freestompboxes.org

Check for the slightly darker colouring on the (usually) bottom. That's negative. They are all orientated the same way except C8 i think, but don't quote me on that!
Have a careful look and you'll pick it.

Thank you Metulmykul! I would never have noticed that if you hadn't pointed it out. Nice one.

First post, I apologize if this is in the completely wrong folder. I have searched online to try to figure out what the dotted line on the schematic is. I've also search on the FSB forums, but no luck. Any ideas?

Schem

Both dotted lines are confusing, I originally thought the bottom one was related to the effect on/off switch, however it seems there already is that switch taken into account. I just have no idea what these relate to.

Thanks again,
this website is amazing thus far,
-HB

moderator wrote:message edited to place a link to the schem instead of the HUGE pic...

You are right. It is related to the on/off switch. The schematic is showing the effect in the on position and the dotted lines show where the signal would pass in the off position.

hbwells wrote:First post, I apologize if this is in the completely wrong folder. I have searched online to try to figure out what the dotted line on the schematic is. I've also search on the FSB forums, but no luck. Any ideas?

Topics merged... Didn't you find THIS thread? I got it by typing in "superfuzz"...

jrod wrote:The schematic is showing the effect in the on position and the dotted lines show where the signal would pass in the off position.

I would have thought this was to show which switches change state when the button is pushed. The OFF signal path is not in dotted lines at all... Can someone ensure this?

hbwells wrote:First post, I apologize if this is in the completely wrong folder. I have searched online to try to figure out what the dotted line on the schematic is. I've also search on the FSB forums, but no luck. Any ideas?

Schem

Both dotted lines are confusing, I originally thought the bottom one was related to the effect on/off switch, however it seems there already is that switch taken into account. I just have no idea what these relate to.

Thanks again,
this website is amazing thus far,
-HB

moderator wrote:message edited to place a link to the schem instead of the HUGE pic...

The dotted lines indicate that the 2 switches are tied together (i.e.: they operate together when activated). Usually means they are part of the same switch.

lolbou wrote:Can someone ensure this?

theehman wrote:they operate together when activated

Seems like it...

The dotted lines indicate that the 2 switches are tied together (i.e.: they operate together when activated). Usually means they are part of the same switch.

Well, I learned something today!

A dotted line indicates a dual pot as well.

And, in this case, a switch (DC power) on a pot.

MoreCowbell wrote:Incredible - after searching "univox" , "super" + "fuzz", and "superfuzz" theres no thread on this classic effect.

Anyway, schematics can be found HERE

...and a Vero layout, verified just today! It's probably bigger than it needs to be, but there are no track cuts hidden under components, no cramped components and it sounds really great. I've built two versions - one with 2N3904s and one with BC550s - both sound really great. The BC550s were quieter.... Enjoy!

For what it's worth, my first real pedal build was the BYOC Leeds kit, and that was to replace a real Super-Fuzz I used to have with an iffy footswitch (said pedal is pictured in my avatar). The BYOC kit (which I still gig with) uses 1N34A's as clippers, just like my Super-Fuzz did (even though all the schems I've seen have OA90s) and it sounds... raspier. I've never been able to get quite as smooth of a sound out of the Leeds kit as I could the original (which I since sold to a guy in Canada for way more than I paid for it). (Yes, I know calling a Univox Super-Fuzz "smooth" is a term that should be interpreted loosely at best, but I just mean the original was smoother relative to the BYOC kit)

One thing has always bugged me about the original Super-Fuzz I had (and every gut shot I've ever seen has been the same): why did they make all those loops out of the leads on the diodes? See the gut shot from Uzzfay; mine was the same way: picture

Am I correct in thinking the last transistor (after the balance pot) is just boosting the signal? Seems like some interesting things could be done there, if so (using some sort of FET booster for a different sound, etc).

deadllama wrote: Am I correct in thinking the last transistor (after the balance pot) is just boosting the signal? Seems like some interesting things could be done there, if so (using some sort of FET booster for a different sound, etc).

Yes. It's a level recovery stage. The germanium diodes severely limit the level available. There's no real point in changing the type of stage there - there's so much distortion going on before it that you won't hear the change! You could consider changing the tone control stage - the original switched version is very limited - you could have a look at my passive James control in another thread (Big Muff Plus).

hey mictester, thanks for the vero
just a question, is row J jumpered to row N and then J to D?

I'm wondering the same thing, I've built mictester's vero with row J jumpered to row N and then J to D? Not getting any sound, though the LED and bypass are working.

I've also tried just having the jumper N to D, no sound there either. Now I'm wondering if having it the orginal way killed it. That likely?

Anyway, knowing how this jumper should be on this layout would be good start to help me start the debugging.

Cheers.

bootle wrote:hey mictester, thanks for the vero
just a question, is row J jumpered to row N and then J to D?

Yes!

thanks mictester!
cool, I got it working, kind of.
my trim pot doesn't seem to have any effect, though it still sounds pretty good.

JMfreak, I had the same symptoms as you until I turned the transistors around the other way.
If you're using 2N3904s, they go the other way to what's implied in the vero (curved face pointing left).

ok trimpot works now, re-orientated it with the single leg to one side.
love the bassy setting on the tone switch, probably worth putting on a footswitch.

Yep, using 2N3904s, so will turn around. Thanks for that, can't wait to give that a go.

My friend Max came over with his SF build to have me help troubleshoot it. It was obvious from the sound that he had reversed the transistors and fried them before putting them in correctly. Fortunately I had plenty of extra 2222s around so we got him sorted out. I thought I would mention it with all the talk of transistor orientation on this thread. If you reverse them in this circuit and apply power, you may need to replace them or you will have a lot of extra crackle and hiss.

Anyway Max hit me off with a extra PCB (his design using Kicad) he got manufactured, so I built it and here's some pics:
bypass switching on board, weird... I always do it on the switch
footswitchable tone is cool
sounds the same with all 2n3053s and 1n270s, as expected
this board had a spot for the 3k3, but I ended up going with 1k there... more range on the "expander" without being able to completely turn off the sound been waiting for just the right project to put in this badass box which I found undrilled but pre-"reliced" at a recycled building materials center
steel top, alu bottom, doesn't flex when stomped
this fuzz is so gnarly it needs side vents
zinc stomp washers from local hardware store... don't match exactly but look a lot better than the white ones to me