Zvex - Fuzz Factory  [traced]

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modman
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Post by modman »

(THREAD EDITED) As requested, split off topics here:

Politics thread
Getting into the business in the Member's section

Soulsonic, if you want to rename that topic or other things, no problem.
Just trying to keep stuff organised. If nobody is insulted by these edits, the occasional digression can be tolerated and eventually moved.


----
As everybody said, back to the Fuzz Factory, fellas!

Igloo, great job, man, terrific, feel like trying out if I have the time tonight.

ZJ
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Post by soulsonic »

Thank you VERY much ZJ - all that other junk messed up the thread. Please edit, move, or delete whenever you have to keep things focused. You are doing an excellent job of running this forum!

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Igloo
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Post by Igloo »

Lets here some build reports then.
What do you suppose the total cost is?

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Post by soulsonic »

Quick estimate is maybe $40 to $50, depending on how much you pay for the transistors and if you get an expensive stomp switch. It can possibly be done for less than $30 if you really cheap out on stuff.

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Post by bajaman »

Not wishing to side track this thread - I personally prefer the Colorsound (Sola Sound) Tonebender Pro MkII - NOT that awful reissue - the original :wink:
Cheers
Steve

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Post by analogguru »

I personally prefer the Colorsound (Sola Sound) Tonebender Pro MkII - NOT that awful reissue - the original
Which of the originals ? The one with OC 75, or the one with OC 81D ?

analogguru
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Post by bajaman »

Ha Ha AG
The one with the OC81D of course :lol:
Is there really that much difference?
By the way - I have a bag of 50 or so OC81 devices, and they do sound nice in this circuit (or any fuzz face derivative).
Do you know the difference between the OC81 and the OC81D - is it just the large heatsink on the D type, intended for output stages :wink:
Cheers
Steve

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Post by analogguru »

So we are talking about the non-original version... :roll:

OC 81: 32V/500mA/200mW ß: 50/50mA fg: 1MHz
OC 81D: 32V/250mA/200mW ß: 20/2mA fg: 1MHz ("The junk issue")

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Post by bajaman »

Hi AG - good to see I have the nice ones :lol:
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Steve

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Post by archstanton »

I saved this from Aron's forum long ago, before I'd seen the Fuzz Factory schematic and was close to believing Zach's assertion that there was more to the circuit than a Fuzz Face with a bunch of resistors replaced with knobs.

From: zachary vex
Date: 10/8/2001 9:08 PM
Subject: Re: talking about borrowing



it is to some extent a hot-rodded fuzz face. the so-called feedback loop is a 5 or 10k pot between the positive battery connection and the circuit. the extra knobs just short things out and add resistances here and there.

when people say that it's "JUST a hot-rodded fuzz face" i tend to bristle. if they would complete the description by explaining the other nuances that make it fun, i'd be satisfied.

you might stumble on something the first time you try. the fuzz factory took me one night. the design has not been changed significantly (i reduced the maximum volume by half, because it was too dang loud, and i changed one other pot... i think i increased the stab from 5k to 10k.

zachary vex

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Post by Dirk_Hendrik »

archstanton wrote:I saved this from Aron's forum long ago, before I'd seen the Fuzz Factory schematic and was close to believing Zach's assertion that there was more to the circuit than a Fuzz Face with a bunch of resistors replaced with knobs.

From: zachary vex
Date: 10/8/2001 9:08 PM
Subject: Re: talking about borrowing



it is to some extent a hot-rodded fuzz face. the so-called feedback loop is a 5 or 10k pot between the positive battery connection and the circuit. the extra knobs just short things out and add resistances here and there.

when people say that it's "JUST a hot-rodded fuzz face" i tend to bristle. if they would complete the description by explaining the other nuances that make it fun, i'd be satisfied.

you might stumble on something the first time you try. the fuzz factory took me one night. the design has not been changed significantly (i reduced the maximum volume by half, because it was too dang loud, and i changed one other pot... i think i increased the stab from 5k to 10k.

zachary vex
Bloody F%ck :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Thank you so much for sharing this!!


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Post by soulsonic »

In those recent links it looks like those Fuzz Factories use a different make of transistor than in other ones I've seen. The FF up on Effector-Repair look like AC128 types with "ZVex" stamped on the side. The one in the Toy Love gallery and the link Goop Buster put up look like something else - in one pic I can read "2N????". I guess he just uses whatever's available. I wonder which transistor type could be considered "current"?

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Post by analogguru »

in one pic I can read "2N????".
You need glasses :wink: It´s a 2N 404(A)
I guess he just uses whatever's available.
You think the pedalbuilders in the 60´s and 70´s did otherwise ?
Believe me, they didn´t care about "germanium-sound" - it should distort .... square wave .... fuzz.... everything what distorted was used, produced.

analogguru
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Post by invictus »

a quite passionate presentation of AC128 transistor...


http://www.geocities.com/stompbox2001/ac128.htm

...

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Post by briggs »

ha, that's great :lol:
Image

I am Klon.

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Post by Igloo »

Yeah, Jacques rant is great.
Funny thing is many people at Aron's dissed the AC128 for FF.
Analogmike amoungst them.
See here...

https://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/ ... ic=45525.0

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Post by soulsonic »

I'm totally with Jaques - my experiences with the AC128 have been great.
I just wish someone would put them into production again. They've done that with tubes - I would think it would even easier to do it with transistors. Just get some semiconductor factory in Russia to start cranking out some brand new AC128s - I think they would have no trouble selling them. All it takes is a Mike Matthews or Aspen Pittman type character with a pocket full of money to go over there and ask them to do it. China is an option as well - but they might not be too keen on doing germanium devices any more. Russia seems to be the place for quality germanium parts - just get them to start putting them into production..... the factories are just sitting there. I here there's tons of factories like that in Bulgaria as well - all that equipment... just waiting to be used... or sold off on evilbay!

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Post by modman »

analogguru wrote:
in one pic I can read "2N????".
You need glasses :wink: It´s a 2N 404(A)
I guess he just uses whatever's available.
You think the pedalbuilders in the 60´s and 70´s did otherwise ?
Believe me, they didn´t care about "germanium-sound" - it should distort .... square wave .... fuzz.... everything what distorted was used, produced.

analogguru
I once bought a lot of 50 2N404As still have them around, paid I think $2/pc!
Was planning to use the for the fuzz factory I will be trying tonight. Oops late alrezady again.

They got gold legs, right?

But I have seen Fuzz Factory guts with original AC128 ZVEX printed on them. Zvex himselfs reveals on diy he had them custom made and it took so long to get them right. Where's that links. Don't know where I saw those gut shots but a Japanese site I think. The trnasistors said "AC128 ZVEX 6"

zj
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