Z Vex Fuzz Factory

[jonny mak]

I was wondering if someone could give me some accurate schematics for this pedal and know that they work. I am completely new to anything electronic but need to make something simple for my degree.

I have found a few on the internet but have no idea if they will work or not or exactly what sort of pots to get (logarithmic, linear etc)

Any help would be great.

[bumblebee]

google image search brings up numerous results.

[anchovie]

I have found a few on the internet but have no idea if they will work or not or exactly what sort of pots to get (logarithmic, linear etc)

What's your degree subject? Is understanding the circuit not a requirement?

[bumblebee]

This is accurate:
http://basicaudio.net/Fuzz%20factory%20schem.PNG

[El Heisenberg]

what GE transistors would you use??? If I got some from small bear, they'd come with a list of resistors values for biasing. How would I bias this circuit??


I havent ever gotten my GE rangemaster to work right, because the resistors values small bear keep sending dont work. I've gotten 5 GE transistors from them. One is in my rangemaster that functions, but I know it's not doing exactly what it's sposed to. The other 4 are sitting around. I dunno what to do with them.

[jacobyjd]

what GE transistors would you use??? If I got some from small bear, they'd come with a list of resistors values for biasing. How would I bias this circuit??


I havent ever gotten my GE rangemaster to work right, because the resistors values small bear keep sending dont work. I've gotten 5 GE transistors from them. One is in my rangemaster that functions, but I know it's not doing exactly what it's sposed to. The other 4 are sitting around. I dunno what to do with them.

You should probably open your questions in a new thread--this one has pretty much been resolved, and you probably won't get many answers without a more relevant thread title.

[jonny mak]

I have found a few on the internet but have no idea if they will work or not or exactly what sort of pots to get (logarithmic, linear etc)

What's your degree subject? Is understanding the circuit not a requirement?

unfortunately not. We just have to build something. I am studying recording and performance technology.
Out of interest, what kind of pots do I need to get for this? And where would be the best place to order them in the UK?
Thank you for your rapid replies.

[Paul Marossy]

For my clone, I used some old NOS Raytheon Ge PNP transistors that I bought off of ebay. They sound pretty good. Really, there's quite a few Ge transistors that will work in that circuit. To get the right sound, the secret is to get Q2 with an Hfe of around 215 and Q3 with an Hfe of around 280. My clone works exactly the same way and sounds very very close to what you can hear in the Z Vex video.

For the pots, not sure what you mean. You can use any brand you want. I would suggest using the 16mm type as they are physically small. Alpha pots are readily available and inexpensive. I believe that all the pots are linear types except for the Volume control, it's a log type. That's how mine is built, works fine.

EDIT: Oh, and make sure that you read that article about testing Ge transistors at www.geofex.com about how to get the real Hfe numbers for your Ge transistors.

[jonny mak]

For my clone, I used some old NOS Raytheon Ge PNP transistors that I bought off of ebay. They sound pretty good. Really, there's quite a few Ge transistors that will work in that circuit. To get the right sound, the secret is to get Q2 with an Hfe of around 215 and Q3 with an Hfe of around 280. My clone works exactly the same way and sounds very very close to what you can hear in the Z Vex video.

For the pots, not sure what you mean. You can use any brand you want. I would suggest using the 16mm type as they are physically small. Alpha pots are readily available and inexpensive. I believe that all the pots are linear types except for the Volume control, it's a log type. That's how mine is built, works fine.

EDIT: Oh, and make sure that you read that article about testing Ge transistors at www.geofex.com about how to get the real Hfe numbers for your Ge transistors.

Cheers man. I will have a look at all the stuff you pointed me towards.