Fusion Fuzz - Fat Man

[ehofherr]

 

This project is based off the Multi-Face found at runoffgroove.com (ROG).  They based their project off of Tim Escobedo's article, The Many Faces Of Fuzz.  I cannot thank them enough for their time in learning, experimenting, sharing, etc.  If it weren't for their efforts and generosity, I would still be wiring only my guitars.

                                                                               

  To fill in some blanks: I gig with a Peavey Classic 30 amplifier.  For those that don't know, it's a 2-channel tube amp.  I like the tone.  There are some venues where the volume must be set lower, thus killing some "drive".  I will not get into that discussion here.  I thought about using a hotplate, but decided to work with pedals instead.  The little Volume Box in the FX loop is what I call a "do-nothing" add-on.

  I have a RAT and a TS-7.  I love the RAT, feel so-so about the TS-7 these days.  Guitars can be Strats, Pauls, single-coils (SC) or humbuckers (HB).  I would love a fuzz pedal that would be good for either SC or HB without having to twist a bunch of knobs when switching guitars during a gig.  Maybe with a switch would be okay.
  I changed caps and transistors as suggested in ROG's article.  I finally settle on a 3904 in the front, and a 4401 at the end.  For caps, I used a .022uf up front and a .01 in the end.  I liked the pedal for both SC and HB, but I had to twist both knobs knobs.  

  I suppose I could just change filter caps depending on the guitar I'm using.  I could have easily done that with a switch, but let's face it, I need to learn something through trial and error.  Let me try a tonestack with the pedal and see what I come up with.  Maybe I'll find the exact sounds I'm looking for.

  Thus began my project........I'll name it the Fusion Fuzz - Fat Man.  For those that need a history lesson, it's a reference to WWII.     Actually, it's a Multi-Face with tone controls.  THIS IS NOT A NEW FUZZ IDEA.  I will paint the enclosure the project title.

  Last week I began adding a tonestack to the pedal.  I stuck the tonestack on the breadboard and connected it to various places within the Multi-Face.  I have finally settled on placement.  I replaced the output cap with the tonestack.  I still have excellent response from the volume and gain pots.

  I initially went for treble, mid and bass potentiometers.  As I tuned the sound with various caps and wire placement within the tonestack, the mid pot began acting more like a "presence" or "saturation" control.  That's not a bad thing in my mind.  In fact, this seems to be very useful to dial in my different guitars.  Hmmmmmmm!??! 

  I ran into a problem; I got a little "fizz" at some settings.  Yes, I can turn either the gain or treble down and it'll remove the fizz.  The end result I'm looking for is to be able to max out all pots, and have no "fizz".  The bias is correct.  Things to try: 1) I'll double-check all wiring; 2) I'll change out trannies; 3) I'll measure the resistance of the gain and treble pots.  I will try a resistor prior to the pot and see if that takes care of the "problem".  NOTE: The pedal was usable as-is.

  I'm sure the fizz is not associated with the circuit on the breadboard as apposed to a metal box.  I was getting very close to an end result, minus the switch.  It looks like turning the "Presence" knob may be the only adjustment when changing guitars.

  I replaced Q2 with a 2N222, and even tried a 2N3904.  This took care of the "fizz"; I settled on the 2N222; there really wasn't much difference between the 2 sound-wise.  I didn't try adding a resistor in front of the pot as the "fizz" is gone.  I soldered everything up.  I needed a 100K pot for the volume, but only had a 10K on hand.  Oh well, I'll replace it later this week.  I also have to purchase a stomp switch.

  It sounds wonderful.  Quick bias adjustment, and I was on my way.  Here's the layout:

                                                                               

  I will get some sound samples and gut shots posted in the near future.  Yes, I realize the Bass control works backwards.  The controls layout is based on a control panel found in jobs related to the pedal name.  I'll turn it around if it's confusing during a gig.

  Thank-you, in advance, for any advice, comments, etc.

  Eric

[ehofherr]

  I've got some photos:
                                   
  The populated board.  Transistors are socketed.

                                   
  Here's a shot of the controls all wired up.  L-R Top: Volume, Presence, Gain; L-R Bottom: Treble, Bass.

                                   
  A view of the inside of the box.  This box is a dual-gang exterior electrical box...plenty of room!  Both the battery clip and the board are mounted using the ground screw in the box.