Build Your Own Clone 250+

The BYOC 250+ is a clone of the famous DOD 250 and the MXR Distortion+. Both of these circuits are extremely identical, and with just a few component changes, you can have your choice of either overdrive. The kit includes every resistor, capacitor, jack, switch and every other component you need to build this pedal. It's housed in a small 125B enclosure ready for painting, graphics or whatever you'd like to put on it.

UTILIZATION

BYOC is the master at making easy to understand instructions. Everything is laid out perfectly, and their forum support is wonderful. The 250+ is the perfect beginner build for anybody looking to start messing with electronics. In fact, this was my very first build. Given the low component count and spaced out circuit board, there's little that can go wrong when building this. If something does go wrong, the support forum is just a click away.

SOUND QUALITY

The sound of the 250+ varies depending on what circuit you choose. You can assemble the DOD 250 circuit, which is a bit more aggressive due to the diodes, or you can assemble the Distortion+ circuit, which is a bit more rounder sounding. The 250 is the famous pedal that Yngwie Malmsteen has used throughout his career, and the Distortion+ got its fame thanks to Randy Rhoads. No matter what circuit you build, the pedal will sound very good for an overdrive. Although it doesn't have a tone pot, there's a diagram on the BYOC forum that shows you how to add one. The pedal is also true bypass, so you can assure that there will be no tone suckage when the pedal is off.

OVERALL OPINION

Aside from the slightly dated circuit, the BYOC 250+ is a wonderful product to start out with if you want to learn how to build and assemble electronic circuits. With BYOC's perfectly laid out instructions, a helpful forum and an easy to build circuit, there's little that can go wrong for the electronic enthusiast.