Sili Face II build report

[jmusser]

I built the Sili Face II the night before last, and am about 3/4 of the way through the MXR Blue Box right now. The Sili Face II was just plain disappointing. I can't think of any Fuzz or OD that I have ever built (except for the Harmonic Percolator), that didn't sound better than this. In my rig, it never makes it to fuzz to start with, and is basically a very artificial sounding overdrive. The Antiquity Fuzz that I built recently puts this one to shame. To me, the Antiquity Fuzz does everything and more that this one was advertised to do. I tried several different types of transistors, and varied the collector voltage on Q2 collector through the full specified voltage range. With the voltage adjusted close to the bottom (around 4.2V), and a 2N2222 in Q1, it did sound a minute bit better, but nothing to write home about. I would build this one only if you enjoy a good yawn.

[B Tremblay]

:shock:

[petemoore]

Pretty sure B Tremblay worked on the Sili Face,
  remember that the designers or modders that provided you with the schematics and lits hang out on Aron's forum and may be the first to respond...
 You can always modify FF's to your liking and post the results for us <

[Mihkel]

Try the Sili- Face I, I had pretty nice results with that one. Haven't tried the Sili- Face II though..

[jmusser]

Just remember, that this is never an attack on an individual, and that I'm an opinionated A Hole. The thing is, that this is what I found, and I reported it, just like I do all of them I build. This one for me, just happened to be a dud. Now, it could be that B Trembly had hotter pic ups, better amp (I'm sure) and it sounded like magic with his rig. But for me, I can't think of any fuzz, OD, or booster that I have built, that doesn't sound better than this circuit. I was just surprised, because after building the 3 Legged Dog, and the Whisker Biscuit off that site, I expected it to be just as great as they were.

[squidsquad]

Hey Jeff,
I built an Sil II also....& had similar reservations.  But mind you...he voiced it to cut thru a loud band....without gettin too trebley or muddy.  I've found that when I voice my fuzzes for *living room volume*.....they're often lost w/a live band. And when ya gonna get a tube amp?  Heheeeee!
Of course,  B Tremblay's site got me into this hobby w/some of his simple boosters...bless em all!

[jmusser]

Well, I did see the Epiphone tube amp for a good price the other day. I don't know how great it is, but at least I'd finally be playing through a tube amp. The Peavy Classic 30 is supposed to be pretty nice for the money, but it's over double the price of the Epiphone. Of course, it's still a 1/4 of the price of other tube amps. The closest I've ever come to playing a tube amp, is using the 3 Legged Dog through my SS Crate. Somehow, it ended up being the perfect match for this amp, and makes it sound and feel like a nice tube amp. I've built a lot of circuits (I believe close to 35) but I have never built one to date, that has had such a dramatic effect on over all tone. It's like I'm playing a whole other rig entirely! So, I give credit where credit is due. This is also a ROG/Home-Wrecker circuit, just like the Sili Face II. The Sili Face II for me, was just a dud. It happens. To me, the 3 Legged Dog is absolute magic!

[bwanasonic]

I know it seems like tube snobbery, but many fuzz/booster circuits are simply a completely different effect when run through a vintage style tube amp. You simply haven't heard what a Rangemaster (or a Fuzz Face for that matter) can do, until you've used them with say, an early Marshall or Vox style amp. I would also put the Sili-Face II in this category of what I call "Tube Amp Enhancer" effects.

Kerry M

[Toney]

Oh yes... c'mon, there is no comparison, once your friends with tubes, thats it, you wont go back..... unless you're into metal.

[Joe Davisson]

I haven't actually built it, but from the schem it looks like a few changes might help:

- raise the 1k to 2.2k
- keep Q2 collector at 4.7k/10k fixed
- adjust the 100k until output is 4.5v. It may be a much lower value.

The goal is to provide a higher bias voltage to Q1, which hopefully will prevent gating effects at the input.

[petemoore]

I played through the little Epi amp yesterday...still too loud for me, sounded just fine, like a 'plain' tube amp {i didn't get to try effects through it] with a nice "OD' tone when cranked.  Would probably sound just great with some effects and Reverb on it, certaily it will accept the front end being boosted to nice result...educated guess of course.
 My buddies Love their Classic 30's, now there's an amp I'd just buy anyway...if...$ was there.
 I'm wanting something like the Epi but class A/B, less loud.
 Tube amp for    FF Tweeks....I sezz.

[jmusser]

I'm sure you're right to have tube snobbery. I feel that's why a lot of effects only sound so so, when run through a solid state amp. I believe someone mentioned the era that some of them (especially vintage circuits) were built, they were modeled towards being used with a Marshall or a Vox. I know that for me, the Tychobrahe Octavia was a big disappointment, and I attribute it directly to use with a solid state amp. It is a great distortion, and very gritty, and I can get a lot of the Iomi/Black Sabbath tone out of it, but, that's not how it's supposed to sound. I can't even get in the same ball park as the Tobias Karlson sound sample through my solid state amp. I don't even plan to build a germanium Fuzz Face, Tone Bender, or Dallas Rangemaster, until I have a tube amp to play it through. As for Joe Davisson's Antiquity Fuzz ( since he's looking at this thread) to me, it could be said to used specifically with a SS Amp. It gives a nice tuby tone to my amp, and I would think taht would be wasted on a tube amp, but I don't know. The Sili Face II may be such an animal, that really has to be played through a tube amp to bring the best out of it, but it was advertised to do well with a SS Amp. It could also be amp specific. Maybe if it was through a Behringer, Line Six or something, it would just smoke, but through my Crate, I may as well have plugged into a grapefruit.

[jmusser]

I logged on, and the forum had a new face. I'm not sure where page two went for this. Anyway, It's looking more and more like the 10 watt Epi. I read several reviews, and went to the Epi forum. I believe the 25 Epi, I wouldn't be able to get the best out of because of it being 25 watts. I guess the humming is due to misbiasing of the two output tubes, since it's a class AB, and an adjustment will pretty much take care of it. It seems like the assembly quality is low on both of them, but I'm sure that's something I can fix, if I have a problem with it. I already have two loud amps, and I don't really need another one to blow the doors off my little shop room. I need something to use with traditional and germanium effects too. Everyone seemed to be pleased with the tone of the little 10. Some weren't, but maybe they expected something for metal.I really don't think I would go wrong with either at the price they are. Thanks for the help on the tube amp questions, and thanks to Joe for the mods on the Sili Face, since this is kind of where this post started from.

[Eirik]

This is from a japanese site, but I've seen it in Norway aswell, so I guess it won't take long before you will be able to buy it in the US. Might be some thing to have a look at http://www.ibanez.co.jp/japan/products/amp/page/vbg.html