fuzzing around

blanik · December 22, 2008, 11:52:32 PM

i'm experimenting (breadboarding) with as much fuzz circuits as i can (a good lot of them from Andrw Carrell's layouts...lol) so far i really dig the TB MkII pro, the Colorsound One Knob Fuzz RI (with two BC109 as i didn't have a BC108, BTW what is the difference between 109s and 108s? i've checked their datasheet and can't find the difference) i also kind of like the Old School Fuzz but it doesn't clean up very well (it seems only the Germanium designs clean up well with the guitar volume so far... ?!)

one thing i noticed on all designs... they all come to life when i put a 0.01uF as the input cap instead of the stock value, in the case of the MkII it went from a muddy, gating if i picked too hard effect to a creamy fuzz just by changing this cap, and it's not like i use super high output or active pickups, i use P90s, Strat Lace, Dimarzio Chopper T and GFS Gretch single coils, on all those guitars i had to lower the cap... am i the only one who had to do that??

another question, i've read some info about "stabilizing" Ge transistors with a (Ge?) diode, how could i do that on the MkII Pro (and would that change the sound)?
the layout i've used is:
http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php/v/ulysses/ulysses_layouts/ulysses_tb_pro_mkII/ulysses_ss_tone_bender_vero_1_2.gif.html

petemoore · December 23, 2008, 12:08:20 AM

You are not alone.

blanik · December 23, 2008, 01:51:24 AM

just noticed the Solasound TB Mk1 schem, i'm going to bread board this one too, does anyone knows why there's a 2M2 resistor right before the 500k volume pot? why not just put a 1M pot?

frank_p · December 23, 2008, 03:05:45 AM

Quote from: blanik on December 22, 2008, 11:52:32 PM
another question, i've read some info about "stabilizing" Ge transistors with a (Ge?) diode, how could i do that on the MkII Pro (and would that change the sound)?
the layout i've used is:
http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php/v/ulysses/ulysses_layouts/ulysses_tb_pro_mkII/ulysses_ss_tone_bender_vero_1_2.gif.html

Mac posted something(S)

Use the search function with "diode leakage" , and "mac" as user. He had posted many time about that subject. If you post in one of "his" topics you might get an answer about the change in the sound...

Damn cold in Mtl he ? Krissss on's'les gèle. You'll need temperature compensation...

tcobretti · December 23, 2008, 10:12:42 PM

The input cap question has a great deal to do with your amp; possibly the amp is even more important than the guitar. A fuzz may sound like mud on a old tube amp and sound like a chainsaw on a modern solid state amp. I personally find that I am often increasing the value of the input cap on a fuzz to make it fuzzier.

blanik · December 25, 2008, 12:26:34 AM

Quote from: frank_p on December 23, 2008, 03:05:45 AM
Quote from: blanik on December 22, 2008, 11:52:32 PM
another question, i've read some info about "stabilizing" Ge transistors with a (Ge?) diode, how could i do that on the MkII Pro (and would that change the sound)?
the layout i've used is:
http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php/v/ulysses/ulysses_layouts/ulysses_tb_pro_mkII/ulysses_ss_tone_bender_vero_1_2.gif.html

Mac posted something(S)

Use the search function with "diode leakage" , and "mac" as user. He had posted many time about that subject. If you post in one of "his" topics you might get an answer about the change in the sound...

Damn cold in Mtl he ? Krissss on's'les gèle. You'll need temperature compensation...

marci, !

here's a vero i made for the Tone Bender MkI and MkII, the layouts are verified but not the veros...

Electric Warrior · December 25, 2008, 11:35:50 AM

unusual MKII variant you are building.. and there's at least one mistake in your layout: R1 (10k??) should be placed between Q1's base and emitter.

blanik · December 25, 2008, 12:53:55 PM

thanks EW, you're right it should be between C2 and Q1, linking the base with the positive ground.... i'll correct this asap

R1 is 100k on all the schems i've seen so far, it's the Marshall Super Fuzz that has a 10k there, the only difference i've seen from schem to schem is that there's sometimes a 0.01uF cap between the input and the +ground

just found this on Fuzz Central about it...
"There are a lot of schematics on the internet that don't have the 0.01µF capacitor on the input jack side of the input capacitor, but in the original ToneBender MKIIs, there was one there. This capacitor helps to get rid of some of the intense treble that this circuit has without it."

i guess i'll fit it in somewhere...

Electric Warrior · December 25, 2008, 01:47:37 PM

100k for R1 was the OC81D version iirc..

blanik · December 29, 2008, 04:55:47 PM

Quote from: Electric Warrior on December 25, 2008, 01:47:37 PM
100k for R1 was the OC81D version iirc..

that's the version this vero is based on...

i corrected the vero according to the Fuzz Central article about the MkII Pro

Electric Warrior · December 30, 2008, 10:47:50 AM

oh, I figured it was the OC75 version because of R3 being 47k instead of 100k.
From what I have gathered from pictures most MKIIs had the cap between input and ground. Only the very early units didn't have it.
C1 varied greatly from what I know. The early ones have 25uF in this position from what I know.

I think we pretty much nailed it in this thread: http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=71945.0

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fuzzing around