Buffers and Fuzz

[modsquad]

Just built a Fuzz from GGG layout.   Sounds great with my HB guitar.  Like crap with Fenders and single coils, unless I put a pedal with a buffer ala Boss in front of it.   Then it sounds like the shiznit, very Zeppelin, cranked Marshall like.   Is this a common occurance so that I should build a buffer into the circuit?

[StickMan]

Can you define "crap" a little more?  How are you trying to use the pedal?

In a fuzz circuit, the pickup interacts with the inner workings quite a bit more than with most other pedals.  That's why the recommendation is to put the fuzz first, so that there's nothing in between the pickup and the fuzz.

That being said, you get the most of that interaction when the volume on the guitar is rolled back a bit.  Then the pedal becomes very responsive to the dynamics of your playing.  On the other hand, if you are just looking for a full out square wave buzz sound that sounds like the intro lead to "American Woman", then you might not care so much about that interaction and boost in front might work best for you.

I've never experienced what you described with any of my guitars on the fuzz that I built.  Even my Tele with bleed cap on the volume sounds good through it, and others have said that tends to give a crappy sound.

[Papa_lazerous]

I find if I use guitar---FF--amp

so not buffer before and I play with my Les paul I get cool fuzz all the way, if I play with my pacifica on the neck pup (single coil) I get great tone, if I roll the volume back I go into a whole world of mud.  I put this down to the volume being lowered and the impedance changing and the input of the FF pulling down too much on the pickup.  Probably not the most technical or correct way to word it but I know what I mean

[modsquad]

By "crap"  I mean the thing sounds like an overdrive with the strat plugged in directly to the fuzz.  This circuit on GGG i belive is the same as the Fulltone 70.   If I put a boss DS-1 in front of it (in bypass mode) the thing comes alive with the strat.   I can then roll off the volume, etc. to get the tones you guys describe.    Otherwise its pretty useless unless I use my Steinberfer, Les Paul, ES135.   All with some form of humbucker. 

Just never expected that.   Will build a Jfet buffer and put it in front of the circuit to do some testing with.

[Papa_lazerous]

what you describe is an impediance issue

[shredgd]

modsquad,
I think there is something wrong with your build: fuzzfaces usually sound worse with buffers in front of them, not better!!
Check everything again, it won't take you that long with that few components...!

Giulio

[modsquad]

Okay let me try and be as clear as possible.  Here is the schematic:

http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/pdf/ggg_ff5_sc_b70.pdf

Now it does have a 1M input and output resistor.  If it is an impedence issue what would I replace it with.  All the other voltages, etc are spot on.

[soulsonic]

I think you should put the buffer in there. If it sounds better with it there, then that's what it wants!
The only thing that matters is that the box sounds good. It doesn't seem to me like anything is wrong with it as is - it's just that it doesn't interact well with the Strat pickups. Weird interactions are common with low impedance circuits like Fuzz Face types. If it sounds good with the buffer, then do it. I recommend a simple JFET buffer - those work well for me.

Also, check the polarity of C2 in your build. It appears to be backwards in that schematic... I don't know if it's correct in the layout or not. I'm not sure how much trouble having that backwards would cause.

[modsquad]

Looks right on the parts layout.   Thanks and will try the buffer.