The Long Story. What I currently already have planned:-Variable power supply (4-9V).-The bias resistors of both transistors can be set by a trimpot, but a switch puts this control on the outside, by using pots. So, basically I'm looking for some whacky mods to implement into a Si Fuzz Face circuit. The only constraint is that the stock sound still has to be available. Today, both the, The earliest models were covered in red, light or dark gray Hammerite paint with the Fuzz Face logo in white or black, t, The transistors are the most sensitive part of the design with a whole mythology. The Fuzz Face Models. and a high gain in the second stage (β=110-130 approx.). The resulting naturally asymmetrically-clipped signal … The output stage is again a PNP Common Emitter Amplifier, this time with a variable emitter degeneration resistor (RFUZZ=1KΩ). Preferred Seller. This is about 2V for LEDs, 0.7 for silicon and 0.4 for germanium, which is why there's always a booster stage before the diodes in distortion pedals. This pedal can only be powered by one 9-volt battery (not included). document.getElementById('cloak8d0dd068a6e871c849f239c174ba13e7').innerHTML = ''; There are two main possibilities: Germanium transistors are considered to have an overall better sounding to this effect with some drawbacks: germanium manufacturing is not as consistent and controlled as silicon and they have shorter lifespan and more. You might be better off just building up a clone of that. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. So the feedback network has a negative impact on this parameter. The usual solution in guitar pedals is to add some power filtering by placing 47~100uF cap together with a 100nF from the +9v to ground. 188. You will need a multi-meter that reads DC voltage to accomplish this, which can be found very inexpensively at … This is the reason why they do not respond well when they are placed after other pedals. Building the Perfect Fuzz Face8. FF5 PNP Germanium with … Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster Analysis, Time Manipulator - Arduino Delay/Echo/Reverb. note: The hump originated when the fuzz control is set to minimum (the lowest dark green trace) is due to the C2 bypass capacitor which creates also filter (C2 - RFUZZ). The fuzz is not designed to overdrive the following. addyf2cdf60638434545208c32de59f274e6 = addyf2cdf60638434545208c32de59f274e6 + 'electrosmash' + '.' + 'com'; The 20uF is so big that almost all the frequencies get full amplification. This value varies with the volume control level and the fuzz control position. This is due to the C3 output high pass filter effect ( C3 - RVOL). T. he 20uF is so big that almost all the frequencies get full amplification. When biased correctly, there is a lot of headroom, which leads to soft … The circuit is a simple 2 stage amplifier with a feedback network path. The circuit is a simple 2 stage amplifier with a feedback network path. If they see a buffer at the input, they tend to sound awful. Today, both the Dallas Arbiter and Fuzz Face trademarks are owned by Dunlop Manufacturing Inc. Dial it Back. Reduce the noise: minimizing the contribution to the output of unwanted electrical signals. Is equal to the input impedance of a common emitter stage. Desensitize the gain: make the gain value less sensitive to transistors (i.e component variation caused by temperature). It produces a characteristic high distorted sound called. For fuzz, I usually reach for a Foxx Tone Machine, Shin Ei Companion or Mosrite Fuzzrite before a Fuzz Face, but I love the Fuzz Face circuit all the same. We are currently working on an impressive, if we can be so bold, tweak of the famous Fuzz Face pedal. We can use the formula: All the frequencies over 8Hz get full amplification. But when we look at the circuit: Fig.1 Fuzz face circuit, classic 60s original schematics (made with Fritzing) Not so easy to understand, isn't it? The Fuzz Face also attracted a number of clones even in the Golden Age. The … I have a booster anyways, so I just … var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; In the picture below you can see the original enclosure (left) compared with the new compact Dunlop box (right): The original Fuzz Face uses single layer PCB with through-hole components. If the level goes down, the 500KΩ resistor will be reduced and the filter will remove more bass. Other fuzz pedals like the, Big Muff Pi have a more distinctive frequency response. Make an Offer. Part of the output current is taken from Q2 emitter and introduced as current in Q1 base, so the feedback resistor R4 is shunt connected with the input and in series connected with the output. -Variable resistance in the negative … Resources. You will not be disappointed when you swap them. We change all the components on the board but 2 capacitors. Yeah I've heard of it, studied the schematic a bit, but I don't like the fact that it's so hard to get a "standard" sound of, hence why I want to opt for the presets, even if it is a bit more work. The circuit is deceptively simple: two transistors, four resistors, three capacitors and two pots. 15k + 500k pot) gives an large variety of new sounds from tighter and more responsive at lower values, to super saturated and spongy at … Finding the Fuzzy Magic: Analog Man Mike Piera Mods and Demos our Fuzz Face. The fuzz face has a negative feedback called shunt-series feedback (Current Controlled Current Source CCCS). 4.1 Output Impedance. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; 7. If you prefer humbucker … ): \[fc=\frac{1}{2\pi R C}=\frac{1}{2\pi \cdot Z_{in}\cdot C_{1}}=\frac{1}{2\pi \cdot 5K \cdot 2.2uF}= 14Hz\]. var addy_textf2cdf60638434545208c32de59f274e6 = 'info' + '@' + 'electrosmash' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloakf2cdf60638434545208c32de59f274e6').innerHTML += '
'+addy_textf2cdf60638434545208c32de59f274e6+'<\/a>'; Some Rights Reserved, you are free to copy, share, remix and use all material. The value usually does not get as low as -5.5dB, the series resistor of the battery should be taken into consideration and will raise the output level. Resources. How does the feedback work in the Fuzz Face? The germanium transistor needs to see the inductance/impedance from the guitar pickups. These are the most important DC bias points of the circuit. In this case, the total voltage gain measured at Q2 collector is around 19.5dB. 3.1 Input Impedance. 1. These are the most important DC bias points of the circuit.note: The input stage is a Common Emitter (Collector Follower) PNP amplifier, it provides a high voltage gain with low input impedance and high output impedance. I've thought about it as well, but for the diodes to have some effect, the signal peak must be greater than the forward voltage of the diodes. Fuzz Face Frequency Response.7. The devices can be returned for credit or refund as long as they are not soldered and have full leads. reddit's community for DIY Pedal Builders! I guarantee that your pair will sound "like a Fuzz Face" if used with the resistor values I recommend. There have been several versions of the Vox Tone Bender and the Vox Distortion Booster, all variants on the basic circuit. As I worked … It's a like-new Fuzz Face Mini (the blue one, silicon). If you alter every value within that same basic circuit you can get virtually any decent randomly selected pair of transistors to work. The fuzz face design was inspired in other contemporary fuzz pedals like the Maestro Fuzz Tone (designed by Glen Snotty) and the Sola Sound ToneBender (designed by Gary Hurst) although the Fuzz Face was an easier circuit than the competitors with only 2 transistors instead of 3. In a Common Emitter transistor the voltage gain can be calculated following the equation: note: The gm value of a transistor is defined as: In the real life, the input stage will not reach 49dB of gain, the feedback network will reduce this levels to 18.6 dB approx. The Fuzz Face circuit has 9 components. Thanks for reading, all feedback is appreciated. In 1993 Dunlop took over the production selling the fuzz face in different flavors. In this case, the total voltage gain measured at Q, In the above image, the output voltage at Q, It might look funny but It has a reason: the output signal is not much larger than the input signal to keep the huge amount of signal available from over-driving the input of the pedal or amplifier following it. The above graph shows a high pass filter with a cut-off frequency of 14Hz (18.6 -15. Message Seller. The early germanium versions sound like a freaked-out overdrive and evoke the classic tones of Hendrix when used with a Stratocaster. But huge … The Fuzz Face has a very low input impedance that will change with the position of the RFUZZ potentiometer (between 5.2KΩ and 8.4KΩ in the simulation). The Colorsound was a version after the classic Fuzz Face circuit, but the volume control is designed to change the fuzz response (thus, just one volume control). FF Sound Signature I: Asymmetrical Clipping: For maximum dynamic range Common Emitter amplifiers are usually biased to have a collector voltage (VC) equal to VCC/2, in this case, it should be -4.5V. Fuzz Face Circuit. For component economy, the power supply does not include any capacitors to remove ripple from the power line which is something common in raw fuzz pedals. The gist of the Fuzz Face remains in the simple circuit that uses eleven components (2 transistors, 4 resistors, 3 caps and 2 pots) and the astonishing tones created with them; delivering a soft asymmetrical clipping that changes to hard clipping in both semi-cycles under the fuzz pot action. Watch. I think the Arbiter-England one didn’t use the NKT275 germanium transistor; in those days we used the AC128. It is roughly analogous to using your guitar volume to clean up the fuzz, but shades the fuzz a bit darker and smoother, and because it's NOT your guitar volume, you … Mods for the BYOC Fuzz Face Clone An integral part of the FuzzLab project was to take all the possible mods to the circuit and make them switchable from the front panel. This last quote from D. Cornell explains why the production switched to the modern, temperature independent, cheaper and stable silicon transistors like the BC183L, BC183KA, BC130C, BC108C, BC109C, BC209C, and BC239C. This analysis covers the first Arbitrer Fuzz Face model equipped with PNP germanium transistors from the first releases which are considered the best sounding. Fuzz Face JHF2 mod Today I came across a fuzz face (supposedly from -93). Some players find that the output volume is too low, but there is a simple mod to fix it. I bought this pedal in the 90's, played it once and threw it in the cupboard cause it sounded CRAP!!! The feedback path is filtered using the cap connected to the fuzz pot. 2.3 Circuit Bias Points.3. Ivor Arbiter took the round shaped enclosure idea from a microphone stand and it was the first pedal including a DPDT stomp-switch. Fuzz Face Output Stage. I'm going to order some extra caps to select the one I like most for the input cap when breadboarding the circuit, so that'll be okay. The earliest ones were Arbiter-England, then they … Both are important to make the circuit work correctly, especially the one in the feedback loop. The current flowing into the base of the first transistor is proportional to its collector voltage. However, it can be considered as a bad output impedance, it is too high and can carry problems when it is placed in the pedal chain. We have created a project so you can build the perfect Fuzz with all the knowledge and experience that we have while keeping the tweaks and character that make this vintage pedal distortion to sound round and harmonically pleasant. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Let divide this schematic in … This gain variation is crucial in the design, the best match uses a low gain in the first stage (β=70-80 approx.) var addyf2cdf60638434545208c32de59f274e6 = 'info' + '@'; Trademarks, brand names and logos are the property of their respective owners. Dennis Cornell: "All the transistors worked in a very similar way and all did the job, but they did give a slightly different tone. The emitter degeneration resistor RFUZZ creates a local negative feedback, making the second amplifier stage more stable and immune to gain variations due to temperature, bias current and transistor intrinsic properties. This is due to the RC filter created by C1 and the input impedance (5KΩ approx. The last block (the Feedback Network) will affect the rest of the analysis because it will influence the most important parameters: voltage gain, input impedance, output impedance and frequency response. The price for the RM mod is the same as the … 2.2 Fuzz Face Components Part List / Bill of Materials: This is the reduced list of components needed to build a Fuzz Face: 1 C1: 2.2 uF1 C2: 20 uF1 C3: 0.01 uF1 R1: 33KΩ1 R2: 470Ω1 R3: 8.KΩ1 R4: 100KΩ1 Rvol: 500KΩ (Audio tap)1 Rfuzz: 1KΩ (Linear tap)2 Q1, Q2: AC128 Jack in, Jack out, battery clip, DPDT foot-switch. 1. Right now I plan on ordering the following: For Q1: 100k trimpot, 250 pot (bigger range to play with) For Q2: 1k5 resistor in series with a 10k trimpot/10k pot Should I go higher for Q2, like 25K? For the bias values showed above, the fuzz potentiometer is set to the midpoint (500Ω), The DC voltages might change due to transistor, The important settings to get the best sound out of a Fuzz Face is to have Q1, For this math calculation the feedback network is ignored but in practice, it will lower the input impedance to 5K, load the guitar pickups. The only constraint is that the stock sound still has to be available. Maybe something on a switch with a fixed resistor instead of a pot for simplicity's sake. improvements. Electrical Engineering Thesis by William E. Overton focused on the Fuzz Face. Germanium transistors tend to have high leakage current and an inconsistent gain value. -Input tame control (like the Fulltone 69) with a trimpot, again bypassed by a switch. This arrangement gets the highest gain out of the transistor, which is good for a distortion device. Fuzz Face Frequency Response. Though it's a Tonebender ripoff, I prefer the Fuzz Face to virtually every Tonebender circuit. There is some controversy of when and where the 2-transistor topology appeared: the Tone Bender MK1.5 is similar to the Dick Denney designed Vox Distortion Booster circuit, nearly identical to the Italian made Vox Tone Bender circuit, and the Arbiter Fuzz Face circuit. Increasing this impedance will reduce the gain. The Fuzz Face. Shipped From. The fuzz face was re-issued from 1986 to 2000. The Fuzz-face by default uses a low-passed feedback loop to get the sound. As a rule of thumb, Zin should be at least 1 MΩ. Remember that the input stage had a gain of 18.6 dB, that leaves the second stage a total amount of 1dB of gain (19.5-18.6=0.9dB). With this emitter resistance added, the Common Emitter PNP major parameters (ignoring by the moment the feedback network) can be determined by the ratio between the collector resistors (R2 + R3) to and the emitter resistor (the portion of RFUZZ not shorted to ground through the 20uF cap). The quintessential fuzz. Germanium Transistor Selection: It is important to select the right transistor from the whole batch in order to archive the best effect performance. 3.2 Voltage Gain.4. FF Sound Signature II: Soft Clipping - Hard Clipping: As the second stage is driven harder, it can reach hard clipping in both semi-cycles of the signal. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; e-mail us at This email address is being protected from spambots. This email address is being protected from spambots. In terms of design, the bypass capacitor C2 should have a reactance, at the lowest frequency you are interested to amplify, less than the value of RFUZZ. The earliest ones were Arbiter-England, then they became Dallas-Arbiter England sometime in 1968 since then there have been a variety of words in the smile. If we are looking for high gain it is a common practice to have part or all of the emitter resistor grounded with a bypass capacitor. Very Good. Warranty Information. I don't think the FF output is large enough for this. Kind of like a turbo boost button. Fuzz Face Global Feedback Network. Whatcha planning here? BUT the output of the pedal is not directly taken from Q2 collector, there is a voltage divider created by R2 and R3 (the power supply is effectively at AC ground). If we take into consideration the feedback network, once again the second stage will not reach values as 18dB. Other fuzz pedals like the Big Muff Pi have a more distinctive frequency response that could shape the tone in a more innovative way. Eliminate any need for special considerations when powering your Fuzz Face with the other pedals on your pedal board. Additionally, a common complaint of Silicon Fuzz Face builders is the circuit is often susceptible to radio frequencies (RF). Listing Sold. This divider reduces the gain by a factor of R2/(R2+R3) = 470/(470+8K2) = 0.054 (-25dB), so the real gain of the output stage is: GVTOTAL = GVPEDAL - Attenuation of R2/(R2+R3)= 19.5 - 25 = -5.5dB. March 21, 2020 Artist Features, Effects, Effects Features, Effects Reviews analogman, Dallas Arbiter, Fuzz Face, fuzzface, Jimi Hendrix, sunface David Szabados. Fuzz face is really a simple circuit design, as you can already tell by the number of components of the circuit: 4 resistors, 3 capacitors and 2 transistors! Between that, adjustable bias, and switching between caps where it makes the most impact (B-C on Q2 or input cap), you'll have quite a versatile fuzz. A: With this mod, you get an additional knob ("Level") to control the amount of input signal that gets through to the Fuzz. This is a early 2000 UK made Arbiter Fuzz face in a grey case, that was modded by Analogman. Control the input/output impedance: raising or lowering their values. The variable power supply is a good idea. During its lifetime the pedal went through some minor cosmetic but major sonic changes. -On/off/on switch selecting one of two capacitors across the B-C junction of Q2 (one for a smoother sound, one for a huge bassy sound). Free Shipping. My sincere appreciation for D.Clark support. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. (When connecting the Arbiter Fuzz Face Clone circuit to your multimeter as shown in the photos below your meter will read -4.5v) The 20K trim pot is used to dial in this value. In the world of boutique fuzz pedal effects, Analog Man Mike Piera’s creations are among the most well-known and respected due to his … Initially designed around a pair of Germanium transistors, the first’s output feeding into the second’s input and, in turn, having its bias controlled by the output of the second transistor in a series feedback circuit. The tone control works better (not as fierce either side of center), and overall better sound to my ears. The effect became very popular because Jimi Hendrix played it and there were not many distortion pedals around at that time. My favourite is … Hendrix JH-2 FUZZ pedal "MUST DO MOD"!!! Fuzz Face PNP Germanium Transistor With Charge Pump Version. It produces a characteristic high distorted sound called fuzz.Ivor Arbiter took the round shaped enclosure idea from a microphone stand and it was the first pedal including a DPDT stomp-switch. 8.1 Datasheets. The Fuzz Face low input impedance will load the guitar pickups.