My take on some sorta vintage-y 60's-esque fuzzbox

[Transistor-Transistor]

Someone revived the orpheum fuzz thread and it ignited a fire in me to build a fuzz. A fuzz fire if you will. I got a little tired of building managers and I'm still waiting till after Christmas to buy LDR's for my psychedelic tremolo but I had the parts to make a nice fuzz. I didn't love the sound of the Orpheum too much, but I thought it had some modding potential (DIODES, DIODES EVERYWHERE )

So yeah its just a standard orpheum inspired 60's style fuzz with the blend pot and stuff just with two hard clipping sections and bigger capacitors. I ran out of 22k resistors for R2 so I tried 15k and 33k and decided 15k sounded best... Actually most of this was chosen by ear. This isn't super special but it sounds really really nice. I also added a switch that activates a voltage divider and brings the supply voltage from 9v to 4.5v.  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12xhzXzU4Q8oQixRP2tkXkkRmsGb46LpJ?usp=share_link

Also this is the neatest wiring job I've ever done.







It's the little things that are the most satisfying. Like having way too much space on the interior of a pedal.

[antonis]

With those R3, R4 & R5 values a high gain BJT shouldn't need D4..

Could you figure out why..??

[Steben]

Low collector voltage. Signal already clipped.

[antonis]

Low collector voltage. Signal already clipped.

Or another way to obtain symmetrical clipping with only one diode..

[Transistor-Transistor]

With those R3, R4 & R5 values a high gain BJT shouldn't need D4..

Could you figure out why..??

I didn't think about it I just put em in  I see it I see it

[PRR]

shouldn't need D4.. Could you figure out why..??

Ten seconds of thinking costs-out nearly the same as an extra diode. Why strain the brain?

With exotic vintage mojo diodes you can jack-up the price; clever engineering of existing parts gets no respect on the showroom floor.

[Transistor-Transistor]

I agree because 1n4148's are the diodes I thought sounded best and they cost less than dirt. I bought 100 for $5 USD. An extra diode that doesn't do anything won't hurt anyone

[PRR]

cost less than dirt.

OTOH:

Tophats: 4 for $9 https://www.ebay.com/itm/304978505506

Welder grade: $27 https://www.ebay.com/itm/364269932226

1N35 dual from 1946 $17 https://www.ebay.com/itm/167172080614
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/KNUAAOSwoQBmiXVZ/s-l1600.webp

[Transistor-Transistor]

I do wonder how those would sound... not sure how I would justify selling something with those though

[mozz]

You have reached Mojo Diodes inc. At the tone, please leave your name,number, and credit card info. We will research how rare and expensive a diode you can afford, thank you.

I may have more diodes than germanium transistors and tubes combined (few thousand easily). This is about 1/2 of the filing cabinets.

[Transistor-Transistor]

Woah

[mozz]

A majority were from my dads tv shop in the 60s-70s, he unsoldered from mil surplus circuit boards. He had a thing for parts like that,caps,1% resistors,tubes.

[m4268588]

Code Select Expand

Version 4
SHEET 1 800 600
WIRE 240 -304 -16 -304
WIRE 240 -288 240 -304
WIRE 144 -192 128 -192
WIRE 240 -192 240 -208
WIRE 240 -192 224 -192
WIRE 256 -192 240 -192
WIRE 352 -192 320 -192
WIRE 384 -192 352 -192
WIRE 480 -192 384 -192
WIRE 496 -192 480 -192
WIRE 352 -176 352 -192
WIRE 384 -176 384 -192
WIRE 480 -176 480 -192
WIRE -16 -160 -16 -304
WIRE 240 -160 240 -192
WIRE 48 -112 32 -112
WIRE 128 -112 128 -192
WIRE 128 -112 112 -112
WIRE 176 -112 128 -112
WIRE 32 -96 32 -112
WIRE 384 -96 384 -112
WIRE -16 0 -16 -80
WIRE 32 0 32 -16
WIRE 32 0 -16 0
WIRE 240 0 240 -64
WIRE 240 0 32 0
WIRE 352 0 352 -112
WIRE 352 0 240 0
WIRE 384 0 384 -16
WIRE 384 0 352 0
WIRE 480 0 480 -96
WIRE 480 0 384 0
WIRE 32 16 32 0
FLAG 32 16 0
FLAG 32 -112 Sig
FLAG -16 -304 VCC
FLAG 128 -112 B
FLAG 240 -192 C
FLAG 496 -192 Out
IOPIN 496 -192 Out
SYMBOL signal 32 -112 R0
WINDOW 123 0 64 Invisible 2
WINDOW 39 2 104 Left 2
SYMATTR SpiceLine Rser=15k
SYMATTR InstName V1
SYMATTR Value SINE({Ofs} {Level} {Freq})
SYMBOL voltage -16 -176 R0
SYMATTR InstName V2
SYMATTR Value {VCC}
SYMBOL cap 48 -96 R270
WINDOW 0 32 46 VLeft 2
WINDOW 3 0 18 VRight 2
SYMATTR InstName C2
SYMATTR Value 100n
SYMBOL npn 176 -160 R0
SYMATTR Value 2N3904
SYMATTR InstName Q2
SYMBOL res 240 -208 R90
WINDOW 0 0 50 VRight 2
WINDOW 3 32 62 VLeft 2
SYMATTR InstName R5
SYMATTR Value 470k
SYMBOL res 224 -304 R0
SYMATTR InstName R3_4
SYMATTR Value 147k
SYMBOL cap 256 -176 R270
WINDOW 0 32 46 VLeft 2
WINDOW 3 0 18 VRight 2
SYMATTR InstName C4
SYMATTR Value 47n
SYMBOL diode 336 -176 R0
SYMATTR InstName D3
SYMATTR Value 1N4148
SYMBOL diode 400 -112 R180
WINDOW 0 6 40 Right 2
WINDOW 3 6 22 Right 2
SYMATTR InstName D4
SYMATTR Value 1N4148
SYMBOL res 464 -192 R0
SYMATTR InstName RVR
SYMATTR Value 100k
SYMBOL res 368 -112 R0
SYMATTR InstName R_SW
SYMATTR Value {R_SW}
TEXT 0 56 Left 2 !.TRAN 0 50m 48m 25u
TEXT 0 200 Left 2 !.Param VCC=9V OFS=0V Level=100mV Freq=1kHz\n+ R_SW=1m\n.STEP Dec Param Level 0.1m 400m 3\n+ Param R_SW List 1m 1G
TEXT 0 88 Left 2 ;.TRAN 0 {1/10Hz*2} {1/10Hz*1} {0.5/100kHz}\n.FOUR {Freq} 20 V(C)\n*.options plotwinsize=0\n*.OPT NumDgt=7\n*.OPT abstol=1e-10 ; 1e-12\n*.OPT reltol=0.003 ; 0.0001

[antonis]

Ten seconds of thinking costs-out nearly the same as an extra diode. Why strain the brain?

Quite right..

Guys, stop thinking or cost your thoughts..

O tempora, o mores..

[Mark Hammer]

The basis of the Orpheum, Fuzz-Rite, FY-2, and many others is that Q1 provides a reasonable clean boost, and Q2 "suffers the consequences" of that hot input.  The "fuzz" control simply pans between the clean path and the heavily distorted one.  None of those diodes really ought to be necessary, unless your purpose was to have something that could NEVER be clean, even with the guitar itself turned down.

[Transistor-Transistor]

The basis of the Orpheum, Fuzz-Rite, FY-2, and many others is that Q1 provides a reasonable clean boost, and Q2 "suffers the consequences" of that hot input.  The "fuzz" control simply pans between the clean path and the heavily distorted one.  None of those diodes really ought to be necessary, unless your purpose was to have something that could NEVER be clean, even with the guitar itself turned down.

Actually the diodes just makes the whole thing less fizzy and more crunchy. They don't really make it more distorted they just change the tone. It cleans up alright still too. I posted sound clips on my first post if you wanna hear it

[duck_arse]

o fortuna [2 cents]. it sounds broken on the rhythm track, but good on the bass track.

[Steben]

I agree because 1n4148's are the diodes I thought sounded best and they cost less than dirt. I bought 100 for $5 USD. An extra diode that doesn't do anything won't hurt anyone

I actually found last week 100 1n34´s for 5 bucks.

[amptramp]

I agree because 1n4148's are the diodes I thought sounded best and they cost less than dirt. I bought 100 for $5 USD. An extra diode that doesn't do anything won't hurt anyone

I actually found last week 100 1n34´s for 5 bucks.

Good if they are real, But I have seen silicon diodes rebranded as germanium.  There have bee a number of threads within the past year about fake semiconductors.  Test the forward voltage to see if they are real.

[Steben]

I agree because 1n4148's are the diodes I thought sounded best and they cost less than dirt. I bought 100 for $5 USD. An extra diode that doesn't do anything won't hurt anyone

I actually found last week 100 1n34´s for 5 bucks.

Good if they are real, But I have seen silicon diodes rebranded as germanium.  There have bee a number of threads within the past year about fake semiconductors.  Test the forward voltage to see if they are real.

Most GE I have and had tested at 500mV while a 1N4148 at 1000mV...
I tested some for current in reverse with a 1.5V battery and they had 1 to 2 µA !
And they are big and glass for sure.