There’s a 20uF capacitor too, which I solder across the wiper and ground connections of the fuzz control. The 1K linear "Fuzz" pot that was standard issue for the original Fuzz Face. Includes the highest quality components and hardware. Arbiter also used a 330R resistor rather than a 470R resistor for the Germanium circuit, but changing to 330R isn’t essential. background: url(https://guitar.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Trans-Switch@1400x1050.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; This caps will limit the high-frequency response of the pedal and keep under control the hissing noise. It should sound much better and I’m going to do something about it. Fuzz Face Filth Fack! Experiment with different values to achieve the bass response that works best for your guitar and amp – I’d suggest 0.47uF or even 0.22uF as reasonable starting points. Without wishing to get too far into the world of transistor manufacturing, they all have a ‘sandwich’ type construction. Congratulations on a job well done, but does it sound good? Germanium Transistor Selection - Biasing the Fuzz Face: It is crucial to select the right transistors in order to archive the best sounding box. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; background: url(https://guitar.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DC-Socket@1400x1050.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; This kind of resistors was extensively used on vintage audio equipment. The original models use 1/2W carbon film resistors. The January 2021 issue of Guitar Magazine is out now! addye3ef2b648874d9ed1cc3860ca23c1c3b = addye3ef2b648874d9ed1cc3860ca23c1c3b + 'electrosmash' + '.' + 'com'; Mine sounds distinctly average. If you follow the diagram carefully and make strong solder joints, your fuzzbox should work first time. 2 multi-turn Burns trimmer resistors to set the collector voltages on the input and output transistors: Allowing to set the perfect bias for the circuit. Not attenuating the high-freqs makes this pedal so rich harmonically, in the left image you can see all this harmonics when the pedal clips. John Ross on why the New York indie-rockers have brought layers of sound and all manner of stringed instruments to the band’s new LP. You can also combine silicon in the first stage with germanium in the second, or vice versa. My advice is not to get too drawn into all that and be wary of buying expensive NOS transistors without guarantees from the seller that they aren’t leaky and have adequate gain. Refer to the wiring diagrams provided and look up your chosen transistors online to confirm the connections. They are common technologies still easy to find nowadays. Build Your Own Guitar Fuzz Pedal, You might have noticed, no matter how hard you rock out with your guitar, it just doesn't sound right. document.getElementById('cloake3ef2b648874d9ed1cc3860ca23c1c3b').innerHTML = ''; Brexit: The perfect storm for UK guitar buyers? Quality PCB:  1.6mm FR4 printed circuit board with plated pads for easy soldering. Layout Using a Q1 and Q2 with the gains specified on the left image, the circuit will be biased to that points. Russian Germanium Transistors: For this project, we are going to use Germanium PNP transistors. I’ve never thought much about fuzz pedals because most of players I like don’t use it, but at one point I bit the bullet and started a build based on Fulltone ’69 fuzz. Many players replace their pickups before they’ve even experimented with the way their heights are set. After years of experimentation and listening, it is agreed that the best match uses a low gain in the first stage (Hfe=80 approx.) Two multi-turn resistor trimmers (Trimmer1 and Trimmer2) replace fixed resistors so the bias could be adjusted to the perfect level. Let’s first distinguish between the two Fuzz Face eras. Hoped you like the video! If it does, you’ve been lucky and your work here is done. Limited Time This potentiometer put almost all the. Fuzz Face lore is awash with snake oil and there are units that sound mediocre and even pretty terrible as well as those mythical ‘golden’ examples that sound incredible. By doing this, we will create the same conditions for the transistors as if they were the, The first FF's manufactured in the UK used the AC128, a 45-165 Hfe European germanium PNP transistor, cheap/common at that time (later on replaced by the Newmarket NKT275). Oct 21, 2015 - The Fuzz Face is a distortion guitar pedal designed in London by Arbitrer Electronics Ltd in the autumn of 1966. Wiring the switch connections is fiddly, and best done before pedal assembly begins. Red high-brightness/low current LED that makes the total current consumption of the pedal 2.5mA. Arbiter Fuzz Face Clone Biasing Guide Congratulations, that’s the end of the instructions for the Arbiter Fuzz Face Clone circuit! The circuit follows the original Fuzz Face (positive ground) signal path design: The pedal uses a double PNP transistor stage and a feedback network. We ensure that the signal path is the same as in the 1966 FF vintage pedal. } Description This is our version of the classic Dallas Fuzz Face circuit. This analysis covers the first Arbitrer Fuzz Face model equipped with PNP germanium transistors from the first releases. I begin by drawing a circuit layout that only requires a small board and eight drilled holes. Replacing the 2.2uF input capacitor with a smaller value capacitor will prevent the lowest frequencies from reaching the first transistor. Why is this? Why is that? var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; In NPN transistors, the polarity is reversed; the base being positive, and the emitter and collector both negative. Otherwise, we recommend you ignore this PCB mask and buy the Ready-to document.getElementById('cloak59a43500a85cd3a9d561e2e2b3f04971').innerHTML = ''; There’s some loss of sheer fuzz, but there’s still more than enough and the decay is smoother. This Silicon version features 2 silicon transistors and has negative ground. Try out pedals from Boss, Walrus Audio, TC Electronic and more via your computer. Knowing how to do this could save you some money and unlock some authentic shoegaze tones into the bargain. But not all the Fuzz Faces sound the same, in the old days, players sorted through dozens of pedals at a time to find the best sounding fuzz of the store. But making a Fuzz Face is a lot simpler than navigating the Sun Face ordering page and all its options. addy59a43500a85cd3a9d561e2e2b3f04971 = addy59a43500a85cd3a9d561e2e2b3f04971 + 'electrosmash' + '.' + 'com'; This can veer into muddiness and give the circuit a muffled quality – especially with humbucker-equipped guitars. If you want to know all the details about the circuit, have a look at the Fuzz Face Analysis. I’ll also be building a more advanced version with switchable transistors and some other boutique tweaks. If you're experienced, build a germanium PNP … In this project, we are going to build the perfect Fuzz with all the knowledge and experience that we have nowadays while keeping the tweaks and old character that make this vintage pedal to sound warm, round, and harmonically pleasant. I use it to bypass the fuzz and kill the battery at the same time. After this early germanium years, the production switched to the modern, temperature independent, and more stable silicon transistors like the BC108C, BC109C, and BC209C. The original PCB from the 60s uses a single layer printed circuit board, will all the components placed on one side while the tracks run over the bottom. Images of completed circuits are for illustration only. After this early. For this project, we are going to use Germanium PNP transistors. If you’re a fan of DIY relic’ing, you may already have etchant solution (ferric chloride) because it can be used to artificially age nickel-plated guitar parts. Fuzz faces are easy circuits to DIY. Feb 14, 2012 - One of the largest sites for do-it-yourself guitar effects builders. Dunlop discovers this fact later on and includes a trimmer on VC2 in order to adjust it to -4.5V. Many people think that original carbon resistors carry part of the organic fuzz distortion sound. Sonic differences between germanium and silicon aside, this is important. Strangely, I’ve never owned a Fuzz Face, but have been curious for some time now. They were manufactured back in the old USSR Soviet days, they are under military specifications that make them good, with a consistent gain and not leaky in current. Alternatively, switch between different types of silicon transistors – it’s entirely up to you. For Tom Weber, 2020 went “from a banner year to zero income overnight”. Jul 8, 2015 - Fuzz face: Guitar effects pedals schematics. The FF circuit is rather simple: 4 resistors, 3 caps, and 2 transistors. Solder the wiper to one of the outer legs and it becomes a variable resistor that can be preset to the specified value if you have a multimeter. The circuit follows the original Fuzz Face (. The Germanium Fuzz total voltage gain is around 48dB matching the simulation. #tdi_175_664 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item6 { I really like my Fulltone '69, and I think I'm going to spring for some kind of silicon one before too long. #tdi_175_664 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item1 { It’s not the most elegant way to build, but the circuit is effectively wired point-to-point and it’s very easy to do. This is especially true of ‘holy grail’ transistors that were used in classic treble boost, wah and fuzz pedals. . Adjust one trim pot at a time while you’re playing to hear how the sound changes. Two optional Miller caps (Cx) are included to reduce any possible HF noise. Thanks for reading, all feedback is appreciated. I also use a 15mm nylon stand-off and two screws to mount the board onto the enclosure. The best way to set up any Fuzz Face is to use your ears. Compiling all the knowledge and experience that we have nowadays about the Fuzz Face, we have designed this project that tries to bring the good old classic fuzz tone using modern and controlled technologies: The circuit schematic and Bill of Materials are available and open to modifications. They were manufactured back in the old USSR Soviet days, they are under military specifications that make them good, with a consistent gain and not leaky in current. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. background: url(https://guitar.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Jack-Connections@1400x1050.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat; 3PDT toggle switches allow you to choose between germanium and silicon transistors or use them in combination. By doing this, we will create the same conditions for the transistors as if they were the perfect ones. Our ‘boutique’ version is built on a longer turret board to accommodate four transistor bias trim pots. Combining a 0.22uF with a switchable 2uF capacitor will give you 2.22uF when they’re in combination. Using lower value capacitors means you can try film caps rather than electrolytics, which may have tonal benefits. and a high gain in the second stage (Hfe=120 approx.). Tom Weber sets the record straight: It wasn’t the keyboards' sample rate. 1/2W Carbon composite resistors: Same as the ones used in the original 1966 model. Fuzz Face lore is awash with snake oil and there are units that sound mediocre and even pretty terrible as well as those mythical ‘golden’ examples that sound incredible. } Fuzz Pedal: Once you have your guitar and learned how to play in time with a metronome, the only thing left to do is rock out. There’s not much sustain and notes eventually cut out rather than fade evenly, so it’s just like many vintage Fuzz Faces and some of the boutique clones. PNP stands for positive/negative/positive, and NPN stands for negative/positive/negative. We have created simple manuals to build this project: We also have a YouTube video that guides you during the whole building process: Note: The original fuzz uses carbon-zinc battery (not modern alkaline) and it is claimed to give a better sound performance. The component legs are pushed through pre-drilled holes and soldered together on the reverse of the board. #tdi_175_664 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item3 { This is such a simple build that it’s easy to assemble on tag strip, or even make your own eyelet or turret board. Guitar.com Live — THE WORLD'S LEADING VIRTUAL GUITAR SHOW —, Fender revives the Boxer series with a Stratocaster, Telecaster and Precision Bass, Eddie Van Halen’s guitar tech explains infamously out-of-tune performance of Jump, Eddie Van Halen’s guitar tech could lose his home due to COVID-19: “The music industry is washed off the face of the planet”, You can now demo 150 pedals online for free with Thomann’s Stompenberg FX. Andertons, PRS and more react to the first weeks of trading. At one extreme you hear ferocious fuzz with little or no sustain and a gating effect.