The MinuteMan Fuzz

[tubelectron]

Hi All,

I called it The MinuteMan Fuzz because I breadboarded it in one minute, for a sonic result which is way over the minute devoted to !

As you can see, it's roughly based on the FuzzRite design, in a simplified version. A few components...

It sounds very decent, a very usable fuzz tone : no mud, no fizz, not too agressive or insane, but cutting through the mix without killing the ears, good sustain and good decay, enough gain but not outrageous, and with a fuzz character... It's a perfect mix so I will built it as is when I will find a box to house it.

Have a try !



A+!

[John Lyons]

Interesting, have to try it.
Thanks for posting. 

[tubelectron]

Update : definitive version of The MinuteMan Fuzz.

- 0.1µF changed to 82nF : bass were not farty, but a little too deep when at high volume. 82nF correct this for a perfect balance (22, 47 and 68nF were also tested, but removed to much thickness and warmth, according to my taste).
- added Hi-light/Lo-pwr blue LED.

Schematic and breadboard, awaiting mise en boîtier :






Worth to try, definetly...

A+!

[tubelectron]

Layout and wiring of The MinuteMan Fuzz - turret board version :



Since I have no more box, jacks and 3PDT FSW on hand, the release will have to wait a bit...

A+!

[LucifersTrip]

Update : definitive version of The MinuteMan Fuzz.

hey...

I breadboarded this a few days ago and after realizing my germanium accident, I experimented with a bunch of different silicon.

For me, this fuzz is a low gain sounding, dirty fuzz...not saturated or buzzy, but like you described..grrrrr.

One excellent thing about this is the way you designed it, no matter how high hfe you use, it still sounds like a dirty low gain fuzz.
The collector voltages only change from .55 (hfe ~600) to 1.1 (hfe ~ 40). I know that you got collector voltage from .7-.8 with ~40 hfe,
but I got higher (using 2N3866, hfe 43):

bc
Q1: 2N3866 (43), .61, .96
Q2: 2N3866 (43), .61, 1.13

I liked the sound better with 2N2222A:

bc
Q1: 2N2222A (81), .61, .79
Q2: 2N2222A (83), .61, .80

the above collector voltages are closer to yours.

but I actually liked it best with:

c
Q1: 2N2222A (83), .79
Q2: 2N4401 (159), .62

or with:

c
Q1: 2N4401 (162), .62
Q2: 2N4401 (159), .62

When using 2N5088 (600), collector voltage dropped to .55 and sound was not as good...

This would be great for a novice since it's simple and you can put almost any gains in any order and still get a good sound.
It is consistent with reasonable sustain & no problems with the decay.

thanx for posting this!

[Brymus]

Thank you for sharing,I tried this.
With Q1 and Q2 Hfe 63 (unmarked TO18) ,and your voltages,all I got was a booster.
When I swapped Q2 for 2N2222 it was very gnarly indeed.
Q1 and Q2 2n2222 sounded very good as well.
But I left it Q1 Hfe 63 and Q2 Hfe 120,very gnarly fuzz,perfect for thick bar chords,a little too gated for single notes YMMV.

[Renegadrian]

[Gus]

Sim of the circuit.  I simmed it because it looked like a fun circuit.  Anyone try it with bass?  Stepped the collector to base bias resistor (green first) 100K to 4.7meg.  Note the frequency response change with the different bias/feedback values.

Guitar and cable sim end at C2.  Guitar tone and volume  controls at max
Some sim collector voltages with different bias/feedback resistors
100k .6324VDC  green
220k .6816VDC  blue
330k .7261VDC  red
470k .7821VDC
1meg .9867VDC
2.2meg 1.411VDC






1KHz .01VAC input source in another sim(not .1VAC as in the first screenshot)

[Brymus]

Wow that is awesome Gus.
Thank You for posting that.

[DiscoFreq]

1KHz .01VAC input source in another sim(not .1VAC as in the first screenshot)

I have been thinking about an easy setup to make such graphics for FXDB, preferably affordable, easy to use and an "all-in-one" solution that I can build into my "effects test bank" (that I also want to use for audio demo's etc.).

Suggestions are very welcome

[tubelectron]

Thanks to all, guys, for your trial works and analysis while I was on holidays (città di Venezia, Adriano)...

Just before going, I made another "one minute" trial on this circuit : I added a 3rd stage identical to the 2 previous one. It gaves a thick/dense fuzz, some kind of maxxed TBmk2Pro, but it seemed that there was much hiss, at least with the 2N1613, which are all-purpose and not lo-noise Q's.

I'll be back with further results and informations about that 3 stage version.

Thanks to all again for the improvements about this simple funny all around circuit - I'll retry it with another Q's for complementary checking.

A+!

[Renegadrian]

Wow, hope you enjoyed Italy Bruno! Altough Venice people is so much different from Roman people...
A 3 stage version should be great!!!

[Pigyboy]

1KHz .01VAC input source in another sim(not .1VAC as in the first screenshot)

I have been thinking about an easy setup to make such graphics for FXDB, preferably affordable, easy to use and an "all-in-one" solution that I can build into my "effects test bank" (that I also want to use for audio demo's etc.).

Suggestions are very welcome

Hi Bart - Take a look at this thread
http://ilovefuzz.com/viewtopic.php?f=151&t=19125
Just what you are looking for.....

[tubelectron]

A 3 stage version should be great!!!

@Renegadrian : It is not : too much hiss.

2N1613 are not low noise, so that's probably the reason of the excessive hiss. I quickly tried 2N2222 instead : there was a little improvement in hiss, but the tonal character is changed. Even if a satisfactory combination can be found, indeed, I didn't go further, as I think it is not very worth to, finally... I'll stay with the initial 2x2N1613 "all around" version.

Yes,Venezia è bellà, it is a place to see, but not to stay too much, and of course it is a concentrated tourist trap, with much different italian people... Murano and Burano island were much more pleasant ! So is the Adriatic sea (Punta Sabbioni). My daughter went to Roma last summer, and found it really amazing, even by 40°C... My wife has her italian uncles, aunts and cousins in Varallo-Sesia (VC) and Orta San Guilio, Piemonte, and we are really fans of il lago d'Orta and the lake's region (Orta, Maggiore, Como, Iseo, Garda...).

@gus : I suppose that the shiny green curves is the closest to my 100K+100K+2N1613 schematic, as it seems to give the smoothest fuzz when compared with the 2N2222 both graphically and by ear. Am I right ? Have you done an exact simulation of my version ?

@LuciferTrips :

For me, this fuzz is a low gain sounding, dirty fuzz...not saturated or buzzy, but like you described..grrrrr.

Ok - I see : GRRRRRR means "Dirty", we would call it "somewhat broken" in French. Saturated is probably "highly dense" (chemical analogy), Buzzy is probably the sound of insects, I guess. Have you got a model of fuzz giving a "buzzy" sound in mind ? What can I hear to have an idea of what can be considered as as a buzzy sounding fuzz (a link is welcome !) ?

It is consistent with reasonable sustain & no problems with the decay

Exact : you have nearly nothing more than the sustain of your instrument. More sustain would be interesting for me but without more fuzz... I saw that your preferences went for higher Hfe, so indeed more sustain, but more fuzz too, according to the trails I have made with your informations some posts before.

A+!

[Gus]

I did not do an exact sim.

I selected a 2N2222 as the transistor(it is in the stock download of LT spice) and simmed your circuit with it.

I  then stepped the collector to base bias feedback resistor to check the bias change and high pass filtering.

The idea was to adjust the bias/feedback resistor for the collector voltage wanted and then adjust the values of  the .082ufs to readjust the high pass filters.  The gain does change as well.

So it looks like if you install a different transistor you will get a change in tone and/or gain you can adjust parts to get it closer in some ways collector voltage and high pass filters.

[Renegadrian]

Bruno I'll be in Paris next week!!! (can you suggest me some interesting things/places to see, both on the tourist side and the diy builder/guitar player/music listener side)!?

[tubelectron]

Bruno I'll be in Paris next week!!! (can you suggest me some interesting things/places to see, both on the tourist side and the diy builder/guitar player/music listener side)!?

Yes, Adriano - I will send you a P.M. in the afternoon.

A+!

[brett]

Hi
this is so amazing simple. 
I assume that the BJTs are biased to the edge of saturation, but the large value Rc limits current flow ??
I seem to recall Joe Davisson had a similar design with v high Rc (470k?). Multiple stages (3 or 4), ultra-high gain, MPSA18 transistors. Good but a bit noisey.
cheers

[tubelectron]

Good but a bit noisey

Yes, so that's why I discarded the 3-stages version : noise was then unacceptable, at least with 2N1613. It is better instead to increase the BC resistor from 100K to 220-330K : that gives more fuzz, more "dirtyness", as would say LuciferTrips, without gating or increasing too much the hiss. I made several trials and at loud volume, the 100K sounded the best for me. So I stay on my original version... That doesn't mean it is the best one, of course. Remember that it is was a one minute design at the start !

A+!

[LucifersTrip]

@LuciferTrips :

For me, this fuzz is a low gain sounding, dirty fuzz...not saturated or buzzy, but like you described..grrrrr.

Ok - I see : GRRRRRR means "Dirty", we would call it "somewhat broken" in French. Saturated is probably "highly dense" (chemical analogy), Buzzy is probably the sound of insects, I guess. Have you got a model of fuzz giving a "buzzy" sound in mind ? What can I hear to have an idea of what can be considered as as a buzzy sounding fuzz (a link is welcome !) ?

When I refer to a buzzy fuzz, I'm talking about playing single notes, mainly on the lower strings.
I got a buzzy fuzz with the FY-2 Germanium you posted the old schematic for at ~ 6.5 - 7v on Q2's collector.

An early version of a buzzy fuzz is, of course, this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxrBnuT84Ws

But the  FY-2 Germanium has a more fatter, later 60's buzz...Jimmy Gordon is dirtier with a lower gain sound.