Death by Fuzz IV 1N5277B Diode

thepedalarchitect · Post by **thepedalarchitect** » 27 Apr 2023, 12:18

The Death by Fuzz IV (https://pcbguitarmania.com/wp-content/u ... g-Docs.pdf) requires specific zener diode 1N5277B which is nearly impossible to find.
Does anybody has a european source or equivalent for this diode? Datasheet says voltage should be 160V with 500mW.

Thanks in advance

Ichabod_Crane · Post by **Ichabod_Crane** » 27 Apr 2023, 15:42

Musikding has the PCB Guitar Mania kit of the Death by Fuzz III (not IV).
https://www.musikding.de/Death-By-Fuzz-III-kit

This is the document where you can see the version III has six 1N5277B.
https://pcbguitarmania.com/wp-content/u ... g-Docs.pdf

In the bill of material by Musikding the 1N5277B are replaced by Zener Diode 3,6v 0,5W.
https://musikding.de/docs/pcbguitarmani ... BOM_en.pdf

The IV version has just two 1N5277B used pretty much the same like the III version.
I don't know, but maybe that is a good replacement for this fuzz.

mauman · Post by **mauman** » 27 Apr 2023, 15:44

I agree with Ichabod. The way these diodes are being used, the Zener breakdown (reverse) voltage of 160V doesn't remotely matter. Your supply is only 9V, and the signal will hard clip way before it reaches that. So the forward voltage (Vf) of these diodes is what matters, and most Zeners will measure around 0.78 V @ 5mA. I'd use any old Zener with a breakdown voltage of 2V or more, and you should get similar results. You could also use a pair of silicon diodes like BAS33-TAP or BA282 which have a Vf in that same range. 1N4148 and most other silicon diodes run about 100 mV lower, but should also work.

: Zeners; Capture.JPG (33.78 KiB) Viewed 334 times

Manfred · Post by **Manfred** » 28 Apr 2023, 10:42

As far as I remember, the 1N5277 has a rounder curve around the knee voltage than the 1N4148, for example.
This gives a different shape of the clipped signal and thus the content of the harmonics.
But whether this is audible?

Manfred · Post by **Manfred** » 28 Apr 2023, 20:23

Here the logarithmic PN-junction curve of the 2N52xx diodes in forward direction and the curve transferred by me into the linear view.

thepedalarchitect · Post by **thepedalarchitect** » 19 May 2023, 17:26

I'm corrently building the Version 2 of the DBA Fuzz War Clone:

https://pcbguitarmania.com/wp-content/u ... uzz-II.pdf

I'm wandering if it's possible to add an extra Mids Pot like coda suggested in the tone section by adding an additional pot.
But the Death by Fuzz circuit seems to be a bit different - I guess the right resitor is R19.
What do you think about it and what values do you suggest?