Thinking about making a fuzz face and a blue box

[deadspeaker]

Hi. Let me start off by saying I completely screwed up my first project. I tried to make a fuzz face and spent a week debugging it before I figured out that instead of a 470 ohm resistor, I used a 470k ohm one. 

I need to order more parts from mouser because I forgot some when I ordered my blue box and fuzz face parts so I'm just going to redo the board on the fuzz face. Now I don't think I used the correct type of pots either:
I'm not sure about the lugs on the pots. I used the following pots:

PT15NH06-102A2020

PT15NV18-504A2020

http://www.piher-nacesa.com/pdf/14-PT15v03.pdf

So I think that I'll be able to do the fuzz face if I don't make those two misstakes

Now the blue box:
Should I do it? Have you guys ever made one? I have most of the parts needed and I'll be ordering the other ones shortly(I'll triple check my values first this time!) Here is where I found the schematic:
http://www.tonepad.com/project.asp?id=33

I really like the sound of the one they have on musician's friend and hope that this is close to it. I want to know if you guys have tried this and know that it works before I put all my time into building it. Thanks 

[SonicVI]

Now the blue box:
Should I do it? Have you guys ever made one? I have most of the parts needed and I'll be ordering the other ones shortly(I'll triple check my values first this time!) Here is where I found the schematic:
http://www.tonepad.com/project.asp?id=33

I really like the sound of the one they have on musician's friend and hope that this is close to it. I want to know if you guys have tried this and know that it works before I put all my time into building it. Thanks 

I've built the Tonepad Blue Box and it works and sounds great. You'll find a lot of discussion about the Blue Box and mods if you do a search.

[deadspeaker]

Great thanks. That picture is great too. Yeah I like the idea of using sockets. I'm gonna get a few and some extras so I can made transistor sockets as well. Right now I have 2N3904's for the blue box and a bunch of random(but matching) transistors for the fuzz face. I guess I'll experiment. Now what do you guys think about those pots I listed? Are they no good? Oh and anybody need them or the 2 soic type ic's for the blue box?

[SonicVI]

Most people like the 16mm or 24 mm pots made by Alpha. Mouser sells them as well.   As for the IC's any 4013 and any standard dual op amp such as a 4558 or TL072 will work.  I used a MC14013BCP and CA1458E and MPSA13's for the transistors. I tried a few different opamps and couldn't really tell any difference. I also added switch to select between 1 or 2 octaves down.
Here's an mp3 of mine. This is a Telecaster with a Gibson mini-humbucker neck pickup into the computer with clean amp simulation. I start off with no octave then blend in one octave down then switch to two octaves down and blend it back out.
http://homepage.mac.com/sonicvi/bluebox.mp3

[deadspeaker]

Thank you. Very useful info. Right now I have 12mm pots in my basket. I was looking for 24 and 16 ones in the catalog and they might cost less for some reason. Is 16mm the shaft diameter of the shaft length? I'm trying to keep this order at 20 bucks or less and much as I can.

[deadspeaker]

Sorry about bumping this, but is 16mm the shaft diameter or length? I'm confused

[Mark Hammer]

16mm is the diameter of the case around the pot.  It's the size you'll see in most of the projects found in the "pictures" thread.  24mm is the size you'll find in Radi Shack.  12mm is the size you'll find in many commercial pedals, like Boss.

Just note that while the sound samples of the Blue Box can sound terrific, this is a VERY finicky pedal, and will require you to play a certain way in order to get sounds that nice.  I mention this just so you know that at least some of the wackiness is a function of the design, not your build.

[deadspeaker]

Oh thanks for clearing that up. 16mm it is. Yes I've heard that it is good for lead and that it just can't handle more than a couple of strings at once.

[SonicVI]

It can't handle more than one string at a time. That is to say the octave can't handle it. The fuzz can.

[deadspeaker]

did you use a PCB? I'm planing on using perfboard     I'll probably order that parts tonight.

[Mark Hammer]

It can't handle more than one string at a time. That is to say the octave can't handle it. The fuzz can.

Keerect.  Just to extend that, the octave part has to "know" what note you are playing so it can generate the sub-octave (2 octaves down).  It can only "know" one note at a time or else it gets confused.  It is sometimes also easily confused by single notes too if they are the wrong notes; or picked in a fashion where it can't tell if the original is THIS octave or THAT octave.  Sometimes it will flip back and forth in an undecisive way.  This is what people mean when they talk about "poor tracking". 

Most analog octave-dividers have a zone or region of notes where they track better.  They REALLY like stiff strings with few harmonics, so your best-case scenario is using dead flatwounds.  Barring that, they prefer that you not go much below the 5th fret and that you not go outside the range of strings between .013 and .036 (so A thru B on a 10-46 set).  I don't use them, but I imagine that use of a .009 and .011, or .008 and .010  as E and B will be asking for misbehaviour from the unit.  I'm not saying it won't track outside the paremters provided, just that you'll have to think a little more about your playing to get it to behave.

[SonicVI]

did you use a PCB? I'm planing on using perfboard     I'll probably order that parts tonight.

Yes,  I made my own pcb:


And here's my box, before I put the octave select toggle where the LED is and used a 3mm LED on the other side of the knobs. I have MXRish knobs coming from Small Bear.


I find the Blue Box to track best using the neck pickup with the tone control rolled down, playing not very heavily with a pick (no fingers) above the 9th fret or so.

[deadspeaker]

Well my parts came today! I'll be building the fuzz face tomorrow night. The only problem is that I accidentally got stereo jacks of a small size instead of 1/4"  I can't believe I did that but ok well. I do have some mono jacks though. Is the whole ring situation necissary to disconnect the battery from the stop box when unplugged? I'm not going to buy another shipment from mouser and I don't want to go to radioshack and pay The Man.
I think I could solder a bent paper clip to a mono jack and use it as the ring. What do you guys think?

[beens]

Am I alone thinking that part of the blue box charm is actually not knowing what it will be doing next?

[beens]

I think I could solder a bent paper clip to a mono jack and use it as the ring. What do you guys think?

I'm not 100% sure about what you mean here, but if this makes your ground connected only when you plug in to the box then I guess it would work.

[deadspeaker]

Yes I basically will be making a fake ring contact with a paper clip. I won't be doing the blue box for quite some time. I have to do the fuzz face first!