i just bilt my first fuzz using the FF5 kit from GGG

[Exactopposite]

This is my first ever pedal build actually. It's an npn silicon fuzzface. I think it's a bit off because it sounds REALLY dark. I'm guessing  put a part of the wrong value in there somewhere. It's kind of late here now though, so I'll try to diagnose the problem 2moro. One of the NPN transistors (2n3906) was missing from the kit, so I used a bc108 in q2 temporarily to get it working. I sent them an email, hopefully they'll get the missing part to me.

I'm at a bit of a disadvantage working on a fuzz circuit because I have never used a fuzz face type fuzz before. The only fuzz I have used is my vintage big muff. That being said I'm not really sure how it should sound, but it's too dark to be usable so it's got to have something wrong. I'll check it all out and go back through "technology of" 2moro. It only has so many parts so the problem shouldn't be that hard to locate.

If the fuzz lovers among you have any tips/tricks/info you'd like to share about the fuzz face I'd love to here it.

[Solidhex]

Yo

  What transistors are in there now? 2n3906 is a pnp transistor so if you built a NPN version that wouldn't work. Bc108 is fine.

--Brad

[Exactopposite]

Yo

  What transistors are in there now? 2n3906 is a pnp transistor so if you built a NPN version that wouldn't work. Bc108 is fine.

--Brad

you're exactly right. I put in the wrong # above and it's too late to edit it at this point. It's a PN2369A in q1 and bc108 in q2.

[axg20202]

Check the values you have used for the input cap (typically 2.2uF) and output cap (typically 0.01uF). If the caps you use are too high in value this could lead to losing all the highs. Maybe you used a 22uF cap for the input cap by mistake, for example.

[Exactopposite]

Check the values you have used for the input cap (typically 2.2uF) and output cap (typically 0.01uF). If the caps you use are too high in value this could lead to losing all the highs. Maybe you used a 22uF cap for the input cap by mistake, for example.

Yeah, the first thing i thought was that i had a cap wrong somewhere. i have rechecked the value of every componenet a few times now, and everything looks right. Granted i could be overlooking something. I'm thinking I may just need to weak the bias. Last night i set the collector of q2 at half the battery voltage before I tried it out. Then, I plugged it in just to see if it worked and it sounded really dark but I didn't try adjusting the bias to try and make it sound better (I was trying to catch the 2nd half of the basketball game). Right now my gf is still sleep, so I can't try it out yet. I'll report back later on when i have had time to try the bias adjustment.

[axg20202]

Hmmm. maybe. I've never noticed misbiasing a FF sounding any darker, just splatty and choppy, less smooth. You never know though, it might help - no two FF circuits are quite the same. I know its obvious, but I've made the mistake before of debugging something for 2 hours before discovering that the naff sound was because I had a %^&*ed wah connected in line with the pedal under test (man, did i feel a t1t, and not in the good way). Check the complete signal chain and remove everything that isn't essential, check your amp settings, check everything, A/B with other pedals swapped in etc. I'm sure you've done this already.

[Exactopposite]

Hmmm. maybe. I've never noticed misbiasing a FF sounding any darker, just splatty and choppy, less smooth. You never know though, it might help - no two FF circuits are quite the same. I know its obvious, but I've made the mistake before of debugging something for 2 hours before discovering that the naff sound was because I had a %^&*ed wah connected in line with the pedal under test (man, did i feel a t1t, and not in the good way). Check the complete signal chain and remove everything that isn't essential, check your amp settings, check everything, A/B with other pedals swapped in etc. I'm sure you've done this already.

Yeah it's so true. I use to be an electronics tech, but i haven't worked in that field for about 7 years. So, I've worked on a lot of electronics, but i'm REALLY out of practice. Sometimes you overlook the simplest things. None of us are immune.  Since it works but just sounds dark it has to be something simple. As soon as I find it I'll let u guys know. I looked at i this morning and didn't find anything, but now that I've had my coffee, maybe I can see better. lol

I hooked it up straight to the amp with no other effects. The amp had the same settings I've been using forever, and when I bypassed the fuzz my tone sounded normal.

As far as the bias goes. Like I said above this is the first fuzz I have ever worked with so I wasn"t sure what affect the bias had on the sound. Thanks for the info on that.

[Exactopposite]

Ok so maybe it IS working right LOL.

It sounds great with the fuzz turned up to about 9 o'clock and higher, but the lower i adjust the fuzz the darker it gets. With the fuzz turned up  it seems to be working like it should. It cleans up when i turn the volume down, it doesn't sound gated or anything like that. I really like the sound of it. I'm wondering if it's normal to lose treble when you turn the fuzz down though.

[Exactopposite]

Ok now that I have had some time alone to really get into it. I think this is a great pedal. I'm thinking before it sounded dark because i had the volume on the pedal down too low and the fuzz up so high that it was really compressed. Simply operator error. I don't know. Either way it sounds great now. This is the most fun I have ever had with a distortion pedal. The way it cleans up when u roll back the gutiar volume makes it a pretty versatile pedal. It's amazing all this happens from such a simple circuit. Now I get what all the fuzz fuss is about.