EarthQuaker Devices - Hoof Fuzz

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JVanDe7
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Post by JVanDe7 »

By the way, this is what I want my Muff to sound like when I grow up...

(sounds even more impressive w/the actual dvd through actual speakers)


Or this...
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Post by JVanDe7 »

Alright well I've ALMOST got it perfect. Sooo close. I swapped Q2 and Q3 for Germanium transistors and biased them at 4.5 volts and it sounds absolutely badass. The red LED's for all four clipping diodes and the Ge trannies seem to really have done the trick and got me a very Hoof-like Muff.

The only thing I'm having trouble duplicating is the Hoof tone stack. I have quite a bit of treble even when the tone knob is fully CCW. If I recall (used to own two different 3-knob Hoof fuzzes) it should be very bassy with not much treble at all when the tone knob is anywhere near full CCW.

It's not a huge deal because it sounds really good at almost all tone settings, but it's so strange to have that much treble when the tone knob is set so bassy. It just adds the bass freqs when I turn it CCW and doesn't cut any treble. Advice?
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Troll_face
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Post by Troll_face »

What did you use for q1 and q4? 2n5088 or 2n3904? I built a green muff using gt404g germs for q2 and q3, red LED's, and 2n5088 for q1 and q4. It sounds pretty hoofy. Do you think I should try to swap the 2n5088's for 2n3904's?

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Post by JVanDe7 »

2N5088 is what I used for Q1 and Q4. Sounded great to me but it never hurts to experiment right?
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Post by Troll_face »

I don't know if anyone in this thread has seen it, but somebody posted a hoof schematic on this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=15775&hilit=hoof&start=20
And here's the schematic:
https://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z3 ... s/HOOF.jpg

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Post by jrod »

I was just checking out a of the Hoof and noticed that they are now using Russian germanium transistors. Looks like MP something. Maybe MP42?

Just thought this was kind of cool. I love those Russian germaniums.
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HOOF - MP.PNG
HOOF - MP.PNG (293.5 KiB) Viewed 4251 times

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Post by GuitarlCarl »

Troll_face wrote:I don't know if anyone in this thread has seen it, but somebody posted a hoof schematic on this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=15775&hilit=hoof&start=20
And here's the schematic:
https://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z3 ... s/HOOF.jpg

Haha! It was speculation and deduction from THIS thread that lead me to draw it... but it does sound right.
IMO, the tone controls need some work tho. Personally I like the 5E3 tone stack... but then its not a Hoof is it... :blackeye
I want it to sound like bees buzzing around in a 55 gallon drum...

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Post by JVanDe7 »

Truth be told I could not get my Hoof clone to sound like the real deal. It was close but yeah the tone control was not hoof-like at all. I sold it to a fella on Craigslist and he loves it. It did sound really good but I need to get a real Hoof me thinks. Jamie is a good dude and I don't mind supporting Earthquaker.

Finding a used Hoof is tricky. They go quick.
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Post by GuitarlCarl »

^+1 But why used... $165.00 new, + free shipping all day on ixNay er eBay...
I want it to sound like bees buzzing around in a 55 gallon drum...

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Post by Troll_face »

jrod wrote:I was just checking out a of the Hoof and noticed that they are now using Russian germanium transistors. Looks like MP something. Maybe MP42?

Just thought this was kind of cool. I love those Russian germaniums.
Yeah those russian germs do sound good. My green muff with russian gt404g's and red leds sounds great. However, those transistors in these pictures can't be mp42's. Mp42's are pnp, not npn.

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Post by jrod »

Troll_face wrote: However, those transistors in these pictures can't be mp42's. Mp42's are pnp, not npn.
Aha! You're right! I didn't even think of that! :slap:

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Post by bato001 »

azrael wrote:Are those high gain Germaniums? I thought you needed at least 300 hFe to make this circuit work well.
You can use transistors with an HFE as low as 90 if you replace the ceramic cap between Q2 and Q3 with an electrolytic cap. That is the 'secret' to using low HFE transistors in a Big Muff circuit. I think it is the DC leakage through the electrolytic that ups the fuzz into buzz saw like sweetness.

See this thread regarding the Swollen Pickle circuit. The Quad transistor array used (NTE2321) only has an HFE of around 100.
"Ever wondered how some of your favourite guitar players got their tone? Me too. Probably a good amp and lots of practice." Little Lord Electronics Homepage

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Post by Troll_face »

bato001 wrote:
azrael wrote:Are those high gain Germaniums? I thought you needed at least 300 hFe to make this circuit work well.
You can use transistors with an HFE as low as 90 if you replace the ceramic cap between Q2 and Q3 with an electrolytic cap. That is the 'secret' to using low HFE transistors in a Big Muff circuit. I think it is the DC leakage through the electrolytic that ups the fuzz into buzz saw like sweetness.

See this thread regarding the Swollen Pickle circuit. The Quad transistor array used (NTE2321) only has an HFE of around 100.
Thanks, however, i built mine BMP with gt404's, picked a couple that sounded best (hfe around 120 (didn't test the leakage, but i expect it was high)). Didn't change any caps and IMHO it works pretty well. Would changing the cap increase gain, or would something else change too?

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Post by bato001 »

Troll_face wrote:
bato001 wrote:
azrael wrote:Are those high gain Germaniums? I thought you needed at least 300 hFe to make this circuit work well.
You can use transistors with an HFE as low as 90 if you replace the ceramic cap between Q2 and Q3 with an electrolytic cap. That is the 'secret' to using low HFE transistors in a Big Muff circuit. I think it is the DC leakage through the electrolytic that ups the fuzz into buzz saw like sweetness.

See this thread regarding the Swollen Pickle circuit. The Quad transistor array used (NTE2321) only has an HFE of around 100.
Thanks, however, i built mine BMP with gt404's, picked a couple that sounded best (hfe around 120 (didn't test the leakage, but i expect it was high)). Didn't change any caps and IMHO it works pretty well. Would changing the cap increase gain, or would something else change too?
All it does is increase the gain. I have tried .1uf and 1uF electrolytics in that spot without significantly changing the 'tone' of the pedal. If it already sounds good, might be best to leave it alone. :D
"Ever wondered how some of your favourite guitar players got their tone? Me too. Probably a good amp and lots of practice." Little Lord Electronics Homepage

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Post by DonDougie »

FYI, I just finished a Hoof based on Kit Rae's trace - don't know if anyone on here has seen it already, it's at

http://www.bigmuffpage.com/Big_Muff_Pi_ ... part3.html

and it is hands down the best sounding Muff type pedal I've ever built! Wonderfully gritty sounding and really fat higher up the neck. I don't have a real one to compare, but this sounds and behaves just like in the demos, which is good enough for me ;)

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Post by andregarcia57 »

The original leds are 3mm clear red?

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Post by basicchannel »

andregarcia57 wrote:The original leds are 3mm clear red?
Yes.

Image

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Post by andregarcia57 »

I used SE4010 Fairchild Q2 Q3 Transistor, HFE around 180 and sound sounds pretty good .... now it's wait germanios to see if there is much difference.

Will this transistor work well on Q2Q3?
NPN Hot Germanium For The Big Muff
http://smallbear-electronics.mybigcomme ... -big-muff/

or
ETCO NPN Germanium 2N1306
http://smallbear-electronics.mybigcomme ... um-2n1306/

thanks
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Figura1.jpg

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Post by icziko »

basicchannel wrote:
andregarcia57 wrote:The original leds are 3mm clear red?
Yes.

[ Image ]
Question: During play, can You see flashing all D1-D4 diodes or only D3-D4?

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Post by bato001 »

icziko wrote:
basicchannel wrote:
andregarcia57 wrote:The original leds are 3mm clear red?
Yes.

[ Image ]
Question: During play, can You see flashing all D1-D4 diodes or only D3-D4?
Clipping diodes, even LEDs, do not normally light up at all.
"Ever wondered how some of your favourite guitar players got their tone? Me too. Probably a good amp and lots of practice." Little Lord Electronics Homepage

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