We do all guitar repair, restoration, refinishing and setup work as well as pick up rewinds and amp and pedal electronics repairs. If it's broken or not playing like it should, we'll fix it.
The retail shop stocks and sells a full range of hardware, leads, strings etc and we have exclusive dealerships so check out the pricelists for the best prices around.

Tym guitars blog has moved




Tym guitars has a brand new website up and running with the new BLOG as part of the site. Please go to Tym guitars to view/comment and browse the BLOG.





August 31, 2010

Wampler Pinnacle II

Sometimes you need extreme gain, sometimes you need mild overdrive...this pedal does that with an awesome "brown sound"! It has an extremely tweakable eq - from scooped mids to tons of warm mids, all with the turn of 2 knobs.

This pedal has 4 knobs -- two separate tone controls that act as a sort of parametric EQ, gain and volume. It also has a 'bright' switch that adds a ton of variety and is very handy when playing a dark sounding amp, as well as another toggle switch that will give you high gain Brown Sound tones. It is completely true bypass, of course, and includes a 9v "boss style" power jack and battery connection.

Specs
*Boost switch alters gain structure to take it from overdrive to distortion.
*High gain, crunchy and dynamic pedal
*Extremely tweakable EQ
*Can do scooped mids to 'honky' mids to lofi.
*High boost switch for using with amps that are not very bright and sparkly clean.
*High grade film capacitors and resistors picked for their superior sound
*Completely true bypass
*Ultra-bright LEDs for ease of use
*Battery connection and 9v power jack (barrel plug like Boss)
*2.5" x 4.5"
*Powder coated durable finish
*Designed to get the best EVH "brown sound" possible within a pedal design
* Red Sparkle, white Knobs
* Jfet (mu-amp) type circuitry - solid state version of a tube amp
* 5 Year Warranty

August 30, 2010

Stereo Pulsar . Variable Shape Analog Tremolo

The Stereo Pulsar generates vintage tremolo and panning that will fill any venue with rhythmic stereo energy. Its Wave Form switch allows you to change the modulation from triangle to square form. The Wave Shape control allows you to control transitions from negative to positive saw tooth or adjust pulse width. This all means you can create any type of stereo tremolo from pure vintage to ones never heard before.

- CONTROLS -

SHAPE Switch - Selects between Triangle Wave and Square Wave Modes.
SHAPE Knob - Changes the shape of the waveform that modulates the Tremolo.
Triangle Wave Mode - In this mode the LFO creates a Triangle Wave oscillation, resulting in a smooth modulation. As the SHAPE knob is turned from the Counter-Clockwise (minimum) position to the Center (middle) position, the waveform starts as a rising Sawtooth changing into a Triangle. From the Center position to the Clockwise (maximum) position, the wave changes from a Triangle to a falling Sawtooth.
Square Wave Mode - In this mode, the LFO creates a Square Wave, resulting in a sharp, on/off modulation. As the SHAPE knob is turned from the Counter-Clockwise (minimum) position to the Center (middle) position, the wave starts as a Small Pulse Width Wave changing into a Square Wave. From the Center position to the Clockwise (maximum) position, the wave changes from a Square Wave to a Large Pulse Width Wave.
DEPTH Knob - Adjusts the amount of Tremolo that will be applied to your signal. As the DEPTH knob is turned from the Counter-Clockwise (minimum) position to the Clockwise (maximum) position, the amount of the effect will increase. Maximum tremolo occurs when the DEPTH knob is set to approximately 2 o’clock. As the DEPTH knob is turned above 2 o’clock, the tremolo begins to warp by modulating between positive and negative phase with a rhythmic pattern. To obtain maximum pan when using the Stereo Pulsar in stereo, the optimum setting for the DEPTH knob is at approximately 2 o’clock.
RATE Knob - Adjusts the speed of the tremolo or pan effect. As the RATE knob is turned from the Counter-Clockwise (minimum) position to the Clockwise (maximum) position, the modulation rate increases.
RATE/STATUS LED - If the effect is engaged, the LED will blink at the same rate that the effect modulates. In bypass mode, the LED is off. The footswitch engages/disengages the effect.
INPUT Jack - Connect your instrument’s output to this 1/4” mono jack. The input impedance presented at this jack is 1 Mohm. Plugging a cable into the INPUT jack, when running the Stereo Pulsar off of a 9V battery, turns the Stereo Pulsar on and drains the battery.
MAIN OUT Jack - Connect this 1/4” mono jack to your amplifier’s input. The output impedance presented at this jack is 1 kohm. When using the Stereo Pulsar as a mono device we recommend you use the MAIN OUT jack so that the parameter labels of the SHAPE knob correspond to what your hear.
STEREO OUT Jack - Connect this 1/4” mono jack to your second amplifier’s input. The output impedance presented at this jack is 1 kohm. When using the Stereo Pulsar as a stereo device use the STEREO OUT jack for your second channel. You can connect only the STEREO OUT jack if you want; the tremolo effect will be the same as from the MAIN OUT jack but the SHAPE knob labels will be reversed. For example, when the SHAPE knob is set to its clockwise position, the tremolo will have a falling sawtooth modulating it.
9V Power Jack - The Stereo Pulsar can run off of a 9V battery or you can connect a 9VDC battery eliminator capable of delivering at least 100mA to the 9V power jack. The optional 9V power supply from Electro-Harmonix is US9.6DC-200BI (same as used by Boss(tm) & Ibanez(tm)) 9.6 volts/DC 200mA. The battery eliminator must have a barrel connector with center negative. The battery may be left in or taken out when using an eliminator.
- POWER -
Power from the internal 9-volt battery is activated by plugging into the INPUT jack. The input cable should be removed when the unit is not in use to avoid running down the battery. If a battery eliminator is used, the Stereo Pulsar will be powered as long as a wall-wart is plugged into the wall.
To change the 9-volt battery, you must remove the 4 screws on the bottom of the Stereo Pulsar. Once the screws are removed, you can take off the bottom plate and change the battery. Please do not touch the circuit board while the bottom plate is off or you risk damaging a component.

August 27, 2010

VFX-D2

The VFX-D2 is an OpAmp based Circuit combined with clipping LED's for a smooth, but crunchy sounding distortion. Capable of getting a nearly clean boost to full distortion. Toggle switch provides a Big Muff style "Compressed Tone" setting that can really color your sound when the Distortion & Volume are pushed hard. Near 'metal' distortion can be achieved with the Compressed Tone setting on.

- Sturdy Hammond 1590BB enclosure
- Machined Aluminum Knobs
- LED Indication
- 9v negative-center AC Adapter Jack
- True Bypass
- All hand built in the USA

These pedals are IN STOCK now. Contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

August 26, 2010

The FAB foam guitar speaker cab

Following on from the FAMP comes the next logical step in the evolution of foam. That's right, the speaker cab. This is a 2 x 12, 120W guitar speaker cab that weighs 9.5 KG's. Yeah, you heard right.
After the prototype success of the FAMP, we have started making guitar (and probably bass) speaker cabs out of foam in the same method as the original FAMP. These are glued foam cabinets with thin ply speaker baffles and internal bracing. It measures 760x290x430 and weighs just 9.5 KG's using 2 60W Celestion Neo speakers.

No more lugging big heavy speaker cabs to practice and gigs. This weighs less than 2 Gibson LP's and you can put ANY amp up to around 100W on top of it.
It has seriously great tone up against our timber cabs and other manufacturers cabs. We were actually a little shocked ourselves at the tone this little cab puts out and it's SO small and LIGHT.
This cab can be run in closed or open back as the back baffle is hinged at the bottom with locking latches to close it up. You get a slightly different tone from closed to open back. We can also fit the FAMP 50W guitar amp into this cab, making a 2x12 50W guitar combo that would weigh less than 15 KG's.












After more development and testing we will be releasing a 4x10 version also with Neo speakers also. The cab above is pictured with one of my vintage 80W Matamps on top to give an idea of size. These heads are the same as most vintage and modern Orange heads. These are HEAVY heads and as you can see there's no bowing in the cab top. You can stand on these cabs.

These cabs, just like the FAMP are completely self contained and once we have our stainless steel speaker grill sorted for the production models, you don't need road cases to tour with them.



If you're interested in testing one of these cabs contact Tym guitars

12AX7 Valve

The 12AX7 (or ECC83) is the backbone of most modern guitar and bass valve amp preamp stages. We currently have stock of Tesla/JJ, GT, EH, Tung Sol, Mullard, EI, Sino and Svetlana 12AX7's IN STOCK. Contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.
The 12AX7 is a miniature dual triode vacuum tube with high voltage gain. It was developed around 1946 by RCA engineers[1] in Harrison, New Jersey, under developmental number A-4522. It was released for public sale under the 12AX7 identifier on September 15, 1947. The 12AX7 was originally intended as replacement for the 6SL7 family of dual-triode amplifier tubes for audio applications. The tube is praised for its distinctive valve sound, and its ongoing wide use in guitar amplifiers has caused it to be one of the very few small-signal vacuum tubes to continue in production since it was introduced.













The 12AX7 is basically two 6AV6 triodes in one package. The 6AV6 was a repackaging of the triode from the octal 6SQ7, which was very similar to the older type 75 triode-diode, dating from 1930.
Currently, the 12AX7 is made in various versions by two factories in Russia (Winged C, formerly Svetlana, and New Sensor, which makes current production tubes under the Sovtek, Electro-Harmonix, Svetlana, Tung-Sol, and other brands for which the firm has acquired trademark rights), one in China (Shuguang), one in Slovakia (JJ), and one in Serbia (EI Niš), for a total annual production figure of 2 million units (estimated). The vast majority are used in new-production guitar amplifiers or for replacement purposes in guitar or audio equipment.

The 12AX7 is a high-gain (typical gain factor 100), low plate current triode, and is therefore best suited for low-level audio amplification. In this role it is widely used for the preamplifier (input and mid-level) stages of audio amplifiers. With its high Miller capacitance, it is not suitable for radio-frequency use.
Typically a 12AX7 triode is configured with a high-value plate resistor, 100k ohms in most guitar amps and 220k ohms or more in high-fidelity equipment. Grid bias is most often provided by a cathode resistor. If the cathode resistor is unbypassed, negative feedback is introduced and each half of a 12AX7 provides a typical voltage gain of about 60. The cathode resistor can be bypassed to reduce or eliminate AC negative feedback and thereby increase gain.
The initial "12" in the designator implies a 12-volt heater requirement; however, the tube has a center tapped filament so it can be used in either 6.3V or 12.6V heater circuits.

August 25, 2010

Toadworks Roundabout

The Roundabout is an unbuffered signal looper, offering the maximum in flexability and affordability. Roundabout is a True-Bypass mechanical switching device designed for both effect and amp switching. Use it as a True-Bypass box, as an effect loop switcher, or as an amp/guitar switcher (without the annoying "pop"!) There is no active circuitry in this device, the battery only powers the LEDs.

ToadWorks Roundabout signal looper have been designed to offer the maximum versatility, without altering your tone. Roundabout has been tested with dozens of new & vintage effects and amplifiers. Send your signal wherever you like with confidence.

These pedals are IN STOCK now. Contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

August 24, 2010

Ronsound Hairpie

The Ronsound Hairpie is the Big Muff clone made by Ron Neely II, the EH Man, All-Knowing Guru of Electro-Harmonix RonSound is a 1 man operation and has been building pedals since 1995.
Hairpie Classic - The classic, smooth early 70's Big Muff sound. Copied from an original triangle-knob Big Muff.
Hairpie '75 - Corresponds to the mid 70's version (Series 2 or "Ramhead") Big Muff. Just a bit more distortion.
Hairpie '81 - Based on the circuitry of the 1981, 3rd series Big Muff. Even more distortion!
These pedals are IN STOCK now. Contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

August 22, 2010

Wampler Faux tape echo

As close as you could come to a tape echo machine... the faux tape echo is basically the analogecho (which is a favorite of many guitarists such as Brad Paisley) crossed with a unique circuit the speeds up and slows down the echos, just like a real tape echo. It isn't modulating like other 'tape echo' emulations though... many of them sound like a chorus pedal in the background... while that is a cool sound in itself, a tape echo's 'flutter' created modulation tones by the recording tape slightly speeding up and slowing down - that's why we duplicated the modulation circuit to do the same thing.

If you are tired of wimpy sterile delay tones or just simply wish that your analog delay could get brighter, the faux echo is your pedal! While the echoes are created digitally, the base signal is all analog and is extremely transparent. The echoes are not sterile and brittle like a digital delay though - they are big, full and FAT.

Max delay time: about 600ms

Specs
*High grade film capacitors and resistors picked for their superior sound and response
*Completely true bypass
*Battery connection and 9v power jack (barrel plug like Boss)
*controls: level, repeats, delay time, modulation depth, tone control on repeats (darker or brighter echoes)
*Ultra-bright LED for ease of use
*Battery connection and 9v power jack (barrel plug like Boss)
*Powder coated durable finish
*5 year warranty

These pedals are IN STOCK now. Contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

August 21, 2010

Mosrite Fuzzrite clones we stock

This GREAT little Fuzz pedal was designed and built by Ed Sanner in 1965 for Mosrite of California and has become a much loved (and copied) fuzz. It's a fairly simple 2 transistor fuzz with gain and volume controls. We currently stock a few clones of this little gem.

Tym Buzzrite. This is a copy of the second version Fuzzrite. My personal favorite using 2 silicon transistors. These are built on Tym designed PCB's using high quality components and Switchcraft jacks. Mine has a "Boss" style adaptor but no LED. This is a nasty little 60's fuzz that I put squarely in what I call the "sausage sizzle" type fuzz. Not much bottom end but still good for chords and great for lead (see the Ventures).

Creepyfingers Fuzzfight.
Its a version of the first edition germanium transistor equipped Mosrite Fuzzrite. Using the same transistor types as the original it pumps out a nasty 60's style fuzz. The good/evil knob blends between a warm crunchy fuzz to a stingy mess. Awesome for copping those Iron Butterfly tones. Fuzzfight is point to point wired.

Traves Gunk. Dave uses Vero board, cut to size and designs a layout based on the old schematic, adding modern tweaks, control options, pull down resistors, power filtering, reverse polarity protection etc..
They use Alpha pots, metal film resistors where possible and NOS transistors where applicable. All pedals have True Bypass,Led's and Boss style DC adaptors. Based on Mosrite Fuzzrite. Using BC108A or 2n2222a transistors.

Vintage FX Fuzzriot. The original circuit called for 2 silicon transistors, which limited the pedal to a "nasty" & "nastier" tonal range. Dave of Vintage FX has replaced the 1st stage transistor with an NPN germanium, which enables a slightly tamer tone when the depth is rolled back. Be assured, when depth is turned up, you will have all of the nastiness of the original. Dave's also added a tone control to back off on the trebliness", if that is desired. Dave doesn't claim that it's "better than the original", but it is just as good & amp; much more versatile.

There's a reason so many people clone these Fuzzrites. They're a GREAT 60's fuzz in all forms and originals are starting to fetch BIG money. If you want that late 60's Ventures/surf sound, put one of these into a Fender amp with reverb.
These pedals are IN STOCK now. Contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

Pots for guitars














Pot Basics Potentiometers or Variable resistors as they are sometimes called, are commonly used as Volume, Tone or Pickup Balance Controls. A pot is basically an electrically resistive element or track with an extra connection known as a wiper. The wiper travels in contact with the track as the knob is turned. The pot can be connected in circuit to form a variable resistor between the wiper and either end of the pot track, or connected as a potential divider such that the wiper taps off a proportion of the voltage signal present between each end of the track depending upon its position along the track.
Guitar Volume Pot
An Electric Guitar Volume Control is normally wired as a Potential Divider. The clockwise end of the pot track is connected to the hot signal from the pickup and the anti-clockwise end, to the signal ground. With the knob turned fully clockwise in the 10 position, the wiper is positioned at the top end of the track, this is where the hot signal from the guitar pickup is connected. In this position 100% of the pickup output is transferred by the pot wiper to the guitars output. At the opposite end of the track, the volume pot is connected to the guitars signal ground. With the knob turned to the zero position, the wiper is then positioned at the ground end of the track and no output signal is transferred to the guitar output. For knob settings in between 0 & 10, a proportion of the signal is transferred to the guitar output. The proportion of the signal obviously depends upon the knob position, but also upon the taper.
Guitar Tone Pot
An Electric Guitar Tone Control is normally wired as a variable resistance. The anti-clockwise end of the pot track and the wiper form the variable resistance which is connected in series with a capacitor. The capacitor and pot are connected between the hot signal from the pickup and the signal ground. When the knob is turned to the 0 position, the pot is zero resistance and the capacitor is directly shorted across the guitar pickup signal. The Capacitor effectively filters the highs from the signal. With the knob turned to higher positions, the pot series resistance is higher limiting the current and therefore the effect that the capacitor has on filtering higher frequencies from the Guitar Signal.
















Pot Taper
Taper refers to the relationship between the mechanical position of the pot and the actual electrical characteristic of the resistive track.
Linear Taper Pots
What is a linear taper pot? Linear refers to the law of the pot being a straight line. With the pot set at position 5 or 50%, the potentiometric output or the resistance between the end and the wiper will also be 50%. The electrical characteristic of the pot directly relates to the mechanical position of the wiper. This is appropriate in many circumstances of variable resistor use, but as it happens, not in Volume Control applications. Linear Taper Pots are more suitable as tone control pots, but rarely installed this way, due to manufacturing cost considerations.
Audio (Log) Taper Pots
What is an Audio Taper pot? Audio or Log Taper refers to the law of the pot being logarithmic. This comes about solely because of the way the human ear hears sound pressure levels. For the human ear to register sound as "twice as loud", about 10 times the sound pressure level has to be output! The higher the Voume knob is turned, the faster the output increases. For the most part, Audio Taper Guitar Pots are not a perfect log curve, but it's hard to tell. For a left handed player, turing the pot up is in the anti-clockwise direction instead of clockwise. With a logarithmic, audio taper pot, this also means that the curve has to work in the opposite direction. Left handed pots are available for this purpose.

August 20, 2010

Tym pedals

I will bring a bunch of pedals over to the retail shop tomorrow.
I have just built 2 Buzzrites, my clone of the late 60's Mosrite Fuzzrite, 2 Fuzzillas which is my homage to the great Shen-ei FY2 fuzz with added goodies, 2 Human Flys which is my special thanks to Lux from the Cramps. I've also made 3 of my point to point Boost pedals. The 2 Std Boosts are my treble boost AND linear boost in one pedal and also 1 Double boost which is 2 linear boosts wired together with separate volume for each. This will be THE LAST of these Boosts with this artwork available.

I will be making more Big Bottoms, Toecutters and Big Mudds soon, but I'm out of sideways enclosures right now. I should have more in 3-4 weeks. There's still a couple of Big Mudds left in the shop if anyone's after one. Anyone who has been waiting for any of these pedals please contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

Lava cable order on the way.





Lava Solder-Free Pedal Board Kit

10' Mini ELC Cable + 10 Lava Plugs + Stripping Tool

Featuring the smallest right angle and straight solder-free plugs on the market - the Lava Plug™
and the lowest capacitance patch cable available - Lava Mini ELC, the Lava Solder-Free Pedal Board Kit is a revolutionary do-it-yourself cable system that provides pure TONE and pedal spacing closer than ever before. Unlike any other similar product on the market, the cable and plug were designed together as a matched pair using a special grounding sleeve instead of set screw for the ground connection. This grounding sleeve design significantly increases reliability and provides for the best possible connection using solder-free plug technology. With just four or five easy steps for assembly, the Lava Solder-Free Pedal Board Kit is the ideal choice for any musician wanting reliability and uncompromising tone with virtually no signal loss. The Lava Solder-Free Pedal Board Kit is Made in the U.S.A.








These kits are IN STOCK now. Big order of Lava coming so contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

August 19, 2010

Wraparound Bridge/Tailpiece

This classic piece of hardware designed by Ted McCarty is still my all time favorite bridge if it's done right. The wraparound bridge/tailpiece from the '54/55 Gibson Les Paul offers a simplicity and functionality that is hard to match. It provides a firm seating for the strings, allowing the player to adjust intonation and string height as needed, and yielding an incredible union between the strings and body, resulting in excellent tone and sustain.

The Gibson Les Paul was introduced in 1952 and featured two P-90 single coil pickups, and a one-piece, 'trapeze'-style bridge and tailpiece, with strings that were fitted under (instead of over) a steel stop-bar.
In '54 the trapeze was replaced by Ted's "Wraparound Bridge/Tailpiece" which improved tone and sustain greatly and made string damping possible. THIS is the version I love even though it only ran for less than 2 years when the Custom was introduced in '55 with the now famous "tune-o-matic" bridge and the stoptail was moved backwards to anchor the strings. It was originally intended to string the strings the same way, over the tailpiece and on to the bridge but most players feed the strings in from the back. Some players, like Billy Gibbons (and myself) will tell you that all Les Pauls sound better with the strings being fed in from the front and wrapped over the tailpiece as it was intended.

The wraparound was used on all the cheaper Gibson (and some Epiphone) models like Les Paul Juniors, Specials, Melody Makers etc and SG equivalents through the 1960's. It was even used in a slightly different design on Gibson basses from the late 50's and 60's. In the mid 50's it was given a slight makeover with added intonation bars to help with non wound G strings being introduced on lighter string sets but these were still a bit hit and miss with some gauges.

In more recent years there have been many "intonatable" versions made with saddles but these don't sound the same as the original bar. If the bridge is put in the right place to start with these are exceptional bridges. They have a sustain and tone unmatched by ANY OTHER bridge system. There is something about all the string tension being ON the bridge that's anchored directly to the body that makes them vibrate and lock in with the body timber giving a tone like no other system. This is probably why PRS have always used them on everything up to their top of the line models and one of the reasons why those early Les Pauls and Gibson Jr's and Specials sound SO GOOD !!

August 18, 2010

MXR pedals from 1974 to 1984

MXR, also known as MXR Innovations, was a manufacturer of guitar effects units, founded in 1973 by Keith Barr (founder of Alesis) and Terry Sherwood, and based in Rochester, New York. MXR Innovations, Inc. was incorporated in 1974. The MXR trademark is now owned by Jim Dunlop.

The first MXR effects pedal was the M-101 MXR Phase 90, widely used on the first two Van Halen albums[1]. A milder version of the effect was also released, the MXR Phase 45, and a programmable version, the Phase 100'’. A single 9 volt battery powered these effects; and could give them life for 500 hours of use. The input was directly connected to the circuits power supply (which is very common in effects pedals, such as the Crybaby wah). When through playing, players were instructed to remove the cable from the pedal’s input to conserve battery life. When the battery finally did run out, in order to change it out, one had to unscrew the bottom plate. Each of the pedal’s enclosures had 4 screws attaching the bottom plate.

Like many other pedals of the day, MXR pedals prior to 1981 did not have LEDs, ac jacks, or true bypass. Over the years, there were two distinct periods the reference series went through. Each of these periods however, had two phases, which will be explained below. First was the script period. This is in reference to the cursive writing found on the pedals cases. The earliest MXR script pedals were housed in BUD boxes. These "Bud” boxes were cast out of aluminum, by the Bud Box Company out of Willoubhy, Ohio. Later, MXR still made script logo pedals, but they were housed in zinc die cast casings made in house. When compared side by side, the “Bud” boxes are considerably lighter in weight than the zinc boxes. The earliest script logo pedals were actually made in the basement shop of the founders of MXR and the logos were silk screened by hand. These very first pedals can be identified by a slightly larger font “MXR" on the case. These script pedals had carbon film resistors and are regarded by vintage gear collectors as the best of the best.

The full line of mxr pedals to bear the script logo are as follows: Phase 45, Phase 90, Phase 100, Dyna Comp, Noise Gate / Line Driver, Distortion +, and Blue Box. These pedals routinely go for $300.00 to $1000.00 US depending on which one it is and in what condition it is in. As the script-logo era was coming to a close and the box-logo era was beginning, there was a bit of a transitional period. The Box logo period 1 was next. This began to happen around 1975-6 and lasted until 1981. The main way to tell a script logo versus a box logo is the usage of carbon film resistors. These resistors look cylindrical in appearance and have old school tape lines on them which are color coded to tell you the value of the piece.

Around the time the company logo changed, the resistors and other parts such as capacitors, and diodes changed as well. Metal film resistors are easy to spot because they resemble the bodies of ants, and are not perfectly cylindrical in shape. They are less noisy, and are smaller than carbon film resistors. During this transitional period, some script logo pedals had box logo circuits, and vice versa. This is why it is important to check the circuits of every vintage MXR pedal you are prospectively thinking about buying. Sometimes what your buying isn’t what you think it is, which can be good or bad. The box logo is the MXR logo in which we are all familiar with today. The list of pedals included in the box logo era are the same as above with the addition of the micro flanger, micro chorus, loop selector, envelope filter, six band equalizer, 10 band equalizer, and micro amp. These pedals did not have LEDs, ac jacks, or true bypass either. The next phase changed that though. These box logo pedals are very collectible too, many collectors seek out these pedals as they are cheaper than the script logo pedals, and if they get lucky, they may even end up with a script logo circuit in the end. The second phase of the box logos took place from 1981, to 1984 when the company chutes it’s doors. The main change in this era was the addition of LEDs and ac jacks. These pedals used 1/8th inch power jacks and were exactly the same circuit board wise as their pre 1981 box logo brothers.

August 16, 2010

Pick ups

A pickup acts as a transducer that captures mechanical vibrations, usually from suitably-equipped stringed instruments such as the electric guitar and converts them to an electrical signal which can then be amplified, recorded and broadcast.
A magnetic pickup consists of a permanent magnet such as a AlNiCo, wrapped with a coil of a few thousand turns of fine enameled copper wire. The pickup is most often mounted on the body of the instrument, but can be attached to the bridge, neck and/or pickguard, as on many electro-acoustic archtop jazz guitars and string basses. The vibration of the nearby soft-magnetic strings modulates the magnetic flux linking the coil, thereby inducing an alternating current through the coil of wire. This signal is then carried to amplification or recording equipment via a cable. There may also be an internal preamplifier stage between the pickup and cable. More generally, the pickup operation can be described using the concept of a magnetic circuit, in which the motion of the string varies the magnetic reluctance in the circuit created by the permanent magnet.

The output voltage of pickups varies between 100 mV rms to over 1 V rms for some of the higher output types. Some high-output pickups achieve this by employing very strong magnets, thus creating more flux and thereby more output. This can be detrimental to the final sound because the magnets' pull on the strings can cause problems with intonation as well as damp the strings and reduce sustain. Other high-output pickups have more turns of wire to increase the voltage generated by the string's movement. However, this also increases the pickup's output resistance/impedance, which can affect high frequencies if the pickup is not isolated by a buffer amplifier or a DI unit.

The turns of wire in proximity to each other have an equivalent self-capacitance which, when added to any cable capacitance present, resonates with the inductance of the winding. This resonance can accentuate certain frequencies, giving the pickup a characteristic tonal quality. The more turns of wire in the winding, the higher the output voltage but the lower this resonance frequency. The inductive source impedance inherent in this type of transducer makes it less linear than other forms of pickups[citation needed], such as piezo-electric or optical. The tonal quality produced by this nonlinearity is, however, subject to taste, and may therefore also be considered by some[who?] to be aesthetically superior to that of a more linear transducer.

The external load usually consists of resistance (the volume and tone potentiometer in the guitar, and any resistance to ground at the amplifier input) and capacitance between the hot lead and shield in the guitar cable. The electric cable also has a capacitance which can be a significant portion of the overall system capacitance. This arrangement of passive components forms a resistively-damped second-order low-pass filter. Pickups are usually designed to feed a high input impedance, typically a megohm or more, and a low impedance load will reduce the high-frequency response of the pickup because of the filtering effect of the inductance.

Single coil pickups also act like an antenna and are prone to pick up mains hum (nuisance electromagnetic interference generated by electrical power cables, power transformers, and fluorescent light ballasts in the area) along with the musical signal. Mains hum consists of a fundamental signal at a nominal 50 or 60 Hz, depending on local alternating current frequency, and usually some harmonic content. The changing magnetic flux caused by the mains current links with the windings of the pickup, inducing a voltage by transformer action. The pickups also are sensitive to the electromagnetic field from nearby cathode ray tubes in video monitors or televisions.

To overcome this effect, the humbucking pickup was developed, concurrently and independently by Seth Lover of Gibson and Ray Butts who initially developed one on his own and later worked with Gretsch. Who developed it first is a matter of some debate, but Seth Lover was awarded the first patent (U.S. Patent 2,896,491). Ultimately, both men developed essentially the same concept. Another way to reduce nuisance hum when recording with humbuckers or single coils is to aim the instrument's neck in a different direction to find a location that minimizes the received noise signal.

A humbucking pickup is composed of two coils. Each coil is wound reverse to one another. However, the six magnetic poles are opposite in polarity in each winding. Since ambient hum from power-supply transformers, radio frequencies, or electrical devices reaches the coils as common-mode noise, it induces an electrical current of equal magnitude in each coil. Because the windings are reversed in each pickup coil, the electro-magnetic interference sine wave signals in each pickup are equal and 180 degrees out of phase to one another, resulting in them canceling each other. However, the signal from the guitar string is doubled, due to the phase reversal caused by the out of phase magnets. The magnets being out of phase in conjunction with the coil windings being out of phase put the guitar string signal from each pickup in phase with one another. When the two in-phase guitar string sine wave signals meet, the amplitude of the wave doubles, and as does the signal strength.

When wired in series, as is most common, the overall inductance of the pickup is increased, which lowers its resonance frequency and attenuates the higher frequencies, giving a less trebly tone (i.e., "fatter") than either of the two component single-coil pickups would give alone. Because the two coils are wired in series, the resulting signal that is output by the pickup is larger in amplitude, thus more able to overdrive the early stages of the amplifier. This is the essence of the "humbucker tone."


















An alternative wiring places the coils in buck parallel. The equal common-mode mains hum interference cancels, while the string variation signal sums. This method has a more neutral effect on resonant frequency: mutual capacitance is doubled (which if inductance were constant would result in a lowering of resonant frequency), and inductance is halved (which would raise the resonant frequency without the capacitance change). The net is no change in resonant frequency. This pickup wiring is rare, as guitarists have come to expect that humbucking 'has a sound', and is not neutral. On fine jazz guitars, the parallel wiring will produce significantly cleaner sound, as the lowered source impedance will drive capacitive cable with lower high frequency attenuation.

A side-by-side humbucking pickup senses a wider section of the string (has a wider aperture) than a single-coil pickup. This affects tone. By picking up a larger portion of the vibrating string more lower harmonics are present in the signal produced by the pickup resulting in a "fatter" tone. Stacked humbuckers have the narrower aperture of a single coil and sound closer to one.

Pickups have magnetic polepieces (with the notable exceptions of rail and lipstick tube pickups) — one or two for each string. These polepiece centers should be perfectly aligned with the strings, or else sound will be suboptimal as the pickup would capture only a part of the string's vibrational energy. An exception to this rule are the J- and P-style pickups (found on the Fender Jazz Bass and Precision Bass, respectively) where the two polepieces per string are positioned on either side of each string.

String spacing is not even on most guitars: it starts with minimal spacing at nut and ends with maximal at bridge. Thus, bridge, neck and middle pickups usually have different polepiece spacing on the same guitar.

There are several standards on pickup sizes and string spacing between the poles. Spacing is measured either as a distance between 1st to 6th polepieces' centers (this is also called "E-to-E" spacing), or as a distance between adjacent polepieces' centers.

August 13, 2010

Bass Big Muff Pi Distortion/Sustainer

Bass Big Muff Pi Distortion/Sustainer
The Prodigy reborn with underworld insticts comes to life wielding the drive of the original classic Big Muff Pi and the earthy support of a bass tailored design with no loss of low end. This is the pedal that bass players who loved the Big Muff sound have been waiting for.
-CONTROLS -
Sustain Knob- As in the original Big Muff Pi, adjusts the amount of sustain and distortion.
Tone Knob - provides a range of sounds from high treble to deep bass. The overall tone filter frequencies were carefully chosen to enhance your bass guitar.
Volume Knob - The volume knob sets the output level of the distortion. When the toggle switch is set to DRY, the volume knob has no effect on the output level of your original bass.
Bass Boost/ Norm/ Dry Toggle Switch - This is a 3 position toggle switch that allows you to choose three distinctly different sounds. In Bass Boost mode, the top position, a bass frequency boost is added to the distortion. It is most effective when the Tone knob is set to the upper or treble half of its rotation. In Norm mode, the middle position, you have the pure tone of the classic Big Muff Pi. In Dry mode, the bottom position, the original dry signal from your instrument is mixed with the output of the distortion circuit. The level of the Dry signal is constant and will not change as you turn the Volume knob up or down. This allows you to set the level of the distortion effect against your dry signal.
Bypass Switch and Status LED- Toggles between effect mode and True Bypass. When the status LED is lit, the effect is active. When the LED is off, the Bass Big Muff Pi is in True Bypass mode.
-I/O AND POWER CONNECTIONS-
Input Jack- Musical instrument input. Plug your instrument into here. The input impedance presented at this jack is 100k(.
Effect Out Jack - is the main output of the Bass Big Muff Pi. Connect it to the input of your amp or another effects pedal.
Direct Out Jack - is connected directly to the Input jack to allow access to your original bass signal. You can connect this jack to an amplifier or different effects chain.
9V Power Jack - The Bass Big Muff Pi can run off of a 9V battery or you can use a 9VDC battery eliminator capable of delivering at least 100mA to the 9V power jack. The optional 9V power supply from Electro-Harmonix is 9.6DC-200BI (same as used by Boss(tm) & Ibanez(tm)) 9.6 Volts DC 200mA. The battery eliminator must have a barrel connector with center negative. The battery may be left in or taken out when using an eliminator.
Contact Tym guitars for more info and prices on all the EH range.

August 12, 2010

Sobbat DB-3 Drive Breaker 3

Sobbat DB-3 Drive Breaker 3 HYPER OVERDRIVE
The latest overdrive with boost from the series of 'Drive Breakers.' This pedal will fatten up your sound and is great for distorted riffs with remarkable clear sound! Switchable from crunch to lead with a clean amp. Best partner to the guitars with Humbucker pickups! The boost is designed to increase only the sustain which is very helpful for soloing!
This and several other Sobbat pedals are available second hand from Tym guitars now. Contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

ToadWorks Mr. Squishy

The ToadWorks Mr. Squishy is an analog compressor pedal that combines purity of tone with tight, punchy squeeze-on-demand. Mr. Squishy has been tested with a wide range of amplifiers, including tube, solid state and hybrid, and it delivers the goods every time.

ToadWorks Mr. Squishy provides great compression without oppression, remaining transparent enough that you never lose the original tonal qualities that made you love your axe in the first place.

For years, guitarists have sought a natural sounding compression that did not diminish their tone, and ToadWorks has delivered.

ToadWorks Mr. Squishy is an Op-Amp based compression effect designed to provide clean, transparent tone even at full effect. The compression effect is more subtle that many other units, while at the same time offering cleaner, longer sustain.

The switch turns the effect on and off, the Input knob controls the level of input prior to the effect, the Squish knob controls the amount of compression, and the Level knob controls the overall output level.

Mr. Squishy features a true-bypass circuit, so un-squishing won't suck your tone dry. Each pedal is carefully manufactured by hand, using only the finest components.

These pedals are IN STOCK now. Contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

August 10, 2010

The P-90 pick up

This is one of my favorite pick ups for guitar after the Mosrite single coil. It has the clarity of the "Fender" single coil with the punch of the humbucker. Being a single coil design the tone of a P-90 is somewhat brighter and more transparent than a humbucker, though not quite as crisp and snappy as Fender's single coil pickups. The tone therefore shares some of the single coil twang, but having large amounts of midrange and often described as brisk. Popular guitars that use/have the option of using P-90s are the Gibson SG, Gibson Les Paul, and the Epiphone Casino. The pickups used in the Fender Jazzmaster are often confused with the P-90, however their only similarity is cosmetic since there are many significant visual, dimensional and electrical differences.
All vintage P-90 pickups are hand-wound, thus their physical specifications may vary slightly. In common with many other pickup types, there are two versions of P-90: neck and bridge version. Their DC resistance tends to be around 7-8 kΩ for neck pickups and 8-9 kΩ for bridge pickups. Earlier pickups (around 1952) used Alnico 3 magnets, but in 1957 Gibson switched to Alnico 5.
P-90 pickups were introduced in 1946 when Gibson resumed guitar production after World War II. They were originally used to replace the "bar" pickup (also known by many as the 'Charlie Christian pickup) on models such as the ES-150, and by the end of the 1940s it was the standard pickup on all models, including the Les Paul introduced in 1952.

The P-90's reign as the Gibson standard pickup was short-lived, however, as a new design of pickup known as the humbucker (occasionally named PAF) was introduced in 1957, and very quickly took over as the preferred choice for all Gibson models. The P-90 was then used on more budget models such as the ES-330, the Les Paul Junior and Special, and the SG Junior and Special, such as those used by Pete Townshend. This trend continued throughout the 1960s and particularly in the early 1970s where the pickup all but disappeared from the entire Gibson range. By the 1970s, single-coil pickups, mini-humbucking pickups and uncovered humbucking pickups began replacing the P-90 pickups on Gibson's budget and lower-end models.
In 1968, however, Gibson re-issued the original, single-cutaway Les Paul - one version of which was a Goldtop with P-90 pickups. In 1972, they produced Limited Edition reissues - the "58 Reissue" - actually based on the '54 Goldtop Les Paul, with a stopbar tailpiece; and the '54 Custom, the Black Beauty, equipped with a P-90 in the bridge and an Alnico 5 pickup at the neck - the total production of these guitars was quite small. In 1974, Gibson put the P-90 pickup in their Les Paul '55, a reissue of the Les Paul Special from that era. It was followed in 1976 by the Les Paul Special Double-cutaway model and in 1978 by the Les Paul Pro Deluxe. Since the 1970s the P-90 pickup has seen some success in various models in the Gibson line, mostly through reissues and custom versions of existing models.














One drawback of the P-90 pickup is its susceptibility to 50 Hz / 60 Hz cycle mains "hum" induced in its coil by external electro-magnetic fields originating in mains powered electrical appliances, motors, lighting ballasts and transformers etc. This susceptibility is common to all single-coil pickup designs, however the P-90 having around 2000 more turns of wire in its coil than Fender single coils produces a large amount of hum and for some players is objectionable enough to drive them to use side-by-side humbucking pickups instead. Several manufacturers now make hum-canceling pickups that share the form-factor of a P-90 and claim to have a similar sound. Obviously the arrangement of coils and magnets is different to the standard P-90, so the sound can never be an exact replica of the original.

August 9, 2010

EH Stereo Polychorus Analog Chorus/Flanger/Slapback Echo















EH Stereo Polychorus Analog Chorus/Flanger/Slapback Echo The final word in analog chorus pedals. The classic that Kurt Cobain and Adrian Belew relied on to create their signature sounds. The Stereo Polychorus provides the lushest stereo chorus, rich chiming flange, and the over-the-edge effects that made this versatile pedal legendary. Contact Tym guitars for more info and prices on all the EH range.

August 6, 2010

ToadWorks Mad Dog

ToadWorks Mad Dog is THE fuzz box of the new millennium - with it's snarling mids, hairy highs and low growl, Mad Dog rips the competition to shreds.

Priced to fit any budget, Mad Dog offers unparalleled tone and uncompromising quality, making Mad Dog the choice of professionals and amateurs alike.

All fuzzes are not created equally, and someone has to be the winner. Once you hear Mad Dog's bark, you'll beg for it's bite.

These pedals are IN STOCK now. Contact Tym guitars for more info and prices.

August 5, 2010

The Visual Sound One-Spot products

A 1 SPOT is the original 9V DC adapter that only takes up 1 Spot on an outlet strip or wall outlet. It solves an annoying problem that people have complained about for years!

* Only takes up ONE position on your outlet strip or wall outlet!!
* Handles from one to over twenty guitar pedals (1700mA max!)
* New heavy duty output cable!
* Use with optional multi-plug cable(s) for powering more than one pedal.
Guaranteed to work with any equipment that uses one of the following adapters (over 90% of the effects pedals on the market!):
* Boss PSA, Boss ACA, Danelectro DA-1, DOD PS-200R, Dunlop ECB-03, Ibanez AC-109, Korg A30950, Morley 9V, Zoom AD-0006.**
* With new converter plugs, the 1 SPOT will work with virtually ANY 9V pedal! ...even Line 6 modeling pedals! **
* Will even convert international voltage (100V-240V) automatically; no transformer needed!
* 3 meter (10') cable is almost twice as long as other adapter cable

3.5mm (1/8”) Converter

* Allows the 1 SPOT and MC5 cable to power Electro-Harmonix, older DOD, and other pedals that require a positive tip 3.5mm (1/8") plug


Battery Clip Converter

* Allows the 1 SPOT and MC5 cable to power anything that runs on a 9V battery


Reverse Polarity Converter

Allows the 1 SPOT and MC5 cable to power Yamaha keyboards, samplers, and drum machines, as well as certain reverse polarity effects pedals