FY-2 Germanium / Fuzz Face Germanium Mod

[LucifersTrip]

Following up on the FY-2 germanium build...which is loud, brutal & nasty...

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=92533.0





Since it's basically a Fuzz Face variant (that sounds nothing like a Fuzz Face), I could'nt resist hearing what would happen to a Fuzz Face.

...and lo and behold, it's loud & brutal as expected.

Basic Fuzz Face (thanx R.G.):


with FY-2 mod:


Using  germanium Q1, Q2 hfe ~ 70 with low leakage, I got optimum fuzz at:

Q1 ebc = 0, -.20, -1.24
Q2 ebc = -1.01, -1.24, -4.05
==============

...and with further experimenting, my boxed version will most likely be:


So, once again, a loud as hell fuzz with low hfe transistors
(9K vol = 10K with 100K on outer lugs)

Btw, if you use too high hfe transistors, you'll wind up with wild oscillation/noise and a more clangey metallic sound with too harsh trebles.

[glops]

Finishing up a build for a friend and then will hopefully get back to this one...  Thanks for sharing

[LucifersTrip]

a couple more quick notes...


For me, the vol pot sounds good between 5K and 9K....haven't decided on final version.

I chose different transistors each with slightly higher gain for Q2 starting with hfe 50. When I hit an hfe in the mid 60's, it started to oscillate at full volume

[Joe Hart]

Very interesting. Has anyone done anything like this before? Is this a couple of mods that turn out to be something already? And I don't mean to diminish your work at all, LucifersTrip! :-) I'm just curious. I mean, if you change the clipping diodes in a DOD250 to Ge, you get a Distortion+. An extremely simple change, but a whole different pedal -- and both classics. Just wondering. But very interesting anyway. Thanks!!
-Joe Hart

[LucifersTrip]

Very interesting. Has anyone done anything like this before? Is this a couple of mods that turn out to be something already? And I don't mean to diminish your work at all, LucifersTrip! :-) I'm just curious. I mean, if you change the clipping diodes in a DOD250 to Ge, you get a Distortion+. An extremely simple change, but a whole different pedal -- and both classics. Just wondering. But very interesting anyway. Thanks!!
-Joe Hart

Hey Joe,

If you read above you will see that I modded the Fuzz Face to the same configuration as the  FY-2 germanium.

Of course, the FY-2 germanium was probably copied from the Fuzz Face.

If you're not familiar, the FY-2 Shin-Ei silicon is a Fuzz Rite variant, but with a mid scoop added.
http://fuzzcentral.ssguitar.com/schematics/shineify2schematic.gif

It is a very well known, killer fuzz.

There was no mention of any germanium version anywhere here until tubelectron posted an old schematic
http://img4.hostingpics.net/pics/488417FY2shineifuzzoriginalschem.jpg

Everyone noticed that it was simply a Fuzz Face variant...though, it sounded nothing like a FF...much louder and more brutal, closer to a Fuzz Rite.

I simply started with a Fuzz Face and made the changes to it to emulate the FY-2 germanium