Question for MXR "Distortion +" users

[Cliff Kane]

Hi,
I just got an older block logo MXR Distortion + pedal (the mustard yellow, block letters, no LED). The pedal has great tone, but the output seems kind of low, I have to crank the output to get even a uniform gain. Granted I haven't tried it yet at loud volume, but I'm just wondering if the low output level is normal for these pedals....it sounds great, but has no gain.

Thanks,
Cliff

[John Groover McDuffie]

I have been using one of these (original script logo) lately as a fuzz for my PSG. I have to crank the output up more than halfway to get it to be a usable volume, and that is with the distortion knob more than halfway up and a hot PSG pickup (Lawrence 712 through Matchbox).

So if you are using it at lower setting of the distortion knob with a lower (IE vintage style) ouput guitar it doesn't surprise me that you have to crank it a bit.

I will check it with a Tele and a Gibson and see what I get, but it would be helpful to know where you are setting the distortion knob.

[sonbone]

The original clipping diodes in Distortion + units were germanium 1N270. Those diodes clip at somewhere around 250-300 millivolts, which is about how much output you can expect. To put that into perspective, typical guitar pickups can output anywhere from 100mV rms up to 1V rms for high output models. So yes it's quite normal for any pedal with germanium clippers to have a fairly low output unless a recovery stage is included in the circuit to boost the gain, which those distortion + units don't have.

Nothing wrong with running the volume wide open on those pedals.

[Brad Sarno]

Yup,

those germaniums clip early, but they do sound sweet. You can get in there and double up on the diodes to double the clipping threshold voltage. This will give a hotter output. (two inverted pairs of two diodes in series)


Brad