's a nice long thread on this circuit over at BYOC:
http://www.buildyourownclone.com/board/ ... 41&t=24649

There are some mods and troubleshooting tips in that thread.

Enjoy! :thumb:
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Re: One for the beginners: Dead Easy Dirt

Post by elbandito »

Thanks, man! I'll be building this one this weekend - to stick in a Fender Mustang!!
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Re: One for the beginners: Dead Easy Dirt

Post by stanimal »

elbandito wrote:Thanks, man! I'll be building this one this weekend - to stick in a Fender Mustang!!


BRRRRIIILLLLIIIANT! :thumb:
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Re: One for the beginners: Dead Easy Dirt

Post by culturejam »

elbandito wrote:Thanks, man! I'll be building this one this weekend - to stick in a Fender Mustang!!

It'll surely fit, but you'll still need to power it with a 9v source. LM386 is not passive device. It requires at least 5v to operate.
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Re: One for the beginners: Dead Easy Dirt

Post by elbandito »

culturejam wrote:
elbandito wrote:Thanks, man! I'll be building this one this weekend - to stick in a Fender Mustang!!

It'll surely fit, but you'll still need to power it with a 9v source. LM386 is not passive device. It requires at least 5v to operate.

I restored a '66 Mustang over the summer and it's routed with a humbucker cavity in the bridge... I took out the bridge pup, and stuck the battery and circuit in the cavity with velcro and electrical tape. I have to wire it up still but I'm thinking that it'll work fine. Hopefully, I'll be able to wire it up so that it's ON/OFF/ON with fuzz.

Thanks again, CultureFuzz! :)*
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Re: One for the beginners: Dead Easy Dirt

Post by eti »

Not to hijack, but if you're going to stick something simple in a Mustang, why not a couple diodes for passive distortion?
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Re: One for the beginners: Dead Easy Dirt

Post by culturejam »

eti wrote:Not to hijack, but if you're going to stick something simple in a Mustang, why not a couple diodes for passive distortion?

You could do that, but in my opinion it sounds like crap.

Also, elbandito has already done the work to make room for a battery. Might as well put something interesting in there.
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Re: One for the beginners: Dead Easy Dirt

Post by Jero »

For the passive, would you just put a clipping section in line with your pickups/output? I guess the hotter the pickups the more luck you'd likely have?
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Re: One for the beginners: Dead Easy Dirt

Post by carnageboy »

I recently built this circuit and boy Its loud. I used random diodes and it gave me a really fizzy fuzz that didnt have any sustain (BAD combo) so I replaced the diodes with a red and a clear LED. now its like a mutant overdrive/distortion. And its louder than ever! Ive also removed the volume pot as the guitar volume controll is really sensitive when plugged into this circuit. Id recomend anyone, newbie or experienced to make this as it sounds good and its really sensitive to component changes. You can really hear the difference a different led or diode makes. Im gonna buid a little off-circuit, clipping circuit so i can experiment a bit. any ideas/recommendations? :idk:
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Re: One for the beginners: Dead Easy Dirt

Post by culturejam »

carnageboy wrote:Im gonna buid a little off-circuit, clipping circuit so i can experiment a bit. any ideas/recommendations? :idk:

I'd recommend a using a piece of perfboard and a dip switch bank. You can set it up so that each diode can be put in or out of the circuit independent of all the others.
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Re: One for the beginners: Dead Easy Dirt

Post by jfrey »

After I finish the silver crank I'll try this one next.
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Re: One for the beginners: Dead Easy Dirt

Post by culturejam »

jfrey wrote:After I finish the silver crank I'll try this one next.

Dude, it is so easy. For realz.

And hey, you can buy all the shit to make it from me! (link in sig)
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Re: One for the beginners: Dead Easy Dirt

Post by jfrey »

culturejam wrote:
jfrey wrote:After I finish the silver crank I'll try this one next.

Dude, it is so easy. For realz.

And hey, you can buy all the shit to make it from me! (link in sig)

I think I probably have already. You've sent me 2 orders so far. :thumb:

I bought all the packs of resistors, capacitors, etc. Anything there was a large pack of multiple values of.
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Re: One for the beginners: Dead Easy Dirt

Post by culturejam »

Oh yeah, right. haha. It's easy to forget who is who between screen names and real names. :)
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