Maestro Fuzztone Fz1a HELP with transistors for germanium experts!

[Atodovax]

Hello everyone, im building a Fuzztone FZ1a and I saw the information on smallbear page about the transistors and everything. I cannot get a high gain ge transistor for q3. The highest I have tried was 130hfe on q3 with 500ua of leakage and 100 hfe for q2 with 300ua leakage and 50hfe with 50ua leakage . The effect is sounding good but is not as harsh as the sound I can hear in youtube. Its more like a FUZZFACE. I have tried biasing everything but still theres something missing in the sound. Also I have noticed on the original units that when the attack knob is turn clockwise the sound starts getting gated and it seems to have only one sweet spot. On mine all the attack knob varies the gain but it never gets gated. I was wondering if that gated sound is supposed to be there or is it maybe due to aged capacitors ?... Anyway... Do you think 130hfe is little for q3?
Thanks very much!!
The pedal sound very good by the way .. Its like a more trebly Fuzzface but not even closer to the harsh thin fuzz you can hear from the videos of the FZ1a
All the voltages match the ones that smallbear suggest after tweaking some resistors but still the sound is round and mellow...

[BetterOffShred]

I used 10k trimmers for each transistor, and I just checked my build since I haven't boxed it yet..  It looks like Q1 is 75, Q2 is like 95 and Q3 is like 88.  I adjusted all the trimmers by ear, and it sounds pretty good to me. 

I haven't boxed it yet because I'm holding out for a 1.8v zener from Mouser so I can actually run a 9V for an indicator LED

[Atodovax]

I used 10k trimmers for each transistor, and I just checked my build since I haven't boxed it yet..  It looks like Q1 is 75, Q2 is like 95 and Q3 is like 88.  I adjusted all the trimmers by ear, and it sounds pretty good to me. 

I haven't boxed it yet because I'm holding out for a 1.8v zener from Mouser so I can actually run a 9V for an indicator LED

Thank you very much for the reply and for cheking that!! Does yours sound gated turning the attack pot backwards? Because mine sound very round and not so agressive and metalic as the original.. i cant put it in words but the sound is not harsh enough.. its not even close.. mine sounds like a FUzz Face .. not as a fuzz from the early sixties

[BetterOffShred]

It's hard for me to say if it sounds exactly right, but it does not gate.  It cleans up as the attack is turned down, but it still has pretty decent sustain.  I think these units were all kind of slightly different anyway .. at least from my listens. 

I can check the leakage if you need, but it probably won't be for a day or two..

[gez]

Replied to your personal message, but not sure it was sent (nothing in my sent file).  1st post of this thread:

https://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=8883.msg53484#msg53484

Er, hello everyone, goodbye everyone...strange being back here after so long (the world domination thing didn't pan out).  Can't contribute any more to this thread/forum (sorry), life got in the way.
 

Ta ta.

[blackieNYC]

That's a very old link! Welcome back.

[Atodovax]

Replied to your personal message, but not sure it was sent (nothing in my sent file).  1st post of this thread:

https://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=8883.msg53484#msg53484

Er, hello everyone, goodbye everyone...strange being back here after so long (the world domination thing didn't pan out).  Can't contribute any more to this thread/forum (sorry), life got in the way.
 

Ta ta.

Thank yiu very much Gez. I did recieve it and replied s minute ago. Im going to try wirh a higher gain device for Q3 and a more leaky one also there... Thank you all for your replies. I dont know why all the videos y see on youtube of that pedal sound gated when they turn down the attack knob.. maybe it has something to do with the age ??

[Atodovax]

It's hard for me to say if it sounds exactly right, but it does not gate.  It cleans up as the attack is turned down, but it still has pretty decent sustain.  I think these units were all kind of slightly different anyway .. at least from my listens. 

I can check the leakage if you need, but it probably won't be for a day or two..

Thank you! Dont worry.. im going to try tomorrow with more transistors on Q3... My unit sound pretty good so maybe its sounding the way it should.. i dont know why the ones on yiutube sound gated