Fuzz factory

[troubledtom]

I'm just curious if there's any empirical evidence that the availability of the schematic for a particular effect unit has any real effect on sales.  It seems to me that a schematic and a premade unit address two relatively distinct markets.  Granted, there's definitely some overlap, but it strikes me that most of the people who buy Zvex boxes (and units from just about any other manufacturer) are not the kind of people who build their own boxes.

Any thoughts Zachary, Paul (of Frostwave), or any other volume commercial manufacturers?

thats bullshit,
   i'm 9-11 months backorderd almost every other manufacturer of pedals
that i know not to mention all the musicians {pro and others} that i've worked w/ had 1-3 zvex devices. some of Z,s schemos are out there
but if he posted all his stuff on his site. sales would go down and it WOULD effect the families he employs , in a bad way. not good or cool.
   he/we can not compete w/ fx companies that have everything made in china for 50 cents an hr.
  this is the first yr i made a fair proffit and guess who gets the biggest
chuck of it , uncle sam.
    dann green post all his layouts and mods for free and most people don't know who he is....... one of the most smart and cool freinds i have.
but his pedal bizz is far from a golden egg. he lives on 1/10th of what i
make a year just to survive.
    do the math. it's not easy make'n it in the usa when the same device
can be mass produced in china for a fraction of the cost.
   i'm lucky to find a worker for less than 10 bucks a hour. do the math.
         sorry for the rant , it just struck a nerve.
                    - tt
ps: boss/roland is the walmart of fx. they employ bosses in the usa and workers in china for the most part. more lost usa jobs every day. there is an up side you can get a good cookie cutter pedal for less than a 100 bucks, but in the decades to come , will we have money or jobs to buy them?

[cd]

Great, now I'm going to perpetuate another thread I dubbed useless

BOSS/DOD/etc. and boutiquers operate in completely different markets.  Besides, even if boutique schems aren't published on the internet, anyone can plunk down $$ for a pedal (gooped or otherwise) and reverse engineer it.  Call it "The 5 Knob Fuzz Pedal", put it in an unpainted box with Radio Shack knobs, use no other marketing (no references to anyone or anything, just "it's a fuzz pedal") and sell it.  

I can understand if you don't want to make it EASY for anyone to copy something, but if it's out there, it's out there.  Sell the service, the marketing, the experience, cool factor, retro chic, whatever of your product - that's what makes it unique, and combined with a great sound, that's what will sell.

[puretube]

it won`t sell, if there`s no MoJo behind it...

http://diystompboxes.com/sboxforum/viewtopic.php?t=25039&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

http://www.blitzwire.de

[troubledtom]

Great, now I'm going to perpetuate another thread I dubbed useless

BOSS/DOD/etc. and boutiquers operate in completely different markets.  Besides, even if boutique schems aren't published on the internet, anyone can plunk down $$ for a pedal (gooped or otherwise) and reverse engineer it.  Call it "The 5 Knob Fuzz Pedal", put it in an unpainted box with Radio Shack knobs, use no other marketing (no references to anyone or anything, just "it's a fuzz pedal") and sell it.  

I can understand if you don't want to make it EASY for anyone to copy something, but if it's out there, it's out there.  Sell the service, the marketing, the experience, cool factor, retro chic, whatever of your product - that's what makes it unique, and combined with a great sound, that's what will sell.

wake me when it's over, better off shoot me now........
       zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[EdJ]

Aren`t the archives there to prevent posts like this?
Ed

[petemoore]

Mainly Curiosity. I can't talk, I never even sampled one.
 I love the artwork and petitness...like a curio looking device, 'eloquently painted, the kids must just love it!!! Fantastic novelty factor.
 Hey Zach, do you sell artwork on a regular canvas for framing? That might be a nice addition to your product line, as the boxes would be suitable for framing if they were flat.

[troubledtom]

Mainly Curiosity. I can't talk, I never even sampled one.
 I love the artwork and petitness...like a curio looking device, 'eloquently painted, the kids must just love it!!! Fantastic novelty factor.
 Hey Zach, do you sell artwork on a regular canvas for framing? That might be a nice addition to your product line, as the boxes would be suitable for framing if they were flat.

his artist does sale paintings....,   but of a different kind.
      - tt

[cd]

Aren`t the archives there to prevent posts like this?
Ed

Yes, but who bothers to use the Search function (see the first post I made in this thread)?

[puretube]

long live: "lurk before posting"  

[gez]

Marrowfat peas, they may be peas but they’re not marrowfat!  Buyer beware…

[hair force one]

actually on the biggest french guitar forum there's a 96 pages topic on how to clone a Fuzz Factory.... Sad but true, i tried to told them it was wrong, that they should built Tim's TMK instead but no way...

on the other hand a lot of those narrow minded kiddy Muse fans had never touched a tranny or a resistor before they tried to awkwardly clone the brilliant FuzzFactory...

[gez]

actually on the biggest french guitar forum there's a 96 pages topic on how to clone a Fuzz Factory.... Sad but true, i tried to told them it was wrong, that they should built Tim's TMK instead but no way...

I noticed a similar discussion on a German FX board, schematic was posted too.  No disrespect to Zachary but I'm not interested in his schematic(s).  It's a shame that more people don't use him as an example of what can be achieved by hard work and study and come up with ideas of their own rather than just rip stuff off all the time.

PS  Broadbeans aren’t that broad either…

[JHS]

The schems in the German forum were postet by me.

No credits to ZV at all !!!!!

The SHO-schem is identical to a sample-schem in the BS170 datasheet, identical to a schem in a russian electronik book from early '80, identical to schems in tutorials at German universities since '75.

The FF-schem can be found nearly 1:1 in that russian book too, ex. pot for stab and gate, also in Brocelli's Cookbook.

So, what's the hack?

To me it's just a joke, that a manufacturer copy a schem from a book or a datasheet, add a (C) and tell everone that's his "invention".

But I'm not unfair, so I don't post a schem of the Nanohead
(if you want to klone it, make a web-search and find ZV's source by yourself, put the snipplets together and you get it).

BTW: You can find a very improoved version of the BS170-datascheet sample at a nearly every German university - build this instead.

JHS

[black mariah]

To me it's just a joke, that a manufacturer copy a schem from a book or a datasheet, add a (C) and tell everone that's his "invention".

Why? It worked for Leo Fender, Jim Marshall, Randy Smith, Mike Soldano... I could go one but you get the point.

[gez]

But I'm not unfair, so I don't post a schem of the Nanohead (if you want to klone it, make a web-search and find ZV's source by yourself, put the snipplets together and you get it)

Er, that's how most circuits are designed. Basic building blocks are used to create a whole. There's only so many ways you can do a lot of things in electronics so stock circuits act as a template.  It takes knowledge to understand, interpret and implement those basic building blocks and the end product is still a result of someone’s hard work.  If that person wishes to protect their circuit to ensure they continue to make a living, so be it.

Sure, every clod who knows how to use a soldering iron is setting themselves up as a 'boutique' builder these days, but could they design something from scratch or do they understand enough about the subject to custom build something for a customer?

The majority of 'boutique' builders make me laugh as they're no better than someone selling fake Rolex watches from the boot of a car.  The only difference being that their Boss/MXR/whatever copy (not even a clone) is more expensive than the original...weird!  I thought 'boutique' meant unique??  Stupid me...

Zachary is one of the few who genuinely deserve the title.  I don't really care if his booster is similar/copy of a standard design, the majority of his stuff isn't.

[bobbletrox]

The SHO-schem is identical to a sample-schem in the BS170 datasheet

I've only ever seen a switching test circuit on a BS170 datasheet.

[Maneco]

actually on the biggest french guitar forum there's a 96 pages topic on how to clone a Fuzz Factory.... Sad but true, i tried to told them it was wrong, that they should built Tim's TMK instead but no way...

on the other hand a lot of those narrow minded kiddy Muse fans had never touched a tranny or a resistor before they tried to awkwardly clone the brilliant FuzzFactory...

What's that forum?  i'll start hanging there in case they try to clone soemthing from me... :lol:  :lol:

[moogatroid2000]

Could we get a link to any of those data sheets???
I don't want to see a Vex schematic but I would love to see these other sources of information.
Didn't I see more or less the same thing at a Japanese site? Only it was a circuit that Jack Orman had named after himself?
Weird.
Anyway, I for one think the data sheet or app note would be a great thing to have a look at.\
Thanks
Jas'

[Aharon]

Another option would be to build a Skyripper.I checked the links and none of them work.
After a while I found this one:
http://sounds.ampage.org/
Just click on MORE until you find it,page 4 I think.There's also other Gagan fuzzes schems like the Bronto,Dino and NitroBurner.
The UglyFace also yields unusual fuzz.
Aharon

PS: an interesting thing to do for the forum would be to design a FF type effect taking a basic Fuzz Face circuit and then deciding what parameters we want to control and how,slowly adding pieces to the puzzle and have a couple of guys with breadboards test the progress as we go.
It's a learning experience for all and contributes to the community spirit.
As a result we get a truly forum designed effect.

[markusw]

I would love to see these other sources of information.

Me too

Thanks in advance JHS

:wink: