AFRO FUZZ SCHEMATIC ??

[brian wenz]

Hello Hello--
Anybody seen a schematic for the Afro Fuzz??
Brian.

[BD13UK]

Isn't the new Seymour Duncan Tweak Fuzz based on a version of the Afro ? mind you if it's anything like the Duncan Booster pedal it's full of mini resisters that you can hardly see so it might prove difficult to ascertain what the values are etc.

[spudulike]

http://www.bluessaraceno.com/germanium.html

No schematics but more info ...

[audioguy]

I'm a huge Saraceno fan! I would love to build this box.

Yes the new Seymour Duncan Tweak Fuzz is the Afro Fuzz- just not built by Blues' dad.

Audioguy

[spudulike]

I'm a huge Saraceno fan! I would love to build this box.

Yes the new Seymour Duncan Tweak Fuzz is the Afro Fuzz- just not built by Blues' dad.

Audioguy

From the guy's own website ...

The "Afro Fuzz" and the "Tweak Fuzz" are of the same design. The "Afro Fuzz" is hand wired and uses both a Silicon transistor and a Germanium transistor and are costly. The "Tweak Fuzz" uses 2 Silicon transistors and is only a fraction of the cost. The pedals were identically tuned and the "Tweak Fuzz" was created for a more cost conscious player thanx to the magic of mass production. Go to the Seymour Duncan Website for more info and a videos of Blues talking about and demonstrating the "Tweak Fuzz".

So how can they be the same design ? Or is this more "marketing-mojo-speak" ?

[cd]

So how can they be the same design ? Or is this more "marketing-mojo-speak" ?

Take the same circuit.  One gets made individually by hand, with a rare part and possibly other more expensive parts.  The other gets a computer designed PCB with all surface mount parts (read: cheap) so it can be made by machine in a factory somewhere (or by hand in a place with cheap labor).  That accounts for the price difference.

[brian wenz]

Hello Hello--
      The difference seems to be that the Afro has a germanium tranny in Q1 and the Tweak has silicon in both positions.   It seems that the Afro is pretty close to Aron's  "Hornet".  Basically the Tweak must be another modded Fuzz Face clone  [silicon].
Brian.

[Doug_H]

Sounds like a twist on the Joe Gagan NVN Easy Face hybrid theme.

Doug

[cd]

Sounds like a twist on the Joe Gagan NVN Easy Face hybrid theme.

Doug

Could be either or, huh?  Hornet is Ge>Si, Easy Face is Si>Ge.  If the ad copy is any indication, the Afro is Ge>Si, which all paranoia aside doesn't make it a Hornet clone... but then again I forget which transistor in a FF is responsible for all the clipping - first one, right?

later edit: confirmed that Afro is Ge>Si (Si is output transistor)

[brian wenz]

Hello Hello--
      Yeah,  germ Q1 into silicon Q2 does make it the same as a Hornet, plus, it sounds like he put a variable  "tone" control  [ala Gagan and Oskar...]  at the front of the circuit.
Brian.

[Doug_H]

Yeah, I'm not saying it's a clone or ripoff or anything... Just saying that I think we've covered some of this ground before in some of the diy projects.  (I have no interest in stoking paranoia. There are so many ff variations, they are all validly unique AFAIC, if that makes sense.) My easyface doesn't get as "wheezy" sounding when the tone is dialed up fat. But then again the brontoboost does, and it has a similar "pre-tone" arrangement as the easyface.

Doug

[BD13UK]

My major concern about the Duncan Tweak Fuzz is, will the ones available in the shops have the same sound as the one on the video clip, if so thats great, maybe I'm just being cynical. I thought the Tweak Fuzz had a better overall sound than the Afro which I found a shade woolly then again it's that old word subjective.

[cd]

My major concern about the Duncan Tweak Fuzz is, will the ones available in the shops have the same sound as the one on the video clip, if so thats great, maybe I'm just being cynical. I thought the Tweak Fuzz had a better overall sound than the Afro which I found a shade woolly then again it's that old word subjective.

You know, I NEVER assume a clip will sound the same as the real thing.  Maybe just barely remotely similar, but with all the variables of playing style, guitar, amp, micing method, recording method, mastering, blah blah blah I don't put much stock into them.

Though I agree, there was that one Afro Fuzz clip which was totally wooly and woofy sounding... I liked that one

[BD13UK]

I dont put a lot of stock in sound samples either but I thought the Tweak Fuzz sounded better than a lot of the boutique pedals at 3 times the price