# SeaShore Overdrive...fantastic!



## MichaelW (May 3, 2022)

I saw Shawn Tubbs do a video demo of this pedal a while ago and thought it sounded awesome. Not enough for me to drop $200 for one but it was interesting.

When I saw this announced under the "New Releases" by @PedalPCB I knew I had to build it!

Actually had this all ready to go for a couple weeks but decided to order the Bi-Polar caps as recommended (although I'm not sure I understand why its necessary).

This build turned out great with the exception of my ongoing knob indecision and dilemma. The drill pattern did not fit the Drill Template for some reason so I did it old school with paper and tape. My original plan to use the amp style knob SeaFoam uses was foiled as they don't fit not matter how much "English" I applied to the pot placement. Anyway, I defaulted to the tried and true Davies type knobs since I didn't have anything else around. But this was the last straw for me and I broke down and placed a sizable Tayda order for a variety of knobs that seem to be out of stock everywhere else. 

This is a really cool circuit with some interesting twists. Instead of a toggle switch to toggle between Transistor/Diode/OpAmp clipping modes there is a "Focus" knob that blends between the 3 settings. It gives you all the "in between" blends of all those sounds. Super useful. I'm also finding that having the passive Bass and Treble controls dimed is a better starting point than at noon like most of my other pedals. Then cutting each to taste. While it is considered a "low gain" pedal it can get pretty gnarly with the gain cranked and sounds good at those levels (as opposed to splatty and fizzy like other "low gain" pedals). 

I've only messed around with it on my Strat so far and it sounds fabulous with single coils. 

I've got a growing collection of low-medium gain pedals and glad to add this one to the quiver. I have one more to build (Timmy III) and I think I'll have all the bases covered.


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## Robert (May 3, 2022)

Nice looking build!   

I'm glad to hear this one worked out for you with single coils.

My "workshop" guitar is a Les Paul with humbuckers, this circuit (including the original pedal) does _not_ play well with it at all unless I roll the volume back pretty far.


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## giovanni (May 3, 2022)

The clipping configuration for this pedal is very interesting and something I had never seen before. I’m still trying to make heads or tails of it.


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## MichaelW (May 3, 2022)

Robert said:


> Nice looking build!
> 
> I'm glad to hear this one worked out for you with single coils.
> 
> My "workshop" guitar is a Les Paul with humbuckers, this circuit (including the original pedal) does _not_ play well with it at all unless I roll the volume back pretty far.


Interesting, ok I just grabbed my PRS 594 and tried it. Sounds pretty awesome to me. I also tried my Eastman Hollowbody. Both these guitars have pretty low output pickups though. (low wind PAF style). Not sure if that makes a difference...

Here's a cel phone clip at low volume through my monitors. Lots of dynamics even at this volume. I was tweaking the "Focus" range while noodling.


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## szukalski (May 3, 2022)

I always think I have enough low-mid gain pedals, then a new thread pops up..

Nice build (and colour scheme).


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## Fingolfen (May 3, 2022)

Robert said:


> Nice looking build!
> 
> I'm glad to hear this one worked out for you with single coils.
> 
> My "workshop" guitar is a Les Paul with humbuckers, this circuit (including the original pedal) does _not_ play well with it at all unless I roll the volume back pretty far.


I've been there...  

My higher end Les Paul has fairly hot humbuckers and plays better with some pedals than others. I've got a Chapman with two hot strats and a pearly gates that is also fairly hot... then when I plug in my MIM Fender Strat I almost feel like I need a boost pedal just to get it to unity!


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## MichaelW (May 3, 2022)

I've become a big fan of lower output pickups these days. There are so many hi gain amps and pedals and boosts out there that for me, hot pickups just aren't really a necessity anymore like in the early days. I find that lower or "vintage" output pickups tend to have a bit more character but I can always goose them with a boost pedal if needed. I love the 85/15 Low Turn pickups in my PRS and I have set of Lollar Imperial Low Winds in my semi-hollow. My single coils are mostly Lollar Vintage outputs although I have his "Special S and Special T" in the bridge position of my Strat and Tele's.


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## giovanni (May 3, 2022)

MichaelW said:


> I've become a big fan of lower output pickups these days. There are so many hi gain amps and pedals and boosts out there that for me, hot pickups just aren't really a necessity anymore like in the early days. I find that lower or "vintage" output pickups tend to have a bit more character but I can always goose them with a boost pedal if needed. I love the 85/15 Low Turn pickups in my PRS and I have set of Lollar Imperial Low Winds in my semi-hollow. My single coils are mostly Lollar Vintage outputs although I have his "Special S and Special T" in the bridge position of my Strat and Tele's.


I feel the same way. I love low output pickups.


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## Haz (May 3, 2022)

Any ideas what kind of germanium diode would fit best?


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## szukalski (May 3, 2022)

+1 on the low output pickup brigade!


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## MichaelW (May 3, 2022)

Haz said:


> Any ideas what kind of germanium diode would fit best?


I used a D9E. But any Ge diode would work I would think. I just happened to have one bent and cut that I had been using to test something else.


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## MichaelW (May 3, 2022)

Well @music6000 was kind enough to DM me privately to point out that my D9E was installed backwards! (Thank you for not calling out my ignorance publicly) 

I didn't know that some of the Russian NOS D9 series had the Anode and Cathode stripes reversed, I just checked my inventory of D9E snd D9K's sure enough they're reversed from my other assorted Ge diodes. No WONDER I haven't liked how they sound! Hahah!

I'll swap it around tomorrow and report back what difference (if any) it makes to how the pedal sounds.


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## Robert (May 3, 2022)

If you don't want to risk damaging the germanium diode you can reverse D4 (1N914) instead and achieve the same result.


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## MichaelW (May 3, 2022)

Robert said:


> If you don't want to risk damaging the germanium diode you can reverse D4 (1N914) instead and achieve the same result.


Great! I'll do it that way. Thank you!


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## spi (May 3, 2022)

MichaelW said:


> I've got a growing collection of low-medium gain pedals and glad to add this one to the quiver. I have one more to build (Timmy III) and I think I'll have all the bases covered.


Have you got the lightspeed?   It's similar to the Timmy, but I like it a bit better.


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## music6000 (May 3, 2022)

MichaelW said:


> Great! I'll do it that way. Thank you!


Most Builders are using them as a Clipping pair to Ground & it doesn't matter, it will still do the same job even though 180 degrees!
It's in circumstances where Singular Diodes are used that it goes pair shaped!!!


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## Feral Feline (May 4, 2022)

"pair-shaped" 😸


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## MichaelW (May 4, 2022)

spi said:


> Have you got the lightspeed?   It's similar to the Timmy, but I like it a bit better.


No, I just went and checked out this video demo, dang.....now I gotta add it to the list.... It doesn't help that watching guys like Mike Hermans or Shawn Tubbs do video demo's, those guys can make anything sound heavenly.


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## MichaelW (May 4, 2022)

music6000 said:


> Most Builders are using them as a Clipping pair to Ground & it doesn't matter, it will still do the same job even though 180 degrees!
> It's in circumstances where Singular Diodes are used that it goes pair shaped!!!


Looking at the schematic and reading the copy at the Seafoam site, my understanding is that the focus knob at Noon is just the 2N222A's clipping, dialing it to the right should be adding in 1N914's symmetrical clipping and "soft" clipping. Dialing all the way to the left the asymmetrical pair of the D9E+1N914 shunted to ground is adding in the "hard" and "asymmetrical" clipping. With my D9E + 1N914 essentially being the same directions, I'm probably only hearing some clipping from one of the pair (not sure which). Anyway, getting my first cup of coffee down then firing up the soldering iron, should be interesting to see what the difference is.


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## Robert (May 4, 2022)

MichaelW said:


> With my D9E + 1N914 essentially being the same directions, I'm probably only hearing some clipping from one of the pair (not sure which).



The D9E should have a lower forward voltage drop than the 1N914 so it's most likely the germanium you're hearing.


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## music6000 (May 4, 2022)

Robert said:


> The D9E should have a lower forward voltage drop than the 1N914 so it's most likely the germanium you're hearing.


Would the D9E be working at all if it's still Back the Front????


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## Feral Feline (May 4, 2022)

I don't see why it wouldn't. If the 1N914 and D9E are facing the same direction (ie D9E back to front) then as Robert said the D9E would be clipping half the wave form while the 1N914 doesn't get to do a durned thang. Flip either diode around, just one, and you've got clipping on both sides of the wave form. 

Or is that not what you're asking?


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## MichaelW (May 4, 2022)

Ok, I popped out D4 and popped in a fresh 1N914 in reverse so that it's reversed from the D9E.

There's definitely a difference. Here's a before and after clip.

Note that I think it sounded pretty good the "wrong" way too, just different.
Also note, this more gain than I would normally use for this pedal just to exaggerate the differences.

Strat neck pickup. 

Before (The wrong way)
After (The right way)

I dunno, I kinda like them both. The correct orientation definitely is more "Klon-ish". But I think what's cool about this pedal is that it's not an either/or choice but the Focus knob lets you pick the blend you want. I also think the star of this show is the transistor clipping as opposed to the diodes.


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## Feral Feline (May 4, 2022)

I liked them both, with a slight preference for the "wrong" way.

I'd like to hear that with red and green LEDs for some slightly asymmetrical clipping.


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## MichaelW (May 4, 2022)

Feral Feline said:


> I liked them both, with a slight preference for the "wrong" way.
> 
> I'd like to hear that with red and green LEDs for some slightly asymmetrical clipping.


Well this little activity has gotten me thinking about building a second one with some different clipping options...... Trying not to go down the "mods" rabbit hole that I tend to......


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## zgrav (May 4, 2022)

Feral Feline said:


> I liked them both, with a slight preference for the "wrong" way.
> 
> I'd like to hear that with red and green LEDs for some slightly asymmetrical clipping.


I like the "wrong" way version better as well -- less overall distortion with a nice "listen deeper" vibe for the harmonics.


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## fig (May 4, 2022)

Take it from a "wrong-way" pro, it's the way to go.


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## music6000 (May 4, 2022)

The *Before* wins it for me just because the Riff was Better, Cleaner, Less Distorted & Louder!!!


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## MichaelW (May 4, 2022)

music6000 said:


> The *Before* wins it for me just because the Riff was Better, Cleaner, Less Distorted & Louder!!!


HAhaha, well I wasn't paying attention to the volume knob when I hit record the second time. I figured I'd just let it be.......


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## Haz (May 28, 2022)

Does anyone know if it makes anuy difference regular polarized electrolytic caps are used instead of nonpolarized?


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## MichaelW (May 28, 2022)

Haz said:


> Does anyone know if it makes anuy difference regular polarized electrolytic caps are used instead of nonpolarized?


I think the consensus is that it doesn't make any difference, but I got them anyway.


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## Haz (May 28, 2022)

I have intstalled regular caps everything works. What a great pedal. But wondering why unpolarized caps are there anyway.
Lot's of control in this circuit I guess I need to build another one


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## MichaelW (May 28, 2022)

Definitely my favorite low gain pedal right now, lots of great tones to be had just messing with the "focus" knob.


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