Shin-Ei fuzz vs. Shin-Ei fuzz wah

[MikeH]

A friend of mine has a Shin-Ei fuzz Wah, and another friend of mine really likes the fuzz in it and wants me to build him a pedal with just the fuzz- no wah.  Does anyone know if the companion fuzz is the same fuzz that's in the fuzz wah?

[Solidhex]

Yo

  I've never seen a "Companion" fuzz circuit in the same box as a wah. If they like the fuzz from that circuit build them a Univox  Superfuzz. The Companion is a 2 transistor circuit that is fairly nasty but not as complex a tone and with no octave component. The fuzz circuit found in all the various fuzz/wah's is pretty much the Superfuzz circuit.

--Brad

[Sir H C]

And there are two versions of the fuzz-wah, one with 6 transistors, one with 8, so knobs on side, 8 transistor, knobs front, 6 transistor.

[MikeH]

Knobs are on the side... so 8 transistor.  I guess I could crack it open and count them too; I'm just trying to not have to disassemble my friends somewhat rare/valuable vintage pedal to reverse engineer it. 

The companion FY-2 I think is a little different; was it the 'fuzz box' what was in the fuzz-wah?

[Sir H C]

The 8 transistor is a Super fuzz circuit, the 6 transistor is a 4 transistor version of the Super Fuzz circuit.  Both are far different than the 2 transistor FY-2 circuit which has the most splattery and disgusting (in a good way)  sound.

[MikeH]

Thanks!  Is that the same as the Univox Super Fuzz?

Edit:  According to Wikipedia, Shin-Ei licensed the super fuzz to many manufacturers, so the Univox should be the same thing.

[Dan N]

There's some gut shots etc of the 8 transistor (Jax fuzz wah) and 6 transistor versions here:

http://members.fortunecity.com/uzzfay/home.html

The 8 transistor version is a Super-Fuzz with film input/output caps. I bet that is what your friend wants as it is a killer fuzz.

A few years back someone on the HC forum posted a sketch of a pcb plus parts from an old Japanese fuzz wah that had a fuzz section that was very similar to the companion fuzz. I asked him to add the wiring so we could see how they wired a tone switch on that circuit, but he never responded. Must be a rare version.

[rezzonics]

I made a version of a Shin-Ei Fuzz Wah  pedal with several features and improvements:
I used BC847C high gain (hfe = 520typ) SMD SOT-23 NPN transistors.

The improvements on the circuit are the following:
Replacing the two clipping germanium diodes by one dual BAT54S Schottky diode SOT-23 in series with 100 ohms (D1, R22).
Replacing the Wah bulky and expensive inductor by a gyrator circuit based on a transistor (Q9) plus capacitor and biasing resistors.
Doubling the 9V DC power supply, with a charge pump circuit based on Intersil ICL7660SCBA

Rezzonics version of the Shin-Ei Fuzz-Wah (not a clone!) - Schematics, PCB layout, simulations (1/4)
Rezzonics version of the Shin-Ei Fuzz-Wah - debug and verification (2/4)
Rezzonics version of the Shin-Ei Fuzz-Wah - Pedal assembly (3/4)
Rezzonics version of the Shin-Ei Fuzz-Wah - Sound check (4/4)

[kingswayguitar]

rezzonics: love the j&m chain clip at the bottom of your link

[rezzonics]

Thanks!! I am not a good guitar player, but Shin-Ei Fuzz (not only) was quintessential to the Jesus & Mary Chain sound on Psychocandy so I thought a cover of a song was a good homage and best way to test the sound of the pedal. I also used the Vox AC30 tube simulator an a DIY 1x12'' cabinet speaker with a Celestion Vintage 30, construction of the DIY cabinet and tube simulator can also be seen on my blog, I published the info here too. Sound check are available too on Soundcloud:

Rezzonics - Jesus & Mary Chain - Just Like Honey (with Shin-Ei fuzz pedal)

[Electric Warrior]

Mine has a schematic on the bottom plate. 

[kingswayguitar]

Thanks!! I am not a good guitar player, but Shin-Ei Fuzz (not only) was quintessential to the Jesus & Mary Chain sound on Psychocandy so I thought a cover of a song was a good homage and best way to test the sound of the pedal. I also used the Vox AC30 tube simulator an a DIY 1x12'' cabinet speaker with a Celestion Vintage 30, construction of the DIY cabinet and tube simulator can also be seen on my blog, I published the info here too. Sound check are available too on Soundcloud:

Rezzonics - Jesus & Mary Chain - Just Like Honey (with Shin-Ei fuzz pedal)

i could never sort through that fog of distortion to figure out their tone - just put it all on 10 and haze away