Iron Butterfly Fuzz Wah.

Discussion regarding early stompbox technology: 1960-1975 Please keep discussion focused and contribute what info you have...
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digi2t
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Post by digi2t »

Found this on Ebay, with very little info on the net. On a positive note, great gut shot pictures. Negative note, missing some of the cap values (and wah pot too). Sent an email to the owner for more info, but no reply to date. He might not be interested in revealing the unknown. Anywho, here's the pics, and what I've drawn up as a schematic;

Image

Image

Image

Image

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The two circuits are in series, fuzz first, wah after. Whatever components I don't have values for, I've marked with (?). I'm just guessing here, using known circuit values. The tone section, I'm not too sure about, I'm not familiar with this layout. I've seen something similar in a Maestro fuzz schematic.

So, anyone feel like getting their inagaddadavida on with the breadboard on this one?
No matter how many times I cut it, it`s STILL too short!

https://www.deadendfx.com/

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jrod
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Post by jrod »

Nice job tracing this one out! Thanks for posting! :applause: :thumbsup

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digi2t
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Post by digi2t »

I breadboarded this last night. The tone control is kinda weird, it has a loss of volume when you're in the middle of the sweep. At the two extremes, the tone is either loud and deep, but not overly muffled, or loud and stinging, a la Inagada/Satisfaction.

The "dwell" control is interesting. At 0, it produces a nice gated note effect. Palm muted chicken picking gives you a sort of "banjo out of breath" type sound, for lack of a better description. The knarliest fuzz is around the middle of the dial, and sounds somewhat smoother towards 10.

All in all, with it set to treble, a rough fuzz on the dwell, and with a small practice amp blaring with a ton o'verb, it's hard not to play the Inagada hook, and not have a stupid smirk appear on your face.

Going to breadboard the wah section as well, and try them together. Should be interesting. It's just that tone section that bugs me, but I think my trace is correct. Maybe, since there is no volume, it acts as a combo control. Lower volume bass or treble tone in the middle, with either getting louder towards he extremities?
No matter how many times I cut it, it`s STILL too short!

https://www.deadendfx.com/

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Post by jrod »

I forgot I had traced this off the same pics. I just checked and I have exactly what you have.

That tone control is weird! :scratch:

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Post by agoldoor »

Vero! Vero! Vero! Vero!

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digi2t
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Post by digi2t »

agoldoor wrote:Vero! Vero! Vero! Vero!
Here, here, here, here!

Image

:lol:
No matter how many times I cut it, it`s STILL too short!

https://www.deadendfx.com/

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pinkjimiphoton
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Post by pinkjimiphoton »

i literally just missed these... three of the motherfuckers!!
i pulled the trigger, was in process of paying 100 bux for them when the guy pulled the listing.
i contacted him, now he wants a lot more for them...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-FUZZ-W ... true&rt=nc

can maybe get values from the gent if ya contact him, dino?
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digi2t
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Post by digi2t »

That sucks monkey doo man!!

How much does he want now? In any case, I saved the gut shots.
No matter how many times I cut it, it`s STILL too short!

https://www.deadendfx.com/

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pinkjimiphoton
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Post by pinkjimiphoton »

no idea bro. said he was researching them to relist. probably a lot!

i just wanted to build one for my collection of oddities, and flip the other. no big deal, i can always build one i guess. i DID ask the guy if he could get me better gut shots, but all i got is crickets so far.
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Post by digi2t »

You know, looking at all the gut shot I have now, my schematic looks to be correct. The only real unknowns are the wah pot, which uses a Colorsound lever arrangement for the sweep, and the inductor. This is what I pick out of all the pics;

Image

I now realize I had done a vero for this;

Image

and a video too! Dang!!



That's with a Dunlop inductor, and a 100K Hot Potz II.
No matter how many times I cut it, it`s STILL too short!

https://www.deadendfx.com/

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digi2t
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Post by digi2t »

Oh yeah, I remember too... the one I saw on EBay (that supplied me with the first gut shots), I contacted the seller, and gave him the video link. He wrote back telling me that I had pretty well nailed it sound-wise.
No matter how many times I cut it, it`s STILL too short!

https://www.deadendfx.com/

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pinkjimiphoton
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Post by pinkjimiphoton »

they relisted them, one for 200, the others for a 100 a piece. seller VERY kind, offered to take detailed gut shots. so i will email him when i get done with the weekend, kinda on the road this weekend for the last boogies of summer.... today, two tomorrow... will shoot email. hoping the pot is marked!

i may bite one with just the shell if it doesn't go and build one just for shitsngiggles ;)
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Post by digi2t »

Well, looking at the original pics that I posted, both pots are marked as A1000K (A1M). Are they original? Maybe. Maybe not. If the guy can pull the pots out of one of his units and look them over to validate this, that would be cool. Knowing what the wah pot is would be a plus.

As for the components, he moved one of the caps (in the fuzz section) enough that I could confirm that it's a 1000p, so all the components are accounted for. As for the transistors, the original pics that I posted shows CDCCS3415 domes. The net turns up MPS3415 transistor data. Looks like it might fit the part.
No matter how many times I cut it, it`s STILL too short!

https://www.deadendfx.com/

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Post by modman »

This pedal was designed and built by Ed Sanner (of Mosrite Fuzzrite fame) in Bakersfield California in 1970-71.

This is the original, very first of the line...number 1, and the only Iron Butterfly fuzz wah in existence with the original BMI logo on it instead of the Iron Butterfly logo.
Billy Mize (famed west coast country artist) teamed with Ed to produce this line of pedals in the early 70's. A contract was drawn up with the band Iron Butterfly, and their logo replaced the original BMI logo for production models. A subsequent contract dispute ended the production after only a few pedals had hit the market. Those pedals are extremely rare and very collectable. This is perhaps the most collectable.

I acquired this pedal from Bob Shade, owner of Hallmark guitars, who acquired it from Ed Sanner himself.
https://reverb.com/item/4825180-bmi-bil ... ack-silver
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