Hofner Buzz Tone revisited

[drewl]

hey I just got one of these in need of repair.
Dead mint condition and it sounds fantastic!
I found a thread from last year which had schems and pix, didn't know whether to reply to that or start a new thread, but anyway......
even with those huge 50uf input and output caps it's not as bassy as you'd think.
very smooth complex character, I'm really liking it!
I'm gonna have to build my own.

[bluesdevil]

I'm interested throwing this on the ol' breadboard. Here's the link to the schem and layout:
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=63332.0
If your original pedal sounds great and folk's builds are not exactly impressive, it makes wonder if the posted schem is correct, though.

[drewl]

Good point.
I really should take it apart and verify the schematic if I have time.
It's loud! and so far sounds better than most silicon fuzzes I've heard.
There's a nice smooth range of the distortion or "depth" pot and it's very smooth with no harshness to it at all.
So far I've run it into an orange OR120 and a marshall 2203.
I'll have to try it into a clean amp.

[foxfire]

well i should think running most anything in to those amps should sound good! too bad you can't pull the trannys and test them...

[bluesdevil]

That would be cool if you could see if the posted schematic matches! Also nice amps you got.

[drewl]

So, I took the pedal apart and it does match the schematic posted except:

The transistors are BC172B
The input AND output caps are 22uf....not 50.

Also nice amps you got.

.....I have more amps than FX pedals

[bluesdevil]

Thanks a lot Drewl, I'll have to search for some of the BC172B trannies and try the 22uf I/O caps when I board it up.

[drewl]

Well I put one together at work, and it "looks" good.
Believe it or not, I've gotten pretty good at knowing if a pedal will sound good by the waveform on a scope.
I can't really tell the frequency response until I hear it, but I should have it boxed up tomorrow.

[gigimarga]

Hello,

Can you post a soundclip?

Thx!

[drewl]

Hello,

Can you post a soundclip?

Thx!

Nah, I really should get with it and set up my computer for that....but I'm lazy.
Anyway, I put it all together swapping the board into another fuzz I didn't care for and even with an odd mix of generic transistors it sounds good, very close to the original, a little bassier.
With my single coil strat it's not as bassy, it cleans up nice when you roll the guitar volume down.
Not overwhlemed by it, but not underwhelmed either. It's a good loud distortion, not as fuzzy as any of the Ge similiar pedals.
next I'll fine tune it by swapping in some different transistors and maybe lower the input cap to brighten it up a bit.

[Dirtydenny]

My Dad was stationed at Torrejon AFB in Madrid Spain 1966-67. I actually bought one of these fuzz boxes from a music store in downtown Madrid. I wish I still had it I tried taking the guts out of it and installing it in a wah wah pedal back in 1970 and ruined it like an Idiot. I remember it as being more of a boost than a fuzz box it was kind of like a overdrive pedal which was unusual for back then in 1966.