Monte Allums SD-1 mod

[Uma Floresta]

I ordered this Monte Allums DIY kit last week, and it showed up on Friday. It actually didn't take as long to do the mod as I thought it would. I wasn't in the mood to do it Friday or Saturday, but I had some insomnia and ended up doing it in the middle of the night. It took me about two hours, and it was actually surprisingly easy. I'd never desoldered before, and that was easier than soldering. The kit came with the various caps and diodes and whatnot, plus some desoldering braid and some nice thin solder. The instructions were very idiot-proof.

Mine was the regular SD-1 mod, not the TS808 mod.
(http://www.monteallums.com/Product_links.html#SD1)

Soundwise, even though my setup isn't the greatest (I don't even have a real amp, just a virtual amp on the computer), the sounds out of this thing are amazing. Very smooth gain all around, very tube-like. I know every OD pedal manufacturer peppers their product descriptions with the "T" word -- that's what everyone wants to hear. But the Monte Allums SD-1 mod actually sounds like it. No harshness in the gain. Very tasteful, with lots of useable sounds. I feel like I got a boutique overdrive for $60 ($40 for the SD-1, $20 for the mod kit). I'm impressed. It makes me want to get more of his mods, though I'd have to buy the appropriate pedals to mod, first.

It doesn't sound like a Tube Screamer -- no discernable mid-range hump. Also, it doesn't totally clean up. With the gain all the way down, it sounds like an amp that's just barely breaking up... very cool. (You can leave out the 2X gain mod, which is done by replacing an existing resister with one of lower value, if you wish to retain some totally clean tones.)

My favorite settings so far are probably with the gain between 7:00 and 2:00, with the tone anywhere from 10:00 to 2:00. I'm still playing with it -- there seem to be a lot more useable settings on it than the stock SD-1 had (though I did like the stock one, if only for very low gain stuff). Sounds great on its own, and very nice with my Electric Mistress and some delay as well.

This is obviously a "honeymoon" review, as I've only been able to play with it since yesterday. But my first impressions have been very encouraging!

[GearJunkie]

i've never used any of his mods or even heard of the site. was the mod easy to do?

i know with a lot of mod sites they either make you send the pedal to them or if they send you the parts, they only send schematics, making it harder for people who are more electronics "novices".

what made you want the mod in the first place?

[Uma Floresta]

Originally Posted by GearJunkie

i've never used any of his mods or even heard of the site. was the mod easy to do?

i know with a lot of mod sites they either make you send the pedal to them or if they send you the parts, they only send schematics, making it harder for people who are more electronics "novices".

what made you want the mod in the first place?

Yeah, it was pretty easy. I'm not an expert on electronics, but it's pretty idiot proof. He sends you all the parts, plus detailed instructions with a picture of the actual circuit board. Each part that is to be replaced is tagged with a letter, and the details about what the mod is, what it does, and any special instructions for that particular piece can be found via that letter. IE "B" is a .047uF Capacitator, and it makes the pedal sound clearer and more hi-fi.

So basically, you just find that piece on the circuit board. Desolder it with the supplied desoldering braid, take it off, and the solder on the replacement.

So yeah, no schematics (I can't read schematics), just simple instructions. It's like baking a cake. First the flour, then the eggs, then the butter, etc. The only thing you need is a soldering iron. Everything else is supplied (except the pedal, of course).

[GearJunkie]

Originally Posted by Uma Floresta

Yeah, it was pretty easy. I'm not an expert on electronics, but it's pretty idiot proof. He sends you all the parts, plus detailed instructions with a picture of the actual circuit board. Each part that is to be replaced is tagged with a letter, and the details about what the mod is, what it does, and any special instructions for that particular piece can be found via that letter. IE "B" is a .047uF Capacitator, and it makes the pedal sound clearer and more hi-fi.

So basically, you just find that piece on the circuit board. Desolder it with the supplied desoldering braid, take it off, and the solder on the replacement.

So yeah, no schematics (I can't read schematics), just simple instructions. It's like baking a cake. First the flour, then the eggs, then the butter, etc. The only thing you need is a soldering iron. Everything else is supplied (except the pedal, of course).

wait... where's the yeast go?

i'm so confused.

[Uma Floresta]

Originally Posted by GearJunkie

wait... where's the yeast go?

i'm so confused.

I think you have to pour that over the JRC4558 chip, but I'll have to research that question and get back to you.

[Professor Riffs]

Originally Posted by Uma Floresta

I think you have to pour that over the JRC4558 chip, but I'll have to research that question and get back to you.

I try to keep my equipment yeast infection-free.

[GearJunkie]

Originally Posted by Uma Floresta

I think you have to pour that over the JRC4558 chip, but I'll have to research that question and get back to you.

It was little-known that SRV used to dip his TS-808's in yeast before playing a show.

[Uma Floresta]

Originally Posted by Professor Riffs

I try to keep my equipment yeast infection-free.

You're a wise man.

[Uma Floresta]

Originally Posted by GearJunkie

It was little-known that SRV used to dip his TS-808's in yeast before playing a show.

More yeast = more tone?

[GearJunkie]

Originally Posted by Uma Floresta

More yeast = more tone?

meh, i'm one of those guitarists that doesn't even like srv or his tone. (shields self from attack)