First bass effect: bazz fuss; pics and sound clip

[syzygy]

This is version one of bazz fuss I did on perf from home-wrecker.com. Here is a sound clip.

I recorded with an active bass through an ampeg combo amp into a cheap Roland mic at 2 feet.  First part of clip is with the effect off, second part is with effect on, and the sound change at the third part is when I cranked up my bass tone control on the instrument.  It didn't get bassier, it got fuzzier.

I'm not even using a volume control yet, so the green cap in the pics is not even used (it's not connected to ground).  And I used alligator clips to connect all the wires to the board in my haste to try this thing out, heheh.  This was a simple and great effect to try for getting your feet wet, thanks everyone for the help!

[80k]

i really the soundclip.  If i have some time, i might build one for a bassist.  Excellent job, and congrats on your first pedal.  Now box it up and paint it rad!

[jmusser]

That's "Bazz to the bone!" Being that it's basically a single note type of effect, it REALLY stands out on bass. I've built it's ugly brother Buzz Box which sounds good with guitar, but it's looking like, this makes for a better effect as a bass fuzz. Really nice. Congrats.

[syzygy]

Thanks guys!  Me a happy camper.  

[syzygy]

I've built it's ugly brother Buzz Box which sounds good with guitar

By any chance have you heard how this sounds on a bass?

[jmusser]

No, but they sound somewhat similar. I believe the Buzz Box is two Bazz Fuzzes put together, but I'd have to look at the circuit again to be sure. I believe that this circuit is an up octave, even though it doesn't have that scream to it. I believe that's why it goes ballistic with anything like a chord, and is only good for single notes. I would have to believe that the Buzz Box would do well with bass too, but you'd have to throw that question out to a bass player!

[nelson]

I stuck a linear 100k pot on for volume on the bazz fuzz, it was below unity when the pot was maxed. I socketed everything so I am going to experiment, I didnt get the results you are getting at all, its sort of sounds like a punchy 8X10 sound. I currently have it at V1 specs, I am going to change the resistor and output cap.

[petemoore]

Sounds MONGO !!!
 Since you've put pics up I'll point out and ask...
 If you look at row 5, theres a lead going through a copper hole, that is not soldered...I used to leave those like that, nowadays, any lead that's touching copper or close to it, I solder down to the copper...I don't know if this matters, but I'd think with some vibration there could be a little bit of twitch that might get in the SP...

[onboard]

Nice job syzygy! Hey, you mentioned you played an active bass into it - do you have a passive bass to try?

There's a mod on Tim Escobedo's Bazz Fuss page for adding a transformer at the front of the circuit if it's going to be fed by a buffered signal, like the lowZ out of a preceding effect or active pups.

Not sure what difference it makes - I only dinked around with it playing a passive P-bass...I do know that fuzz circuits like to see a higher impedance signal in order to shine. A quick and easy mod would be adding a 50k pot, wired as a variable resistor, to the input.

A cap to ground at the output works well to smooth the edges. Start with .0047uf and go up.  

Dig it.