Roger Mayer Classic Fuzz

[tcobretti]

I went to Guitar Center last night and found a used RM Classic Fuzz for $100, which was too cheap to pass up.  It's been pretty interesting playing with it and comparing it to the FFs I've built.  There are a couple of things of note:

1.  It doesn't oscillate with both knobs all the way up.  It seems like most FFs oscillate and I found it interesting that it doesn't.  I kind of wonder if the use of space in the layout doesn't help out here.  All the components are between 1/4" and 1/2" away from each other!

2.  It is different from the common schems for this pedal.  The input cap is a 2.2u instead of a 4.7u, the cap on the fuzz control is a 22u instead of a 47u, the bias of Q1 is set with a 47k trim pot instead of a 5k6 resistor, the output cap is a .01u instead of a .1u, and the .0022uf cap on the output pot is omitted.

As you might expect, the pedal sounds great.  Very wooly.  The only thing a little weird is that is quieter than it should be.  I thought RM modded the FFs so they would be louder?

I have to go to a movie with my wife, but I'll post some gutshots later.

[Pedal love]

Nice find! Roger really doesn't make many pedals that are extremely loud. His main thing is to bias and filter them down to lower noise figures, which is apparently what you suggest here. His pedals are pretty specific, specialty items. Very boutique. However, there are many places to go to learn how to make and modify, fuzz face styled pedals on your own.

Here are a few:

http://www.geofex.com

http://www.diystompboxes.com

http://fuzzcentral.tripod.com

http://www.generalguitargadgets.com

http://www.j.philpott.com/effectronics



The list is large on the amount of help you can get online or offline. Too many to name here.pl

[tcobretti]

Thanks.

[MartyMart]

http://www.pbase.com/image/40091637

Here's the guts of one that I played with about two years ago.
I thought that it was a little "thin n scratchy" so changed the output cap
to a 68n and added a 2n2 to ground at the input.
Sounded quite warm n creamy after a little re-bias too
I've since built my own from the GEOFEX schem,here's the thread :
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=38740.0
As you can tell, I dont like the "Fizz" from FF's , I prefer the "rubber band"
type of fuzz !

Marty.