Seperating fuzz from filter in a Russian BassBalls.... Doable????

[AC30Dirty]

hi guys, I was wondering if it was possible to seperate just the fuzz sound the bassballs has? I would like to use just the fuzz sound by itself. Thanks

[Mark Hammer]

Yes, it is feasible.  Advisable is another matter, though I suppose there is always room for one more distortion tone.  Just keep in mind that the way the distortion sounds with the filters imposed on it may be very different than the way it sounds without them.  Indeed, the only reason why it might sound good to your ears is because of those filters.

The good news is that you can simply move the 10k trimpots to the front panel as 10k pots.  Then you can turn the sensitivity down so it doesn't sweep and adjust the tone of the distorted sound with the filter pots.

Alternatively, there isn't a whole heckuva lot to the "fuzz" sound in that unit.  Might as well just build it separately without the filters and save yourself the trouble of modding the stock one.  Just as importantly, the BB is set up so that the sensitivity control adjust the fuzz amount and output level simultaneously.  It would be useful to have that tone with a volume pot tacked on the end.

[AC30Dirty]

Thanks Mark. I have actually done this mod before and it was on a thread here somewhere that I started sometime back but, I can't seem to find it no matter what I search for. If i remeber correctly you told me to just connect some wires differently on the toggle switch and when the switch was in the down position to distortion it was just fuzz. The filter effect was completely gone. I was wondering if you could tell me how to do it again. thanks

[Mark Hammer]

If you look at this schematic (http://topopiccione.atspace.com/pjimages/EHBassBalls.sch.gif), what you want to do is to connect the + side of C8 with R8/R9.

Break the connection between C8 and R11/R16.  Wire up a SPDT toggle (or stompswitch if that's your pleasure) so that the common/centre lug of the toggle goes to C8.  One outside lug goes to the junction of R8/R9 and the other goes to the junction of R11/R16.  That toggle switch now selects between the unfiltered "fuzz" signal, and the output of the filters, providing both a DC-blocking cap (C8)and terminating resistor in the process.

The catch is that if the fuzz output is being fed to the output AND to the filters simultaneously, the filter will load down the fuzz, or at least still be connected to it.  Consequently, what you probably want is to use a DPDT toggle for the fuzz-only/filter switch.  One set of contacts is for selecting what the output will be, and the other set of contacts is used to break the connection between C6 and the fuzz/normal switch.

So, there will be a wire from the common of the fuzz/normal switch to the board.  Unsolder that wire from the board and run it to the centre lug of the second set of contacts on your added toggle.  Now run a wire from the outside lug on the same end as the one connecting to R11/R16 (but on the second set of contacts) back to the spot on the board where your stock fuzz/normal switch previously connected to.

What you have now is a switching arrangement that permits you to filter either the straight OR fuzzed signal, as per usual, but when you have the fuzz/normal switch set to fuzz, and you decide you just want the unfiltered fuzz, it will disable the connection to the filters.  Note that C6 will pop, but the assumption is that you wouldn't be doing such changes mid-song.

[AC30Dirty]

Thanks Mark. AWSOME!!!!!!

[AC30Dirty]

Hey Mark, quick question. Is their a way to get more fuzz out of pedal?

[Mark Hammer]

Yes.  The R8/R9 pair simply takes the output of the op-amp used to boost the input for envelope-following purposes, and pads it down a bit so the level is not completely out of line with the straight input signal.  It just happens by chance that the 1458 is such a bad op-amp that the amount of boost in that gain stage produces some clipping.  If you stick some diodes in place of the 100k/47k divider, you add diode clipping on top of whatever the boost in the op-amp does.  Think of it like a Distortion+ inserted between the input and filters.  I did it on mine and it sounds great. 

The trick is to select diodes whose voltage drop and resulting output level is close to the unboosted input signal.  You can consider starting by replacing R8 with a 10k resistor, and R9 with a back-to-back pair of GE diodes like 1N34, selected for forward voltage.  So if a pair with a 230mv forward voltage are still too loud, consider sifting through your parts for one or both with a slightly lower forward voltage.

If you don't have GE diodes, you can always use 1N914/1N4148, and stick a 100k trimpot between the diode/R8 junction and the place where it is supposed to contact the switch.  You won't lose any of the clipping that comes from the op-amp, will still add some clipping from the diodes, and will be able to bring the level into rough balance with the non-fuzz signal using the trimpot.

I did this on both of mine and I like it a lot.  True, you don't get the "personality" of the native Bass Balls clipping, but in many instances you'd want to stick a "real" distortion in front of, or after, a Bass Balls, and this will accomplish that task.  Bass players, on the other hand, may well prefer the native clipping more than the more exaggerated clipping of this suggested mod. I suppose if you wanted to get really nutzoid about it, you'd install yet another DPDT toggle to select between the 10k/diodes/trimpot and the stock R8/R9.

Finally, I can't emphasize enough how much more I enjoy this pedal when I can shorten the decay.  Sounds much more synth-like, though not always what you want for rhythm playing, where a slower settling time seems more appropriate.  That change involves changing the value of the 330k resistor to ground.  I recommend replacing it with a 33k-47k fixed resistor and a 500k-1M variable resistor.  Lower resistance values = faster decay.  Try it, you'll like it.

[AC30Dirty]

Can all this still be dane with just the fuzz alone? With  out the filters?

[Mark Hammer]

Yep.

[AC30Dirty]

hey mark, i was wondering which resistors are the ones i have to change. I gave a reissue EHX Russian Bass Balls and nothing is labeled on the pcb. A;; the schematics i've found are not for the particular pedal so cant really understand whats going on since i"m not to good at readinf schems. Thanks alot for everything on this issue so far.