1977 MXR Distortion+ Restoration

[PLX]

Original owner of this effect pedal. Lots going on here. Not exactly sure where to go with this one, just know I'd like it to be as original as possible and fully functioning.

serial # 4-067254
date code on pots: 1977

In the parlance of our times; this pedal has seen some shit.

There were no effect pedal power supplies back in the day. To use the effects you had to keep a supply of 9V batteries on hand at all times. I remember using this pedal as a core part of my tone, so I left it upside down on top of an amp with the back cover plate removed - so the constant battery replacement was easier.

Sometime in 1979, I was moving a combo amp, and accidentally hit the pedal with one of the metal feet of the amp as I swung it over the amp the pedal was perched atop.

Since the pedal was open and the circuit board exposed, the impact broke one resistor in half, and chipped a couple more. There was no Internet and no reference to figure out what value of the destroyed component was.. I remember going to Radio Shack and buying an assortment of different value resistors and soldering them in one-at-a-time to try to get the sound back. It never sounded the same.

About 20 years ago I got ahold of a schematic and replaced the resistor with the correct value, swapped out the germanium diodes for red LEDs, and added an LED indicator as well as an external power jack.

[RockyStar]

So does it bring the ToAnZ now?

[PLX]

So does it bring the ToAnZ now?

I never liked the way the Distortion+ sounded.. it was just "what we had" back in the late 70's.

To my ears, it does sound better with red LEDs for the clipping circuit.

It basically delivers that Randy Rhoads tone if you run it in front of a Marshall type amp.

[RockyStar]

So does it bring the ToAnZ now?

I never liked the way the Distortion+ sounded.. it was just "what we had" back in the late 70's.

To my ears, it does sound better with red LEDs for the clipping circuit.

It basically delivers that Randy Rhoads tone if you run it in front of a Marshall type amp.

So.... you are saying it doesn't sound very good. (Kidding)

I wish Randy had today's gear to go with his playing. That would be an interesting listen.

I remember back in the day. Our conversations weren't necessarily much about brands etc and if it had tap tempo, midi, etc...lol. Our discussions were "are you getting the purple pedal or the yellow one? I don' know man, the light blue one is cool. I also like orange one a little bit too. Yeah, but not as good as the white one with the red and blue on it"

Ahh...the good ol days.

[PLX]

So.... you are saying it doesn't sound very good. (Kidding)

I wish Randy had today's gear to go with his playing. That would be an interesting listen.

I remember back in the day. Our conversations weren't necessarily much about brands etc and if it had tap tempo, midi, etc...lol. Our discussions were "are you getting the purple pedal or the yellow one? I don' know man, the light blue one is cool. I also like orange one a little bit too. Yeah, but not as good as the white one with the red and blue on it"

Ahh...the good ol days.

Yeah, the knowledge base that's available now via the Internet is an incredible resource.

In the late 70's a friend loaned me an Electro Harmonix Big Muff fuzz pedal. I hated it, but it made the guitar sound different than playing thru a clean little Fender combo.

There really weren't many choices back then. The MXR Distortion+ came out in 1973 (by all accounts). The one I have is a "script logo" version, which by the date code on the pots.. it really should be a block logo, according to the experts on the Internet.

[PLX]

Recreated faceplate text on transparent background. The original MXR pedal-face logos and control labels were silkscreened onto the painted enclosures.



This will allow me to use a waterslide decal printed with an inkjet printer to transfer the text onto the enclosure.

Sourced original paint color:
Seymour Of Sycamore® 16-212 "Old Equipment Yellow"

[PLX]

Cleaning/stripping enclosure. Prepping for paint.

[PLX]

test print on plain paper of faceplate text for sizing and alignment:

[PLX]

enclosure stripped of paint, buffed with Dremel wire brush attachment:

[harddriver]

In the immortal words of NITRO..... You can hear the Distortion+ all over VH1................

I enjoyed my MXR distortion + in 1985 into my 79 2203 it was Randy Rhoads in a box.............