Something close to a Woolly Mammoth

[ampman50]

I'm looking for a build that sounds like a Zvex Woolly Mammoth. Any suggestions?

[Meanderthal]

 Heh- what does it sound like? Does it sound like a clip on the zvex site? I never heard one in person...

[ampman50]

There's a video demo on zvex.com

[tcobretti]

I have spent some time with a Woolly Mammoth, and it is a very thick sounding fuzz.  The real tricky part of the WM is the pinch control, which affects the transistor's bias so the notes gate, and that particular trick has not been posted here.  The WM is amazing sounding, but as Mr Vex is a friend of the board we don't share his trade secrets.  If you want something similar, you might try Dragonfly's Dirty Sanchez, which is very nasty, but can be modded to sound more like a traditional fuzz.  For bass (I assume you play bass because the WM was designed for bass) I'd use the lower gain transistors (2n3904s should be fine), and I'd build version 1.  Put a 1kL pot on the emitter of Q3 to control the gate/pinch, and play with the input/output caps to EQ the circuit to your liking.  You'll end up with something not unlike the WM, but perhaps even a touch more flexible.  Writing this has made me want to build one for bass!  It hadn't occurred to me before.

If you missed it, here's the thread of mods.
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=49770.0


And here's the schem.


Here's my layout.

[Bernardduur]

I never really liked the Woolly; on bass I could only use 1 setting as the rest just didn't do it for me.........

and I had some big expectations........

Now I just use my modded muff which sounds better and is more versatile

[moosapotamus]

No self-respecting bass fuzz should be without a wet/dry blend control.

~ Charlie

[Antero]

I think if you're heading for a Woolly Mammoth sound, a wet-dry blend isn't all that necessary.   Ya gotta COMMIT to the fuzz!

[ampman50]

Thanks.  I listened to Dragonfly's 5 minute sound clip, it's very close to what I'm looking for. I'm not a bass player though, what I like is the ring modulation effect of the Wooly Mammoth. It sounds like Dragonfly hit it real close. I'll probably sub the transistors to get what I want.

[tcobretti]

Just to be clear, the Woolly Mammoth and the Dirty Sanchez are not ring modulators.  They are fuzzes that sound knarly.  A ring mod actually generates a musical note that it mixes with your guitar to come up with something completely different.  You may want to try a different transistor in Q1 of the Sanchez, but I'd leave Q2 and Q3 - if you want that WM-like sound, you need low gain transistors.  Also, that circuit changes a huge amount when you start subbing transistors.  The last version is pretty crazy, but somehow lost the charm of the first version IMO.  I gave my DS v1 away, and I liked it so much I plan to build another one - even though I still have my build of the final version.

Definitely socket the transistors, though.  I socket the transistors in every pedal I make because I know that I will have to tinker with them.  In many builds, I socket crucial caps and resistors so I can play with their values, too.