Buzz Box octave - can't get it!

[Coriolis]

Another BuzzBox thread...
Been trying to get the octave effect, tried with Ge diode in first position, Si in second (as by Christians design) and vice versa. Nothing that I can hear.
Am using 2N3904 trannies, but I see others are using higher gain types (mpsa13, 2N5088, etc) could this be it? I know about using the front pickup, playing the high frets, etc  :wink: , but still nothing. Circuit is otherwise like the one on home-wrecker.com.

Is there help for me?  :roll:

C

Edit: My Ge diode is an AA119 (a euro type, I believe), not a 1N34A, is this critical?

[tiges_ tendres]

I had the same problem!  I was informed that the octave isnt very pronounced, it just adds to the craziness!

also, I think the ge diode is the second one, but I have had good sounding results with 2 silicon, 2 ge different values. I dont think you can go wrong with this pedal.

do you get any weird noises? Like when you are not playing, like weird buzzes?

[Yun]

i think there is no octave tones from this buzz-Box, man.  as in the other thread, i said:

i built this with 20-30uf caps, silicon diodes (1n914's).  So it's an actual buzz-Box with my mods.  

After building it stock:  There is no octave, man.  Just high pitched spitty shrill, dude.

[jmusser]

This is and isn't an octave effect. It is, as far as adding upper octave content to the fuzz, and having the sort of "splatty" response to chords like all up octaves do. However, it won't give you a separate up octave note function above the 10th fret with the tone controls rolled off, and playing on the neck pick up. There are gobs of up octaves out there that will, but this isn't it. One of the very best up octave fuzzes is Guss Smalley's Simple Octave Up or Doug Hammond's Bobtavia. For a cleaner octave up, I have not found one better than Tim Escobedo's Psychtar.

[Coriolis]

Thanks people, that clears it up for me. I must say that I do hear a sort of octave "quality" if you will, to the sound, but no real octave.
I do get weird gating-splat when the notes decay, and some splatty fuzz in general, but that's what I want.  
What would I do if i wanted it even splattier? Put even bigger collector resistors in (they are 100k now) or smaller? Higher gain transistors?

Thanks for your answers all, I will have to try my luck on some real oct-up circuits...

c

BTW: I believe the designer said the Ge diode goes on the first stage, but that he'd mistakenly put it on the second stage on the schematic... :wink: