Boss Hyper Fuzz (FZ-2)

sosodef · Post by **sosodef** » 01 Nov 2007, 11:24

I sure don't quite understand how to remove the buffers and switching system. It would be cool to build a clone and tweak it. This was always a cool design.

k o y l · Post by **k o y l** » 08 Jan 2008, 00:40

Is it possible and compllcated to re-housse it in a new box as it is ?
I'm a beginner at all this so unless I have a clear easy to understand diagram, I won't be able to change the boss switch for a true bypass switch...

I'd like to re-house it order to add a boost or/and battery sag circuit in the same pedal...

Dirk_Hendrik · Post by **Dirk_Hendrik** » 08 Jan 2008, 07:58

Why would you remove the buffers???

soulsonic · Post by **soulsonic** » 08 Jan 2008, 08:11

Dirk_Hendrik wrote:Why would you remove the buffers???

Yes, it certainly looks like they are an essential part of the circuit, even if the FET switching is changed to something else. The input buffer is a nice high-Z JFET too.

As Dirk mentioned in another thread some time ago; a clever person would use the existing soft switch/flip flop circuit to drive a relay for true bypass. I think that's a great idea, and I'd like to experiment with it myself. It would be a much better solution than hacking up a perfectly good pedal.

k o y l · Post by **k o y l** » 08 Jan 2008, 22:45

soulsonic wrote:
Dirk_Hendrik wrote:Why would you remove the buffers???
As Dirk mentioned in another thread some time ago; a clever person would use the existing soft switch/flip flop circuit to drive a relay for true bypass. I think that's a great idea, and I'd like to experiment with it myself. It would be a much better solution than hacking up a perfectly good pedal.

mmm.. since I'm a newbie at all this and don't feel like wrestling with a relay right now, I might as well leave the pedal on all the time and switch it On and Off with what would be a true bypass looper box system except that it would be in the same enclosure than the pedal circuit...
This way, I could include the starving battery and a boost circuit in the same box..

TDR1138 · Post by **TDR1138** » 23 Apr 2010, 18:16

Dredging up an old thread...

I’m pretty green at this whole modding thing, but have one of these lying around that isn’t getting much use, so I’d like to see what can be done. I can’t decipher a schematic, so hoping some of you can help.

Really, I’m looking for a few possible things out of this:
1) the fuzz is so thick that it really isn’t good for anything other than a I-V power chord or a blistering rendition of “Hey, Hey, My, My,” especially in Fuzz I mode, so is there any way to reduce the saturation? I’d like to clear it up in both Fuzz I and Fuzz II modes.
2) I originally got this with the intent to use if for bass, so I’d really like to know if it could be tweaked to let more low end through, especially in Fuzz I mode.

So, any thoughts on how to mod this?

dread pierat · Post by **dread pierat** » 24 Apr 2010, 12:40

Your best bet would be to sell it, as it is very popular with the stoner/doom crowd (check out Electric Wizard) and it can do a lot of the Korn/Deftones sounds. Ugly and heavily used items can still fetch some good money.

Behringer SF300 is a plastic clone of the FZ-2 (which is a modified Univox Superfuzz clone) and would be a much better candidate to 'mod'.

1) Not really -- this is what the circuit does. Maybe replace everything from 'GAIN' to 'S1B' with a Tube Screamer clipping section?

2) A dry blend knob/mixer could be installed near the mode switch, S1A or S1B.

RnFR · Post by **RnFR** » 24 Apr 2010, 16:26

dread pierat wrote: (which is a modified Univox Superfuzz clone)

why, because it's got a differential amplifer? i'd say the two have MUCH more that is different than they do alike. you would hardly be able to modify a superfuzz into an FZ2, you'd be much better off just building one from scratch.

kareemk · Post by **kareemk** » 24 Apr 2010, 19:50

why would you wanna sell it or mod it... Electric Wizard ftw!
check out funeralopolis on youtube

dread pierat · Post by **dread pierat** » 24 Apr 2010, 23:40

RnFR wrote:why, because it's got a differential amplifer? i'd say the two have MUCH more that is different than they do alike. you would hardly be able to modify a superfuzz into an FZ2, you'd be much better off just building one from scratch.

Because in my opinion the business end of the FZ-2 - the octave and clipping section - is pretty much identical to the Univox, and the voicing of Fuzz I is similar to the notch switch on Superfuzz, only with a higher notch frequency and a little more treble rolloff. Then BOSS added the Fuzz II channel with a different voicing, the (maybe superfluous) Boost option, and a pretty nice tone section. Is this really enough to turn "super" into "hyper"?

I agree you cannot easily mod the Superfuzz into an FZ-2, but to mod an FZ-2 into a convincing Superfuzz all you need to do is change one resistor and one capacitor, jumper another resistor, cut another capacitor, and move the level pot and output to the 1k resistor after IC1a. Then change the diode clippers, and you should be good to go.

RnFR · Post by **RnFR** » 25 Apr 2010, 00:26

alright, i see where you're comin from.

and electric wizard does kick ass btw!

TDR1138 · Post by **TDR1138** » 26 Apr 2010, 14:32

dread pierat wrote:to mod an FZ-2 into a convincing Superfuzz all you need to do is change one resistor and one capacitor, jumper another resistor, cut another capacitor, and move the level pot and output to the 1k resistor after IC1a. Then change the diode clippers, and you should be good to go.

Any chance you can point the ignorant (me) in the right direction on how exactly to do this?

I'll have to check out Electric Wizard, btw.

dread pierat · Post by **dread pierat** » 26 Apr 2010, 19:06

To mess up your valuable pedal all you need is to reference a Superfuzz schematic and alter the highlighted areas in the attachment accordingly.

Clippers: D4,D5. Change to some nice germaniums.
Notch filter: Cut, replace and jumper.

Then move the output to the output of IC1a.

TDR1138 · Post by **TDR1138** » 26 Apr 2010, 20:02

dread pierat wrote:To mess up your valuable pedal....

Now that's what I like to hear!

I'll give it some thought. Maybe throw it up on craigslist, see if I get any bites, and if not, then heat up the iron. Thanks for the advice.

xfree · Post by **xfree** » 30 Oct 2010, 19:37

dread pierat wrote:To mess up your valuable pedal all you need is to reference a Superfuzz schematic and alter the highlighted areas in the attachment accordingly.

Clippers: D4,D5. Change to some nice germaniums.
Notch filter: Cut, replace and jumper.

Then move the output to the output of IC1a.

Hi people! I recently acquired this fz-2, As I searched through google, I landed here and pointed me to you! I am reviewing your advise about modifying this fz2, @dread pierat(hope you are still here!) though you gave a snap shot of the pcb of the fz-2, you somehow still left us half-blinded, to which parts to be jumpered,cut ,replaced...

so far what I did was I jumpered R24 ...am I correct?

for the diodes, I like it stock

for the notch filter..i havent figured out what values to use and which of them is to be replaced

dread pierat · Post by **dread pierat** » 31 Oct 2010, 11:25

The FZ-2 will never be found on the shrine of the Tone Gods. It does full-on chainsaw fuzz tones, and that it does perfectly. There is no point in modding it, because its already as good or bad as it can be.

Reworking the Fuzz I channel into a Superfuzz is just a thought experiment, and not something you should do to a real FZ-2. If you are hell-bent on doing this you should print out the FZ-2 and Superfuzz schematics, and reference those with the picture and hints in this thread.

If you really want to mod pedals I think you should try one of the classic Tone God pedals instead of a gnarly out-of-production doom fuzz. Try BOSS SD-1/BD-2/DS-1 or the Ibanez TS9.

xfree · Post by **xfree** » 01 Nov 2010, 12:32

thanks for replying dread pierat, but to thread starter, what I did was I eliminate and jumper the series resistor after the clipping diode d4&d5, which was a designed to the super-fuzz, in return would give you a boosted fuller sound both in mode I and mode II

sidseizure · Post by **sidseizure** » 01 Nov 2010, 21:33

Is the Hyper Fuzz just a Metal Zone with different values?

They look kind of similar.

xfree · Post by **xfree** » 03 Nov 2010, 08:08

sidseizure wrote:Is the Hyper Fuzz just a Metal Zone with different values? They look kind of similar.

mode Fuzz II- sound similar to the metal zone mt-2- but is more hairy

patafix · Post by **patafix** » 18 Mar 2011, 18:16

Actually it's got an octavy-fuzz sound dut to the differential pair (Q13 & Q14) , that the MT2 doesn't have (only clipping and filtering)... The EQ section must be responsible for the similarities in tone you pointed.