My Gray DOD 250 Overdrive Clone

[Steve Mavronis]

On top is a thin "water etched" aluminum layered panel from IDmark. The logo and graphic I designed with the reverse direction schematic is just to follow the physical signal flow from jack to jack. I got my father to do UV etching for me from my transparency artwork sheets to make the panel graphic. He used some scrap IDmark stuff he had laying around.

I'm especially proud of this because it's my first DIY build. I'm a detail nut with research and try to get things perfect which takes forever revision after revision. I built 2 identical pedals at the same time. The other one is in a black powder coat box with the same etched panel on top. It's a clone of a late 70's gray spec DOD 250 Overdrive. The PCB is my own layout design pattern; reverse engineered my way by studying the part inter-connections of the original. I started by placing where the controls are spaced on my PCB layout shape (using ExpressPCB) and found a way to fit everything else in between. I didn't use a proper schematic drawing until later for parts identification and for the off-board wiring documentation. I was scared to turn it on but it worked the first time with no debugging required!

I only have this Youtube clip so far of my wife's cousin playing some bluesy type stuff. The recording is okay audio but not exactly how it sounds in person. There is some background noise and his Fender tube amp was probably too loud for my little digital camera:

I only built 2 so far, one for me in black and the bare one shown in the video and pictures was given to neoclassical guitarist Dean Cascione to evaluate for me. He's also going to make a pro video review demo with better sound. After playing with it he wants it as his main overdrive in his rig! Here is what he wrote me about it:

Hey Steve, the pedal arrived safe my friend. I have to say the first thing I noticed was the quality of the fit and finish is impeccable! Also I noticed is that the pedal has beautiful tonal characteristics and in my opinion perfect output – Your pedal really enhances the voodoo tone and is much quieter than the 4 or so grey clones I have in my possession – Truthfully this is by far the best sounding grey clone I have ever tested! In comparison, your pedal actually has mid range where all the rest of my clones sound tinny and scratchy. I don’t know what you did to enhance the circuit, but I love the tone and the pedal totally kicks ass – You need to def let me know how much you want for one cause I would love to use it as my main overdive in my rig. I'll shoot some pics of my pedal board with in inside as well as some action shots from the amp show, then send it back as promised! I can do some videos for you as well for the site or for you tube. Excellent job man – I would say you have re-created the holy grail of tone!!

Here it is in his pedalboard at last weekends NY Amp Show (held in NJ

He wrote me after the show:

Hey Steve, Sorry you couldn’t make it out man – it would have been cool to hang with you and Greta at the Amp show. Enclosed are a few pics of my rig – The Pedal worked amazing and we had no issues – Other players like Joe Stump, and Jay Menard of Icewind used my pedal board / amp for their sets as well and loved the tone. Thanks again man – you rock!

I offered it to him for free because he loves it so much and always helps me out but he insisted to at least donate something to cover the parts and gave me $50 because that's what I told him it cost me to make one. He's even started to record with it, and his new 2nd CD comes out in the fall called Neoclassical Fire, so I hope my pedal appears on some of the tracks - that would be way cool! I've known him for 10 years through the Internet and he's been a good friend to me. I'm starting out as a non-profit organization it seems, LOL!

 

[Code001]

That's awesome! Very nice work.

 

[Steve Mavronis]

I have 2 original gray models, one I ripped apart to tinker with. The other is untouched and in mint condition. I also have 3 old yellow versions. I would love to check out your pedal vs my original.

Thanks! If you live in the Maryland area you can bring over your gray 250 and compare, maybe with your amp because mine is only a 15 watt solid state. I'd like that because I have no way to actually verify how close it is but it should be since it's gray spec. Those 2 gray 250's you have: My research is never ending and still collect gut shot pictures etc. Can you look at the date code of the pots and tell me what they say? It is a 7 digit code and starting with 137 which means CTS manufacturer, followed by the next 2 digits for the year, and the last 2 digits means the week of the year. That will give you a good guestimate of which gray version you have. Plus a clear gut shot showing the IC and resistor value color code bands helps too since they changed over the years. The earliest year I figure my clone is based on would be around 1979 and it has the extra 100 ohm resistor that was added around then.

If someone on this forum was at last weekend's NY Amp Show (held in NJ) and watched Dean Cascione, Joe Stump, or Jay Menard of Icewind play then you heard it live!

 

[Chubtone]

Very interesting. I have an Evosevic modded YJM308 and an Analogman modded YJM308. Both are built to be clones of the gray OD 250 and they are both killer!

 

[Steve Mavronis]

IMO these need to be built from scratch, the PCB layout and traces and NOS parts used make a big difference since the circuit is so minimal anyways.

Agreed. I tried to reverse engineer using the original 250 PCB as my only guide, preserving part to part connections and ordering as best I can. For example here is some PCB layout artwork from my clone pedal:

This is as-built -

This is the same except I'm thinking of moving where the op amp output 4.7uF cap connects to the diode clipping section to match how to original does it -

Both are the same electrically but I wonder if it would make any audible difference. It's the same as looking at these schematic excerpt snippets for comparision, with the first depicting how I made it and the second one how it physically connects on the original 250 PCB:

For reference here is an illustration I made after studying the original gray 250 PCB layout:

 

[Chubtone]

I don't know...... I dig my Analogman one:

 

[Steve Mavronis]

I dig my Analogman one

What modded pedal was that, the YJM308 or 250 yellow re-issue? Sounded nice. I dig single coil sounds!

BTW, I just took a picture of my black version. I'm torn between which "color" I like better. I originally did my concept design graphic on computer based on this black look. But the aluminum version looks good too, probably because of the black/aluminum contrast of my etched top panel plate.

 

[Chubtone]

I dig my Analogman one

What modded pedal was that, the YJM308 or 250 yellow re-issue? Sounded nice. I dig single coil sounds!

That was the Analogman modded YJM308.

 

[dstroud]

I don't know...... I dig my Analogman one:

nice man! what was that bridge pickup?

 

[Chubtone]

That is just a set of Duncan SSL-1 single coils. They call it the California '50's set. I'm such a noob with single coils that I grabbed these out of the showcase and threw them in and thought, "hey, it sounds like a strat" and I was good to go.

 

[dstroud]

I dig my Analogman one

What modded pedal was that, the YJM308 or 250 yellow re-issue? Sounded nice. I dig single coil sounds!

BTW, I just took a picture of my black version. I'm torn between which "color" I like better. I originally did my concept design graphic on computer based on this black look. But the aluminum version looks good too, probably because of the black/aluminum contrast of my etched top panel plate.

that's the coolest looking pedal I've ever seen!

 

[Shask]

I dig my Analogman one

What modded pedal was that, the YJM308 or 250 yellow re-issue? Sounded nice. I dig single coil sounds!

BTW, I just took a picture of my black version. I'm torn between which "color" I like better. I originally did my concept design graphic on computer based on this black look. But the aluminum version looks good too, probably because of the black/aluminum contrast of my etched top panel plate.

that's the coolest looking pedal I've ever seen!

Thats gotta be pretty convenient to have the schematic right on top of the pedal

 

[Steve Mavronis]

cooler than this?

All these customized home built pedals are very cool and very inspiring. How did you paint the top surface? It looks different than the sides.

Do you guys have a workbench? I don't. My makeshift workbench was between my computer desk and my kitchen breakfast bar!

 

[Death by Uberschall]

I have the Analogman yellow reissue "741MOJO". It's a good pedal, I just never bonded with it. Thinking about sending it to outlier for his final touches.

 

[dstroud]

cooler than this?

All these customized home built pedals are very cool and very inspiring. How did you paint the top surface? It looks different than the sides.

Do you guys have a workbench? I don't. My makeshift workbench was between my computer desk and my kitchen breakfast bar!

it looks like the young boy's name is written in crayola

 

[ACShreds]

Man i wouldnt mind having one of those. Feel free to build and send me one if you get bored

 

[Steve Mavronis]

From my concept artwork to physical reality. Pretty damn close except for the LED color!

 

[droptrd]

Wow thats some beautiful work especially for your 1st build. Bravo

 

[Steve Mavronis]

It costs me around $50 in parts and shipping cost to make one on these. If I do sell some to those who might be interested it will have a little more money added on to that in order to take account for my build time labor, but I don't want to make it expensive to get one either. BTW if I do decide to make any to order I was thinking of several enclosure finishes; black painted, bare aluminium metal, and polished aluminum. There is a few dollar variation depending on which box finish is used. Which kind would people want the most?

BTW, I just found out yesterday that my DOD 250 Overdrive 'gray spec' clone will be featured on Dean Cascione's new Fall 2010 album! He wrote me to say he added it to the Gear section of his official webpage (- - - DEAN J CASCIONE NEOCLASSICAL SHRED GUITARIST - - -) yesterday:

Neo-Classic 741 Overdrive

Steve Mavronis, Webmaster of Yngwie100% Tribute Site hand built this killer new overdrive pedal for Dean! With Steve's improvements and refinements to the original grey circuit, the pedal sings and has "holy-grail" like tone (with about 1/2 the noise) !!! Dean just recently added this stomp box to his main rig and will be using it the studio on all the lead guitar recordings for "Neoclassical Fire"....

Note - There are no special improvements or refinements other than the design appearance I gave it. It is purely just a 250 'gray spec' clone made with tender loving care and my own custom PCB board layout. The only so-called improvements from the original late 70's pedal is the addition of true bypass and indicator LED that everybody now adds. I'm just honored after he helped test it for me that he liked it so much to want to have it for himself. I can't believe he's recording all his lead parts with it too!

 

[andomando]

you say you have the yellow dod 250,i have this pedal and it has been through the wars and is in bits.
Im trying to put it back together ,pcb is ok,having trouble with the wires,
if you can take some close up photo,s of the wiring inside,and send them to me,it would be just great, ;email; andfio@talktalk.net

Andomando
Scotland
uk