volume drop when bypassed

[Clubman35]

I've built a few fuzz pedals now, each of which have only 1 control (volume). When bypassed the volume is lower than when the fuzz is on. I can turn down the volume , but then there is not enough fuzz. All the fuzz pedals use 100k pot, can I use a larger pot to cut the volume, but still keep the fuzz? I'm sure this is a common problem, and I did a search, but could not find what I was looking for. Many thanks.

[Seljer]

if I understand you right the fuzz has got too much of a volume boost? do the fuzzes you have built got a "volume" control or a "gain/fuzz/drive/whatever you want to call it" control?

if its the second case then you can just add a volume control onto the end of it (look at how the pot on the right is hooked up in the fuzz face is hooked up for example http://geofex.com/Article_Folders/fuzzface/fftech1.gif ), that'll allow you to boost to hell and back and but still be able to keep the volume level the same as your bypassed signal

[Clubman35]

one of them is the "Old School Fuzz" which has a volume control (at the output of the circuit). I tried to add another pot to both the beginning and the end of the circuit , not at the same time, and had no luck.

[Seljer]

If there allready is a volume control then you should have any problem lowering it down  unless you used a linear taper pot or wired it the wrong way so the sweep of volume control is wierd (but that shouldn't stop it, you'd just have to be a bit more careful when setting it) or if the fuzz is actually boosting your amp into more distortion.

Looking at that Old School Fuzz the amount of fuzz there should always be the same amount of dirt providing you leave your guitars volume alone, with the pedal's volume control influenceing only the volume.

[Clubman35]

It is a linear taper pot......how does that effect the volume? What's the difference between a linear and an audio taper anyways? Sorry for all the stupid questions..still a newbee. Many thanks.

[Seljer]

Ah. For anything thats a volume control you want to use an audio taper pot (also known as log taper) because of the way our ears judge loudness. For something to be twice as loud it needs to be 10 times as powerfull and log taper pots are setup so the sweep sound linear to us.