HELP! Lost in planning a DIY Fuzz Face

[Guest]

I was thinking about trying to build a FuzzFace from scratch, real real simple budget version.

No kit or anything as I figure I could keep the costs down and learn at the same time. And it's not a big deal if it doesn't sound awsome the first time, always possible to mod it to the better later on...

So I did a quick read around on what parts needed. Notice that I also want to make the "Hendrix/Roger Mayer" mods to it so it isn't 100% the regular FuzzFace schematics, following is different:


18K Resistor instead of 8.2k
1k Resistor instead of 470 ohm

2k linear pot instead of 1k linear

One of the switchcraft jacks should be a stereo according to the partslist I found on the net (I missed that so the cart shows two mono jacks).

I don't have a clue about the capacitors volts and how they would affect things if all so I need help with that?

The carbon comp resistors are 0.5w though, which I think should be okay.

The "Kudosbakeliittilevy" is the circuit board (and it's in Finnish if you don't understand that )

Overall feedback on wheter it seems okay or not would be great... Thanks!

Here's a screenshot from my cart on the "local" webshop that I plan to order from:

 

[Guest]

Re: HELP! Lost in planning a DIY Fuzz Face

bump it!

 

[Dirt123]

Re: HELP! Lost in planning a DIY Fuzz Face

What are you using for transistors? Germainium or Silicon? They will have a big effect on tone.

Otherwise, your component selection looks good, though I prefer Fuzz Faces run off batteries rather than DC adaptors.

Also, are you doing a bias mod, to allow other pedals (like a wah) to feed the fuzz?

 

[LJ King]

Re: HELP! Lost in planning a DIY Fuzz Face

The resistor differences are roughly proportional - that means that the higher value ones will draw less current than the lower value ones, but the various circuit voltages will be approximately the same.

The stereo jack is primarily for switching the battery on and off.

Capacitor voltage rating - keep it above the power supply voltage and you won't have any problems.

Once you get it together, the most important thing to making it sound good is to adjust the voltage at the collector of the second/output transistor to 1/2 the power supply.

IMHO - I think silicon fuzz faces sound much better when powered by 18 volts instead of 9 volts.

 

[Guest]

Re: HELP! Lost in planning a DIY Fuzz Face

Thanks for your inputs!

I threw in the DC jack "just in case", as I couldn't decide when I made the list. But I've read a little more about Fuzzes now and seems like the general thing is to power them with batteries as the sound better that way.

So I think I'm going to build it old school style without DC jack and without led. After I see how it holds up and how long the battery lives etc I can decide on wheter or not to add the adapter.

Germanium is what I want. And the germaniums listed in my cart would be a blind shot it the dark as they aren't measured or paired or anything. Any suggestions on where to get a decent pair of measured germanium transistors... maybe I could even go NOS or vintage transistors any sources? (from within Europe preferably but US is still possible)

Dirt123, I didn't know about the Bias-mod... sounds like something I wanna have. I'll check it out! Thanks for the tips

LJ King, I'm gonna need some help on the voltage adjusting, as I don't really know what you mean. A total noob when it comes to building effects, hehe! Some parts needed for that as well apart from the ones I listed?

 

[Guest]

Re: HELP! Lost in planning a DIY Fuzz Face

Parts are ordered now, I'll probably start this tomorrow or on saturday EXCITED!

Parts list:

1 x Diecast Aluminum box 111x60x31mm
3 x GP 9V ZiCl 6R22 battery (supposed to be the best type for Fuzz boxes)
1 x Battery clip, Cliff
1 x DC-Jack, isolated, 2.1mm, with switch (maybe... just maybe )
2 x Fulltone classic knob- cream

1 x Switchcraft 12B 6,3mm metal jack, stereo
1 x switchcraft 11 6,3mm metal jack, mono
1 x 3PDT footswitch

1 x Alpha 2K LIN - 16mm "mini pot" (Mayer/Hendrix mod, from 1k to 2k)
1 x Alpha 500k log - 16mm "mini pot"
1 x 25K, Piher PT15 trimpot (bias adjustment)

2 x AC128 transistors (these will do for now, I may get some fine tuned stuff later on)

1 x Carbon comp resistor 100 Kohm
1 x Carbon comp resistor 1 Kohm (Mayer/Hendrix mod, from 470ohm to 1k)
1 x Carbon comp resistor 18 Kohm (Mayer/Hendrix mod, from 8k to 18k)
1 x Carbon comp resistor 33 Kohm

1 x 0.1uF/250 VDC/160 VAC ERO capacitor
1 x 2.2uF/63V axial electrolytic capacitor
1 x 22uF/40V axial electrolytic capacitor
1 x 0.047uF/400 VDC/200 VAC ERO capacitor (in case of basscut mod)
1 x 47uF / 40V axial electrolytic capacitor (in case of power supply mounting)

Here's a really nice graphic from smallbox, for those who have a hard time understanding the handdrawn schematics So now I need help with where the 25k trimpot for Biasing should be put, could you point it out to me?

EDIT! Copyright issues with the nice graphic that I posted. But here's the link to it: http://smallbox.zeonhost.com/projects/fface/

Please help me out on where to put the bias trimpot.

 

[Guest]

Re: HELP! Lost in planning a DIY Fuzz Face

joelap, I contacted the company I ordered right after you posted here as I meant to get sockets but I forgot to put them in the cart. But they have an incredible fast service and has already sent me package at time, so I guess I have to solder them in carefully...

Any DIY builders that who knows where the bias trimpot should go?

 

[LJ King]

Re: HELP! Lost in planning a DIY Fuzz Face

Get transistor sockets even if you have to wait for them!!! You will want to do some expermentation... and not a slam here, but what do you think your chances are of getting it right the first time?

While you're waiting, you might want to do some reading:

Fuzz Face Technology

 

[Dirt123]

Re: HELP! Lost in planning a DIY Fuzz Face

...Dirt123, I didn't know about the Bias-mod... sounds like something I wanna have. I'll check it out! Thanks for the tips ...

...

While you're waiting, you might want to do some reading:

Fuzz Face Technology

Like he said.

Scroll down in the "Technology of the Fuzz Face", & look at the Mike Fuller Mods. The bias mod is where he describes putting a 50K ohm pot in series with the input. This is a great article, by the way.

 

[Guest]

Re: HELP! Lost in planning a DIY Fuzz Face

Okay LJ and Joelap, now you've convinced me that I need sockets! I have to go to the electronics store to check if they would happen to have them in stock, otherwise I don't know where to get them around here... I'd like to just go out and buy them so that I don't have to deal with shipping costs for two small freakin parts

 

[Guest]

Re: HELP! Lost in planning a DIY Fuzz Face

Dirt123, I read that yes and figured there's two different things when talking about the BIAS of a Fuzz FAce. It's Mike Fullers, bias mod pot that reacts kind of as a tone control. I don't plan on doing that...

But I want to install the trim pot in the circuit so that I can adjust the voltage to ~5v for the transistors. Do you (anyone) know where it should go?

If you could point it out where to put it on this graphic it would be great help! http://smallbox.zeonhost.com/projects/fface/

 

[LJ King]

Re: HELP! Lost in planning a DIY Fuzz Face

Dirt123, I read that yes and figured there's two different things when talking about the BIAS of a Fuzz FAce. It's Mike Fullers, bias mod pot that reacts kind of as a tone control. I don't plan on doing that...

But I want to install the trim pot in the circuit so that I can adjust the voltage to ~5v for the transistors. Do you (anyone) know where it should go?

If you could point it out where to put it on this graphic it would be great help! http://smallbox.zeonhost.com/projects/fface/

It doesn't adjust the bias of both transistors, just Q2. The FF sound is based on Q1 clipping asymetrically creating even harmonics, and Q2 clipping symmetrically creating odd harmonics.

To bias Q2 to 1/2 the supply voltage you measure between the "C" leg of Q2 and ground.

The simplest way to adjust is to replace the 8.2K resistor with a 10K trimpot.

 

[Guest]

Re: HELP! Lost in planning a DIY Fuzz Face

OKay, so I have it together now I think... but it doesn't work :laugh2:

I get my regular guitar sound like when it's toggled off if I just push the cable from the guitar into the input halfway. As soon as I push it all the way in it kills the sound completely... when the pedal is switched off. With the cable all the way in to the input jack and the pedal switched on I get a pop/buzz with an interval, like:

buzz... buzz.... buzz ....buzz

I can adjust the volume of the buzz by turning the volume pot up or down (so that is working at least :laugh: ) and I can change the tempo off the buzzing by turning the fuzz pot.

May be a thousand different things that is wrong obivously, but does it sound familiar at all to you? otherwise... where should I start to trouble shoot, I've checked the circuit many times over but I can't find anything wrong with it.

I can upload some pics later on if needed.

Hope someone here has any tips!

 

[BigAlTheBird]

Re: HELP! Lost in planning a DIY Fuzz Face

I don't have any clue, but good luck dude! I think it's cool you're doing something like that.

 

[Artie]

Re: HELP! Lost in planning a DIY Fuzz Face

I get my regular guitar sound like when it's toggled off if I just push the cable from the guitar into the input halfway.

From this alone, I'd guess that you have the tip and ring of the input jack reversed. Its easy to do. I just did it a couple of weeks ago on my phantom-powered Strat.

 

[Guest]

Re: HELP! Lost in planning a DIY Fuzz Face

ArtieToo, You're officially my hero now!! ... it was the only thing wrong. Switched them around and I got into FUZZZZZZZ world.

...but not heaven

The buzz...buzz...buzz...buzz sound is still there. But it's dependant of what I have the fuzz pot on.

If the fuzz pot is over say half way is starts to "buzz...buzz...buzz...buzz" and the higher I turn the fuzz it the louder the buzz gets and the tempo of it changes. At full tilt fuzz I still can play and everything but the notes don't sustain forever like they should, they sustain a couple of seconds and then it crackles and the note dies.

This phenomena can be adjusted with the trimpot which bias the voltage of the to germanium transistors. My trimpot is a 25k one, if it's full up on 25, the "buzz...buzz...buzz...buzz" starts earlier on the fuzz pots range. If it's down on 0 it starts later on the pots range. It sounds best at approx. 7-10k. But the "buzz...buzz...buzz...buzz" can't be dialed out with the trimpot.

Another funny thing I noted is that if I use a regualr Duracell 9v battery that isn't brand new the "buzz...buzz...buzz...buzz" isn't as problematic. It starts later on the fuzz pots range and isn't as loud. But when I use a Greencell Zinc-Chloride 9v (which are recommended for fuzzes) it's more problematic. Seems like the used Duracell provides less power and therefore works better.

At last, If I turn the guitar volume down to zero it also starts having a similar "buzz...buzz...buzz...buzz", but it changes pitch. Guitar volume at 0 it's at it's lowest pitch when I turn up it increases pitch up to 3 on the guitar then it dissapears and the fuzz kicks in. It's the kind of spaceship sound you can make with some delay pedals. You know what I mean!

Please effect builders and DIYers, help me with this... I'm close to having it finished now. And I will provide you with Pics and Clips as soon as it's finished if you help me

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: HELP! Lost in planning a DIY Fuzz Face

Sounds like funny transistors
Dunno maybe they are not matching well enough up?
It could be another trim problem...for such a simple setup, fuzz's can be really hard to setup.

 

[Guest]

Re: HELP! Lost in planning a DIY Fuzz Face

Hmm, could it be that...?

I broke the rules that I promised above in this thread I didn't use sockets, couldn't find a damn place that had those sockets and I didn't want to order them all the way from the US. So I soldered them in.

But I "routed" the heat away from the transistor itself when I soldered so they should be okay, or maybe the got heat damaged after all.

I could try to swap them around and see what it results in...maybe?

They weren't exactly expensive, 2.20e for two

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: HELP! Lost in planning a DIY Fuzz Face

Hehe got anymore of those suckers around??
Did they came matched by the way?

 

[Guest]

Re: HELP! Lost in planning a DIY Fuzz Face

No unfortunaly not, I only bought two as they didn't come matched. I know it was kind of a gamble buy but I figured 2.20e wasn't that much.

I figured when I ordered that I'll use these two as "tests" and I'll upgrade to a decent matched pair later on.

You think swapping them around could help?