In this video I try and justify my drunken purchase of a vintage chorus pedal by attempting to repair it (despite being a massive idiot with electronics).
Nice job!!! For future reference, always make your earth lead longer than the phase/neutral so that if the mains lead is ever pulled out, the earth lead remains connected to the chassis after the phase/neutral come loose.....it's safer.
I found one of these and a Boss DR-5 drum machine 5 in the "bargain bucket" at the local music store when I was a teenager. I think I paid about £25 for it. Great sounding chorus, and the vibrato also sounded good on my bass guitar. Eventually sold it, probably for no more than I paid for it, but thirty years later still have the DR-55 drum machine!
Yep - I’ve been searching for a replacement ever since… I’m tempted to try the PastFX clone which is apparently true to the original circuit and uses the correct NOS BBDs
Thanks! I was worried it would be a bit boring due to the lack of sawdust and spray paint, but I guess the wait is worth it when you hear the pedal sing. Love these things!!! Thanks for your support as always :)
I have a problem and I don't know if you can help me. I have a Boss CE-1 and I noticed a problem with the pedal. It has apparently lost all crunch functionality. When I turn the knob, I only get volume and no longer the saturation that the pedal is so famous for. Have you seen this problem before? Could you guide me on the possible problem?
I’m no expert here, but given the crunch was unintentional in the design and caused by saturating the TL7136 opamp, my first 3 ports of call would be cleaning the level pot with an appropriate electronic cleaning solution (Servisol or similar, NOT WD40!), and the input jack. This opamp is always in circuit so the foot switches shouldn’t be the issue. Secondly check the voltages to the opamp. If all that checks out, try the opamp itself. Given you can’t add more headroom to these things, my suspicion is that the signal going into the opamp is quieter for some reason. Hope that helps!
Great Video very informative and good call on the caps ! I'm looking for 120v (US) power transformer do you have a reference to find a replacement. Keep the videos coming and thank you !
Thanks very much for the support! I ordered the 240v transformer from RS - us.rs-online.com This is the one I ordered: au.rs-online.com/web/p/chassis-mounting-transformers/0504757
Question: doesn't using the Dremel to abrasively remove rust and corrosion send it in particulate form all over the chassis? I mean, how is it not getting into the pots?
I've read that the 50k pot can benefit from being 500k, since the unit originally Was designed for keyboards, so less loss of highs on a high impedance input (500k.) Are you familiar with that?
I never like the preamp part in mine and sold the unit, but I’ve wondered if changing the pot would have helped. Some people adore those preamps. I owned mine in the days before bypass loop days, so the preamp would been on all the time as well. They should also be run in stereo to be truly mind blowing, which I also don’t know
Fabulous work and thanks for sharing! Any chance you can let us know where you sourced the transformer from? Might have to switch out the 100v in mine . . .
Thanks very much! I just ordered mine from RS. It’s not an exact replacement but fits perfectly, is the right spec and worked great. I just had to tie the two 0v taps. au.rs-online.com/web/p/chassis-mounting-transformers/0504757
So satisfying to see it come back to life. Must have felt good!
Yeah it was definitely a relief!
Great job! Sounds beautiful.
Thanks, Christian!
Nice job!!! For future reference, always make your earth lead longer than the phase/neutral so that if the mains lead is ever pulled out, the earth lead remains connected to the chassis after the phase/neutral come loose.....it's safer.
Great tip - thanks!
I found one of these and a Boss DR-5 drum machine 5 in the "bargain bucket" at the local music store when I was a teenager. I think I paid about £25 for it. Great sounding chorus, and the vibrato also sounded good on my bass guitar. Eventually sold it, probably for no more than I paid for it, but thirty years later still have the DR-55 drum machine!
Alas the CE-1 is now worth 20x what you paid / sold yours for 😭
Choruses should have started and ended with the CE-1. That is the definitive “Chorus” sound. The next big advance came with the TC Electronic 2290.
I totally agree! Although I’m also a massive fan of using an Electric Mistress as a chorus pedal
That thing sits at the table with the Echoplex and the Univibe! What a glorious sounding pedal. That one would be a keeper if I got hold of it.
Yep - I’ve been searching for a replacement ever since… I’m tempted to try the PastFX clone which is apparently true to the original circuit and uses the correct NOS BBDs
excellent video
Thanks! I was worried it would be a bit boring due to the lack of sawdust and spray paint, but I guess the wait is worth it when you hear the pedal sing. Love these things!!! Thanks for your support as always :)
I have a problem and I don't know if you can help me. I have a Boss CE-1 and I noticed a problem with the pedal. It has apparently lost all crunch functionality. When I turn the knob, I only get volume and no longer the saturation that the pedal is so famous for. Have you seen this problem before? Could you guide me on the possible problem?
I’m no expert here, but given the crunch was unintentional in the design and caused by saturating the TL7136 opamp, my first 3 ports of call would be cleaning the level pot with an appropriate electronic cleaning solution (Servisol or similar, NOT WD40!), and the input jack. This opamp is always in circuit so the foot switches shouldn’t be the issue. Secondly check the voltages to the opamp. If all that checks out, try the opamp itself. Given you can’t add more headroom to these things, my suspicion is that the signal going into the opamp is quieter for some reason. Hope that helps!
Great Video very informative and good call on the caps ! I'm looking for 120v (US) power transformer do you have a reference to find a replacement. Keep the videos coming and thank you !
Thanks very much for the support! I ordered the 240v transformer from RS - us.rs-online.com
This is the one I ordered: au.rs-online.com/web/p/chassis-mounting-transformers/0504757
Question: doesn't using the Dremel to abrasively remove rust and corrosion send it in particulate form all over the chassis? I mean, how is it not getting into the pots?
Good question. The answer is that it was very fine surface rust rather than big flakes. No real risk to the pots.
@@BeardsworthGuitars Thank you! Beautiful work. Sounds killer.
I've read that the 50k pot can benefit from being 500k, since the unit originally Was designed for keyboards, so less loss of highs on a high impedance input (500k.) Are you familiar with that?
I can’t say I’ve heard of that mod but it stands to reason. They sound so good stock though!
I never like the preamp part in mine and sold the unit, but I’ve wondered if changing the pot would have helped. Some people adore those preamps. I owned mine in the days before bypass loop days, so the preamp would been on all the time as well.
They should also be run in stereo to be truly mind blowing, which I also don’t know
I've got an old Boss ME5, it also has the input on the wrong end. It seems to be a quirk of some older Boss stuff.
Hah no way?! That’s funny. I didn’t think the ME5 was that old?!
Fabulous work and thanks for sharing! Any chance you can let us know where you sourced the transformer from? Might have to switch out the 100v in mine . . .
Thanks very much! I just ordered mine from RS. It’s not an exact replacement but fits perfectly, is the right spec and worked great. I just had to tie the two 0v taps. au.rs-online.com/web/p/chassis-mounting-transformers/0504757
@@BeardsworthGuitars Fabulous. Thanks for the info. Keep up the great videos!
nice job
Thanks for your support :)
I get the weirdest jones for this stuff.
Me too! It can be costly…
Cool