First build - Fuzzdog Meathead kit - not cleaning up well?

[BulletBill]

I built my first pedal, the FuzzDog One-Knob THUG kit [meathead clone] and it all went surprisingly well. I learnt to read resistor codes (sort of, with the help of my multimeter), successfully soldered to a PCB for the first time and it worked straight away (apart from the LED, which took some working out, but I got it eventually).

It sounds great when the guitar's volume is up full but, once you back off to clean up the fuzz (as one does with a fuzz face), the sound gets very trebly very quickly. I have an EFE Black Acid which, with fuzz and gain controls maxed, is effectively a meathead and that cleans up wonderfully (not like a Ge FF, but still a more useful and less shrill sound than my Thug kit).

I'm prepared to mess about with caps and was considering a trimpot to get more fuzz (less of a heavy distortion) but I am very new to this and would appreciate some guidance. Thanks!

[Plexi]

The Black Dust have bigger in and out caps (1uf and 100nf) instead the 10nf and 22nf respectevely.
And I can see that there's a few bias values changed (due the different transistors).
Some B to C/C to C small caps..etc.

The design is similar, not the same: that would be the nature of the beast...and that's why you can't clean it as you want.

[BulletBill]

My Black Acid has BC109s like the Black Dust. I didn't expect EXACTLY the same feel, but I would like to mess around and see if I can make it better if it's possible. Would altering the cap values like you've described make an improvement or would it be best to just forget about it and build something else?

[Plexi]

Of course, that's what I saw on the schematics (about the transistors). That's why it have another Bias values.
Sure... more the input cap than the output...as my humble experience.

You can use a DPDT on-off-on there, and have 3 cap options (I would do that)

[BulletBill]

If I had the means to drill the enclosure so I could mount a switch, I would do that... but since it's a 1-knob stompbox, I'll stick with the minimalist philosophy. Thank you for your advice, it's much appreciated!

[Plexi]

If I had the means to drill the enclosure so I could mount a switch, I would do that... but since it's a 1-knob stompbox, I'll stick with the minimalist philosophy. Thank you for your advice, it's much appreciated!

I would be happy with a internal switch.
You can change once in awhile