You just bought a Full Story FX Teacher kit to assemble? Congratulations, this kit will allow you to assemble and customize a legendary effect yourself, while learning the basics of electronics and having the satisfaction of building the pedal yourself!
The Full Story range traces the history of a famous massive disto/fuzz pedal with huge sustain, which has evolved through many versions over the years. The Tone Cards concept allowed us to create a modular pedal, making it easy to switch from one circuit to another. The Full Story FX Teacher is both the simplest and most versatile version of the range, allowing a lot of customization. It is based on a unique Tone Cards, designed to be as versatile as possible and to match all the features of the FX Teacher model. It will allow you to customize the midrange and clipping of the effect, while being compatible with the whole range of Tone Cards. To take advantage of the Full Story FX Teacher features on your favorite distortion/fuzz model.
In this article, you will learn how to assemble your Full Story kit, step by step, while analyzing the operation of its circuit and the purpose of each component of the pedal.
before starting to assemble your full story kit
technical documents
If you are familiar with Do It Yourself with your effect pedals, you will find everything you need in this downloadable document. If you’re just starting out, the rest of the article is really made for you, so hang in there! Download this document anyway, you will need it to move forward and understand the rest of the events. Then you’ll see it’ s very useful.
leave your soldering iron on for 2 minutes before we start
The assembly of a FX Teacher kit has nothing to do with what you have already found on the net. Indeed, we have developed our own method to assemble your PCB, step by step, and to constantly check its proper functioning! And yes, we are committed to the infallible, but you also have some work to do so. So, in order for you to understand all the tricks we’re going to ask you to do, I suggest you to start by devouring all of our tutorials, if you haven’t already done so.
If you’re in trouble with a step or you don’t understand something, we will be happy to help you. For this, leave a comment with your request on this blog post. This project is even so DIY, so it is up to you to make your own decisions and responsibilities, and to check what you are doing before going ahead. You will be answered as soon as possible and this answer will allow other readers to go forward. Don’t be surprised if your comment doesn’t appear immediately, we have to validate it to avoid spam from certain robots. To recap, no emails, no chat, no calls regarding DIY, only requests on comments section please. Otherwise, it’s unmanageable for us. Please also check that your request has not been treated, also that your tensions are good and that you have followed all the steps 🙂
the fx teacher masterclasses
If after receiving your kit, you feel that you need to be coached, you can always participate to one of our masterclass! The price of the masterclass includes the kit given on location, and the prestation. So if you have already received your kit, you can bring it back and pay only the difference! The masterclasses allow you to be supervised and to come home with a working pedal. But also to have all the necessary tools for the assembly, which can represent a little investment if you don’t have any material at home.
You want to assemble your Full Story by yourself at home, but you don’t have the appropriate tools yet? We propose here different tool packs, which we have selected, so that you can get everything you need to assemble pedals, cables, or both.
In this FX Teacher kit, you will find inside the enclosure a bag 0 containing the two PCBs, and 8 bags containing all the components to assemble your pedal step by step. The content of each bag is detailed in the BOMs of each step, with indications on the placement of each component.
Main PCB and Tone Cards, TOP sideMain PCB and Tone Cards, BOTTOM side
The schematic of the Full Story that you will assemble. Don’t worry, we’ll explain everything step by step.
first bag: power supply and tone cards connectors
electronic diagram analysis
Before starting to assemble each bag of the Full Story, we start with a small analysis of the electronic schematic. Bag 1 corresponds to the power supply section, with an very simple schematic. D3 is used as a protection in case of polarity inversion, allowing the current to pass only in one direction. Then there is a low pass filter made of R1 and E1, filtering any voltage fluctuation and noise coming from the power supply, to obtain a very stable 9V.
Bag 1 also includes the R2 resistor that is used to limit the current in the FX Teacher logo LED, and the connectors that will be used to connect the Tone Cards.
bag 1 bom and assembly
Now you can start to assemble the first bag of the Full Story. At first, we leave aside the Tone Cards to solder only the main PCB.
Just a reminder before you start, you have in this bag an electrolytic capacitor and a diode. These are polarized components that have a direction. For E1, the + is drawn on the PCB and it corresponds to the longest leg. Another way to find the direction, the colored strip on the side of the capacitor indicates the -. Also be careful to put each component on the side where the print is drawn on the PCB (top or bottom). For example E1 does not go on the same side as R1, R2 and D3. For the diode, there is a gray ring drawn near one of the legs, the same ring is represented on the location on the PCB.
Finally, solder the female connectors on the main board, at the bottom on the same side as E1. Be careful to use the female connectors on the main board, otherwise your Full Story will not be compatible with the other Tone Cards! The connectors must be straight to avoid difficulties to insert the Tone Cards. It is recommended to solder only one leg of each connector at first, just to hold it. Then check that the connector is straight and flat against the PCB, before soldering all the other legs.
expected result and test
Here’s what your main board should look like at this step:
Let’s go to the first test, nothing complex until now. You can solder a red wire on the 9V pad and a black wire on the G1 pad, which will allow to power the PCB with an FX teacher tester. Then measure the output voltage of the power supply, by putting a voltmeter between the GND and SUPPLY pads.
The idea is that you should obtain a voltage drop of about 0.5 to 1V between the input and output of the power supply, which is due to the forward voltage of the diode and the filtering. In our case, we supply the circuit with a 1Spot that we measured at 9.45V, and we obtain 9.03V at the output of the circuit.
If you do not get a voltage of about 8 to 9V at this stage, you can check several points:
if you read a voltage lower than 8V :
make sure that the power supply you are using delivers 9V
check that you have not inverted R1 and R2
if you have no voltage at all :
check the polarity of your power supply, and that you have not inverted the red and black wires
check that D3 is in the right direction
check if your multimeter is well set and wired
the tone cards connectors
Now we go to the Tone Cards. You can already insert the male connectors into the female connectors that you have soldered to the main board.
Then you just have to put the Tone Cards on the connectors, paying attention to the direction, you must see the π logo. Once the Tone Cards is placed and straight, you just have to solder the 3 connectors.
second bag: input stage
This time we start the audio path, with the input stage of the circuit. This stage, in addition to acting as a buffer, will also amplify and filter the signal.
electronic diagram analysis
The circuit is based on a transistor in common emitter configuration, which will invert the phase of the output signal. E3 will block any DC content, allowing only the audio signal to pass.
Then comes the transistor, with a special circuit that includes a feedback resistor R6. In a conventional circuit, the gain is calculated by dividing the resistance on the emitter by the resistance on the collector, or R12_TC / (R13_TC + R5_TC). But here, R6 will reinject part of the output signal into the input, which will cause a phase cancellation and reduce the overall gain of the circuit. This method provides a more stable amplification and less sensitive to component tolerances. We avoid complex calculations, but the gain of this stage is about 10.
There is also the capacitor C1_TC, which with R6 will act as a low pass filter, and attenuate the frequencies after 720Hz. Finally, the signal reaches the Fuzz potentiometer, which will adjust the amplitude of the signal before going into the clipping stages.
bag 2 bom and assembly
From this stage, you need to assemble the main board and the Tone Cards in parallel, to be able to visualize the signals and voltages of each stage. So you will have 2 BOMs per bag, with the components for the main board on one side, and the components for the Tone Cards on the other. We start with the main board, with only 4 components. Pay attention to the direction of Q1, and to the potentiometer which must be perfectly straight to fit into the enclosure at the end.
Then we move to the Tone Cards, which includes a polarized electrolytic capacitor. So pay attention to the direction!
expected result and test
Once you have finished to assemble bag 2 of the Full Story, your two PCBs should look like this:
Then, we can move on to the test. First, measure the bias of the transistor. Plug the Tone Cards on the main board, then power it. Then, connect your voltmeter between the GND and B1 pads, you should measure about 3.9V.
After the bias, you can move on to the audio test. We have created slots for the alligator clips of the FX Teacher tester at each step. Connect the IN to FX_IN, the OUT to S1, and connect the two grounds to GND. Then, power the circuit, and use an audio interface to visualize the signals on Audacity.
On the harmonic spectrum, you can see a single stripe at 440Hz which corresponds to the input signal. This shows that the stage is simply amplifying, without saturating the signal. The bump on the left is due to a slight DC content, and the stripes at 50Hz and 100Hz are due to the 50Hz of the mains.
On the frequency response, you can observe the low pass comportment of the circuit, with a cutoff frequency around 720Hz.
If you don’t get the correct voltage values and spectrums, you can check several points:
if you read a voltage too far from 3.9V on B1:
make sure that the Tone Cards is correctly connected
check the values of R12 and R17 on the Tone Cards
if you don’t have the correct signals on Audacity:
make sure your card is powered
turn the fuzz pot to maximum
check your wiring and your settings on Audacity
check the direction of E3 on the Tone Cards
check the values of C1 on the Tone Cards and R6
third bad: first clipping stage
We move to bag 3 which corresponds to the first clipping stage. This stage will saturate the signal a first time, also applying filtering.
electronic diagram analysis
We recognize the same topology as the previous stage, with a transistor in common emitter and a feedback loop with R4. This time with two diodes that will clip the signal above a certain amplitude. The capacitor F5_TC will shape the signal before clipping, making certain frequencies more or less saturated.
The toggle switch allows to deactivate or not the clipping. It is a double pole switch, so it will act at the same time on this stage and the next one. The middle position disables clipping, while the two other positions connect the diodes. The difference between the high and low positions will be on the clipping of the second stage.
bag 3 bom and assembly
As for the previous step, we start by assembling the components of the main board. You have two diodes and a transistor that have a direction to respect. For the CLIP switch, it has to be perfectly straight to go through the enclosure at the end. We suggest you to solder only one leg, then check that it is well inserted and straight before soldering the other legs.
Then you can move on to the Tone Cards. No difficulties here, just resistors and film capacitors.
expected result and test
Here is the main board and the Tone Cards after this step.
Let’s go to the tests! As for the previous stage, you must find a bias of about 3.9V on pad B2.
Then, you can visualize the signals. You can connect the FX Teacher tester between the FX_IN and S2 pads.
This is what the output of this stage looks like, with the fuzz potentiometer set to minimum, half, and maximum.
On the first half of the potentiometer, you can see that the stage only amplifies the signal, with a sinusoid that increases in amplitude without saturation. Beyond half of the potentiometer, the clipping appears, with a typical soft clipping waveform.
The saturation is also visible on the harmonic spectrum, with harmonics more and more present when the gain is increased. You can also see some background noise appearing, due to the gain of the first two stages.
Finally, the bandwidth analysis shows that the stage also acts as a low-pass filter, cutting at the same frequency as the input stage, producing a more pronounced drop in the high frequencies.
If you don’t get the correct voltage values and spectrums, you can check several points:
if you read a voltage too far from 3.9V on B1:
make sure that the Tone Cards is correctly connected
check the values of R3 on the main board and R11 on the Tone Cards
if you don’t have the correct signals on Audacity:
make sure your card is powered
put the CLIP switch up
check your wiring and settings on Audacity
check the value of C1
fourth bag: second clipping stage and tone
We move on to bag 4, where you will assemble the second clipping stage and the tone stage of the Full Story.
electronic diagram analysis
We move to the second clipping stage, followed by the tone circuit. For the clipping part, the schematic is exactly the same as the previous stage, except for the terminal block that allows you to place your own diodes, activated by the low position of the CLIP switch.
For the tone, the idea is to mix two different filters: a low pass filter formed by R6_TC and F1_TC, and a high pass filter formed by F7_TC and R7_TC. The TONE potentiometer acts as a blend that moves gradually from one filter to the other, which makes the tone control very efficient and versatile.
When the knob is set to half, the intersection between the two filters will create a hollow in the mid frequencies, typical of this pedal. One way to bring back the mids is to lower the cutoff frequency of the high pass filter. This will allow the two filters to overlap, reducing the hollow between the two filters for a flatter response. To do this, the MID switch will connect the F1 capacitor in parallel with F7_TC, lowering the cutoff frequency of the high pass by summing the two capacitor values. The third position of the switch corresponds to the CAPS terminal, which allows you to place your own capa for custom midrange.
MID switch in middle position (F1 deconnected)MID switch in up position (F1 connected)the tone response, with on each graph the low pass, high pass, and the combination of both with the tone setting in the middle.
bag 4 bom and assembly
We move to the assembly! As usual, pay attention to the direction of D4, D5 and Q4, and place the potentiometer and the switch straight. You also have in this bag the two terminal blocks, which must be placed on the other side of the board in BOTTOM. Also pay attention to the direction, the holes to place the components must be facing the interior of the board.
On the Tone Cards, no difficulties, only resistors and film capacitors.
expected result and test
At this step, your board should look like this:
If it is ok, move on to the tests, with the measurement of the bias of the transistor which must be around 3.9V.
Then we move on to the audio analysis, with first the clipping stage, and then the tone stage.
clipping stage
Once the tester is connected between FX_IN and S3, you can visualize the signals, with the gain set to 0, half and then maximum.
With the two clipping stages in series, the saturation appears much faster, with a much sharper clipping, similar to a hard clipping square wave.
The result can also be observed on the harmonic spectrum, with the apparition of more and more harmonics as the gain is increased.
tone stage
We move on to the analysis of the tone circuit, connect the tester on S4.
A first analysis with the MID switch in the middle position, which shows the bandwidth with the tone potentiometer at minimum, middle and maximum. You can see the characteristic hollow in the midrange.
Tone at minimumTone at half positionTone at maximum
A second analysis to show the influence of the mid capacitor inserted in the terminal block. You can see the high pass filter progressively moving closer to the low pass, reducing the midrange gap between the two filters.
2.7nF3.9nF4.7nF10nF22nF (mid switch up)
If you don’t get the correct voltage values and spectrums, you can check several points:
if you read a voltage too far from 3.9V on B1:
make sure that the Tone Cards is correctly connected
check the values of R10 on the main board and R2 on the Tone Cards
if you don’t have the correct signals on audacity:
make sure your card is powered
put the CLIP switch up
check your wiring and settings on Audacity
check the values of the components of the tone stage
fifth bag: output stage
You’re reaching the last stage! You will assemble the output stage of the Full Story.
electronic diagram analysis
The purpose of this circuit is to buffer the output of the effect, but also to re-amplify the signal after the tone stage, which causes some volume loss. The purpose is also to have an output level that goes beyond the unity gain, allowing to saturate the preamp of an amplifier placed after.
The circuit is a simple amplifier based on a transistor in common emitter. The gain is equal to R3_TC/R10_TC, i.e. about 4.5. Finally, the OUT potentiometer allows to adjust the output volume of the effect.
bag 5 bom and assembly
You can move on to the assembly of the main board, paying attention to the direction of Q2 and placing the OUT potentiometer straight.
Then the Tone Cards, always with resistors and film capacitors.
expected result and test
We’re reaching the end! At this stage your board should look like this. On the pictures, there is a spacer to hold the Tone Cards with a screw. This spacer is not necessary and can make changing the Tone Cards complicated, so we removed it from the kit.
One last time, measure the bias of the last transistor which must be at 3.9V.
A last audio analysis with the tester on FX_OUT shows that this stage only amplifies the signal, without changing the frequency response.
The frequency response at the output of the buffer, with the tone at the middle position. You can see that it does nothing compared to the previous stage, except increasing the volume.
If you don’t get the correct voltage values and spectrums, you can check several points:
if you read a voltage too far from 3.9V on B1:
make sure that the Tone Cards is correctly connected
check the values of R3 on the Tone Cards
if you don’t have the correct signals on audacity:
make sure your card is powered
put the CLIP switch up
check your wiring and settings on Audacity
sixth bag: true bypass
If all your tests and measurements are good, then we move to the true bypass. First, take the 2×6 pins male connector, and solder it on the main board. Pay attention to the direction, you have to solder the side with the shortest pins, placing the connector on the bottom side like on the picture.
Then you can solder the two jacks to the PCB like in the second picture, using the white, green and black wires.
Finally, you can assemble the true bypass kit of your Full Story. Start with the footswitch, being careful, there are several points to respect:
place the footswitch on the side where the rectangle and the 6 lines are drawn
the pins of the footswitch must be in the same direction as the 6 small lines
you must not insert the footswitch completely, the pins must not go beyond the other side of the pcb. you can put the pcb on a desk and insert the footswitch on top of it so that it is straight.
Then solder the resistor and the 2×6 pins female connector. Finally you just have to insert the plastic washer and a first nut.
final assembly of the full story
You can now put the board in the enclosure! First, check that you have a nut already screwed on each potentiometer. It allows to put them at the same height as the toggle switches. Then you can solder the two wires to the power jack already screwed to the enclosure. The red wire goes on the longer leg, and the black wire on the shorter one. Then you can insert the board in the enclosure, and screw it with a washer and a nut per potentiometer, and a nut only per toggle switch.
Once the board is installed in the enclosure, you can insert the two audio jacks by screwing them with a washer and a nut. Finally, insert the footswitch by connecting it to the main board, then screw it with the last nut.
Once it’ s done, you can plug in your pedal to make sure it works correctly, before you put the knobs on the potentiometers.
A few tips if you’re having problems:
use mono jacks to connect your pedal
check that the tone card is connected correctly
check that the footswitch is soldered the right way on the small pcb
if you have a huge buzz, tighten the nuts of the jacks
check the wiring of the jacks
seventh bag : components for terminal block
We conclude with the last bag: the components for terminal block. You have 4 film capacitors to insert in the CAPS terminal block. Test and choose the one you prefer, our favourite is the 3,9nF.
For clipping, there are two small PCBs to assemble. The first one is an asymmetric clipping with a single 2N7000 mosfet. You just have to solder it on Q2, leaving Q1 and D1 empty. The second clipping uses two red LEDs. This is the one we use by default in the Full Story.
Finally, you can insert the three knobs on the potentiometers!
you’ve finished to assemble your full story!
Congratulations, you have successfully built the kit! We hope that everything is working well and that the pedal sounds great. If you enjoyed the experience, don’t hesitate to check out our other kits, there’s something for everyone.
If you want to experiment even more to customize your sound, we propose a custom Tone Cards compatible with your Full Story, where you can choose the components yourself for a unique sound. It’s available here, or you can participate in a masterclass to assemble two of them, with a special device that allows you to listen to all the sound combinations before soldering.
Have fun with your new pedal and don’t hesitate to share your experience on social networks! We hope to see you soon for a new kit or a masterclass.
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Assemble your fx teacher full story kit
You just bought a Full Story FX Teacher kit to assemble? Congratulations, this kit will allow you to assemble and customize a legendary effect yourself, while learning the basics of electronics and having the satisfaction of building the pedal yourself!
The Full Story range traces the history of a famous massive disto/fuzz pedal with huge sustain, which has evolved through many versions over the years. The Tone Cards concept allowed us to create a modular pedal, making it easy to switch from one circuit to another.
The Full Story FX Teacher is both the simplest and most versatile version of the range, allowing a lot of customization. It is based on a unique Tone Cards, designed to be as versatile as possible and to match all the features of the FX Teacher model.
It will allow you to customize the midrange and clipping of the effect, while being compatible with the whole range of Tone Cards. To take advantage of the Full Story FX Teacher features on your favorite distortion/fuzz model.
In this article, you will learn how to assemble your Full Story kit, step by step, while analyzing the operation of its circuit and the purpose of each component of the pedal.
before starting to assemble your full story kit
technical documents
If you are familiar with Do It Yourself with your effect pedals, you will find everything you need in this downloadable document.
If you’re just starting out, the rest of the article is really made for you, so hang in there! Download this document anyway, you will need it to move forward and understand the rest of the events. Then you’ll see it’ s very useful.
leave your soldering iron on for 2 minutes before we start
The assembly of a FX Teacher kit has nothing to do with what you have already found on the net. Indeed, we have developed our own method to assemble your PCB, step by step, and to constantly check its proper functioning! And yes, we are committed to the infallible, but you also have some work to do so.
So, in order for you to understand all the tricks we’re going to ask you to do, I suggest you to start by devouring all of our tutorials, if you haven’t already done so.
Here they are, in order:
disclaimer
If you’re in trouble with a step or you don’t understand something, we will be happy to help you. For this, leave a comment with your request on this blog post. This project is even so DIY, so it is up to you to make your own decisions and responsibilities, and to check what you are doing before going ahead. You will be answered as soon as possible and this answer will allow other readers to go forward. Don’t be surprised if your comment doesn’t appear immediately, we have to validate it to avoid spam from certain robots. To recap, no emails, no chat, no calls regarding DIY, only requests on comments section please. Otherwise, it’s unmanageable for us.
Please also check that your request has not been treated, also that your tensions are good and that you have followed all the steps 🙂
the fx teacher masterclasses
If after receiving your kit, you feel that you need to be coached, you can always participate to one of our masterclass! The price of the masterclass includes the kit given on location, and the prestation. So if you have already received your kit, you can bring it back and pay only the difference!
The masterclasses allow you to be supervised and to come home with a working pedal. But also to have all the necessary tools for the assembly, which can represent a little investment if you don’t have any material at home.
assemble the full story fx teacher kit
the tools required
You want to assemble your Full Story by yourself at home, but you don’t have the appropriate tools yet? We propose here different tool packs, which we have selected, so that you can get everything you need to assemble pedals, cables, or both.
the kit contents
In this FX Teacher kit, you will find inside the enclosure a bag 0 containing the two PCBs, and 8 bags containing all the components to assemble your pedal step by step.
The content of each bag is detailed in the BOMs of each step, with indications on the placement of each component.
first bag: power supply and tone cards connectors
electronic diagram analysis
Before starting to assemble each bag of the Full Story, we start with a small analysis of the electronic schematic. Bag 1 corresponds to the power supply section, with an very simple schematic. D3 is used as a protection in case of polarity inversion, allowing the current to pass only in one direction. Then there is a low pass filter made of R1 and E1, filtering any voltage fluctuation and noise coming from the power supply, to obtain a very stable 9V.
Bag 1 also includes the R2 resistor that is used to limit the current in the FX Teacher logo LED, and the connectors that will be used to connect the Tone Cards.
bag 1 bom and assembly
Now you can start to assemble the first bag of the Full Story. At first, we leave aside the Tone Cards to solder only the main PCB.
Just a reminder before you start, you have in this bag an electrolytic capacitor and a diode. These are polarized components that have a direction.
For E1, the + is drawn on the PCB and it corresponds to the longest leg. Another way to find the direction, the colored strip on the side of the capacitor indicates the -.
Also be careful to put each component on the side where the print is drawn on the PCB (top or bottom). For example E1 does not go on the same side as R1, R2 and D3.
For the diode, there is a gray ring drawn near one of the legs, the same ring is represented on the location on the PCB.
Finally, solder the female connectors on the main board, at the bottom on the same side as E1. Be careful to use the female connectors on the main board, otherwise your Full Story will not be compatible with the other Tone Cards!
The connectors must be straight to avoid difficulties to insert the Tone Cards. It is recommended to solder only one leg of each connector at first, just to hold it. Then check that the connector is straight and flat against the PCB, before soldering all the other legs.
expected result and test
Here’s what your main board should look like at this step:
Let’s go to the first test, nothing complex until now. You can solder a red wire on the 9V pad and a black wire on the G1 pad, which will allow to power the PCB with an FX teacher tester. Then measure the output voltage of the power supply, by putting a voltmeter between the GND and SUPPLY pads.
The idea is that you should obtain a voltage drop of about 0.5 to 1V between the input and output of the power supply, which is due to the forward voltage of the diode and the filtering. In our case, we supply the circuit with a 1Spot that we measured at 9.45V, and we obtain 9.03V at the output of the circuit.
If you do not get a voltage of about 8 to 9V at this stage, you can check several points:
the tone cards connectors
Now we go to the Tone Cards. You can already insert the male connectors into the female connectors that you have soldered to the main board.
Then you just have to put the Tone Cards on the connectors, paying attention to the direction, you must see the π logo. Once the Tone Cards is placed and straight, you just have to solder the 3 connectors.
second bag: input stage
This time we start the audio path, with the input stage of the circuit. This stage, in addition to acting as a buffer, will also amplify and filter the signal.
electronic diagram analysis
The circuit is based on a transistor in common emitter configuration, which will invert the phase of the output signal. E3 will block any DC content, allowing only the audio signal to pass.
Then comes the transistor, with a special circuit that includes a feedback resistor R6. In a conventional circuit, the gain is calculated by dividing the resistance on the emitter by the resistance on the collector, or R12_TC / (R13_TC + R5_TC). But here, R6 will reinject part of the output signal into the input, which will cause a phase cancellation and reduce the overall gain of the circuit. This method provides a more stable amplification and less sensitive to component tolerances. We avoid complex calculations, but the gain of this stage is about 10.
There is also the capacitor C1_TC, which with R6 will act as a low pass filter, and attenuate the frequencies after 720Hz. Finally, the signal reaches the Fuzz potentiometer, which will adjust the amplitude of the signal before going into the clipping stages.
bag 2 bom and assembly
From this stage, you need to assemble the main board and the Tone Cards in parallel, to be able to visualize the signals and voltages of each stage. So you will have 2 BOMs per bag, with the components for the main board on one side, and the components for the Tone Cards on the other. We start with the main board, with only 4 components. Pay attention to the direction of Q1, and to the potentiometer which must be perfectly straight to fit into the enclosure at the end.
Then we move to the Tone Cards, which includes a polarized electrolytic capacitor. So pay attention to the direction!
expected result and test
Once you have finished to assemble bag 2 of the Full Story, your two PCBs should look like this:
Then, we can move on to the test. First, measure the bias of the transistor. Plug the Tone Cards on the main board, then power it. Then, connect your voltmeter between the GND and B1 pads, you should measure about 3.9V.
After the bias, you can move on to the audio test. We have created slots for the alligator clips of the FX Teacher tester at each step. Connect the IN to FX_IN, the OUT to S1, and connect the two grounds to GND. Then, power the circuit, and use an audio interface to visualize the signals on Audacity.
On the harmonic spectrum, you can see a single stripe at 440Hz which corresponds to the input signal. This shows that the stage is simply amplifying, without saturating the signal.
The bump on the left is due to a slight DC content, and the stripes at 50Hz and 100Hz are due to the 50Hz of the mains.
On the frequency response, you can observe the low pass comportment of the circuit, with a cutoff frequency around 720Hz.
If you don’t get the correct voltage values and spectrums, you can check several points:
third bad: first clipping stage
We move to bag 3 which corresponds to the first clipping stage. This stage will saturate the signal a first time, also applying filtering.
electronic diagram analysis
We recognize the same topology as the previous stage, with a transistor in common emitter and a feedback loop with R4. This time with two diodes that will clip the signal above a certain amplitude. The capacitor F5_TC will shape the signal before clipping, making certain frequencies more or less saturated.
The toggle switch allows to deactivate or not the clipping. It is a double pole switch, so it will act at the same time on this stage and the next one. The middle position disables clipping, while the two other positions connect the diodes. The difference between the high and low positions will be on the clipping of the second stage.
bag 3 bom and assembly
As for the previous step, we start by assembling the components of the main board. You have two diodes and a transistor that have a direction to respect. For the CLIP switch, it has to be perfectly straight to go through the enclosure at the end. We suggest you to solder only one leg, then check that it is well inserted and straight before soldering the other legs.
Then you can move on to the Tone Cards. No difficulties here, just resistors and film capacitors.
expected result and test
Here is the main board and the Tone Cards after this step.
Let’s go to the tests! As for the previous stage, you must find a bias of about 3.9V on pad B2.
Then, you can visualize the signals. You can connect the FX Teacher tester between the FX_IN and S2 pads.
This is what the output of this stage looks like, with the fuzz potentiometer set to minimum, half, and maximum.
On the first half of the potentiometer, you can see that the stage only amplifies the signal, with a sinusoid that increases in amplitude without saturation. Beyond half of the potentiometer, the clipping appears, with a typical soft clipping waveform.
The saturation is also visible on the harmonic spectrum, with harmonics more and more present when the gain is increased. You can also see some background noise appearing, due to the gain of the first two stages.
Finally, the bandwidth analysis shows that the stage also acts as a low-pass filter, cutting at the same frequency as the input stage, producing a more pronounced drop in the high frequencies.
If you don’t get the correct voltage values and spectrums, you can check several points:
fourth bag: second clipping stage and tone
We move on to bag 4, where you will assemble the second clipping stage and the tone stage of the Full Story.
electronic diagram analysis
We move to the second clipping stage, followed by the tone circuit. For the clipping part, the schematic is exactly the same as the previous stage, except for the terminal block that allows you to place your own diodes, activated by the low position of the CLIP switch.
For the tone, the idea is to mix two different filters: a low pass filter formed by R6_TC and F1_TC, and a high pass filter formed by F7_TC and R7_TC. The TONE potentiometer acts as a blend that moves gradually from one filter to the other, which makes the tone control very efficient and versatile.
When the knob is set to half, the intersection between the two filters will create a hollow in the mid frequencies, typical of this pedal. One way to bring back the mids is to lower the cutoff frequency of the high pass filter. This will allow the two filters to overlap, reducing the hollow between the two filters for a flatter response.
To do this, the MID switch will connect the F1 capacitor in parallel with F7_TC, lowering the cutoff frequency of the high pass by summing the two capacitor values. The third position of the switch corresponds to the CAPS terminal, which allows you to place your own capa for custom midrange.
bag 4 bom and assembly
We move to the assembly! As usual, pay attention to the direction of D4, D5 and Q4, and place the potentiometer and the switch straight. You also have in this bag the two terminal blocks, which must be placed on the other side of the board in BOTTOM. Also pay attention to the direction, the holes to place the components must be facing the interior of the board.
On the Tone Cards, no difficulties, only resistors and film capacitors.
expected result and test
At this step, your board should look like this:
If it is ok, move on to the tests, with the measurement of the bias of the transistor which must be around 3.9V.
Then we move on to the audio analysis, with first the clipping stage, and then the tone stage.
clipping stage
Once the tester is connected between FX_IN and S3, you can visualize the signals, with the gain set to 0, half and then maximum.
With the two clipping stages in series, the saturation appears much faster, with a much sharper clipping, similar to a hard clipping square wave.
The result can also be observed on the harmonic spectrum, with the apparition of more and more harmonics as the gain is increased.
tone stage
We move on to the analysis of the tone circuit, connect the tester on S4.
A first analysis with the MID switch in the middle position, which shows the bandwidth with the tone potentiometer at minimum, middle and maximum. You can see the characteristic hollow in the midrange.
A second analysis to show the influence of the mid capacitor inserted in the terminal block. You can see the high pass filter progressively moving closer to the low pass, reducing the midrange gap between the two filters.
If you don’t get the correct voltage values and spectrums, you can check several points:
fifth bag: output stage
You’re reaching the last stage! You will assemble the output stage of the Full Story.
electronic diagram analysis
The purpose of this circuit is to buffer the output of the effect, but also to re-amplify the signal after the tone stage, which causes some volume loss. The purpose is also to have an output level that goes beyond the unity gain, allowing to saturate the preamp of an amplifier placed after.
The circuit is a simple amplifier based on a transistor in common emitter. The gain is equal to R3_TC/R10_TC, i.e. about 4.5. Finally, the OUT potentiometer allows to adjust the output volume of the effect.
bag 5 bom and assembly
You can move on to the assembly of the main board, paying attention to the direction of Q2 and placing the OUT potentiometer straight.
Then the Tone Cards, always with resistors and film capacitors.
expected result and test
We’re reaching the end! At this stage your board should look like this. On the pictures, there is a spacer to hold the Tone Cards with a screw. This spacer is not necessary and can make changing the Tone Cards complicated, so we removed it from the kit.
One last time, measure the bias of the last transistor which must be at 3.9V.
A last audio analysis with the tester on FX_OUT shows that this stage only amplifies the signal, without changing the frequency response.
The frequency response at the output of the buffer, with the tone at the middle position. You can see that it does nothing compared to the previous stage, except increasing the volume.
If you don’t get the correct voltage values and spectrums, you can check several points:
sixth bag: true bypass
If all your tests and measurements are good, then we move to the true bypass. First, take the 2×6 pins male connector, and solder it on the main board. Pay attention to the direction, you have to solder the side with the shortest pins, placing the connector on the bottom side like on the picture.
Then you can solder the two jacks to the PCB like in the second picture, using the white, green and black wires.
Finally, you can assemble the true bypass kit of your Full Story. Start with the footswitch, being careful, there are several points to respect:
Then solder the resistor and the 2×6 pins female connector. Finally you just have to insert the plastic washer and a first nut.
final assembly of the full story
You can now put the board in the enclosure! First, check that you have a nut already screwed on each potentiometer. It allows to put them at the same height as the toggle switches.
Then you can solder the two wires to the power jack already screwed to the enclosure. The red wire goes on the longer leg, and the black wire on the shorter one. Then you can insert the board in the enclosure, and screw it with a washer and a nut per potentiometer, and a nut only per toggle switch.
Once the board is installed in the enclosure, you can insert the two audio jacks by screwing them with a washer and a nut. Finally, insert the footswitch by connecting it to the main board, then screw it with the last nut.
Once it’ s done, you can plug in your pedal to make sure it works correctly, before you put the knobs on the potentiometers.
A few tips if you’re having problems:
seventh bag : components for terminal block
We conclude with the last bag: the components for terminal block. You have 4 film capacitors to insert in the CAPS terminal block. Test and choose the one you prefer, our favourite is the 3,9nF.
For clipping, there are two small PCBs to assemble. The first one is an asymmetric clipping with a single 2N7000 mosfet. You just have to solder it on Q2, leaving Q1 and D1 empty.
The second clipping uses two red LEDs. This is the one we use by default in the Full Story.
Finally, you can insert the three knobs on the potentiometers!
you’ve finished to assemble your full story!
Congratulations, you have successfully built the kit! We hope that everything is working well and that the pedal sounds great. If you enjoyed the experience, don’t hesitate to check out our other kits, there’s something for everyone.
If you want to experiment even more to customize your sound, we propose a custom Tone Cards compatible with your Full Story, where you can choose the components yourself for a unique sound. It’s available here, or you can participate in a masterclass to assemble two of them, with a special device that allows you to listen to all the sound combinations before soldering.
Have fun with your new pedal and don’t hesitate to share your experience on social networks! We hope to see you soon for a new kit or a masterclass.