Mod CONTORTIONIST User manual

1Copyright © 2014 by modkitsdiy.com
Use these instructions to learn:
How to build an effects pedal for fuzz with non-selective frequency tripler.
The Contortionist kit is a limited edition, all analog, high octane fuzz box. It produces fuzz with layered
octave overtones similar to those produced by an electronic-bow. The frequency multiplier circuitry creates
harmonics that swell and recede depending on gain setting, pick attack, neck position and pickup. This is a
high gain circuit that can put out up to 2 volts and will provide ample amounts of sustain.
THE CONTORTIONIST (K-990)
www.modkitsdiy.com
Warning: This circuit was designed for use with a 9 VDC power supply only.
TO
AMP
IN
FROM
GUITAR
OUT
Unplug when not in use
to save battery life.
The Contortionist
Modkitsdiy . com
OUTPUT
GAIN
High Octane Fuzz Box
9 VDC
CENTER (- )
ADAPTER

2
Visit www.modkitsdiy.com if you have any problems when first turning on your pedal for
troubleshooting help. Remember to use caution when applying power to the pedal to avoid electric
shock.
TOOL LIST
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TOOL LIST p. 2
PARTS LIST DRAWINGS pp. 3, 4
SOLDERING TIPS p. 5
STEP BY STEP ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS pp. 6 - 9
Section 1 - Mount Large Components p. 6
Section 2 - Wire Large Components p. 6
Section 3 - Mount Components to Terminal Strips p. 8
Section 4 - Finishing Up p. 9
ASSEMBLY DRAWINGS (4 Drawings) pp. 10, 11
These are the last 2 pages. They should be used as a reference for assembly.
Wire Strippers
Needle Nose Pliers
Cutting Pliers
Desoldering Pump
Solder (60/40 rosin core)
Soldering Station
Phillips Head Screwdrivers
Slotted tip screwdrivers (3 mm tip)
Channellock Pliers (or similar type)
Ruler
Hobby Vise (or other means to secure box while working)

Enclosure
P-H1590BBCE-O (1)
Dark Green Knob with White Line
P-K380GRN (2)
Battery Clip
S-H155 (1)
¼ Mono Jack (Output Jack)
W-SC-11-T (1)
¼ Stereo Jack (Input Jack)
W-SC-12B (1)
Stranded Wire (22 AWG) - Red
K-PUL1569 (3.5 FT)
PARTS LIST 1
3
RING LUG
SLEEVE LUG
TIP LUG
GROUND LUG
TIP LUG
DPDT Foot Switch
P-H498 (1)
Potentiometers: 1KL and 250KA
R-VA1KL (1)
1
2
3
R-VA250KA (1)
#4 Screw (3/8" long)
S-HS440-38 (7)
#4 Nut
S-HHN440 (7)
#4 Lock Washer
S-HLW4 (7)
Terminal Strip with 8 Terminals
P-0802H (2)
DC Power Jack
S-H750 (1)
Terminal Strip with 3 Terminals
P-0301H (1)
Terminal Strip with 2 Terminals - 2nd Com
P-0201H (1)
Terminal Strip with 2 Terminals - 1st Com
P-0201H01 (1)

PARTS LIST 2
4
gray
red
yellow gold
820K
820k Resistor ½ W
R-A820K (1)
brown
black
orange gold
10K
10k Resistor ½ W
R-A10K (3)
MPS
A 13
EBC
P-QMPSA13 (1)
NPN Darlington (MPSA13)
K-PQ-2N3906 (1)
PNP BJT (2N3906)
2N
3906
EBC
K-P2N3904TAR (1)
NPN BJT (2N3904TAR)
2N
3904
E B C
22µF 50V
C-ET22-50 (1)
22µF Polarized Capacitor 50V
0.1µF Capacitor 100V
C-PEID1-100 (2)
104J
224J
0.22µF Capacitor 100V
C-PEID22-100 (1)
330pF Capacitor 3kV
C-D330-3000 (1)
3M ½ W
R-A3M (1)
orange
black
green gold
3M
331K

SOLDERING TIPS
1. Bend the component lead
and wrap it around the
connection point.
2. Wrap the component lead
so that it can hold itself to the
connection point.
3. Heat up both component
lead and connection point with
the soldering iron.
4. Apply solder to both
component lead and
connection point.
2. Apply fresh solder to mix in
with old solder joint
1. Heat up old solder joint
with the soldering iron.
3. Use a de-soldering tool to
remove the old solder joint
while it is heated.
De-Soldering Tip
5
It is important to make a good solder joint at each connection point. A cold solder joint is a connection that
may look connected but is actually disconnected or intermittently connected. (A cold solder joint can keep
your project from working.)
Follow these tips to make a good solder joint. Take your time with each connection and make sure that all
components are connected and will remain connected if your project is bumped or shaken.
Bend the component lead or wire ending and wrap it around the connection point.
Make sure it is not too close to a neighboring component which could cause an
unintended connection.
2. Wrap the component lead so that it can hold itself to the connection point.
Touch the soldering iron to both the component lead and the connection point allowing both to
warm up just before applying the solder to them.
Be sure to adequately cover both component lead and connection point with melted solder.
Remove the soldering iron from your work and allow the solder joint to cool. (The
solder joint should be shiny and smooth after solidifying.)
Cut off any excess wire or component leads with cutting pliers.
Clean the soldering iron's tip by wiping it across the wet sponge again after making the
solder joint.

SECTION 1 Mount Large Components
Stripping wire , tinning wire and soldering .Throughout these instructions you will be told to strip
and tin a length of wire numerous times. Unless noted otherwise, cut the wire to the length stated in
the instructions. Then strip ¼ of insulation off each end. Twist each end of the stranded wire, and
apply a small amount of solder to each end (i.e. tin the wire ends). This will prevent the stranded
wire from fraying and will make the final soldering much easier.
Please refer to DRAWING 1 and DRAWING 2.
Orient the enclosure with the two 5/16" holes on top.
Using the seven screws, nuts and lock washers provided, fasten the five terminal strips to match
DRAWING 2.
12
3
4 5 67
Fasten the two 2 lug
terminal strips and the 3
lug terminal strips first.
Then fasten the two 8
lug terminal strips.
Mount the 1KL pot in the 5/16" hole on the left and the 250KA pot in the
remaining 5/16" hole on the right.
Bend back and remove the alignment tab on the top of each potentiometer
using a pair of pliers before mounting the pots so that they can mount flush
against the enclosure surface.
Alignment
Tab
Mount the DC power jack in the 15/32" hole on the left
side of the enclosure. Orient its solder lugs so that
the center-pin lug is facing the bottom side of the
enclosure.
CENTER - PIN LUG
POSITIVE - SWITCH LUG
POSITIVE LUG
Mount the input jack in the 3/8" hole on the left side of the enclosure with the hardware provided.
The washer goes under the nut on the outside of the enclosure. Make sure the center solder lug of
the input jack is facing up. Correct positioning of the jack makes soldering the connections easier.
Mount the output jack in the 3/8" hole on the right side of the enclosure. Make sure the two solder
lugs are in their most upright position before tightening the nut.
Mount the footswitch in the 15/32" hole in the center of the enclosure. The nylon washer goes
under the mounting nut on the outside of the enclosure. Then the lock washer mounts on the inside
between the enclosure surface and the other nut. Make sure that the footswitch is oriented to match
DRAWING 2.
SECTION 2 Wire Large Components
Please refer to DRAWING 3.
6
lower holes
Tip :Some terminals will have three or more wire/component connections which can
make it difficult to find room for everything that needs to be connect to that terminal. In
this case, we will provide a warning and suggest connecting wires to the lower terminal
holes.
When connecting wires to lower terminal holes, just be sure that the exposed wire end is resting against the metal of the
terminal while adding solder. Hold the wire in place for a few seconds while the connection cools. After cooling, tug on
the wire slightly to ensure it is secured to the lower terminal hole.

7
Please note that each terminal has been numbered as illustrated here
and will be referred to as a terminal #_ when connecting different
components and wires throughout the assembly instructions.
12345678
10
9
1112 1314 15
16
17
18 19
20
2122
NC
Suggestion :3 wires/components will be connected to terminal #15. Consider connecting to the lower terminal holes.
Strip and tin a 2" piece of wire and connect footswitch lug 5 to the
output jack's tip lug.
Strip and tin a 1 ½" piece of wire and connect footswitch lugs 1 and 4.
Strip and tin a 2" piece of wire and connect footswitch lug 2 to the input
jack's tip lug.
Strip and tin a 4" piece of wire and connect footswitch lug 6 to 250K pot lug 2.
Strip and tin a 1 ½" piece of wire and connect footswitch lug 3 and terminal #2.
Strip and tin a 3" piece of wire and connect terminal #6 to #15.
Strip and tin a 2 ½" piece of wire and connect terminal
#3 and 1K pot lug 1.
Strip and tin a 1" piece of wire and connect terminal
#15 to the power jack's "positive" lug.
CENTER - PIN LUG
POSITIVE - SWITCH LUG
POSITIVE LUG
Strip and tin a 1 ½" piece of wire and connect terminal #5 to #7.
Suggestion :4 wires/components will be connected to terminal #5. Consider connecting to the lower terminal holes.
Strip and tin a 1" piece of wire and connect terminal #13 to #22. Do not solder at #13, yet.
Suggestion :3 wires/components will be connected to terminal #13. Consider connecting to the lower terminal holes.
Strip and tin a 1 ½" piece of wire and connect terminal #16 and 1K pot lug 3.
Strip and tin a 1 ½" piece of wire and connect terminal #20 and 250K pot lug 3.
Strip and tin a 3" piece of wire and connect terminal #12 to #19. Do not solder at #19, yet.
Suggestion :3 or more wires/components will be connected to both terminals. Consider connecting to the lower terminal holes.
Strip and tin a 1 ½" piece of wire and connect terminal #18 to #19. Now solder at #19.
Strip and tin a 1 ½" piece of wire and connect terminal #11 to #13. Now solder at #13.
Suggestion :3 or more wires/components will be connected to both terminals. Consider connecting to the lower terminal holes.
Strip and tin a 1" piece of wire and connect terminal #11 to #21.
Strip and tin a 1 ½" piece of wire and connect the input jack's sleeve lug to terminal #1.
Strip about ¾" of insulation off one end of the remaining wire. Twist and tin this end. When cool, cut off
this piece of wire. Connect one end to the power jack's center-pin lug and the other end to terminal #1.
Strip about 1" of insulation off one end of the remaining wire. Twist and tin this end. When cool, cut off
this piece of wire. Connect one end to the output jack's sleeve lug and the other end to terminal #8.

Unless noted otherwise, connect means to trim the components leads to a reasonable length, wrap them tightly
around their connection points and solder. (See Soldering Tips on page 5).
SECTION 3 Mount Components to Terminal Strips
Please refer to DRAWING 4.
Connect and solder all the following components to their respective terminals as listed. (Make sure
that none of the component leads are so close together that it could cause an unintended short).
Connect the 0.1µF cap to terminals #2 and #4. This should be mounted upside down to allow
room for other components to be mounted later in the instructions. There will be two more
components connected to terminal #4 so do not solder at #4, yet.
Connect the 3M resistor to terminals #4 and #5. This resistor should be pushed down to allow
room for other components to be mounted later in the instructions. Do not solder at #5, yet.
Connect a 10K resistor to terminals #5 and #6. Do not solder at #5, yet.
Connect the MPSA13 transistor to terminals #3, #4 and #5 as listed below. Solder all of the
connections at these terminals now.
Terminals #3 : Emitter
Terminals #4 : Base
Terminals #5 : Collector
MPS
A 13
EBC
Connect the 0.1µF cap to terminals #7 and #11. This should be mounted upside down to allow
room for other components to be mounted later in the instructions. Do not solder at #11, yet.
Connect a 10K resistor to terminals #9 and #10. Do not solder at #10, yet.
2N
3904
E B C
Connect the 2N3904 transistor to terminals #10, #11 and #12 as listed below. Solder all of the
connections at these terminals now.
Terminals # 10 : Emitter
Terminals # 11 : Base
Terminals # 12 : Collector
2N
3906
EBC
Connect the 2N3906 transistor to terminals #12, #13 and #14 as listed below. Solder all of the
connections at these terminals now.
Terminals # 12 : Collector
Terminals # 13 : Base
Terminals # 14 : Emitter
8
Connect the remaining 10K resistor to terminals #14 and #15.
Connect the 330pF cap to terminals #18 and #22.
Connect the 820K resistor to terminals #19 and #21.
Connect the 0.22µF cap to terminal #19 and 250K pot lug 1. Mount it so that its leads are not at
risk of shorting out against the pot's body (i.e. don't let the leads touch the body of the pot).
Connect the positive (+) lead of the 22µF cap to 1K pot lug 2 and connect the
negative (-) side to terminal #17. Mount it so that its leads are not at risk of
shorting out against the pot's body. 22µF 50V
(-) (+)
Locate the battery snap connector. Connect its red wire to the power
jack's "positive switch" lug and connect its black wire to the input jack's
ring lug
POSITIVE - SWITCH LUG

9
SECTION 4 Finishing Up
Fasten the knobs to the potentiometer shafts by tightening their set screws. Install a 9 volt
battery if needed. Fasten the cover using the four screws provided. Plug your guitar into the
input jack on the right side of the pedal. This turns power on when you are not using an AC
adapter for power. Plug another cable from the output jack (left side) to your amp's input.
When using a battery for power, remember to unplug from the input jack of the pedal to turn it off
and save battery life.
It s always a good idea to thoroughly double-check your connections before applying power. This
will minimize the risk of damaging components.
If your pedal does not work properly, the first step is always to double-check your connections. If
everything looks good, then e-mail [email protected] for troubleshooting help.

1
2
3
1
2
3
TOP
LEFT SIDE
RIGHT SIDE
15/32"
1/8"1/8"
1/8" 1/8"
1/8"
1/8"1/8"
3/8"
3/8"
15/32"
5/16"5/16"
DRAWING 1
DRAWING 2
10
INSIDE VIEW OF THE
ENCLOSURE
1
2
3
4
5
6
250 KA 1 KL
FUZZ VOLUME

DRAWING 3
DRAWING 4
11
1
2
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
4
5
6
TIP TIP
SLEEVE
SLEEVE
RING
18
9 16
17
18 19
20
2122
250 KA 1 KL
12
6
14
42 3 5 7
10
11 13
15
1
2
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
4
5
6
TIP TIP
SLEEVE
SLEEVE
RING
18
9 16
17
18 19
20
2122
250 KA
1 KL
12
6
14
42 57
10
11 13
15
.1µ
3M
.1µ
10K
MPS
A 13
E B C
2N
3904
EBC
2N
3906
E B C
10K
331K
820K
224J
22µF50V
RED
BLK
Q1 Q2
Q3
10K