Electronic States

There is an unbelievable amount of misinformation on the web about this pedal. With the DD-2 and DD-3, the feedback path is analog, so people like to put a treble shunt cap across the feedback pot to simulate an analog delay, with increasingly dark repeats. Contrary to what gets posted everywhere, you CANNOT do this with the DD-5 and later. The feedback pot is just a control voltage fed to the microcontroller in the pedal. Putting a cap on it won’t do anything, if you hear something, you’re imagining it.

However, you still can darken the overall delay sound by putting a cap across the outside lugs of the effect level pot (you’ll need one cap for each channel, since it’s a dual-gang stereo pot). Here’s a plot of stock vs. modded on my DD-5:

A higher-value cap will move the corner frequency lower, but will not change the slope. A lower-value cap will move the corner frequency higher. Double the value lowers the corner frequency by one octave, half the value moves it one octave higher.

The bump at 6kHz on the stock response may explain why some people think this pedal is harsh-sounding, though I always thought it sounded fine as it was. This mod is actually pretty tough to A/B when you’re playing clean with humbuckers, since there’s not much energy above the corner frequency anyway. It’s MUCH more noticeable if you’re using the delay after a distortion pedal that increases the high-frequency energy. Makes the sound seem quite a bit less cluttered.

I run my delay before the amp’s distortion, and mostly did the mod to help sonically differentiate my initial pick attack from the delayed repeats… it improves perceived clarity at high gain without losing the wash of ambience.

Note that doing this mod will add a small amount of distortion to the delayed sound when you dig in… similar to an analog delay, but without the degradation after many repeats.

Last updated 5/6/2013.

This post will be updated periodically as items become available for sale. You’ll find one-off builds, successful experiments, restorations, enhanced items, etc. All are in perfect working order unless specified otherwise. Email if you’re interested in something.

Gear:

• Yamaha GW-50 multi-effect floor system - $80 - used
  Awesome 90s multiFX system, arranged like a set of stompboxes with variable routing. Comp/dist/EQ/delay/verb/chorus/flange/phase, mono in/stereo out, backing section, MIDI, memory, etc. Missing some knobs but fully functional. This unit produced most of the Rosetta Galilean Satellites-era guitar effects — wah, delay, verb, etc. All over TGS disc 2.
• Tech21 Trademark 120 2x12 combo amp - $150 - used
  Amp from Rosetta’s studio. Used on Rosetta’s TGS Vol II. No shipping.

Speakers:

• Mesa Black Shadow bass speaker - $20 - used
  10” paper cone, 8 ohms, 50W, dust cap is dented

Transformers:

• Hammond 290HX power transformer - $100 - like new
  100W Marshall JCM800 drop-in. 350VAC CT B+ winding, 100VAC bias winding, 7A filament winding.
• Hammond 1750U output transformer - $95 - like new
  100W Marshall JCM800 drop-in. 1900-ohm primary.
• Weber WPT100 power transformer - $60 - like new
  100W Plexi-style, 700/640VAC CT B+ winding, Generous 8A filament winding. Vertical mount.
• Weber WOT100 output transformer - $60 - like new
  100W Marshall-style, 1700-ohm primary. Plexi or JCM800. Vertical mount.
• Dead transformers for re-winding - free. Several Marshall JCM2000 100W OTs, one “Voodoo-designed” Mercury-made Marshall 100W OT, one JCM900 100W OT. Free if you pay shipping or pick them up.

Parts:

• Accutronics US-MADE 8AB2D1A reverb tank - $40 - used
  Smaller 3-spring tank made in USA before Accutronics was sold.
• 36VDC / 8A industrial switchmode power supply - $30 - used
  Heavy-duty SMPS, 100-250VAC input.
• Rosewood 8-string pickup mounting rings (2) - $15 each - new
  For 8-string passives like the Lundgren M8 and BKP 8-string humbuckers.
• Valve Junior output transformers (2) - $15 each - used
  Stock 7.5k 5W single-ended OTs from the Valve Junior.
• Vintage 80s Grover tuning machines for Les Paul - $50 - used
  Gold plated, metal, tulip-shaped tuning machines from an 80s Les Paul. Show normal wear on the plating, smooth and work well.
• Fender chrome tuning machines, 6 in-line - $20 - used
  From a Fender MIM CBS headstock. Ferrules included, but no wood screws.
• Beat-up Les Paul molded-plastic hardcase - free. Come and get it.

Want to buy:

• Your dead/broken Peavey 5150/5150II, ANY condition as long as it’s cheap
• Broken/”unfixable”/”possessed” old amps - will pay a fair price for broken amps looking for a good home. Tube amps only, please.
• Broken effects pedals
• Old, decommissioned test equipment, such as analog oscilloscopes, VTVMs, FETVMs, bench DMMs, VARIACs, DC supplies, signal generators, etc.
• Beat-up 2x12 or larger speaker cabs, preferably NOT slant-front and without speakers