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DuoFuzz
Copper Member
United Kingdom
8 Posts |
 Posted - 01/03/2009 : 13:37:13
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Hello there people. I've been watching this forum for sometime and thought is was about time i joined up. Like many of you, i to am afflicted with GAS.
This reached epic levels the other week when i threw yet more money at evilbay for my dream pedal, the CE-1 . This is where i need your help, i know these pedals aren't perfect but mine has a couple of issues that was wondering anyone else has had.
Firstly, in mono it distorts very easily so i back down the input level to compensate but then it's to quiet and goes flat. In stereo this seems to be less of a problem.
Secondly, and more of a problem is an audible "whoosh" when the signal sweeps. It's starting to get me down ,any idea's. |
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DeFrag
Moderator
USA
3409 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2009 : 19:53:46
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Welcome to Bossarea DuoFuzz!
Someone should be along shortly to help you get it sorted, as I know little about the CE-1. |
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zerksies
Double Platinum Member
USA
3406 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2009 : 21:32:18
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| welcome aboard |
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Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2009 : 04:53:05
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Hi DuoFuzz
Welcome to the forum from Australia.
It sounds like someone may have tried to adjust, or mis-adjusted the the trimpots in your CE-1.
Many people think that they can get better or magic sounds my playing with the internal trimpots.
There a a couple of members here that have CE-1's, they might be able to help out out this the way it sounds (normally).
Do you have any electronics or modding experience, & let us know you technical skill level.
Some internal picture will also help.
You might be able to see if the trimpots were moved, Boss/Roland usually put a dab of red or green tamper seal n the trimpots,
It sort of looks like nail polish.
Regards Dr. Bob |
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DuoFuzz
Copper Member
United Kingdom
8 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2009 : 14:33:12
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Thanks for the warm welcome guys.
I've checked the guts of the pedal and it there is no varnish on it but there is definitely marks on the carbon track where it's been turned. The rest of the internals seem to retain the anti-tamper varnish including the circuit board screw mounts, so no solder lunatic been at it(i hope!).I'll try to get some pics loaded up soon.
Also I thought I'd mention I live in the UK but the pedal is an import version. The info plate on the base of the unit is missing so i don't know the exact voltage (plus i don't know how old it is). It did come with a 230v/110v step down converter. I did a bit of investigation but couldn't tell if Boss did a US version as well as a Jap version? |
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Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2009 : 16:05:11
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Hi DuoFuzz
quote:
i don't know the exact voltage (plus i don't know how old it is). It did come with a 230v/110v step down converter.
Can't you ask the seller, I'm sure he might know the answers to your questions?
Regards Dr. Bob |
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DuoFuzz
Copper Member
United Kingdom
8 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2009 : 21:46:44
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Hi Dr Bob,
quote:
Can't you ask the seller, I'm sure he might know the answers to your questions?
The seller just seemed to think it was Japanese!?!. As for the trim pot, there is a trace of green varnish around the edge.
I'm thinking there was some sort of cover on this?. Anyway I've loaded some photo's for everyone to look at, including the
trim pot, the power plug and some general gut shots, enjoy.(hope these work!)
 
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DeFrag
Moderator
USA
3409 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2009 : 21:53:57
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Haha.. wow.. nice pics of old Boss!
What's that component in the middle of pic#3, a trimpot? |
Edited by - DeFrag on 01/04/2009 22:48:03 |
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DuoFuzz
Copper Member
United Kingdom
8 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2009 : 22:25:37
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Hi DeFrag,
quote:
What's that component in the middle of pic#3, a trimpot, toroid?
Yeah, it's a trim pot that could be causing all the signal noise pissing on my chorus soaked parade Die whoosh whoosh noise die, ah hahaha.
Sorry, i think i need the GAS Anonymous helpline.(93 pedals and counting, stupid evilbay...) |
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DeFrag
Moderator
USA
3409 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2009 : 22:49:10
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quote:
Originally posted by DuoFuzz
(93 pedals and counting, stupid evilbay...)
D'oh!  |
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Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 01/05/2009 : 00:31:57
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Hi DuoFuzz
Here are the only internal pics I have of the CE-1. (off evilbay)
I asked you what your technical skill level is?
It helps us to help you, if we know this.
And can you read schematics?
Is the wiper (moving-rotating metal part) on top of the trimpot actually contacting the carbon track, at one point?
It is very difficult to see from the pictures, if the wiper is in proper contact, with he carbon track.
In the pics that I have uploaded the (502) 5K trimpot has a plastic dustcap.
It maybe that someone has tried to pop off this cap, & has mechanically damaged the wiper part.
But I'm speculating here, as a lot of trimpots are just like your one, skeletal in design.
As there are no other pics that i have of that area, I am unable to say if this is normal, or not.
But it is one more place to look.
Perhaps someone else her has some CE-1 internal pics.
This trimmer sets the operating conditions for the MN3002 BBD Bucket Brigade Delay IC.
If this is set incorrectly, it is one cause of the swooshing you will here.
Perhaps you could take some closeups from a few different angles, & of where the wiper contacts the carbon track on the trimpot.
Regards Dr. Bob
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 01/05/2009 : 21:56:26
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Welcome to the forum... i posted in the other CE-1 thread about a comment i read from Chris Rea where he said he used his CE-1 to get a crunchy sound....i think i read somewhere this was caused in the CE-1 by a impedence issue when used with guitars but there is a fix out there somewhere in internetland,i didn't pay much attention at the time 'cause i don't have a CE-1 but i seem to remember someone posting that it was a simple fix....but don't quote me as i'm not 100% sure.....also any pics i've seen of chris's gear form the 80's he has the CE-1 at the end on the pedalboard and he's using two amps......maybe why he could live with it as you reckon the problem is not so bad in stereo....
as for the power rating...my friend lived in the states for 4 years and the plug on your CE-1 looks like one of their 110 volt ones..he brought a little peavey amp and a 8 track machine that had the same plug end on them when he came back to ireland a few years ago..i don't know if this is any help to you but he used a little step down tranny as well that he got in maplins i think..i would be very suprised if boss didn't do a CE-1 for the U.S. back in the day as for most of the jap companies this was their biggest market....... |
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DuoFuzz
Copper Member
United Kingdom
8 Posts |
Posted - 01/05/2009 : 23:21:15
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Hi Dr Bob,
Sorry for the delay getting back to you, it's my first day back at work  .
To answer your question, i have made some pedal kits before but these are more like paint by numbers (R1=2K2, C4=47pF...etc). I did manage to rewire my Shaftesbury Duo-Fuzz using some reference photo's, and it worked!. As for schematics, i recognize the components and have a grasp on how to follow them. How and why circuits work at all is still beyond me (magic i reckon ).
As for the CE-1, I'm sure my trim pot should look like the one in your pic. I found a similar pic online which shows the same type of pot. The centre of the cap has a slot which, i your pic is facing 12 o'clock (with the BBD chip at 6 o'clock). The pic I've seen had this just a little past this position. The pot in my pedal had the wiper contacting at the 10 o'clock position.
With great difficulty I managed to turn the wiper up to 12, i did try both higher and lower settings but settled on this for now. Unfortunately the background noise is still heard while a signal is passed through it, but mute the strings and some sort of noise reduction quickly quells it.
I'm beginning to think it maybe just a drawback of this pedal, it was designed for keyboards after all. |
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DuoFuzz
Copper Member
United Kingdom
8 Posts |
Posted - 01/05/2009 : 23:44:32
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Cheers Franzoni ,
Thanks for the info, it's very easy to overload the input signal on this pedal. You have to back down the input level which makes it to quiet, so you turn the amp's (always a good thing) but this brings out the background noise as well . Still it sounds massive in stereo.
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Topic |
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CE-1 Question
