Tweak fuzz transistors pdf

The 7 minute fuzz schematic can be broken down into some simpler blocks. These are not the only transistors a builder could use, and certainly other formats could be used, including the common to92 format. Pre to tweak the bass tightfuzz for more distortion and sustain. Same specs and transistors and mostly the same circuit but 4 modes of operation as opposed to the 3 modes this pedal has.

Homemade fuzz face with germanium transistors youtube. It can produce classic fuzz face tones, selfoscillating sounds, octave fuzz, and a variety of normal and weird sounds using 5 knobs. Fuzz face the proprietary name of the transistor circuit being explored in. The origin of the fuzz face circuit the early sola sound tone bender mk ii. Apr 16, 2014 congratulations on your purchase of the model of2 sometime in the mid 1970s someone brought a funny looking white octaveupfuzz pedal into the tycobrahe sound company in hermosa beach, ca. With the transistors in the kit and tuned with the trimmer, you can get some great fuzz face sounds. Ivor arbiter took the round shaped enclosure idea from a microphone stand and it was the first pedal including a dpdt stompswitch. Big muff pi, electro harmonix, rams head, triangle, sovtek, green, green russian, black russian, civil war, byoc large beaver, p2, p2, pete cornish, mike matthews, little big muff, muff fuzz, axis, guild foxey lady, jimi. One problem with silicon transistors is that the gain is typically much too high for the best sound in a fuzzface. Since it is a fuzz face derivative with an input cap selector, any standard fuzzface mods will be applicable. Big muff pi, electro harmonix, rams head, triangle, sovtek, green, green russian, black russian, civil war, byoc large beaver, p2, p2, pete cornish, mike matthews, little big muff, muff fuzz, axis, guild foxey lady, jimi hendrix. In the 1960s, when fuzz pedals were introduced, germanium transistors were used giving forth a huge, warm, fuzzy sound. Germanium transistors are what were used in the very first dallas arbiter fuzz faces. Voodoo fuzz by pcb guitar mania document version 1.

Power supply, transistor input and clipping, and volume control. Though both types of transistors are popularly used in fuzz pedals to improve the quality of sound but germanium transistors are considered better than silicon transistors due to various reasons discussed in brief here under. I n an attempt to show the evolution of the transistor based big muff pi circuit, and a reference for repairs, this article examines some key schematics for the different vintage electroharmonix variants, in chronological order, or as near as i can determine. Export pdf export png export eps export svg export svgz description my attempt at an all npn fuzz factory. It has a pair of clipping diodes at the end like the muff fuzz. Transistor gain values of the commercial pedal on which this circuit is based uses fuzz face values, that is, either 2 100 hfe or 1 low 70 hfe and 1 high 110120 hfe, but many diy builders prefer highergain germanium transistors, such as 150 225 hfe. I measure transistors one at a time so that i can pick the best ones for the actual fuzz circuit. Subjectively the sound of germanium offers a smoother, moreear pleasing. Jan 20, 2016 for the past couple of years, ive been teaching myself analog guitar electronics. Snap the small tabs on the top of the pots off with a pair of needle nose pliers 1 a500k audio volume pot 1 b1k linear fuzz pot hardware. A history of the big muff, from the foxey lady, to the russian sovteks, to the current usa reissue. The medium gain set will get you the great balanced fuzz sound that you know from the better boutique fuzz pedals. Mar 18, 2016 since it is a fuzz face derivative with an input cap selector, any standard fuzzface mods will be applicable. But many people to this day favor germanium transistors in fuzz pedals because of their tone, and because they want to recreate fuzz tones of their favorite players who used germanium fuzzes.

Sep 11, 20 germanium is a chemical element with symbol ge and atomic number 32, thats used as a semiconductor in transistors and diodes, popping up in a few classic effects like the early period arbiter fuzz face, the storied dallas rangemaster and the maestro fuzztone. On the higher notes you will get a good balance between octave up and standard fuzz sounds. Whatever mystery smds in the tweak fuzz are a lot higher gain than vintage transistors. Any one else still using seymour duncan tweak fuzz the. As the bom and all the documents are available you can get the parts and diy you can also order nos ussr germanium transistors. Despite all this superstition, which normally sends me running, i went for a pair of ac128 germanium transistors from mammoth electronics. Ac128 germanium fuzzface with fuller mods from diy. Either get a rotary switch, or temporarily put a pair of jumper wires in the input caps place.

Voodoo fuzz r24 r18 fuzz d1 r22 r16 pcb guitar mania. Free packages are available maximum ratings rating symbol value unit collector. The cv series of semiconductors diodes transistors and tubes were manufactured and specifically labelled for use by the uk military. Rufus features an easy to tweak control layout which includes. The later fz1a used the same circuit with different transistors. Four tips to make the most of your fuzz face zzounds. How to build a germanium fuzz pdf document, explaining all the details and tricks of this pedal. Sep 15, 2015 cv transistor codes our first 15 broadcast pedals came fitted with an nos mullardmade cv5712 germanium transistor. Out of 20 that i bought, there was not a single one leaky or even close to whats considered a leaky transistor. This analysis covers the first arbitrer fuzz face model equipped with pnp germanium transistors from the first releases. Plugging a 64 rickenbacker 360 into a 70s dallasarbiter fuzz face with bc109c silicon transistors and then into a 64 vox ac30, you realize just how peaky the effects fuzz control can be. Modification order form for sending in your fuzz face pedal.

Replacing the 100k q2eq1b feedback resistor with a much smaller fixed resistor and a much larger pot in series e. Building a germanium fuzz face guitar pedal hackaday. Why are germanium transistors in fuzz pedals so popular. I made a simple one transistor fuzz circuit for a test.

Other than that, bonamassa is pretty much standard fuzz face with russian transistors. Automatic biasing extends the range from very clean tones to killer fuzz using a single fuzz control. Main document by billy, edited by wilkie1, tweaks by brucer and barry. It produces a characteristic high distorted sound called fuzz. Two germanium transistors type ac128 are selected by us for the best fuzz face sound. After 5 years of doing this mod it has evolved and is better than ever with the addition of nos new old stock bc109c transistors as found in some of the best silicon. The circuit is designed around a single opamp gain and hard clipping while using transistors to handle buffering and. Depending on their temperature, the bias can drift and the sound of the pedal can change quite a bit. Dec 27, 2016 different types of transistors and how they sound. The ending of stone free may be, if im hearing things right, the first use of a fuzz face by hendrix on record specifically the unexpected shift to a fuzzy fchord and fade out at about 3. Check the postings on for suggestions on how to tweak the bias.

The fuzz face has asymetrical clipping designed into it. The circuit was soon altered by sola sound or perhaps more accurately one of the consultant boffins sola sound utilised. The dry low will blend in the low part of the drive. Adding resistance to the emitter of the 7 min fuzz transistor will reduce the gain of the circuit. The fuzzatort was an almost identical circuit that was the basis of a kit offered by sentry manufacturing company. A common use is to bias the transistor voltages in fuzz pedals, etc. If you need tougher sound, the germanium fuzz face for you. In the 6 or 7 years since i published that design ive come up with a variation that is closer to the original fuzz but has smooth distortion charactersistics. Well took the plunge with the perfboard and a hand full of parts and built a little 2 transistor fuzz circuit. At the end of the 60s, dallas arbiter began using bc108 transistors instead.

The layout also uses a 10k trimpot on the collector of q2 so that that biasing can be adjusted precisely. For me, the fun of fuzz is how unpredictable they can be, so if the sdtfhaters have any alternate suggestions, please share. The original transistors for this design were bc108, however, we have chosen to use a 2n2222a transistor. This kit features an internal bias control, adjusted values throughout for wider range of useable fuzz tones, and powernoise filtering. The silicon fuzz is a little brighter and more expressive, has a notably higher gain ceiling, and generally behaves a bit more like a distortion or overdrive pedal would many of which likely use silicon transistors. Fuzz faces naturally tend to bias with only about half a volt on the collector of the first transistor, so there is a lot of room upwards. We received a few messages about these cv series transistors so here is some additional information on these transistors. Ff5 project fuzz face tm replicas instructions version 2014november19 copyright 2007 2014 jd sleep permission refused for postingserving this file from any. When i began building effects, i dismissed the fuzz face as a circuit for hendrixworshippers. The phaser is a phaseshifter effect with its big brother the flanger and, more generally, a modulation effect with its cousins tremolo, chorus, and vibrato. The answer is a resounding no unless there is something new to be offered that gives this tired old device some new life one of the problems with the fuzzface circuit is that the best sound comes from germanium transistors, which are difficult to find, often leaky and vary in character with temperature changes. I previously wrote about fixing an old tube amplifier. Congratulations on your purchase of the model of2 sometime in the mid 1970s someone brought a funny looking white octaveupfuzz pedal into the tycobrahe sound company in hermosa beach, ca. Oct 26, 2010 two matched, oldstock 3ax31c germanium transistors in a fuzz face i just put together from scratch.

The shacks in my town, portland, or, recently about tripled the size of the diy sections. They are stocking kits from velleman, copper clad pcb and more differdnt protoboard, and a lot more tools. The phaser is what creates the swirling otherworldly guitars we hear on pscyhedout recordings by pink floyd, the rolling stones, sex pistols, queen, van halen, radiohead, tame impala, and. I hacked and tweaked on it for about an hour or two and it actually works, and sounds pretty good.

Our first 15 broadcast pedals came fitted with an nos mullardmade cv5712 germanium transistor. We can modify any of the round fuzz face pedals, including the red dunlop one, the grey uk arbiter one, and the grey jhf1 jimi reissue. The fuzz face is a distortion guitar pedal designed in london by arbitrer electronics ltd in the autumn of 1966. When its too hot, the pedal loses the crackly artifacts that make it sound unique, but it gets louder and smoother. Just another quick update if anyone cares, ive been playing around with the 2 transistors in the tweak fuzz and ive found a better combination. The fuzz face circuit is so simple that its easy to tweak. Its nice to have a hobby that is material in nature a departure from my usual world of data and software but that also complements my musical interests. Pnp transistors should be of relatively low leakage less than. The circuit found in the fuzz face appeared first in a competitors product, the early version of sola sounds tone bender mkii. This gives a tighter more focussed fuzz without the wooly bottom end when the tweak knob is wound arount to the 2.

Electrosmash you can build the perfect germanium fuzz face. Transistor clustering for diy guitar effects slackpropagation. The original fuzz face used nkt275 transistors made by a british company called new market. Biasing the transistors the key to building a good fuzz face is ensuring that transistors are getting the correct voltage. In this project, we are going to build the perfect fuzz with all the knowledge and experience that we have nowadays while keeping the tweaks. If youre using a germanium transistor fuzz face, its important to understand that the transistors are very unstable. This kit includes hand selected bc style transistors that will labeled for the specific q1 and q2 values, but if you want to go the extra mile you can install sockets and tweak to your hearts content. The 1948 fuzz is a hand matched germanium transistor fuzz. V gs, the gate potential, and v ds, the drain potential. For the best results with this pcb the transistor in q2 needs to have the correct voltage for optimum performance. Probably the most famous fuzz of all time, the dallas fuzz face has been around since the dawn of stompbox effects and has spawned a huge number of clones and variants. The second and third stages are exactly the same as in the fuzz face, and the first stage needs one that measures from 75100. All the other transistors that were used have the more standard cbe pinout, so if you run across a fuzz face with something other than the bc183l, the base and collector leads will be twisted around to work properly. Also i think the tweak fuzz volumemod floating around is not quite smart, because it changes the bias of the two transistors.

Jul 09, 2011 the shacks in my town, portland, or, recently about tripled the size of the diy sections. These all have the basic fuzzface circuit of two transistors and no extra junk. The 1954 is a tuned silicon fuzz that i designed to be very playable and sound like a vintage germanium fuzz. Does anybody know how you would go about changing the silicone transistors in the tweak fuzz for germanium. It wasnt what i thought it would be, a magical new version of a fuzz face that will make you want to set your guitar on fire. The input stage will first hit mushy saturation on one polarity of signal and then if driven hard enough, hit cutoff on the other polarity. Germanium is a chemical element with symbol ge and atomic number 32, thats used as a semiconductor in transistors and diodes, popping up in a few classic effects like the early period arbiter fuzz face, the storied dallas rangemaster and the maestro fuzztone. Field effect transistors 142 fet calculations unlike the two terminal case, where we arbitrarily set e f 0 and shifted the source and drain potentials under bias, the fet convention fixes the source electrode at ground. Most germanium transistor production ceased in the 1970s in favor of silicon which are more stable, consistent, have higher gain, and lower leakage. Basic semiconductor physics, diodes, the nonlinear diode model, load line analysis, large signal diode models, offset diode model, transistors, large signal bjt model, load line analysis, small signal model and transistor amplification. It is simple to build and is very tweakable, which makes it a great diy project. The guitar is modeled as weak voltage source and series resistance.

A sample output signal created using matlab with the manual biasing. Acid fuzz,vintage fuzz,germanium fuzz,tone bender,vox tone bender,vox guitars,sonic boom, fuzz face,zonk machine,vox starstream,vox ultrasonic. While the first version of the tonebender was essentially a slightly tweaked fuzz face, the mark 2 version added a single transistor boost in front of it. The complete bom and the drilled enclosure is included, you only need soldering iron and basic tools. The new fuzz face pcb and layout that i have drawn is based on the axis face circuit board, which is quite possibly the smallest and most compact fuzz face circuit board available. You need to carefully balance the volume with the fuzz to get a warm sound. Maybe thats also why it doesnt sound as oldschool as others ive tried later.

Colorsound tone bender mk ii project documentation deimos fuzz. Most of the time, the farty, flabbiness can be cured by making the input cap in your case, c1 smaller, sometimes much smaller stock value is 2. Decompile, compile, tweak, fuzz if not stripped and human readable strings, its easier to reverse software. Diodes and transistors pdf 28p this note covers the following topics. Sep 04, 2012 despite all this superstition, which normally sends me running, i went for a pair of ac128 germanium transistors from mammoth electronics. I had also seen much written about the complexities of proper biasing and transistor selection, which made the fuzz face a bit more more daunting for me, still a relative novice. This is a wild and flexible fuzz circuit board from. However, in the late 60s, a lot of fuzz pedal makers switched over to silicon transistors which has a more aggressive and biting sound, with more gain on tap. Presented here is the silicon version of the fuzz face, along with a bunch of interesting mods. This broken octavio, as it was named, reportedly had once belonged to one james marshall hendrix. Everything you want to know about big muffs with sound clips. You can build the perfect germanium fuzz face electrosmash.

I measured a bag full of 2n3904 transistors and the minimum hfe was 250. The fuzz atort was an almost identical circuit that was the basis of a kit offered by sentry manufacturing company. Fuzz electric guitar pedals are usually available in one of two variations of transistors silicon transistors and germanium transistors. In love or confusion jimi certainly does use a fuzz box on some of the guitar tracks.