Fuzz face build Q2 at -8.7v!?

[carboncomp]

Hello.

Just built a PNP FuzzFace on a clone PCB with stock values and it sounded really gated on the top end. So I check the voltages as the Q2 Collector is -8.7V using a 8K2 resistor, and I have to put it into the 30K+ range to get it sounding more like a FF.

Any thoughts on why my voltage should be so high, the battery is reading just over 9V.

[PRR]

Please post ALL voltages.

They all interact. The ones that don't add-up point to the bad joint or resistor.

[carboncomp]

Please post ALL voltages.

They all interact. The ones that don't add-up point to the bad joint or resistor.

What I get in red.


Q1
C 0.18
B 0.1
E 0

Q2
C 8.49
B 0.17
E 0.125

Hope this helps?

(also tried switching out caps and resistors and gettint the same number give or take tolerance)

[Mr.Kite]

You probably have a high gain (or very leaky) Q1: if it's hot at the moment where you live it can be even worse...

I wouldn't shoot for -4.5V at the collector of Q2, I never liked the sound of a FF biased that way, but something in between that and what you have now, between -5-6V is my favorite range.

I would start by replacing R1 with a 22-27k, since Q1c is a bit low: that should also decrease Q2Vc a bit. I would shoot for ~-0.3\-0.5V at Q1c. Then, since these are Ge trannys, it would be helpful a 10k trimmer, or external pot (wired as a variable resistor), in series with a 2.2k resistor in place of R3, to fine tune the bias of Q2 and compensate for temperature changes during the year.

Hope this can help!

[carboncomp]

You probably have a high gain (or very leaky) Q1: if it's hot at the moment where you live it can be even worse...

I wouldn't shoot for -4.5V at the collector of Q2, I never liked the sound of a FF biased that way, but something in between that and what you have now, between -5-6V is my favorite range.

Hope this can help!

Bang on! Q1 has a leakage of 1.08mA (3 times what it was labeled as) Switched it out for sub 0.3mA and my Q2 C voltage is now 4.9 and sounding so much better, it's gone from a gatting mess that felt like I was strangling a Maestro Fuzz-Tone to a creamy Overdrive Fuzz delight! 

Thanks to both of you for the help!