Fuzz Factory input stage

[fuzzmonger]

So I'm looking for a little more gusto from a fuzz face -type circuit and I'm thinking of tacking that input stage from the Z Vex Fuzz Factory onto the front of it. If you're unfamiliar with the schematic, follow the link.
http://solgrind.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/zvex-fuzzfactory-rev1-1.gif

This isn't a 'OMG! Will it work?! I need someone to verify it before I carelessly use 50p worth of components!' post, I just wanted to know - what is that stage? I still can't, for the life of me, spot the difference between a buffer and a preamp (although I'm guessing it's not a buffer, based on the commonly-held 'buffer before fuzz face equals ballache' belief) and if it is a preamp, what manner of preamp is constructed like that?!

Cheers for letting me pick your brains.
-Fuzzmonger

[carboncomp]

Its just a extra gain stage stuck on a fuzz face variant and loads of controls

You should check out the The ZVex Fuzz Factory Analysis and Schematics
http://www.beavisaudio.com/Projects/fuzzfactory.htm

[Pyr0]

 

[Jmkrull]

or

http://www.sabrotone.com/?p=2235

[fuzzmonger]

I remember coming across that Beavis article a few years ago when I was a right n00blet and it taking an unhealthy amount of time for the penny to drop, in spite of all the mention of 'Flux Capacitors' and 'Geranium transistors' - All I saw was more electronic jargon I didn't care to understand and was all set to ignore it and grab my trusty perfboard and soldering iron 

Dano's an absolute legend though  Well, hey ho, I'm gonna tack that gain stage from an ACTUAL Fuzz Factory onto the front end of my Mosfet FF (can never have too much gain on tap, after all) and see what happens. I'm always looking for new minimal-parts gain stages to add to my arsenal. Always handy for post-EQ gain recovery, pre-fuzz boosting, cascading for overdrives or even making into a standalone NOS BOUTIQUE CLEAN BOOSTER WITH SUPER-MOJOMG that seem to get all the cork-sniffers so riled up and waving their cash about (because I have no problem whatsoever giving those twunts a box with 5 components in and charging them a small fortune)

-Fuzzmonger