Dug out some old MXR pedals…

[Kapo_Polenton]

the YJM in me got all excited when looking at those DODs...the real star of the show in that lineup! ?

Now let's see if you can get a usable tone out of those Distortion + in front of your Marshalls.

 

[psychodave]

the YJM in me got all excited when looking at those DODs...the real star of the show in that lineup! ?

Now let's see if you can get a usable tone out of those Distortion + in front of your Marshalls.

I never could with the D, however with a little gain, they can really made the amp shine. However the yellow DOD preamp 250's were a favorite. They are not all created equal either. They switched a cap sometime and they went from tight sounding to mush. I ended up changing one unit with the older cap and it was good again.

 

[psychodave]

You have to replace the inductor in the wah's to get them to sound good.

I still have my MXR Distortion+ with pot codes of December 1978.

I have a wah made by an old forum member. It's good. It has a whipple inductor.

 

[Jakem]

Very cool pedals, Dave! Love the DOD 250s…

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

I never could with the D, however with a little gain, they can really made the amp shine. However the yellow DOD preamp 250's were a favorite. They are not all created equal either. They switched a cap sometime and they went from tight sounding to mush. I ended up changing one unit with the older cap and it was good again.

Yeah that's the little secret with those.. if you have a shit sounding one, check that cap. Swap it for another value and it's tight. That's what probably started all this hype about certain years being the best or the " grey box" being the best etc. That circuit is simple but one of my favourites. I find with a Marshall and humbuckers, it almost sounds like you have an added gain stage or half preamp tube engaged. It just sits so nicely. Easily competes with amp mods.

 

[psychodave]

I’m set with batteries for a little while. ?

I’m a little superstitious and like to use carbon zinc batteries with these old pedals since they were designed around them. Way back I would use Duracell mercury 8.4 volt batteries. They made the pedals sound great and they wouldn’t lose voltages until they just “died”…. Like everything, the govt banned them.

 

[psychodave]

Not to keep bumping this, but I wanted to share the R28 mod for older Phase 90 pedals. See pic. I only lift one leg, but it can be completely removed. The R28 resistor make the phasing more prominent in the sound. Removing it or lifting one leg makes it sound like the original script version.

 

[JimAnsell]

Damn dude, you had all that stuff just sitting idle somewhere for how long!?
Thats a gold mine right there! Those phasers all sound amazing.

 

[mentoneman]

I never could with the D, however with a little gain, they can really made the amp shine. However the yellow DOD preamp 250's were a favorite. They are not all created equal either. They switched a cap sometime and they went from tight sounding to mush. I ended up changing one unit with the older cap and it was good again.

i bought the yellow dod250 in a pawn shop in 84 and it was awesomely smooth and spitty at the same time. legato box!

 

[psychodave]

Damn dude, you had all that stuff just sitting idle somewhere for how long!?
Thats a gold mine right there! Those phasers all sound amazing.

Probably 10+ years.

Funny thing is I've been playing them daily. I forgot how fun they are... and how good they color the sound.

 

[psychodave]

i bought the yellow dod250 in a pawn shop in 84 and it was awesomely smooth and spitty at the same time. legato box!

I was watching a video from JHS pedals...it turns out they are so many variations between the preamp 250 pedals that you really cant make a correct schematic. Out of the 4 I own...there are 3 different circuits.

 

[mentoneman]

I was watching a video from JHS pedals...it turns out they are so many variations between the preamp 250 pedals that you really cant make a correct schematic. Out of the 4 I own...there are 3 different circuits.

i got mine right around the time the yngwie article came out mentioning he used the old grey one. and my friend who’s band opened for the alcatrazz gig in hawaii that same year (1984) may have mentioned it to me as well.
the one i had did capture the yjm flavor, taking my little fender harvard reverb II combo into the zone!
i thought the yjm signature was super harsh by comparison and nothing like the old one.

 

[japetus]

A NEW CHALLENGER APPEARS!!!

 

[Ben Waylin]

Not to keep bumping this, but I wanted to share the R28 mod for older Phase 90 pedals. See pic. I only lift one leg, but it can be completely removed. The R28 resistor make the phasing more prominent in the sound. Removing it or lifting one leg makes it sound like the original script version.

Dave, if you use a power supply that has a "SAG" feature, like the Voodoo Labs Pedal Power, all you have to do is dial the SAG power tap down to about 7.8V and it accomplishes the exact same thing.