Schematic Frantone Lo-tone?

[Bernardduur]

Does anyone knows how the Frantone Lo-Tone Classic Fuzz achieves it low down fuzz effect. Check here:http://www.frantone.com/classic.html

[Mark Hammer]

Funny.  We've had requests over the years for schems or tone secrets of just about every manufacturer known.  I think this is the first time I've ever seen any request for a Fran-Tone product.  I wonder if it's a result of the very low key manner in which Fran markets the pedals, and the very understated packaging?

[gez]

Just buy one and support your local tone guru!  

[Bernardduur]

No..... it is the way that I am very picky with my sound, have no money at all (student) and that most shops around here don't stock other units than Boss, EHX and Line 6  :cry: Holland does not have the "new" pedals to try and like.

For some "new" tones I need to rely on homebuild, imitating and luck. And I liked the soundsamples on the site.

[bass_econo]

Seriously look around at some of the schematics (look at the top of the forum for links) here and use the search function.  It's not hard to find a fuzz to like, most have several favorites.  The fran tone does sound good though.

[Mark Hammer]

My Gruntbox ( http://ampage.org/hammer/files/Gruntbox.zip  - the link now works) actually sounds pretty close for bass.  A couple of cap changes, and you're there.

The Frantone site has some interesting products.  hearing the soundclips is helpful.  The Glacier is a nice tremolo-through-ring-modulator pedal, and the Vibutron had the multi-waveform modulation downa couple of years back.  Note that the speed/rate control on the Vibutron works "backwards" - i.e., it gets slower, going clockwise.  One way of getting the "right" taper of pot.

[puretube]

:wink:

[Bernardduur]

Hmmm.. I've build the Gruntbox a while ago and was not that "satisfied" with it..... Will try again in a few days and spend some more time with it .

[Mark Hammer]

It's not a great design, and I certainly wouldn't put myself on the same level as Fran Blanche, but it's free, legal, cheap, easy to perf, and easy to mod.

The sort of tone I was hearing from the Lo-Tone samples sounded to me like a bass version of a dry+fuzz blend, and that's what the Gruntbox is.  Differences are of course going to be based on how the distortion is generated, and whatever filtering is used.  I was aiming for a specific sound, so I used specific filter cap values, and certain gain structure.  No reason why you couldn't breadboard it and play with gain and feedback/couping caps until you found something you like.  You could start by increasing the gain of the second clipping stage, and scrapping the tone control in the clean path.