Fuzz Face from breadboard to pedal.... : (

Started by Focalized, May 18, 2008, 10:00:09 PM

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Focalized

So I put a SI Fuzz Face on my new breadboard. I ended up with a really great sounding high gain fuzz. Tested it with my amp. So i build it. Now I have a nice low gain fuzz. I double checked everything and all the values I used on the board are on the pedal. I don't get this. Only difference is, on the breadboard I used cheaper large caps to test. On the build I used the tiny Panasonic ones. And a low profile electrolytic.

So here's what I used. I hope to get that sound again built. It was high gain and not muddy. Had great bite. Cleaned up to light overdrive.
The voltages to the transistors seem perfect on the breadboard and the build. Just less gain. Like the fuzz pot is turned down 25%.

Maybe I could change the fuzz pot to 2k?
I removed the 470pf to see if I'd get the original squeal I got. I didn't.

R1 - 1k                           C1 - .022
R2 - 33k                         C2 - .047
R3 - 1M (didn't use)        C3 - 22uf
R4 - 5.6k                        C4 - 470pf (used to get rid of squeal)
R5 - 100k

Q1 - 2N2222                   500kA Volume
Q2 - 2N5089                   1kB Fuzz

Focalized

One thing. I'm now not 100% sure now the 1K was used at the power section when I tested it. Would that 1k be too high?

earthtonesaudio

First, read the "what to do when it doesn't work" sticky thread.

If that doesn't help, show us what schematic you're using.

Check your wiring/soldering 1000 times.

Off the top of my head thoughts:

...Are the caps you used rated to take the voltage of your supply? 
...Are your transistors installed the correct way 'round?
...Changing to a 2k fuzz pot will not make it higher gain.
...Can you provide a schematic of the circuit you're talking about?  That would help us help you a LOT.

Focalized

It's this one below. I've built three others that were basically stock medium gain fuzzes. This one just lost something once on the perfboard. Everything seems fine on the board. It just doesn't sound like it did on the breadboard. It actually sounds like a nice warm Germanium fuzz right now. Not the high gain I tested.


Focalized

I changed out the 2N5089 for a MPSA13 and that brought the gain up to what I wanted. Still not the same as the breadboard version. I'll have to have a go at that again.

AceLuby

Things that help me in breadboarding is breadboarding the 'actual' components I'm going to use in my final build.  That way the only variable you have when boxing it up is less noise.

Another thing that helps is to record the breadboarded sound so that when you build it you have a reference point to the sound that you liked.  These are two things that I've picked up while breadboarding almost any schem I can get my hands on.