IMPORTANT: You must check the pedal after each component you change. You do not have to reassemble the pedal, just plug the power, input and output jacks in. Also, please don't completely take the pedal apart removing jacks, pots, etc. That is not necessary except on the Dyna, RAT and Daddy-O mods. Most pedals will not work If you completely disassemble them because the ground will been lifted from the circuit. Plug up a guitar and amp and make sure the pedal is functioning properly. Do not call or e-mail me if you perform all the component changes without checking after each component change, I will not be able to help you. If you check the pedal after each component change and there is a problem, you'll know exactly which component is causing the problem. If you perform component changes without checking the pedal after each component change, and you discover a problem, there is no way you or I can tell which component is causing the problem. SO, PLEASE CHECK THE PEDAL AFTER EACH COMPONENT CHANGE to make sure it is functioning properly!

General Mod Issues: If the mod works initially for a while and then all of a sudden stops or starts giving erratic output then here's what I suggest. Take the back of the pedal off and look inside and see if there are any frayed or loose wires. If there are any wires that are frayed or hanging by a thread take and resolder the connection. Also take a close look at the solder joints you made on the components you changed. Are the joints spilling over into an adjacent pad? If so, soak it up with the desoldering braid I supply and resolder it. The key to soldering is to not add too much. Use only enough to make the connection. If the problem still exists try remelting the solder joint you made. This will sometimes fix a bad solder joint.

Chip Adapter Mod Issues: Take the adapter out and put the original SIL opamp back in. Since the adapter assembly is socketed you don't have to unsolder from the pcb. If the problem goes away then the socket is soldered okay but the adapter probably has a bad solder pad somewhere. Could be a pad bleeding over into another or simply a bad joint. Try reheating the solder this will sometimes fix a bad joint. Also, cover the adapter assembly with electrical tape to eliminate the possibility that a short is causing the issue. Make sure you use some high powered glasses when checking the pads. They are tiny and hard to see. I use a pair of 2.50+ reading glasses you can buy anywhere. I also use some direct lighting to help me see.

This is what I use. Also, if you're using a battery try a fresh battery or an adapter. The dual opamps require more current so a fresh battery may be needed. Also, try removing one of the opamps if this is a dual stack adapter. The adapter will work with only one opamps installed. Try swapping sides and see if the issue abates. See if this solves the issue. Also, if you have a different power adapter try it. Some adapters are problematic after the mod. Remember that the dual stack adapters require more current draw. Try isolating the pedal by using it as the only pedal on the power adapter. It could be that your power adapter isn't supplying enough current to drive the dual adpter with both opamps installed. Pull one of the chips and see if that solves the issue. Try a single chip on both sides of the adapter. If one side works and one side does not then you more than likely have a bad solder connection on the adapter.

Oh, another thought, if this mod includes switches wrap a piece of electrical tape around the assembly to keep the diodes, caps, switch, etc. from shorting on something.I've gotten several e-mails lately where buyers have experienced erratic or crackling in their output, or no output, after installing the Chip Adapter Mod. If the Chip Adapter has a socketed chip the socketed chip must be soldered onto the Chip Adapter. If the Chip Adapter just contains a chip, that chip must be soldered to the Adapter. Remember, all this is covered in the electronic instructions that were sent to you as an e-mail attachment. If you did not receive the electronic instructions your ISP has blocked it as spam or a virus. You''ll need to supply me with an alternative e-mail address. Be sure you tell me the e-mail address you used to make the Paypal payment and which mod you purchased. I can't tell you how many e-mails I get a day with no reference to which mod they are asking about. I get hundreds of e-mails a week and there's no way I can remember what any one buyer has purchased. So, got a question? Make sure you include which mod you are asking about.


Tri-Gain & Switch Mod Volume Differences: Hi, the most common question I get is about the differences in volume between the modes on my Tri-Gain and Dual-Gain switches. Here are the specs on LEDs, Diodes and Transistors that I use on the switches in my mods.





So you might ask what the heck does all this mean? The most important specs above are the Forward Voltage and hfe gain specs. Basically this means the higher the Forward Voltage or hfe Gain the more volume you will get. LEDs have sometimes, depending on the color, almost 3X the volume (Forward Voltage) of say a 1N914, 1N34A or 1N4002 diode. This also means that the higher the Forward voltage the less gain but more volume you get. So LEDs will have a coarser gain or distortion with more volume than a 1N914, 1N34A or 1N4002 diode.

DIODE LIFT — Now lets talk about the middle or center switch position of my Tri-Gain Switches. This mode, or position, lifts the diodes completely out of the circuit. Because LEDs and or 1N914, 1N34A or 1N4002 diodes actually pull down the voltage initially as the signal is carried through the circuit, by bypassing the diodes altogether, you get a huge volume increase. So the middle position or Diode Lift Mode gives you more volume than either LEDs or 1N914, 1N34A or 1N4002 diodes. But with the gain knob down the LED and Diode Lift Modes will sound very similar. It's not until you really push the gain or distortion knob that you will hear a different between these two modes. Diode Lift Mode will have more crunch and volume but less gain overall than the LED mode.

NOTE — Lets say you want to keep the volumes the same as you switch between modes in a live setting on stage. The best way to accomplish this is to place a compressor after the pedal with the Tri-Gain or Dual-Gain Mod. This will even out the volumes between the different modes and help control your volume on stage. TIP — I use two compressors in my stage setup. One as the first pedal in my chain and another after my overdrive and distortion pedals. I place the second compression pedal before my modulation effects such as chorus, flange or delay. So here are the placement of effects in my signal chain:

Compressor
Overdrive and Distortion
Compressor
EQ
Chorus
Flange
Modulation
Delay

Sometimes I will place two EQ pedals after the compressors or in the effects loop of my amp. EQ and modulation, delay works well in the effects loop. I always try them both ways (signal chain and effects loop) and then use my ears to decide which I like best. In a stereo setup I prefer not to use them in the effects loop. This way I can have the effects to use with both amps. I use a Line 6 DL4 as the last effect in my chain when using a two amps. This allows me to split the delay in stereo to both amps for a huge stereo delay effect. I find that the stereo setup enhances my muse and just really helps to inspire me when playing. As with all DIY you are encouraged to eperiment so please use the above as a guide only. Have fun! After all, that is what this stuff is all about.

Tri-Gain & Switch Mod Issues: The most common issue with the switch mods is overheating them with a soldering iron. Because they are made from plastic they are easily damaged by excess heat. To avoid this tin (add solder) the wires and lugs on the switch. Only a small amount of solder is needed. This will make soldering the wires to the lugs easier and quicker. DO NOT hold the iron to the lug for too long, it will melt the plastic and render the switch useless. If you live in the States Radio Shack carries these (spdt on-off-on for 3-way Tri-Gain switches and spdt on-on for the 2-way switches). I also get a ton of e-mail about the difference in volume between the LEDs and diodes. This is normal. The LEDs and diode lift will always be louder than the diode side (see detailed info above). In fact, the LED and diode lift will sound very similar up to about 12 o'clock. The diode lift will be the louder of the two with the LEDs giving a more tube-like round vibe. Before closing the pedal up I recommend wrapping the switches in electrical tape to insulate it from shorting on something once the pedal is closed up. TIP — I just started using a special type of mini toggle switch. It's called a Sub-Miniature Toggle Switch. You can read about them here. These switches are very small (smaller than the ones I currently use) and take up less space so they are great to use when modding pedals that have very limited space available. I will eventually transition to these type of switches for all my mods. As I transition I will make these available for purchase at my site here.

DOUBLE-CHECK UPON COMPLETION OF A MODDED PEDAL: I've gotten several e-mails lately where buyers have complained about not being happy with a mod. After a few e-mails back and forth we discovered that some components had been installed in the wrong places. Modding pedals is just like any other task one might do. A good mechanic always double-checks their work. Modding pedals should be no different. Once you've completed the entire mod it's vitally important that you get my instructions out and check off each component making sure that the right components are installed in the correct places and that the components with positive and negative sides are installed correctly. Read the instructions, ALL OF THEM! Most issues can be avoided by thoroughly reading the instructions. I have given you everything you need to successfully perform your mod. Take your time and read the instructions. It will save you time and frustration.

.1uF AND .01uF CAPACITORS: Some kits includes both .1uF and .01uF Capacitors that look exactly the same. The .1uF has the number 104 written on it and the .01uF Capacitor has 103 written on it. Make sure the correct Capacitor is installed in the correct place. These Capacitors are very different in values and if installed in the wrong places will make the tone of the mod give the wrong results.

SAVE THE COMPONENTS YOU REPLACE OR REMOVE: Use the plastic bag your kit came in to save the parts you remove from the pedal you are modding. If you are modding more than one pedal use a separate bag for each pedal. Write the name of the pedal on the bag. The parts will come in handy if you discover a problem at a later time and need to reinstall one of the components you removed.

USE A 25 OR 30 WATT SOLDERING IRON: Using a higher wattage iron can damage the PCB and the components. And be very careful when moving the circuit board because it can fray the wires that are attached to it. Remove ALL the old solder! If the component doesn't easily come out DO NOT FORCE IT OUT! That will pull the pad trace up and that is a very bad thing. After removing the old solder if the component still doesn't want to come out, try heating the component with the soldering iron and gently remove it. Almost all pad traces are damaged by forcing a component out that has not had all the old solder removed.

READ THE INSTRUCTIONS: I get a ton of e-mail. I spend more than one hour each day answering e-mail and almost 95% of the questions are covered in the instructions I include with your purchase. You should have received instructions in the form of an e-mail attachment sent to you after your purchase. I also send paper instructions along with the kit parts sent VIA snail mail. If you did not receive the e-mail attachment instructions it's because your ISP is filtering it as spam or a virus. You'll need to give us an alternative e-mail address along with proof of purchase. Either the PayPal Transaction ID or the e-mail address used to make the payment will suffice. DO NOT CALL ME OR E-MAIL ME IF YOU HAVEN'T THOROUGHLY READ THE INSTRUCTIONS! All your questions are covered in them. They include everything you need to do each mod.

BOSS GE-7 WITH VINTAGE ACA ADAPTERS: There are two types of Boss GE-7 pedals on the market. The newer Boss GE-7s have only three 8-pin opamp chips. The older vintage Boss GE-7s have four 8-pin opamp chips. These older GE-7s use a different adapter (ACA) than the newer (PSA) pedals. If you are unsure which pedal you have, look on the front of the GE-7 and you will see a sticker. If the sticker says "USE BOSS ACA ADAPTER ONLY" then you have the older pedal (you can also tell by looking at the bottom of the pedal on the label). It's very important that you use only a Boss ACA Adapter or a new 9-Volt battery when testing the pedal. Using a regular Boss PSA Adapter the pedal will not get the correct voltage to the circuit and will cause audio problems that aren't really there.

COMPONENT WON'T FIT HOLES: I love 1N4002 Rectifier Diodes as clippers in the gain circuit. But, unfortunately they're sometimes, depending on the PCB, too big to fit in the existing holes on the PCB. You'll need to use something to ream out the holes so they will fit. Amazon.com sells a Kronus Precision File Set that is perfect for enlarging the holes. It's $5.00 and works very well. Here's a link to the item you can buy right off Amazon's website (click here). I highly recommend it. Very high quality and will last.. It's perfect for this. But any fine tipped file will work. Be careful though. Filing too much can damage the PCB traces.

REMOVE ALL OLD SOLDER: It's vitally important that all the old solder is removed BEFORE REMOVING THE COMPONENT TO BE MODDED. DO NOT FORCE THE OLD COMPONENT OUT! If the component doesn't come out easily then you haven't removed all the solder. Use the desoldering braid to remove the rest of the old solder BEFORE removing the old component. Forcing the component out without completely removing the solder will pull the trace off the PCB. This can possibly ruin your pedal! So, remove all the old solder before trying to remove the component to be modded.

LIFTED OR DAMAGED TRACES: If you mod pedals long enough you will eventually pull up a trace pad or damage a pcb. If you do here is what you can do to fix the issue. look at the PCB board and see where the component goes to next by following the trace on the PCB. Then take a small piece of component wire (such as a trimmed resistor leg) and jumper over from the component to that next component on the pcb trace. That should fix the issue.

COLD SOLDER JOINT: If you are having a problem, 90% of the time it's a bad solder connection. Keep the tip of your iron clean. Use a small damp sponge to clean the tip after each component soldered. Use only enough solder to form a connection. If the solder clumps up, soak it up with the desoldering braid and start over. If the pedal stops working, go back and touch the solder joints by remelting the solder. This will sometimes fix a bad solder connection and the pedal will start working. If the board will not take the solder (it beads up) you have probably pulled the trace off the PCB. This is a very bad thing. But, there's a way to get past this problem by jumpering a small piece of wire (one of the components legs you've trimmed off will work great for this) from the component to the next solder connection on the PCB. Simply follow the traces on the board to find the next component in signal path and solder the two connections together.

ITEMS WITH POSITIVE & NEGATIVE SIDES: Some of the components I supply have a positive and negative side. Make sure you install them correctly. The electronic instructions I send as an e-mail attachment will tell you exactly how these components are to be installed. Failure to follow these instructions can possibly fry the component. This is especially true with opamps and diodes. So, make sure you read the instructions thoroughly before installing them. The instructions (on diode replacement) mention a triangle that points in the positive direction on the PCB. You will NOT see this triangle until the old diode is removed. Use the pic below for clarification on diodes, tantalum caps and LEDs.

REPLACING LEDS: Some of my mods include a replacement LED. They have a positive and negative side. If you look closely at the LED you will see what I like to call a Flag. When removing the old LED make a note of the Flag's orientation and install the replacement LED in the same direction as the old LED. If you install an LED and it doesn't work, simply turn the LED around and it will start working. All of the LEDs I sell are of the clear variety and it is impossible to tell what color it is. A good way to tell its color is to do this. Take a used 9-volt battery and drain it's voltage until it reads 2 to 3 volts on a multi-meter (I usually just place the battery in a pedal and leave it on until it drains the voltage down to 2 or 3 volts). Once the voltage is this low you can then use it to test the LED to see what color it is. DO NOT TEST THE LED WITH A NEW 9-VOLT BATTERY, IT WILL FRY THE LED RENDERING IT USELESS! I test all LEDs before I ship to see if they are faulty, so I'll know if you blew it or not. So please don't e-mail me asking for a Free replacement if you fry it.

LOOSE WIRING: All pedals have wiring that is connected from the input, output, pots, switch and other components to the PCB. From the factory, some of these connections are not soldered well. Before starting your mods please check to see if they are securely attached. Some may need a little solder to firm up their connection. A little time spent up front can save you a ton of time trouble-shooting. Take the time to make sure those connections are firm and secure. Handle the PCB with care. Take your time. Most mistakes happen when we get in a hurry.

NEWER DYNA COMPS: The newer MXR Dyna Comps use a new style of component PCB. The components are soldered on the front and back sides. This makes removing the old components tricky and difficult. The key with these pedals is to take your time and remove ALL the old solder thoroughly. Use the desoldering braid to completely remove the solder on the front and back sides. Again, let me stress, take your time and remove all the solder. On these newer Dyna Comps the jacks, pots and switch are attached directly to the PCB. You'll need to remove the nuts from the jacks, pots and switch before you can remove the PCB.

LAST RESORT: There comes a point when you have tried all the above and the pedal still doesn't work properly then you have two choices. You can send the pedal to one of my authorized installers. You can find them here. Or if you feel adventurous your other choice is to go back and uninstalling each component and replacing with the original until you find the offending component. If original components are unavailable try going back over all the solder joints. You could have a bad joint. Also check the wiring. One could be loose or frayed. Hope this helps. This is exactly what we do when we receive a pedal that is not functional. I know it's a pain but since we don't know where the problem is we have to assume it could be any where.

ADDING TRUE BYPASS TO YOUR PEDAL: Chad Matthews can add True Bypass to your Ibanez and certain wah pedals. You can contact Chad by clicking here. We, however, cannot add True Bypass to your Boss pedals. There's just not enough room inside Boss pedals to add the needed switch circuit. If you must have True Bypass let me suggest one of the Bypass Loopers like you'll find at this link. There are a some new products that exist that allow you to add True Bypass toy your Boss pedals but I have not personally tried them. So if you feel adventurous you can give them a try but just remember that we will not be able to offer you any help or tech support when doing so.