Tech21 Character Series

JiM · Post by **JiM** » 21 Jun 2011, 17:46

ShortScaleMike wrote:I owned a Blonde and loved it, then after finding out about the Joyo/Harley Benton True Tone versions I took a punt on one for 25EUR to try it out.

Could you please post a gutshot, to get an idea on build quality and tweakability ? I expect SMD construction, but depending on the size and crowdedness (i'm pretty sure this word doesn't exist) of the components i may get one also.
Probably the AC(e)tone, just for the pun.

Btw, i'm working on finding out the VTbass component values by other means, and maybe find a way to have several Character Series in one box with some switches ... Stay tuned !

Steven_M · Post by **Steven_M** » 21 Jun 2011, 17:56

JiM wrote:
ShortScaleMike wrote:I owned a Blonde and loved it, then after finding out about the Joyo/Harley Benton True Tone versions I took a punt on one for 25EUR to try it out.
Could you please post a gutshot, to get an idea on build quality and tweakability ? I expect SMD construction, but depending on the size and crowdedness (i'm pretty sure this word doesn't exist) of the components i may get one also.
Probably the AC(e)tone, just for the pun.

Btw, i'm working on finding out the VTbass component values by other means, and maybe find a way to have several Character Series in one box with some switches ... Stay tuned !

I have an AC tone on order. Should be here by the end of the week if you don't mind waiting.

Steven_M · Post by **Steven_M** » 21 Jun 2011, 20:31

askwho69 wrote:can you please read the topic? the topic can clone, blonde,liverpoool. etc...

Perhaps if we can get pictures of the Joyo versions, it might give us clues as to the values of components from the Tech 21 versions. You know, seeing as they are clones of the Tech 21 versions.

JiM · Post by **JiM** » 21 Jun 2011, 23:33

Steven_M wrote:Perhaps if we can get pictures of the Joyo versions, it might give us clues as to the values of components from the Tech 21 versions. You know, seeing as they are clones of the Tech 21 versions.

I was thinking of the other way around : how to modify the Joyos to be better clones, if they are not identical already, or whatever sounds best (which is obviously relative).
Worth having a look anyway, we might learn something unexpected.

askwho69 wrote:can you please read the topic? the topic can clone, blonde,liverpoool. etc...

Did you read the topic ? Especially the epic collective reverse-engineering party that took place two years ago ?

I'm talking about switching a few component on one version to make (most of) another one, or two, without building again the common part. A bit like the switches on the SansAmp. The point is to use less switches than components to be switched ...

ShortScaleMike · Post by **ShortScaleMike** » 22 Jun 2011, 11:50

I'll try to drop the board and take some photos of my American at some point for you guys, but I don't have a fancy macro mode camera, just my iPhone.

drbob1 · Post by **drbob1** » 22 Jun 2011, 15:17

Last time I was at the Joyo site the "character" pedals were all out of stock. Are they back or are you getting them somewhere else?

JiM · Post by **JiM** » 22 Jun 2011, 17:46

drbob1 wrote:Last time I was at the Joyo site the "character" pedals were all out of stock. Are they back or are you getting them somewhere else?

Thomann.de has them, rebranded as Harley Benton (which is their house brand for guitar stuff) along with some of the Beta Aivin product range. And it seems that the British is missing from Joyo website, but available at Thomann.

Steven_M · Post by **Steven_M** » 22 Jun 2011, 18:08

drbob1 wrote:Last time I was at the Joyo site the "character" pedals were all out of stock. Are they back or are you getting them somewhere else?

I got mine on Ebay. I don't think I trust buying directly from China just yet.

theehman · Post by **theehman** » 22 Jun 2011, 18:24

Steven_M wrote:
drbob1 wrote:Last time I was at the Joyo site the "character" pedals were all out of stock. Are they back or are you getting them somewhere else?
I got mine on Ebay. I don't think I trust buying directly from China just yet.

Actually, it appears they ship from Sweden.

Steven_M · Post by **Steven_M** » 22 Jun 2011, 18:46

theehman wrote:
Steven_M wrote:
drbob1 wrote:Last time I was at the Joyo site the "character" pedals were all out of stock. Are they back or are you getting them somewhere else?
I got mine on Ebay. I don't think I trust buying directly from China just yet.
Actually, it appears they ship from Sweden.

How Curious! If it's from Sweden I wont have to put it together myself will I?

theehman · Post by **theehman** » 22 Jun 2011, 19:02

Steven_M wrote:
theehman wrote:
Steven_M wrote:
drbob1 wrote:Last time I was at the Joyo site the "character" pedals were all out of stock. Are they back or are you getting them somewhere else?
I got mine on Ebay. I don't think I trust buying directly from China just yet.
Actually, it appears they ship from Sweden.
How Curious! If it's from Sweden I wont have to put it together myself will I?

Maybe they DO ship from China. The company's address on my invoice is in Sweden, though:

YooSmart.com
Sibeliusgången 10 4 tr, 164 73 kista
Stockholm, 164 73
Sweden

Ordered the OCD pedal which I'm going to mod with a switch to change it to Alpha Drive specs.

Post by **MarcoMike** » 22 Jun 2011, 19:07

they have been sweded!! (cit.)

JiM · Post by **JiM** » 22 Jun 2011, 21:54

Steven_M wrote:
theehman wrote:Actually, it appears they ship from Sweden.
How Curious! If it's from Sweden I wont have to put it together myself will I?

I hope the wrench is included. http://9gag.com/gag/118749/

lizardville · Post by **lizardville** » 23 Jun 2011, 09:46

yep, they are available in EU

http://www.thomann.de/es/harley_benton_ac_truetone.htm

dave64 · Post by **dave64** » 26 Jun 2011, 13:18

JiM wrote:
ShortScaleMike wrote:I owned a Blonde and loved it, then after finding out about the Joyo/Harley Benton True Tone versions I took a punt on one for 25EUR to try it out.
Could you please post a gutshot, to get an idea on build quality and tweakability ? I expect SMD construction, but depending on the size and crowdedness (i'm pretty sure this word doesn't exist) of the components i may get one also.
Probably the AC(e)tone, just for the pun.

Btw, i'm working on finding out the VTbass component values by other means, and maybe find a way to have several Character Series in one box with some switches ... Stay tuned !

Newbie here but I have a PCB shot of my Joyo AC Tone. Amps are TL062C x1 and TL064C x2. These are JFET input op amps as opposed to the LinCMOS used by Tech21. White leads at top just go off to footswitch and LED. Must say the PCB looks a bit grubby on my one with corrosion around some of the solder joints.

Sound wise I'm a bit disappointed with the AC Tone but that might just be my playing. I bought an American Sound as well and that one is pretty good.

Steven_M · Post by **Steven_M** » 27 Jun 2011, 19:23

dave64 wrote: Sound wise I'm a bit disappointed with the AC Tone but that might just be my playing. I bought an American Sound as well and that one is pretty good.

What about the sound of the AC tone don't you like? (Just wondering because I have one showing up today)
.

ddpawel · Post by **ddpawel** » 27 Jun 2011, 19:36

Does anyone have component values for model "California"?

JiM · Post by **JiM** » 27 Jun 2011, 20:27

ddpawel wrote:Does anyone have component values for model "California"?

Nope. Nobody cracked one open yet.

Bajaman talked about doing so, but he's been busy lately, getting farther from California. Therefore i wouldn't bother him with the subject.

But gutshots are always welcome !

dave64 · Post by **dave64** » 27 Jun 2011, 20:28

Steven_M wrote:
dave64 wrote: Sound wise I'm a bit disappointed with the AC Tone but that might just be my playing. I bought an American Sound as well and that one is pretty good.
What about the sound of the AC tone don't you like? (Just wondering because I have one showing up today)
.

I don't think it's a bad sound, but I was having trouble producing the type of sounds I wanted to hear. There is a large amount of high frequency boost as you would expect, I just found it a bit overpowering and it seemed to stamp too much of that one character on the sound. Like a wah pedal stuck in one position. I'm sure I'll be able to get some more usable (for me) sounds out of it but I have an American Sound to play with as well and that just seems to click on most settings.

JiM · Post by **JiM** » 09 Sep 2011, 18:48

Here is a quick update, for the component values found in Joyo/Harley Benton "True Tone" variations of the Character Series circuit.
Feel free to fill in the blanks ...

Code: Select all

        +------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------+
        |                    T e c h   2 1                     |                  J O Y O                  |
        +---------+---------+------------+-----------+---------+----------+---------+------------+---------+
        | Blonde  | British | California | Liverpool | VTBass  | American | British | California | AC Tone |
--------+---------+---------+------------+-----------+---------+----------+---------+------------+---------+
R4      | *3.3k   |   10k   |            |   3.3k    |  3.3k   |   *10k   |         |            |   10k   |
E1      |  open   |   18n   |            |    22n    |    ?    |   open   |         |            |   22n   |   Input &
Cin     |   22n   |   22n   |            |    22n    |  100n?  |    22n ? |         |            |   22n   |  filtering
C2      |   47n   |   47n   |            |    47n    |  open   |    47n ? |         |            |   47n   |
--------+---------+---------+------------+-----------+---------+----------+---------+------------+---------+
C5      |   22n   |   10n   |            |    22n    |   10n   |    22n   |         |            |   22n   |
C6      |   22n   |   10n   |            |    22n    |   10n   |    15n   |         |            |   22n   |
R6      |    1k   |    1k   |            |     1k    |    1k   |     1k ? |         |            |    1k   |  Character
R7      |  100k   |  100k   |            |   open    |  100k   |   100k   |         |            |  100k   |   pre-EQ
R9      |    1k   |  3.3k   |            |   3.3k    |  3.3k   |   3.3k   |         |            |  3.3k   |
--------+---------+---------+------------+-----------+---------+----------+---------+------------+---------+
R14     |   47k   |   33k   |            |    47k    |   33k   |    33k   |         |            |   33k   |
C14     |  470p   |  470p   |            |   180p    |    ?    |     ?    |         |            |    ?    |  HP sim
C15     |  2.2n   |  2.2n   |            |   2.7n    |    ?    |   2.2n   |         |            |  4.7n ? |
--------+---------+---------+------------+-----------+---------+----------+---------+------------+---------+
C20     |   10n   |   22n   |            |    18n    |    ?    |    15n   |         |            |   18n   |   MID
C21     |   10n   |   22n   |            |    22n    |    ?    |    15n   |         |            |   22n   |    EQ
--------+---------+---------+------------+-----------+---------+----------+---------+------------+---------+
*Not used

Tech21 Character Series [schematic]