Fizzing fuzz in a Jordan Bosstone

Started by paulrm, November 26, 2015, 10:19:59 AM

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paulrm

I've just finished building a jordan bosstone, I think it's a great pedal although I changed the input cap from 22n down to 4.7n. I was trying to get it to sound like the EHX satisfaction fuzz, the satisfaction doesn't have the clipping diodes installed. On my bosstone, it sounds similar but when the volume pot is turned up on my strat, at almost full volume the sound changes vastly and the pedals starts to sound fizzy, is the fizziness the effect of the diodes clipping at a higher input level from the guitar or something else? Thanks.

antonis

Quote from: paulrm on November 26, 2015, 10:19:59 AM
the effect of the diodes clipping at a higher input level from the guitar
I'm not sure what you mean...  :icon_question:
"I'm getting older while being taught all the time" Solon the Athenian..
"I don't mind  being taught all the time but I do mind a lot getting old" Antonis the Thessalonian..

paulrm

Sorry what I mean is, it sounds like a normal overdrive crunch, but when the volume is turned right up on the guitar the sound changes to a kind of fizzy slightly more muffled sound like a different pedal. It's not like a normal overdrive where the distortion gradually increases, there is a distinct point where the sound changes considerably in maybe the last 10% of the volume pot sweep.

Quackzed

QuoteSorry what I mean is, it sounds like a normal overdrive crunch, but when the volume is turned right up on the guitar the sound changes to a kind of fizzy slightly more muffled sound like a different pedal. It's not like a normal overdrive where the distortion gradually increases, there is a distinct point where the sound changes considerably in maybe the last 10% of the volume pot sweep.
a guitar volume pot will usually roll off alot of high end when turned down just a little from full unless you have some sort of treble bleed cap on your guitar volume pot... so i bet it's the reduced treble when the guitar is turned down a bit that sounds good, then when you turn it up to 10 all those higher frequencys are there and its fizzing up the fuzz with high frequencies... could try either a voltage divider at the input to simulate a slightly rolled off guit volume pot, or a smallish resistor/cap to ground at the input ... (this might be better as it'll behave more predictably when driven by other pedals). either is easy enough to tack on at the input and test... be sure to also test it with a buffered pedal driving it too, if youll ever use it somewhere other than first pedal in chain...
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GibsonGM

If you changed the input cap from 22n down to 4.7n, you might have less fizz at full volume if you change it back.  Same principle Quackzed is talking about...you form a filter at the device input, and your output impedance is part of it.  So is the device (transistor...) input impedance.   Turning down the vol. pot rolls off some highs....putting the 22n back will allow more bass to pass to the fuzz (not cutting highs, but maybe making the APPARENT level of bass higher, making it sound better).  The smaller input cap cut the bass, and may be making the high freq. content of the input overbearing, for lack of a better term! 
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CodeMonk

#5
Quote from: paulrm on November 26, 2015, 10:19:59 AM
I've just finished building a jordan bosstone, I think it's a great pedal although I changed the input cap from 22n down to 4.7n. I was trying to get it to sound like the EHX satisfaction fuzz, the satisfaction doesn't have the clipping diodes installed. On my bosstone, it sounds similar but when the volume pot is turned up on my strat, at almost full volume the sound changes vastly and the pedals starts to sound fizzy, is the fizziness the effect of the diodes clipping at a higher input level from the guitar or something else? Thanks.
Leave the input cap alone.
Change the output cap instead.
IIRC, EHX uses 2 - 4.7n caps in parallel on the output.
And try leaving the diodes in.
In stock form, taking the diodes out puts the Bosstone more into overdrive/dirty boost type territory, IMO.