Garage Fuzz, first stompbox, help needed

[mano]

I'm new to this forum, so big hello to everyone

I've built my first sompbox. It's working, BUT

1) volume pot doesen't work properly. Volume is the same over whole pot range, except at the end when it starts to make strange sounds while keeping volume at the same level. Just to anotate that I made mistake and bought lin 1MEG pot instead of log.
2) noise gate is pretty nasty, listen to the clip. I don't know is it normal for this schematic [dragonfly's], or it's because of my mistake, but I know that I don't like it at all when you're stop playing really hard it cut's the signal
Garage Fuzz Clip

3) Why do I have those clicks when I'm not playing? Bad capacitor or wrong positioned transistor, etc.? [listen to the clip]

Thanks for your help!
P.S. This is my first stomp box, and I must praise myself with few pictures









Cheers,
Mano

[Joe Viau]

Congratulations!

Do you have a DMM (Digital Multi-Meter)? Follow the section at the top of the forum labeled "What to do when it doesn't work" and try to post any voltages at each of the transistor's leads.  As a beginner, this is a great exercise and one that you will undoubtedly do over and over again!

"You've taken your first step into a larger world." - Obi-Wan Kenobi

[petemoore]

  Sounds like a misbiased transistor.
  "what to do when it doesn't work' thread is required reading I guess at this point...and will be the quickest way to achieve bias...read...respond with the 'necessaries' for debugging...if you don't figure it out after reading/applying.

[MartyMart]

Welcome
Garage fuzz is a tough one to get right and you NEED 2N2222 trannies NOT 2N2222a ... they just wont
sound right, or almost not work at all !!

post all readings if poss and do check that your "ground" connections are good.
Also , on stripboard any "tiny little" hair of copper left on any "cuts" in the traces, can
cause the circuit to not work .... check with good light and a magnifying glass

MM.

[Hiwatt25]

Okay, I'm still too new myself to offer any advice but I did listen to the clip and if you leave visualizations on in Windows media player, it's looks cool ever time the pedal farts out.  Just my 2 cents.

[mano]

Garage fuzz is a tough one to get right and you NEED 2N2222 trannies NOT 2N2222a ... they just wont
sound right, or almost not work at all !!

dough! I used 2N2222a
I can't find 2N2222 here, so what's your advice? to test several 2N2222s or to look for a substitute, maybe 2n3904? [don't look at me like that! ]

post all readings if poss and do check that your "ground" connections are good.
Also , on stripboard any "tiny little" hair of copper left on any "cuts" in the traces, can
cause the circuit to not work .... check with good light and a magnifying glass

i did it allready..



little advice for those who don't have good magnifying glass. You can use old, simple 50mm lens, set aperture to widest [smallest F number] and look reverse through it. (oposite side of side where lens joins the body) and you'll got similar results as on picture above.

ok.. i think i did measurement right.. black on the ground, red on the pins.

1.What does it do, not do, and sound like?
i've described in first post.

2.Name of the circuit
GARAGE FUZZ

3.Source of the circuit (URL of schematic or project)
http://aronnelson.com/gallery/albums/album17/Garage_Fuzz.jpg

4.Any modifications to the circuit?
Y, used mono input jack and solidered minus from battery and other grounds together (i don't know why do you need stereo jack?)

5.Any parts substitutions?
2N2222a instead of 2N2222

6.Positive ground to negative ground conversion?
No.

7. First I've measured battery voltage, it was above 8.
voltages i got from my ANALOG multi meter were:

Q1
C = 5.2 V
B = 0.45 V
E = 0 V

Q2
C= 0 V
B= 0.45 V
E= 5.2 V

Cheers,
Mano

[petemoore]

  A couple notes...Q2 is inverted, the emitter going toward the top.
  If it's upside down that might be the reason Q2's collector [output in this case] is reading 0v.

[MartyMart]

I think it's all down to the transistors here mano, they really HAVE to be straight 2N2222's !
Sorry, it's a fairly "crap" fuzz ... even with the right ones !
( mine lives in a box .. without any jack sockets on it   )
I'd go for a Bazz Fuzz for a first "easy" and wicked sounding little circuit.
( that was my second, after a Tube reamer )

Stereo jack is needed, otherwise you have to "open your effect" and disconnect the battery all the time !
..... unless you like flat batteries every day !
MM.

[Doug_H]

The garage fuzz is supposed to sound pretty sputtery and trashy by default. The sound clip you posted is not far off, except for it cutting off completely and clicking. It is based on the negistor circuit which can be tricky and is very device-dependent. Like Marty mentioned, I would suggest trying another simple fuzz that does not depend so much on the device type for it to work. If you are into 60's buzzy sounds, look up the shin-ei companion. (It's around here somewhere.) IIRC it's pretty simple too.

Doug