Zvex - Fuzz Factory

soggybag · Post by **soggybag** » 21 May 2009, 05:10

Thanks for the reply. After swapping a transistor and connecting missing trace we have achieved fuzz! Things are sounding pretty good right now, even with the Si transistors. I'll have to break a couple Ge transistors and do another test before boxing things up.

Beedoola · Post by **Beedoola** » 21 May 2009, 05:23

Can any of you more experience blokes tell me if this idea will work, I posted a page back but with no help

I want to wire the stab to a switch where I can change between 2 different types of wiring and get different sounds. I wired the Stab according to the diagram Scruffie posted, prior to that I had the Stab wired: Lug 3 to 9v, 2 & 1 jumped with drive and going to the PCB, this produced different oscillation sounds. The current wiring, as indicated in the diagram mentioned above is: Drive to Lug 3 of Stab and going to PCB, 2 & 1 jumped going to 9v

Can I wire the stab to a switch so I can choose between the two wiring types? If so, how would I do it?

ShortScaleMike · Post by **ShortScaleMike** » 21 May 2009, 08:40

Sure, just tap off the 9VDC input to the circuit and have that as your switch pole. and then the two throws go to your two different stab pots.

Beedoola · Post by **Beedoola** » 21 May 2009, 20:25

Well I was trying to avoid have two stab pots cause of the enclosure I'm using but that may be a good idea...Can it be done with just one stab pot?

Ozzie 88 · Post by **Ozzie 88** » 21 May 2009, 21:50

Hi All, I'm new here but have been following this thread for a while and tried most of the layouts with different components but still cant get it to work! So i've given in and come on here to ask for help!

A Few Q's first if i may,
Does it matter if i use different styles of pot or even trimpots aswell as normal size pots? (As im planning to put this straight in a guitar)
Does the 100nF cap need to be a specific type (ceramic/mylar?)
Does it matter if i make the board smaller by 'cramming' up the components and not using as many spaces between them?

Heres a few pics so far:

: DSCF1899.JPG (48.82 KiB) Viewed 1521 times

: DSCF1898.JPG (56.92 KiB) Viewed 1521 times

: DSCF1896.JPG (50.87 KiB) Viewed 1522 times

: DSCF1895.JPG (49.87 KiB) Viewed 1523 times

Also as im planning on putting this in a guitar is there a way of wiring it so it turns the battery on when i plug the guitar lead in, as im using a seperate switch at the moment but would prefer to drill less holes in my guitar?!

Scruffie · Post by **Scruffie** » 21 May 2009, 22:04

Looking good &

to the forum.

Trimmers should be fine as replacements for the Pots and any style of pot will work fine as long as it has the right taper (Lin rather than Log)

100nF Can be pretty much any type of non electrolytic, so a ceramic is fine (Some people say other caps have different tonal qualities although you probably wont be able to tell that much unless your a complete tone junky)

And you can cram it up as long as the track cuts remain in the right places and the components remain in the same positions/order/strip row but if theres space feel free to cram if you can work out how to.

Issues you could be having -
Are your transistors too leaky? Have you tested them with R.G's leakage tester from http://www.geofex.com (hence my suggestion to most to use BC558B silicon transistors as theres no worry about this issue)

Have you burnt the transistors out? (I notice you've soldered them straight to the board, most of the time it is advised to use sockets for Germanium transistors as they are highly heat sensitive and damage easily)

Hope this is of some use,

Scruffie.

Edit: As for wiring it so that it comes on, you could just replace the guitars mono jack with a stereo jack and used the switched side so the battery connects when you plug the lead in but then the fuzz factory would always be on (However you could use a DPDT Push/Pull pot I think to turn it on or off then just wire it in with the output jack, i'l do a diagram if this is the sort of thing you mean.

trad3mark · Post by **trad3mark** » 21 May 2009, 22:43

Ozzie 88 wrote: Also as im planning on putting this in a guitar is there a way of wiring it so it turns the battery on when i plug the guitar lead in, as im using a seperate switch at the moment but would prefer to drill less holes in my guitar?!

don't have it to come on when you plug in the jack. seriously.

there's a billion reasons why that's bad. If you want a non invasive switch, go for a push/pull pot, or, mount a small latching switch somewhere.

ShortScaleMike · Post by **ShortScaleMike** » 22 May 2009, 06:05

trad3mark wrote:
Ozzie 88 wrote: Also as im planning on putting this in a guitar is there a way of wiring it so it turns the battery on when i plug the guitar lead in, as im using a seperate switch at the moment but would prefer to drill less holes in my guitar?!
don't have it to come on when you plug in the jack. seriously.

there's a billion reasons why that's bad. If you want a non invasive switch, go for a push/pull pot, or, mount a small latching switch somewhere.

A billion reasons? Name one.

It seems sensible from where I'm standing.

hazelwould · Post by **hazelwould** » 22 May 2009, 06:38

How would I go about adjusting for more bass? Lower in/ out caps? Also could I make this switchable from stock to bass boost? How would I go about wiring it? I have a general idea, but am not 100% sure. Thanks for the info!!

Barcode · Post by **Barcode** » 22 May 2009, 13:53

Scruffie wrote:Looking good & to the forum.

Trimmers should be fine as replacements for the Pots and any style of pot will work fine as long as it has the right taper (Lin rather than Log)

Actually, taper will not affect functionality. as long as the resistance value is the same, taper is only going to affect the "feel" of the pot, not it's functionality.

Scruffie · Post by **Scruffie** » 22 May 2009, 14:22

Barcode wrote:
Scruffie wrote:Looking good & to the forum.

Trimmers should be fine as replacements for the Pots and any style of pot will work fine as long as it has the right taper (Lin rather than Log)

Actually, taper will not affect functionality. as long as the resistance value is the same, taper is only going to affect the "feel" of the pot, not it's functionality.

Yea I thought about editing it afterwards to make it sound less like log just straight out wouldn't work, I realised it at the time it came accross like that, but then I decided... never mind.

Scruffie · Post by **Scruffie** » 22 May 2009, 14:31

hazelwould wrote:How would I go about adjusting for more bass? Lower in/ out caps? Also could I make this switchable from stock to bass boost? How would I go about wiring it? I have a general idea, but am not 100% sure. Thanks for the info!!

I assume you just want a cap switch then right? if so heres something I quickly (and badly) drew in paint, but it gets the idea accross.

I think in general you usually increase the input and output caps to increase the amount of low pass or Bass but you'll have to experiment with different values to get what you want.

trad3mark · Post by **trad3mark** » 22 May 2009, 14:52

ShortScaleMike wrote:
trad3mark wrote:
Ozzie 88 wrote: Also as im planning on putting this in a guitar is there a way of wiring it so it turns the battery on when i plug the guitar lead in, as im using a seperate switch at the moment but would prefer to drill less holes in my guitar?!
don't have it to come on when you plug in the jack. seriously.

there's a billion reasons why that's bad. If you want a non invasive switch, go for a push/pull pot, or, mount a small latching switch somewhere.
A billion reasons? Name one.

It seems sensible from where I'm standing.

eh... not playing a muse song?

infact, playing any clean song.

ShortScaleMike · Post by **ShortScaleMike** » 22 May 2009, 14:54

trad3mark wrote:
ShortScaleMike wrote:
trad3mark wrote:
Ozzie 88 wrote: Also as im planning on putting this in a guitar is there a way of wiring it so it turns the battery on when i plug the guitar lead in, as im using a seperate switch at the moment but would prefer to drill less holes in my guitar?!
don't have it to come on when you plug in the jack. seriously.

there's a billion reasons why that's bad. If you want a non invasive switch, go for a push/pull pot, or, mount a small latching switch somewhere.
A billion reasons? Name one.

It seems sensible from where I'm standing.
eh... not playing a muse song?

infact, playing any clean song.

What does the power switching methodology have to do with whether the Fuzz Factory is engaged or not?

Precisely nothing. Just think on that for a second, how does any regular stompbox switch power and signal?

Ozzie 88 · Post by **Ozzie 88** » 22 May 2009, 14:57

Ah what i meant is similar to how it goes in the box....standard bypass switch on the guitar but only connects the battery when i insert the jack like it does in the box.

I will try usuing the 558B transistors now and see if that helps...also does it matter which way i have the resistors? (my A level physics down the drain i fear!)

aaah a DP/DT pot sounds good...means i dont have to drill another hole too!! but for now i will try just to get it working at all!!

Scruffie · Post by **Scruffie** » 22 May 2009, 14:58

Your right, hes saying about using a seperate switch for powering isn't he rather than just the true bypass switch, just came accross as he didn't want any switches to turn it on, just for it to be powered when he plugged it in.

trad3mark · Post by **trad3mark** » 22 May 2009, 15:03

yeah thats fine, but dont wreck your guitar by having permanent fuzz on it...

Scruffie · Post by **Scruffie** » 22 May 2009, 15:05

Ozzie 88 wrote:Ah what i meant is similar to how it goes in the box....standard bypass switch on the guitar but only connects the battery when i insert the jack like it does in the box.

I will try usuing the 558B transistors now and see if that helps...also does it matter which way i have the resistors? (my A level physics down the drain i fear!)

aaah a DP/DT pot sounds good...means i dont have to drill another hole too!! but for now i will try just to get it working at all!!

Yes, that makes sense now, yea just replace your guitars mono jack with a stereo jack and your sorted.

Try to use Sockets for transistors (A 6 Pin DIP (Chip) Socket snipped in half works fine, although sockets can be bought in line), I don't know how good your soldering skills are but it removes any possibility of burning out the transistors and allows for quick changing to try out different sets to get different sounds or different sets that might work where others may not.

Yea a DPDT push pull would remove and drilling and removes the chance of accidently flicking a toggle switch on when you pick.

Resistors do not have an orientation, the main components that do are Electrolytic Caps, Batteries of course, Transistors & chips, Ceramic or non polarzied caps & resistors are passive components and have no orientation.

As you are taking A levels, I assume you are in the U.K in which case I suggest using http://www.bitsbox.co.uk to get BC558B PNP transistors and most of your other components.

Scruffie.

Ozzie 88 · Post by **Ozzie 88** » 22 May 2009, 15:31

Nah i took my Alevels 2 years ago now...gotta B in Physics! Yeh i think i'll start again and use sockets this time....my soldering isnt that great and now that i think about it the trannies did seem to get quite hot when i was soldering them!

Yeh i've used bitsbox before..proper fast service and cant believe i got 11m of cable for like £2!!

speaking of non-polarised caps...do they work in this circuit too...got a couple of them laying around so may try them??

hazelwould · Post by **hazelwould** » 22 May 2009, 15:59

Scruffie wrote:
hazelwould wrote:How would I go about adjusting for more bass? Lower in/ out caps? Also could I make this switchable from stock to bass boost? How would I go about wiring it? I have a general idea, but am not 100% sure. Thanks for the info!!
I assume you just want a cap switch then right? if so heres something I quickly (and badly) drew in paint, but it gets the idea accross.

I think in general you usually increase the input and output caps to increase the amount of low pass or Bass but you'll have to experiment with different values to get what you want.

Cool man, so if I wanted the in an out on the same switch, would I just wire both up to the same side of the switch? Or would I have to have 2? I'd prefer 1 if there's a way to wire it like that.

Zvex - Fuzz Factory [traced]