Why can't I find a Bazz Fuss clip that uses a bass?

[mr.adambeck]

Isn't it designed for bass?  Does anyone know of any clips of it, or similarly simply fuzz pedals, using a bass?  My bassist wants me to make a fuzz for her!

[rousejeremy]

Isn't it designed for bass?  Does anyone know of any clips of it, or similarly simply fuzz pedals, using a bass?  My bassist wants me to make a fuzz for her!

Are there any on these sites? http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=56190.0

[Earthscum]

I had the same problem. I ended up just building one on my breadboard and my girlfrienddecided she really liked it, so I boxed it for her, lol. It's really cheap to build, and extremely simple... if you want that nasty overdriven transistor sound, this does it. Definitely over the top, IMHO, but that's the way I like it, I guess. I would say just build it and see what it's like. It's definitly one of those pedals you wouldn't use all the time, but when you need your bass to scream over the guitars, this will do the trick for sure! As a 20-year bassist, I'm considering building a second one for myself just for my solos to add a grinding boost to my DS-1 (slightly modded and now a bonafied AGGRESSIVE Bass Overdrive). For some reason, when we get to my solo, my friggin guitarists get LOUDER. Wish I could mod them... lol.

In a nutshell, and since my gear and recording equip are across town, for the simplicity, you could probably make a decision to build it. I would just make the straight circuit (original bazz fuss) with the one volume knob on the out, or add the pot to the source of the transistor and have a "Dirt" knob (the sound is basically from a smoother distortion to something beastly that may be rabbid and should be approached with caution).

[Ben N]

+1. They are so simple that it will take you longer to decide which version to make than to populate the board and build it.

One more piece of advice: if you (or your bassist) want(s) sustain or do(es)n't want gating, build in a 1-transistor boost, like the first stage of a Muff, an NPN boost or an LPB, in front of the BF with a bypass switch, so that you can choose between the classic gatey BF sound and the more Muff-like sound with the boost. ('Course, at this point you are about half-way to a Whisker Biscuit...). Or you can skip the switch, and just wire a resistor in series with the volume pot on the booster so that it goes to unity gain but no lower, and label that pot "Gate/Sustain" or such like. Just make sure your input, output and coupling caps are bass-friendly values and you are good to go.

[tommy.genes]

Here's one I did about a few years ago now, although it is not entirely a straight-up Bazz Fuss. You can read more in the linked thread.

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=38682.0

I actually just used this pedal on a gig tonight in place of taking my full pedal board. It sounded quite good, I thought. I should take this pedal out more often, maybe even give it a permanent home on the board.

-- T. G. --

[SonicVI]

Here's one:
http://homepage.mac.com/sonicvi/bazzfuzz.mp3

[iaresee]

Here's one I did about a few years ago now, although it is not entirely a straight-up Bazz Fuss. You can read more in the linked thread.

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=38682.0

I actually just used this pedal on a gig tonight in place of taking my full pedal board. It sounded quite good, I thought. I should take this pedal out more often, maybe even give it a permanent home on the board.

-- T. G. --

That clip sounds great. Can I ask: why the transformer on the input? Maybe I should just search for Bazz Fuss...

[Ben N]

What do you play these clips through, anyway? I have yet to hear computer speakers that do any kind of justice to bass, so it will all probably come out sounding like a giant mutant mosquito.

[tommy.genes]

That clip sounds great. Can I ask: why the transformer on the input? Maybe I should just search for Bazz Fuss...

Thanks. The transformer is not part of the original Bazz Fuss (and neither are the modded BMP tone stack and gain makeup stage for that matter). It is a "pickup simulator" per the below AMZ article. I included it so the effect would sound similar both right after my bass and in my buffered pedalboard loop.

http://www.muzique.com/lab/pickups.htm

-- T. G. --

[mr.adambeck]

Okay, so I've decided to give this one a go for her.  However, everything I read has different capacitor values listed.  What's the best/standard cap combo for bass?  Thanks.

[Ripthorn]

Okay, so I've decided to give this one a go for her.  However, everything I read has different capacitor values listed.  What's the best/standard cap combo for bass?  Thanks.

Asking which cap combo is best is like asking which ice cream flavor is best, it is all about taste.  I would socket the caps and try different values to see what you like best.  I think mine are 4.7uF and .22uF or something like that.

[mr.adambeck]

I built this and it sounds GREAT!  Thanks everyone.  I'll post some images as soon as I buy some knobs for it.

[Ben N]

Tell us the circuit details--transistor, diodes, caps, inductor even (if you got all nuts and included one).

[mr.adambeck]

actually -- it was sounding great, but then I noticed a problem.  I'm at work now and will tell you more tomorrow, maybe even include pictures and see if I can debug the thing.

[mr.adambeck]

okay, so here's my page on debugging whatever happened:
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=77196.0

[mr.adambeck]

So I think I figured it out.  Whatever you do don't use the psychedelic stripboard layout from the layouts gallery.  It's wrong.

I came up with this layout instead. 



I built it, it's working good (Although I've only spent about five minutes with it at a low volume since I just finished it and it's almost midnight and my neighbors would be pissed if I really had a go at it!)

[mr.adambeck]

oops, had the layout wrong.  Here's a corrected one:

[mr.adambeck]