7 Min Fuzz Cap, Diode, & Tran Swap / Guitar & Bass Listening "Party"

[helloesposito]

Welcome to my "Party"*. I had some free time and did a shootout of capacitor swaps for bass, and transistor/diode swaps for guitar, with the diyguitarpedals 7 min fuzz kit. Some of the changes are pretty subtle but the biggest ones I notice are with diode/tran, in which the guitar doesn't have much sustain with the higher notes sometimes. Paul did something like this on his youtube channel too, but I just wanted to try em out for myself with what parts I have.


Here are the 19 wav files in a zip
https://db.tt/8xNoS4OF

The bass is a Fender P Bass Special (passive) into an Ampeg GVT5 (set at 2.5 watts), using both the J and P Pickups together.
The guitar is a Fender Strat with Seymour Duncan lipstick pickups, also through the Ampeg GVT5 (set at 2.5 watts), using just the bridge pickup.
Audio was recorded with a single SM57 into a Saffire Pro24 into Logic, 24/44.1

Each track is labeled which part and where is being swapped. Note: the Stock ones are the MPSA13 transistor and BAT41 diode.

*It's not really a party unless there are plenty of people/plenty of fun. Hope you find some use of this! 

[monksanto]

Thanks! I think Paul Chromesphere's "stock" MPSA13 + BAT41 (or BAT46) sounds the best, to be honest (for the guitar). The difference using germanium diodes is hardly noticeable IMO, plus there is gating (I guess a boost in front would fix that).

What are the "stock" cap values for the guitar & bass you were using?

[helloesposito]

I agree, Monksanto.

The stock input cap is 1uF and stock output cap is 100nF, I believe.

[Elijah-Baley]

The component stock are exactly those.

I'm reading here: http://www.home-wrecker.com/bazz.html, ant the v2 has the input cap a 4.7uF, electrolytic.

And I'm read also this about it: "as the diode voltage increases the cap value should decrease". I'm not sure, but the voltage of the BAT41 is... 0.4v? While 1n914 si 0.570v.
"The original [1N4148] really sounds great with the low end menace of a 4.7uF input cap."

Do somebody have some explanation about input cap in this circuit?

Of course, when I will build my Bazz Fuss I'll use socket and I will do my test.