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Well, wanting to invert the signal there is sensible enough since the signal going into the tonestack is inverted. However it won't work as drawn because the AC signal going into the volume pot is shorted to ground through the smoothing capacitor. Easiest is probably to take it off the emitter and let it invert, otherwise you need to reconfigure that recovery stage some way or other.

That doesn't look like a "recovery" stage to me - it hasn't got any voltage gain! You need to very lightly load the James circuit (it's actually NOT a Baxandall), and it's lossy, so a bit of gain is really a good idea. An FET stage is sensible there!

Yes, you're all right. I messed up the stage after the james (:P) tone controll. Did this today morning between two lectures and it's still on my breadboard which is kinda messy at the moment. I was pretty much copying this one: download/file.php?id=10574&mode=view but tried to avoid the extra output as thing realy don't need that.
I'll gonna try something with a FET output stage - just some more research and reading.

Built this one yesterday. Great sounding fuzz. Thank's Mictester. I designed a new layout for BCE type transistors. If anyone is interested i can post the vero layout.

JOHNO wrote:Built this one yesterday. Great sounding fuzz. Thank's Mictester. I designed a new layout for BCE type transistors. If anyone is interested I can post the Vero layout.

Nice build!

I built one a few weeks ago using a CA 3046 (transistor array) just to confuse a friend of mine. It actually turned out better than I expected, because the transistors in the IC are quite low gain! My next effort will be a "Superfuzz" using the "long-tailed pair" in the 3046 for perfect octave balance.

Can wait for that. A super fuzz would be fuckin cool as. Always wanted to build one since I saw Greamy's (or something like that) video on you tube. But I forgot to put it on my list, it's on there now. You can never have too many fuzzers. And I'll just say that this tone bender kicks fuckin arse. I've build a few GE one's including the soul bender but this shit's all over them.

OK. I'll get the scribbles out of the notebook and onto this computer, and sort out a neat Vero layout for it. I've built LOTS of them over the years, and the ones using the 3046 always sound best!

mictester wrote:...and sort out a neat Vero layout for it.

Hi,

I've been pretty successfull making a nice 5 knob version based up on this. Best fuzz I've ever tried yet. As soon as I have some time I probably make a complete project file out of it.

Helge

HEAD wrote:a nice 5 knob version based up on this... I probably make a complete project file out of it.

Sounds great - Please do.

Just had a little spare time:



The most versatile fuzz I've ever built.

ibodog2 wrote:

HEAD wrote:Just had a little spare time:



The most versatile fuzz I've ever built.

Did you make any changes from the schematic you posted above?

Yes, I changed the values of the james tonestack to the ones CB used in their manx blablabla. Suites it very well!

That's my pcb so far. Ignore the 2nd 5k trim pot - I used a 100k at that place. Since it was that usefull I decided to make it an external pot, called "charge" in my built.

Nice! How did you do the graphic?

azrael wrote:Nice! How did you do the graphic?

Inkscape, patiences and back on decals originally meant for decorating your own mugs and dishes.

is there a way to increase gain by swapping some resistors, or should I just buy some hi gain trannies like 2n5088? I've built it and gain at max is medium at best. Q's are 2 BC109 and 2 BC546, before, they were all BC108 with hfe around 150. Cheers.

Rolbista wrote:is there a way to increase gain by swapping some resistors, or should I just buy some hi gain trannies like 2n5088?

Mine has BC109c throughout and it's pretty gainy at max, have you got the trimmer on the abuse pot, maybe give that a wiggle? mic mentioned early in the thread replacing the abuse pot with a 2k for a greater range.

hm, I'll give it a try, thanks

Problem ahead! Bender is VERY noisy, gain is still fuzz face-ish at best, trim pot doesn't help anything, different transistors either. Are there some sensitive spots on the board where a short or wrong value might cause such drastic effects? any common problems with that? Sound isn't very Tonebender - like. Yo.

I built one of these tonight.
Its awesome and worked first time !

Thanks for the sweet circuit and layout