The Fuzz Face series: 2-Alchemy Fuzz The process that lead to my first (semi-)successful silicon Fuzz Face was a long, difficult and at times frustrating one, but working through several ideas about fuzzes and electronics in general and talking about this with my colleagues ( Thei's blogspot ) gave me a huge boost and a structural idea about why certain components work better than other. It will block a little bit of the guitar's bass frequencies as well. The 20 uF cap does something interesting. Fuzz Face's electrolytic input capacitor. One of the most sought after reissues is the BC109C version produced by Crest Audio. Transistors are three terminals components and their model is printed on them. The output cap is the same deal, except with even more DC bias than that. The soldering will release fumes that are harmful to your eyes and lungs, work always in a well-ventilated environment and avoid breathing the generated smoke. Similar to the Fuzz Face, the Karma Suture gets its roots from a pedal created long ago. The trademark "Fuzz Face" has changed hands several times and there have been several reissues. This is all a bit of a simplification (the full explanation needs some pretty complicated math with imaginary numbers), but hopefully it helps. How this circuit works. This capacitor is in the circuit to replicate the ‘Miller effect’; the high frequency roll-off that occurs with the Fuzz Face’s original germanium transistors. jimi hendrix™ '69 psych series uni-vibe® chorus/vibrato. The site may not work properly if you don't, If you do not update your browser, we suggest you visit, Press J to jump to the feed. Diodes have their type number marked on them. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. A guide to the best Fuzz Face pedals - a circuit that deserves to sit proudly on the fuzz pedal podium, offering a nuanced and dynamic sonic behavior at different gain levels. A transistor set up like either of the ones in the Fuzz Face is a common emitter amplifier. It is designed to produce a distorted sound referred to as "fuzz," originally achieved through accident such as broken electrical components or damaged speakers. Let’s first distinguish between the two Fuzz Face eras. Adding the 1k resistor to Q2 has some benefits - it causes it to distort less - but it also decreases the gain, i.e. They are marked with A, B or C for logarithmic, linear and reverse logarithmic, respectively. Additionally, the longer leg is the positive and shorter the negative. The output volume control is an entirely ordinary volume pot. Fuzz Face my gear Stories Blog Shop EVOLUTION OF THE STRATOCASTER. This circuit we use IC-741 op-amp. This causes some of the output signal to get fed back into the input, and this feedback changes the way the distortion happens. Ceramic capacitors. $149.99. The circuit sounds excellent, and it still needs only one scarce part. In a circuit such as http://www.geofex.com/article_folders/fuzzface/fftech1.gif how do the capacitors & transistors assist in creating the distortion of sound? jimi hendrix® fuzz face® distortion. Warranty Information. These capacitors do not have polarity, you can place them in any direction. Description. Tantalum capacitors have the value printed on them. Non Polarised Capacitors- Non-Polarised capacitors can be mounted either way around. Place the components over the footprints following the designators. A subreddit for discussion of all things electrical and computer engineering. To indicate the correct orientation, one side of the transistor is flat and the other one is round. Product Manual. A transistor set up like either of the ones in the Fuzz Face is a common emitter amplifier.As an amplifier, it takes the input signal and makes it louder. For a beginner, building a Fuzz Face can be a treat or a trial. Edit: Found a good analysis: http://www.geofex.com/article_folders/fuzzface/fftech.htm. They also prevent oscillation and other nasty side effects that can occur when using silicon transistors in the fuzz face circuit. Tonebender Fuzz pedals are very simple by nature and require only a few components: resistors, capacitors, potentiometers, and transistors. This build started life as a stock Dunlop JHF1, total overhaul including Vintage radius on the housing, Hammered Bronze paint and tweaked the circuit with some very responsive BC108'S in a Handwired circuit! If for some reason oscillation does occur, a quality low esr capacitor from the positive supply to ground will solve the problem everytime since it effectively places … it amplifies the signal less. However, for a larger input, it isn't very linear - that is, it will distort the signal more as the signal gets larger, and eventually clip. Warm up the soldering iron and clean it with a humid sponge before start soldering. Archived. Fuzz face is really a simple circuit design, as you can already tell by the number of components of the circuit: 4 resistors, 3 capacitors and 2 transistors! $129.99. As simple as that! Arbiter Electronics Ltd began making Fuzz Faces in 1966 using NKT275 PNP germanium transistors. Earlier variants are fuller sounding, while later ones are rather bright and cutting. dunlop electronics ... band of gypsys™ fuzz face® mini distortion. 3. Resistors do not have polarity, you can place them in any direction. Read as picofarads (pF), the first two are the 1st and 2nd digits and the third is the multiplier code. The ceramic capacitors have their value marked with three numbers. the 2.2 and 0.01 uF caps on the input and output are to account for different DC voltage levels - the input signal is going an AC signal centered around 0 V, but the input to the Q1 will be an AC signal centered around roughly -0.6 V - i.e. Heat the PCB pad and the component leg simultaneously with the soldering pencil. The polarity is marked for the positive pin. Fuzz Face's electrolytic input capacitor. The output capacitor blocks the DC level from saturating any device following the Fuzz Face, as well as determining the lowest frequency that gets out. Making this cap bigger will let more low frequencies out. Normally use a Dual power supply(+/- ground). The circuit appears to be clipping the signal and adding odd order harmonics. dunlop electronics. Led diodes have polarity, the cathode is indicated as a flat surface on the side of the diode and also it is the shorter led. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, http://www.geofex.com/article_folders/fuzzface/fftech1.gif, http://www.geofex.com/article_folders/fuzzface/fftech.htm. The transistors form amplifiers and the capacitors pass high frequencies and block low frequencies. Positive elements. But when we look at the circuit: The simplicity of the circuit has caused much debate and lore, but two transistors, three capacitors and a couple of resistors still sounds like magic. Different transistor and capacitor setups have been used over the years. Assemble the tantalum capacitor according to the positive polarity (+) marked on the PCB. Posted by 6 months ago. For those wondering "fuzz face" is a guitar pedal. The 0.01µF capacitor that connected to the third lug of the volume pot was metallized polyester. The Fuzz Face was released in 1966 by Dallas Electronics Ltd. and is one of the most iconic fuzz pedals ever made. A large portion of the Fuzz pedals available today are re-issued and modified versions of either the Tonebender, or the Big Muff PI Fuzz pedals. The following diagram is the Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face Pedal JH-2 circuit diagram. The potentiometer also provides a way of controlling the total gain of the circuit. Q1, the 33k resistor, and the ground connection makes a very basic amplifier - see figure 1 on the Wikipedia page linked above (it shows an NPN transistor, but the same is true for the PNP in the fuzz face). The input capacitor was a 2.2µF electrolytic axial lead. Q2 and the 330/470, 8.2k, and 1k resistors make another amplifier (see figure 2). Fuzz Face Original Version (PNP) Components To use a PNP Fuzz Face with a normal 9V power supply, you need to include the power inverter section which is C1, C8, C9, D1 and IC1 which is generates the -9V required. The 100k resistor complicates things a lot. Unless you know what you're doing and have a positive ground PSU, … jdf2. On the PCB, the cathode is marked as a flat side and anode as a round side. But, this circuit uses a … This British fuzz is recognized instantly by its "Smiley Face" enclosure that was developed after Mr. Arbiter used the circular base of a microphone stand as inspiration. This cap lets the guitar signal through, but allowing one side of the cap to be 0.6 V higher than the other. Also, in reality, the guitar signal doesn't see the capacitor as a perfect short circuit - it only does for higher frequencies. It is possible to place the components on both PCB sides if required, just be careful to keep their correct polarity. For example, if you are using a 9V power supply, use an electrolytic capacitor with at least 18V maximum voltage rating. The polarity is also marked for the negative pin. It produces a characteristic high distorted sound called fuzz. The resistors should be ¼ Watt metal type. Potentiometers have their resistance value marked on them. Read as picofarads (pF), the first two are the 1st and 2nd digits and the third is the multiplier code. ffm6. Use a small screwdriver to adjust them. About a month passed after building the Bazz Fuss, and I was using it as my main fuzz during that time. Tantalum capacitors have the value printed on them. I want to build a Fuzz Face inspired circuit and I keep seeing on schematics that the input capacitor is an electrolytic one, same thing for Home-Wrecker's Sili-Face. This pedal can only be powered by one 9-volt battery (not included). dunlop. If the solder has not been applied correctly, you can make a bad connection (cold solder joint). Close. Again, an 80 to 90-ish silicon device will work for Q1 if you re-bias using a 10K pot or trimpot in place of the Darlington's Collector load. It’s 1966, and Arbiter Electronics Ltd, captained by Ivor Arbiter - the man responsible for the ‘dropped-T’ Beatles logo and (for better or worse) unleashing karaoke onto Britain - introduces the world of music to its newest arrival, the Fuzz Face: “Fuzz Face is the new fuzz box from Arbiter giving the ultimate in controlled effects,” the sales blurb of the time enthused. It is very common to get strange noises out of a Fuzz Face when you … The original versions of the Fuzz Face were equipped with PNP Germanium transistors. His resistor designations (R2, etc) are not the same as the designations on these projects. The ceramic capacitors have their value marked with three numbers. jhw3. The circuit remained exactly the same as the original, they just used higher gain BC109C transistors. pcb pcb fuzz face diy pcb guitar effect capacitors c1 2.2u 2.2uf 35v 105c radial electrolytic capacitor 5x11mm c2 22u 22uf 50v 105c radial electrolytic capacitor 5x11mm c3 10n 10nf 0.01uf 100v 5% polyester film box type capacitor c4 47u 47uf 25v 105c radial electrolytic capacitor 5x11mm nichicon transistors UK company Arbiter Electronics released in 1966 what would be one of the most beloved guitar effects of all time, the Fuzz Face. If you have little time and are learning electronics about op-amp circuits, this is a good option. capacitors the body of the component will be marked to indicate the polarity of each lead. The key to building a good fuzz face is ensuring that transistors are getting the correct voltage. jhf1. Finally, cut the remaining of the component leg and inspect the joint. This is why Fuzz Faces are so famous for their interaction with the guitar volume control. This ring is marked as a line to indicate the correct polarity on the PCB. See in the circuit below. This Fuzz Face Distortion is constructed to vintage specs, featuring the original Germanium PNP transistor design for a rich, creamy fuzz sound. Place the component and firmly hold the PCB.