First build done! - Fuzz Face

[yawny]

Well my other thread title was a little misleading, so I'll use this one instead since the pedal is basically done.

Finally got my fuzz face clone all finished, some of the wires inside are a little long, but the pedal isn't for show, it growls.

I used the standard fuzz face circuit plus a few extras: i added a gain trim pot where the 8k2 resistor should be and added a pulldown resistor and true bypass. My transistors were the medium gain fuzz face matched set from Banzai music and were well worth the wait.

Going to get it base coated then add decals sometime in the next week. Will post internals when that happens.

This thing really gets a wide range of tones. With the fuzz knob rolled all the way back it still has a little bite and can be used as a volume boost with a little grit.

About halfway up on the fuzz gives a nice snarly fuzz sound, i can pull a perfect I Got Mine from it through my Bassman.

Turned all the way up.. well i don't really know what it sounds like. Not quite a sound i've ever heard before, but definitely fuzzy (i can't imagine a higher gain set)

 

[Dr.Distortion]

Good Fuzz Faces are in a league all there own...
I've got an original '66 that I'll never part with. Nothing like it...

 

[yawny]

I'd have to say that this is definitely a good one. Sure, it's basic, but the sound is definitely on par or better than fizzes I've heard in the 150-200 dollar range. It just seems to gel with my amp and is super responsive.

 

[bluesguitar65]

Would you post a youtube?

 

[yawny]

I'm going out of town tomorrow and I find my playing to be pretty atrocious, but I'll try to get a video up on Friday.

It's definitely hard to explain how this thing sounds, you just have to hear it.

 

[Nicky]

 

[alcomoholik]

Good Fuzz Faces are in a league all there own...
I've got an original '66 that I'll never part with. Nothing like it...

Absolutely. I'm an Si fan, and a good fuzzface into some hot EL34s is a near religious experience!

 

[yawny]

Made a short (crappy) demo and uploaded it to YouTube but there wasn't any sound. Trying again. Should be up if an hour and a half or so.

 

[bluesguitar65]

Made a short (crappy) demo and uploaded it to YouTube but there wasn't any sound. Trying again. Should be up if an hour and a half or so.

Can't wait to hear and see it.

 

[yawny]

Currently uploading. I'm not entirely satisfied with the way my mice made it sound. I used a 57 up close and a ldc about 3 feet away to open the sound but it still ended up pretty boxy. Not to mention it sounds much higher gain than it actually is.

 

[yawny]

Here ya go, excuse my playing and the recorded sound, it's the first time that i've mic'd the Bassman and they didn't seem to want to cooperate.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsBkliVKfAo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsBkliVKfAo[/ame]

 

[Dr.Distortion]

Nice....

Seems to have good touch sensitivity...

Good job!

 

[yawny]

Nice....

Seems to have good touch sensitivity...

Good job!

Thanks! Personally I think it sounds horrible in the video compared to real life and my playing is bad. Haha.

And it does, very responsive to picking dynamics and almost too fast of a fuzz rolloff with the volume knob.

Thanks again

 

[bluesguitar65]

Great fuzz tone on that pedal. You really getting me inspired to build my own fuzz.

 

[yawny]

Thanks!

The Fuzz Face is definitely the easiest fuzz to build, but even so, it requires time and parts an patience. Haha

IMO, it's very rewarding, plugging it in clicking the switch and seeing the led light up while you hear that ungodly fuzz rip out of the amp

 

[Dr.Distortion]

Are your transistors Si or Ge... (they sound kinda' Ge to me but not sure)

 

[yawny]

Germanium. The recording made them sound a little harsh. Irl it's a really natural sounding germanium fuzz.