Mod TONE ATTACK User manual

1Copyright © 2018 by modkitsdiy.com
Use these instructions to learn:
How to build an effects pedal for boosting and cutting tones.
Shape your sound with the Tone Attack. 12 o’clock settings give an approximate unity gain with the pedal.
Rotate the treble or bass knob counterclockwise to cut the corresponding frequencies. Rotate these same
knobs clockwise to boost the frequency bands. The Master Boost knob can be used to attenuate your signal
or push your tone to screaming loud volumes.
THE TONE ATTACK (K-998)
Warning: This circuit was designed for use with a 9 VDC power supply only.
9 VDC
CENTER (-)
ADAPTER
Unplug when not in use
to save battery life.
Signal Input
(From Guitar)
Signal Output
(To Amplifier)

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TOOL LIST 2
PARTS LIST DRAWINGS 3-4
FINAL ASSEMBLY REFERENCE DRAWING 5
SOLDERING TIPS 6
STEP BY STEP ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS 7-10
Section 1 (Drawings 1 & 2) 7
Section 2 (Drawing 3) 7-8
Section 3 (Drawing 4) 9
Section 4 (Finishing Up) 10
ASSEMBLY DRAWINGS (4 Drawings) 11-12
These are the last 2 pages. They should be separated and used as a reference to help assemble the
kit correctly. Hi-res color versions available on modkitsdiy.com
2
TOOL LIST
Wire Strippers
Needle Nose Pliers
Hex Key (Allen Wrench)
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-DP (1)
Light Grey Knob with White Line
P-K380LG (3)
Battery Clip
S-H155 (1)
¼” Mono Jack (Output Jack)
W-SC-11 (1)
¼” Stereo Jack (Input Jack)
W-SC-12B (1)
Stranded Wire (22 AWG) - White
K-PUL1569-WHITE (3 FT)
PARTS LIST 1
3
RING LUG
SLEEVE LUG
TIP LUG
GROUND LUG
TIP LUG
#4 Screw (1/2" long)
S-HS440-12 (2)
#4 Nut
S-HHN440 (4)
DC Power Jack
S-H750 (1)
3PDT LED Foot Switch
P-H590-RG (1)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
#6 Locking Lug
S-H112
Potentiometers:
R-VAM50KL-SS ("B50K")
R-VAM100KA-SS ("A100K") (1)
(2)
Turret Strip
P-HTUR-STRIP-12 (1)
(2)

PARTS LIST 2
4
brown
black
orange
gold
10K
10kΩ Resistor ½ W
R-A10K (1)
270 Ω Resistor ½ W
R-A270 (1)
red
violet
brown
gold
270
1kΩ Resistor ½ W
R-A1K (3)
brown
black
red
gold
1K
1MΩ Resistor ½ W
R-A1M (1)
brown
black
green
gold
1M
brown
green
orange
gold
15K
15kΩ Resistor ½ W
R-A15K (1)
orange
orange
orange
gold
33K
33kΩ Resistor ½ W
R-A33K (1)
brown
black
yellow
gold
100K
R-A100K (1)
100KΩ Resistor ½ W
P-Q2N5088 (1)
NPN BJT (2N5088)
2N
5088
E B C
C-PEID22-100 (4)
0.22µF Capacitor
224
333K
C-TD033-400 (1)
.033µF capacitor
682K
C-TD0068-630 (1)
.0068µF capacitor
N-Channel JFET (PF5102)
P-QPF5102 (1)
PF
5102

FINAL ASSEMBLY REFERENCE DRAWING
This is a large version of the final assembly drawing. Refer to this drawing as you make your way through each step of the instructions. Before you make a new
connection at a particular terminal or solder lug, notice how many other connections will be made at that terminal. That way you can decide whether it’s best for
you to solder the connection and leave space open for future connections or hold off on soldering until after every connection at that location has been made.
5
1K
10K
33K
1M
1K
1 2 3 1231 2 3
1
2
3
4
5
6
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
INPUT OUTPUT
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
15K
100K
270
224 224 224
224
2N
5088
PF
5102
1K
B50K B50K A100K
682K
333K
RED
BLK
CgACr

SOLDERING TIPS
1. Bend the component lead
and cut it so that it is shorter
than the turret and won’t stick
out of the bottom
2. Guide the prepared lead
into the top hole of the turret.
3. Heat up both component
lead and connection point with
the soldering iron.
4. Apply solder to both
component lead and
connection point. The hole
should be covered with solder
that slightly slopes up the
component lead when the
connection is cool.
6
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.
1. Place the component on the
board in the location it will stay
once mounted.
2. Loop the lead around the
lower section of the turret.
3. Pull the lead tight so that
the wrap is snug around the
lower section of the turret.
Repeat this wrap at least once
more to ensure that it will stay
in place. Cut the excess lead.
4. Heat up both component
lead and connection point with
the soldering iron.
Apply solder to both
component lead and
connection point.

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 three 9/32" holes on top.
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.
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.
SECTION 2 – Wire Low Lying Components
Please refer to DRAWING 3.
7
Mount the two #4 screws in the two 1/8" holes in the middle of the chassis using two of the #4 nuts.
Mount the turret board on top of the two nuts on the #4 screws.
Place the #6 locking lugs on each side and orient them as they
are in Drawing 2. Use the remaining #4 nuts to hold them in place.
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 three pots in their respective 9/32" holes as shown in
Drawing 2. 50K on the left, 50K in the middle, and 100K on the
right.
RING LUG
SLEEVE LUG
TIP LUG
Input Jack
SLEEVE LUG
TIP LUG
Output Jack
CENTER
PIN LUG
POSITIVE
SWITCH LUG
POSITIVE
LUG
Mount the LED footswitch to the ¾” hole. Be sure to orient the LED leads
towards the top with A on the right and Cgon the left
You must remove the button cap with a hex key before mounting. 1
2
3
4
6
7
8
9
CgACr
5
12 3 4 5 6 7
8
91011121314
The turrets and lugs will be referred to as #1 through #16 throughout this
build. The diagram on the right shows the labeled numbers with their
corresponding connection.
Nut
Nut
Washer
Board
Chassis

Strip and tin a 3 ½” piece of wire and connect lug 7 of the footswitch to lug 2 of
the right 100K pot. Run the wire beneath the turret board. Solder both
connections now.
Strip and tin a 1" piece of wire and connect lugs 3 and 9 of the footswitch. Solder
both connections now.
Strip and tin a 1 ¾” piece of wire and connect lug 2 of the footswitch to the input jack's
tip lug. Solder both connections now.
1
2
3
4
6
7
8
9
CgACr
5
Strip and tin a 1 ¾” piece of wire and connect lug 8 of the footswitch to the output
jack's tip lug. Solder both connections now.
Strip and tin a ½” piece of wire and connect lug 4 of the footswitch to the CgLED
pin of the footswitch. Solder both connections now.
12 3 4 5 6 7
8
91011121314
Connect a 1k resistor from #1 to the lower section of #3. Wrap
the lead around the lower section of the turret. Solder the lower
section of #3 now.
Connect a 1M resistor from #4 to #6. Wrap the leads around the
lower section turrets. Solder the lower section of #4 now.
Connect a 100k resistor from #6 to #8. Wrap the leads around
the lower section turret. Solder the lower section of #6 now.
Connect a 1k resistor from #1 to lug 3 of the left 50k pot. Solder
the connection at lug 3 of the pot now.
Strip and tin a 1 ¾” piece of wire and connect the center pin
lug of the DC jack to #1. Solder both connections now.
Connect a .22µF capacitor from lug 1 of the footswitch to the top
hole of #2. The capacitor’s body should be facing down. Solder
the connection at lug 1 of the footswitch now.
Strip and tin a 2” piece of wire and connect lug 3 of the right 100k pot to
#8
Strip and tin a 2 ¼” piece of wire and connect lug 5 of the footswitch to
#8. Solder the connection at lug 5 of the footswitch now.
Connect a 1k resistor from #4 to the A pin of the LED footswitch.
Wrap the lead around the lower section of the turret. Solder the
connection at the A pin now.
Connect a 33k resistor from #12 to lug 2 of the center 50k pot.
Wrap the lead around the lower section turret. Solder the lower
section of #12 now.
Strip and tin a 1 ¼” piece of wire and connect lug 2 of the center 50k pot to the top hole of #10.
Solder the connection at lug 2 of the center 50k pot now.
Strip and tin a 1 ½” piece of wire and connect lug 3 of the center 50k pot to the top hole of #9.
Solder the connection at lug 3 of the center 50k pot now.
123
SLEEVE LUG
TIP LUG
Output Jack
RING LUG
SLEEVE LUG
TIP LUG
Input Jack
CENTER
PIN LUG
POSITIVE
SWITCH LUG
POSITIVE
LUG
lower section
top hole
8

SECTION 3 – Mount Components to Terminal Strips
Please refer to DRAWING 4.
9
Strip and tin a 1 ¼” piece of wire and connect lug 1 of the left 50k pot to the top
hole of #14. Solder the connection at lug 1 of the pot now.
12 3 4 5 6 7
8
91011121314
Strip and tin a 1 ¾” piece of wire and connect lug 2 of the left 50k
pot to top hole of #12. Solder both connections now.
Strip and tin a 1 ½” piece of wire and connect lug 1 of the right 100k pot to
top hole of #11. Solder the connection at lug 1 of the pot now.
Connect a .033µF capacitor from the top hole of #9 to lug 3 of the right 100k
pot. Solder both connections now.
Connect a 10k resistor from the top hole of #14 to the top
hole of #13. Solder the connection at #14 now.
Connect a .22µF capacitor from the top hole of #13 to the top hole of #3. Solder the connection at
#13 now.
Connect a 15k resistor from the top hole of #4 to the top hole of #5.
Connect a .22µF capacitor from the top hole of #5 to the top
hole of #11. Solder the connection at #11 now.
Connect a .22µF capacitor from the top hole of #6 to the top hole of #10. Solder the connection at
#10 now.
Connect a 270 ohm resistor from the top hole of #7 to the lug #8. Solder the connection at #8 now.
Strip and tin a 1 ½” piece of wire and connect the positive lug of the DC power jack to the top
hole of #4. Solder the connection at DC jack now.
Connect the PF5102 JFET to the top holes of #2, #3 and #4 as listed:
Top Hole #2: Gate
Top Hole #3: Source
Top Hole #4: Drain
PF
5102
DSG
Solder all three connections now.
lower section
top hole
CENTER
PIN LUG
POSITIVE
SWITCH LUG
POSITIVE
LUG
123
Connect the 2N5088 transistor to the top holes of #5, #6 and #7 as listed:
Top Hole #5: Collector
Top Hole #6: Base
Top Hole #7: Emitter
2N
5088
EBC
Solder all three connections now.
Locate the battery clip. Connect the red wire to the positive-switch lug of the DC power jack.
Connect the black wire to the ring lug of the input jack. Solder both connections now.
Connect a .0068µF capacitor from the top hole of #13 to lug 1 of the center 50k pot. Solder
the connection at lug 1 of the pot now.

10
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.

3/4” 3/8" 3/8"
15/32"
9/32"9/32" 9/32"
LEFT SIDE
RIGHT SIDE
DRAWING 1
DRAWING 2
11
INSIDE VIEW OF THE
ENCLOSURE
1 2 3 1231 2 3
1
2
3
4
5
6
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
INPUT OUTPUT
1/8" 1/8"
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
B50K B50K A100K
12 3 4 5 6 7
8
91011121314
CgACr

CgACr
CgACr
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
DRAWING 3
DRAWING 4
12
1 2 3 1231 2 3
1
2
3
4
5
6
INPUT OUTPUT
1K
10K
33K
1M
1K
1 2 3 1231 2 3
1
2
3
4
5
6
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
INPUT OUTPUT
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
15K
100K
270
224 224 224
224
2N
5088
PF
5102
1K
1K
33K
1M
1K
100K
224
1K
B50K B50K A100K
B50K B50K A100K
12 3 4 6
8
910111213
RED
BLK
682K
333K