Deep circuit diving with the Marshall Bluesbreaker

I've been getting quite a bit of comments from folks who like when I break down a popular circuit and figured why not do a circuit breakdown on one of my favorite low gain pedals, The Marshall Bluesbreaker. This circuit topology has spawned greats many great pedals such as the King of Tone (and unashamedly, the Wampler Pantheon ;) as well as many more great pedals like JHS' Morning Glory among many more too numerous to list!
Download Schematic Here: www.dropbox.com/s/g925qtowgt3...
Note: At 20:43 "C7" should be circled rather than C8. Ooooops!!
Huge thanks to Andy Ferris for the Bluesbreaker image, check out his channel here: / theguitargeek
Comment below other pedals you'd like to see me break down, and if you like the channel make sure to subscribe.
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[@gx1tar1er]

Rick Beato: What Makes This Song Great Wampler Pedals: What Makes This Pedal Great

[@wampler_pedals]

I learn from the best

[@danpoirier4814]

Minus the copyright drama 😉

[@tungtobak]

@@danpoirier4814 Thankfully it is not possible to copyright circuits. Talk of gooping in pedal builder discussion groups does however usually result in drama. Goop drama.

[@jsullivan2112]

YES!

[@fenderdude0bob109]

I love the difference between yours and Josh's channels. Both are incredible and totally different. I love his deep dives into pedal history, and I love your videos like this, showing the deeply nerdy pedal circuitry and all. Great video.

[@klapaucjusz1]

Josh is all marketing IMO, very enjoyable to watch. Brian is super technical and geeky, I love it. And Brian is a very good guitarist, unlike Josh IMO.

[@kodykindhart5644]

Have you listened to any Josh vids lately Styles aside he’s an amazing guitarist Josh has his heart in music let him build his business in peace

[@kodykindhart5644]

Brian would probably tell you the same Why ppl gotta hate something to love something else eludes me to this point good luck

[@xdoctorblindx]

@@klapaucjusz1 Josh is a great guitarist, my dude. If you dont think so, you're listening to wrong things to determine musical skill.

[@auntjenifer7774]

@@xdoctorblindx it's really subjective man.

[@nilsmclellan868]

As someone who is actively trying to understand schematics and all the components involved in a pedal, I find these episodes extremely interesting. You need to write a book on pedal making

[@private8686]

Brian, you've been away for a long time, it's good that you came back :) Best regards

[@wampler_pedals]

Thanks! Though, I've been just putting a video out once a month for a little bit now so I can get more product dev done, and been dealing with our factory catching on fire last week!

[@chuckjcarter]

@@wampler_pedals Those pedals are just TOO HOT BRO!!!

[@freezingCode]

@@wampler_pedals You guys AND Boutique Amps Distribution? Wow, June is off to a bad start. Sorry to hear about the fire. Hope no one was hurt and insurance takes care of y'all! -Edit- realize Wampler was part of Boutique Amps Dist... so makes more sense now.

[@_RLP]

@@wampler_pedals Best of luck with the factory thing. I too love your videos. One of my top 3 channels, actually... Cheers

[@christopherlewis1847]

Hey Brian, hope the fire recovery is faster and easier than you hope for. Thankfully, you have a lot of support in the music community. Best wishes to all!

[@MichaelMoore-od4jz]

Why wouldn’t we want more videos like this Bring them on

[@jcugnoni]

Really like your 'nerdy stuff'; makes me want to take my breadboard out and experiment too.

[@palladialism9815]

This is a treasure. I'd love to see more in-depth circuit videos like this. Thanks, Brain! 🤙

[@keithyoung4358]

Pantheon is my favourite pedal ever. Thanks Mr Wampler

[@carlterrore4557]

I’m with you on that. I’ve had dozens of overdrives and still have to many but my search ended when I got the Pantheon. I will be adding a second soon because I love it as a mild boost/light overdrive and in the medium gain setting cranked up.

[@danielspangler8358]

Yup, agreed. Mr. Wampler knocked that one out of the park!

[@glaubergarcez5182]

Man, this kind of videos are amazing! please keep 'em coming!

[@CritterElectronics]

Thanks for doing this video Brian. Always love these style videos or yours.

[@chevalking]

Thank you for taking the time to make such informative content! A real learning experience!

[@TheGuitarGeek]

That’s my pedal! 😍 Thanks Brian, That made all my nerdy parts tingle!

[@FranciscoBIdo]

Love this kind of video. With so many pedals out there, knowing this kind of detail helps in sorting them out and get a better idea of what features are worth paying more for. Big thanks for making these videos. MORE PLEASE!

[@petedazer3381]

I learn quite a lot from your tech videos, excellent presentation!

[@andreasdavour9973]

Very illuminating. Thanks for sharing your knowledge, Brian!

[@michaelcottle6270]

You explain this better than anyone else on youtube. Thanks, and more please :)

[@zaraak323i]

Thanks, Brian. I always enjoy the technical videos.

[@meesterdinglefritz2064]

Wamplers videos are the best on YT. Really enjoy watching everything you put out. Thank you for taking the time to do this for us! Best wishes to you and your family.

[@jasfiona]

Thanks Brian. You're an absolute star

[@TL-angzarr]

This was excellent, I love this sort of straight forward breakdown on circuits, please do more.

[@helter2K10]

Another awesome video. You explain the nuances of circuit design for drive/ gain/ distortion in a fun and applied way - love it!

[@carpme]

So much useful information, no bs. It's why I love this channel. Thanks for putting this knowledge out into the world!

[@Backinthegame.]

Brilliant, thank you Brian for giving an insight of how component choice can make a difference to the overall sound of the circuit and describing how each stage functions. Always love these videos or yours, keep it up.

[@Ramiroocampo]

This video is saving me so much time in understanding pedal circuits. Thank you Mr. Wampler!

[@KristofferVad]

These videos are fantastic. Such insights into how pedal builders can expand on existing topologies and get unique results.

[@noon_GhuNNa]

LOVE this video!! Would love for a series where you deep dive in a bunch of popular pedals. So much to learn from. I'm encouraged to trying making my first pedal! Thanks

[@stephanematis]

Love learning like this. Keep 'em coming!

[@wreckoningday]

Great video! I'd love to see more of these. You're the only person I know of that does these... please do more of them!

[@nairanvac79]

Thank you so much for doing the really nerdy deep dives on effects circuits. Your effort is much appreciated.

[@max.pedals8060]

Fantastic! I was literally looking at the schematic and moments later got the notification that you added this video! Like you read my mind lol definitely do more like this!

[@MajoPedal]

what a juicy lesson here, thank God I didn't miss it. thanks for the experiment and clearly explain, admire.

[@kirabarsmith9353]

So cool to hear differences in sound with single component changes, great post as always.

[@jakeadams-wilson7697]

This is so great! Thanks for making these videos. I’ve got a Euphoria and a Velvet Fuzz and I love them both!

[@RiotBike]

Head about the fire and I hope everything will be sorted out. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us all the time.

[@richclayton5785]

Missed you Brian! Thanks, for coming back to us with some great guitar licks and of course nerdy pedal stuff.

[@fraenkiboii]

I love to see/hear which parts of a topology influence the sound in a certain way. Thanks for the video!

[@danhoward5686]

Great stuff! Thanks for making these videos. My first overdrive pedal was your Ecsacy pedal and I've been getting deeper and deeper since. Decided to try and make some pedals and your videos are gold.

[@dawsonzinza1671]

I love this circuit explanation. Thank you, this is very helpful. I hope you decide to do more circuit explanations of other pedals.

[@stephencline685]

Crowd chants: "More techy videos! More techy videos!"

[@dougulman6700]

I have to get this off my chest!, Brian, your videos are always awesome! I love the no nonsense way you explain circuit builds, and the way you display their tone! The only thing I always appreciate more are your pedals themselves!! I am sure I'll love your newest 2 , as soon as I am able to get them!! Cheers!

[@CL_Audio_Tuning]

Geeking out with Wampler! I love this stuff! And the graphics make it SOOOOOOOOOOOO nicer and easier to follow and understand how effects work! Thank you good sir! Keep this content coming!

[@Longshot421]

REALLY interesting video. I just got a BYOC kit to build a Blues Breaker, so hearing what the different parts of the circuit do, and how changing them affects the sound was super cool and informative. Thanks for the awesome work you do and education you provide.

[@michaelrollins5299]

Thank you for this video and all of the videos based on mods. They are so informative for us diy guys. Or for someone thinking of venturing into the effects industry. Your passion really shines brother. Thank you for all you do!!! PS the Velvet Fuzz is still one of my favorites👍🏼👍🏼

[@AlanJan_UK_49]

Thanks. Fantastic video and some great sounds and how they alter. I also liked your playing and the Epi looked real good. More of the same please !

[@tacos666]

Really, i mean really really cool video ! It's nerdy as hell and i'm not qui here but it's very interesting to see what change do this or that sound change with sound examples, graph illustrations and explanations ! Thank you, i want more of these now !!!

[@waynepatton689]

Badass. Nice job putting this together. I like tinkering with stuff so this appeals to me big time

[@figueroalabs]

Classic circuit, thanks for the deep dive into it.

[@lukashchabursky1627]

Thank you so much for this video! So much insight and very inspiring. I want to try to build this circuit.

[@warrenwilliams7822]

Long time fan Mr. Wampler, I’ve learned so much from you over the years. Thanks for sharing your knowledge 😎

[@jcuempire]

I love these kinds of videos. I’ve made a few pedals but I don’t really understand what’s going on all the time. I appreciate the way you break it down. Thanks

[@russellbordeaux2425]

Absolutely love these deep dives 👍👍👍 thankyou

[@Caged63Man]

What a glorious & beautiful tone, coming through at 10:54 . Thats the sweet(est) spot to my ears!

[@gonzoduke6805]

Thanks Brian. I haven’t been checking my Toutube subscriptions lately, but heard on the last Chasing Tone podcast that you did a BB schematic breakdown. So of course I watched it as soon as I got home from work. We love the nerdy stuff. At least I do. So just wanted to say thanks again. The BluesBreaker is one of my favorite circuits and tones. Thanks for the time you put in on this. I’ll take as much nerd as you have time to put out. Condolences on the fire. That is a huge bummer but I like your positive attitude. Peace and love.

[@real_anxst]

Really love this. As a pedal tinkerer, learning more about why the certain parts of each pedal do what they do is really great!

[@olearnehestvik4363]

Today I Have bought my first DIY kit, and today I start building a blues breaker circut. I love this Videos, keep up the good work Brian, all the best from Norway 😊

[@wrekkingcru]

Brian - All I have to say is that you freakin killed it with the Tumnus, man! I got your original Tumnus recently and plugged that into my Dr Z Maz 18 Reverb, and it sounds amazing for the classic rock, Petty/Campbell tones that I love the most. Great break-up, crunch tones and still retains the clarity and chime that I love. Best overdrive pedal I have ever used into my amps.

[@chrisact9601]

Really interesting video, Brian. Thanks.

[@davebutler3905]

Brilliant masterclass. Thank you!

[@jake62a]

Love these circuit breakdowns. May I suggest a slightly more nerdy video on inverting vs non- inverting op-amps. Why you'd use one over the other. Keep up the good work.

[@IanMcKellar]

Thanks Brian, I love these. They make me want tinker with breadboards and make me feel like I have a chance of at least making something that sounds interesting.

[@noakwesterberg]

Nice comeback! I dig this stuff a lot. Nice Epiphone too, good for you!

[@mattgilbert7347]

This was great. Demystifying circuits one at a time. Best of luck with the fire sale.

[@Yupppi]

Yessss, this is the stuff. Absolutely my favourite type of Wampler videos. This is what you do the best, always having a clear explanation of how and why things are done, and the visuals to help understand. Not that easy to come by. Why can't the hard clipping diodes go to the ground there? You mention it like it's obvious, but I've always wondered when you use voltage reference or ground.

[@wampler_pedals]

Thanks! I should have explained that better. It's because there's no capacitors blocking DC (for the most part). If you want to connect them to ground you'd want to use a cap before the diodes (usually before R7), and then connect the volume pot to ground rather than the vref. Some say it's a "little" bit of a different clipping texture when connecting to ground but I haven't found that to be the case personally when using 9v distortion circuits.

[@caevizcarra]

This schematics videos are the best! More of them Brian, please :)

[@robinjgill]

Brian. Your videos are a breath of fresh air. I figured I have learned loads of interesting stuff from you so I just bought a Tumnus. I did try breadboarding a Klon circuit but my result was more of a Bambi.

[@herroglop7411]

great video! Thanks Brian

[@jaythorne6400]

Loving this series. Really showed me how a design is tweaked - like in this circuit, showing the Analogman mods, and your own. I've had this belief that guitar players attach a lot of mysticism to pedals, and the magic associated. This video shows that it's not really magic, it's a simple process of making choices - what controls to add, which components to hard wire as resistors, which caps you use, and what kinds of non-linear components like diodes and intentional clipping points you want to add. This is great.

[@ScottTheNews]

Sounds like ROCK to me …. Thank you Brian! Excellent nerd stuff!

[@jake62a]

Loved it keep up the good work.

[@davidratliff807]

Looks great, nice video... I will continue with my Hot Wired and Euphoria! Love your pedals

[@nilsmclellan868]

Thanks for this Brian! I’ve been breadboarding the Gov’nor lately so this gives me good ideas!! I love this sort of stuff!

[@TheBoss1597]

Soo interesting , thanx! More of this would be great!

[@geemac7267]

I think this is fascinating. A little peek into the mind of a pedal designer and how you do your thing.

[@backlom]

I understood none of what you’ve said but it’s sure interesting!! Thanks Brian.

[@marcelmontalvo1701]

Wonderful diagrams. I made a pedal with the 4558 ic, and also works with the tl 082. It sounds really good. Thanks for your tips, I will be watching yor videos

[@error8418]

Perfect timing! I was just working on a Bluesbreaker derivative.

[@bandninkasimusic6484]

Great video Wampler Pedals. An old work colleague gave me an original Marshall Bluesbreaker pedal for free over 10 years ago. It's pretty much lived in its box since then.

[@darrellminx5459]

Always learn something even though I build as well. Thank you Brian

[@dandeg1438]

Great video as always Brian, thank you. Here's an idea I've been using on my breadboard circuits to make the controls easier to play with: stick the pots to a spare section of breadboard with double sided tape, then I can use one hand to tweak if the pots aren't spinning easily :)

[@alanredversangel]

The hard clipping bit sounded bloody lovely.

[@Relayer6a]

Great vid. Very informative for us not very technically inclined.

[@WereGragon543]

Great stuff! I think that by sharing the schematic you can give us the extra details we want. As an electronic engineer I can understand the deeper level this way. Keep it up! level

[@cinpa2968]

I’m at the very beginning stage of interest in pedal building - watching and reading before soldering. This has my head spinning but in a good way. Amazing how a single change can effect (pun intended) the outcome. I’m seriously scratching my head about inverting and non-inverting. Guess more reading and watching is on the horizon. Thanks!

[@guitar_george]

Great content, as always!

[@Lucascuryg]

This is gold ! Very helpful

[@tron999]

thanks, this video was super helpful.

[@gerardoromano3436]

This is the kind of video that´s usefull and educative. The viewer not only learns how the circuit works but how to use It properly ,knowing how each control affects the singal. Gereat video, great channel, and Brian a real grat guy, he doesn´t shake the market like Josh (JHS) did with the infamous Bad Monkey nor keeps secrets to himself IMHO. He doesn´t need It, his succes is based on talent and HARD WORK. Hats off. His pedals are great, the only problem is I can´t afford them :) Thanks Brian !! keep them coming.

[@johnladdsmusic]

Nice new Epi! I have the same one...love it!

[@ericwarrington6650]

Hi Bryan...old post I Know but I just received my first Wampler pedal from Sweetwater...Plexi drive mini....SUPER IMPRESSIVE MAN! I watch alot of your content...among very best in the world at your craft...pedal came nicely packaged w 2; cool stickers and a nice pouch...very classy man... awesome work...I just wanted to say thanks for giving guitarists the finest built tools in the world ...it's the great chase and the rabbit hole runs deep...u are a cut above..thank you for my money's worth...

[@wampler_pedals]

Very much appreciated!!! Thank you!

[@ericwarrington6650]

Very welcome Mr Wampler...top notch pedals from top notch people...I've learned alot from you. Thanks man

[@brentongutierrez4021]

Love these vids

[@blackmirror5559]

. This is fascinating, yet mind boggling cuz every tone was great in it's own way - makes me want just ONE huge pedal with EVERY switch & pot possible. .

[@blackmirror5559]

.....would that be the BIYANG METAL END KING???

[@jacquesduplessis8382]

Thanks for doing the breadboard informative stuff

[@DavidPurviance]

thanks for the video, love the geeky stuff

[@omnaraiya]

Love the nerdy content!

[@r0flgal0re]

This is awesome!

[@buzniak1196]

I've had the BB2 for 20 years now and it is an awesome little pedal. So much more than just an OD. Nice clean boost on one side and a Marshall in a box on the other. Much more complex texture than most pedals out there. When compared with the original BB pedal it is quite similar but the controls are more responsive with better range. Don't dismiss it.

[@dscottwerth]

Great video!

[@jimilee459]

That was crazy helpful. It just so happens o has been messing with a blues breaker type circuit to get more gain out of it. I understand what and why, the changes I was making were doing.

[@groovee63]

Awesome info !!!!

[@halbertking2683]

I built the Mojotone Blues Breaker kit a number of years ago. I've been using it ever since . Gibson humbucker guitar , all BB controls set at 3 o'clock. I've been pretty happy with it.