Zvex - Fuzz Factory

Fiktschn · Post by **Fiktschn** » 13 Mar 2008, 18:05

Fiktschn wrote:Hi i've built a FF from the schematic of the french site today and used a medium gain set of ac128 from banzai. The circuit is up and running but i can't really get a fuzz sound without too much octaves :/ Its more a octaver than a fuzz at the moment. Does anybody have a clue what the problem could be?

Problem solved im so dumb was a simple mass problem ^^

Beedoola · Post by **Beedoola** » 16 Mar 2008, 10:06

Are the pots facing up or down in the verolayout? i.e. when looking at the diagram are you looking at the back of the pots or the top? Are the terminals (left to right) 3,2,1 or 1,2,3 (if pot is facing up)

So if this is obvious questiong but if they as normally depicted then everything would be out of wack when put in an enclosure (backwards)

Beedoola · Post by **Beedoola** » 18 Mar 2008, 06:23

I got the Fuzz Face PNP pair from small bear. One was in a bag that said "90" with "8452" written on it, the other was in a bag that said "153" with "7402" on it, both are the 2N404A what does that mean, where should I put them in the vero layout? I have 153 on the Right side and the 90 on the left.

The pedal works just not sure if it is at 100%. Sorry if this stuff is redundant, I'm a noob. Thanks

bumblebee · Post by **bumblebee** » 18 Mar 2008, 21:55

Beedoola wrote:I got the Fuzz Face PNP pair from small bear. One was in a bag that said "90" with "8452" written on it, the other was in a bag that said "153" with "7402" on it, both are the 2N404A what does that mean, where should I put them in the vero layout? I have 153 on the Right side and the 90 on the left.

The pedal works just not sure if it is at 100%. Sorry if this stuff is redundant, I'm a noob. Thanks

the one with 90 will be the second transistor in the layout,the first germanium or "metal" transistor on the layout.
the one with "153" will be the last transistor on the layout.
so youl go black plastic transistor then the "90" then the "153" in that order.

teleman · Post by **teleman** » 19 Mar 2008, 17:17

I'm having trouble with my vero fuzz factory build. It passes signal but basically has no output or fuzz. I have to turn my map up all the way to be able to hear it. I am using small bear matched transistors. I have another set that I know works. I tried them and the same thing happens. I have checked the layout and it seems that I have all the necessary trace cuts and proper electrolytic orientation. I don't have any of the switching wired up yet, just the board, pots, jacks, and battery. Help!

paperhouse · Post by **paperhouse** » 19 Mar 2008, 18:27

teleman wrote:I'm having trouble with my vero fuzz factory build. It passes signal but basically has no output or fuzz. I have to turn my map up all the way to be able to hear it. I am using small bear matched transistors. I have another set that I know works. I tried them and the same thing happens. I have checked the layout and it seems that I have all the necessary trace cuts and proper electrolytic orientation. I don't have any of the switching wired up yet, just the board, pots, jacks, and battery. Help!

try lowering your guitar's volume just slightly. i kept trying to debug mine but it turns out that mine just doesn't work unless the guitar's volume is lowered.

Barcode · Post by **Barcode** » 19 Mar 2008, 20:32

paperhouse wrote:
teleman wrote:I'm having trouble with my vero fuzz factory build. It passes signal but basically has no output or fuzz. I have to turn my map up all the way to be able to hear it. I am using small bear matched transistors. I have another set that I know works. I tried them and the same thing happens. I have checked the layout and it seems that I have all the necessary trace cuts and proper electrolytic orientation. I don't have any of the switching wired up yet, just the board, pots, jacks, and battery. Help!

try lowering your guitar's volume just slightly. i kept trying to debug mine but it turns out that mine just doesn't work unless the guitar's volume is lowered.

If this is the case, why not just put a resistor inseries with the input so as to emulate this?

teleman · Post by **teleman** » 19 Mar 2008, 21:04

I tried that and nothing happened other than the volume decreasing. I really don't know what I've done wrong. I've checked my layout many times and it seems that everything is correct. It passes a little signal so guess that's promising.

bumblebee · Post by **bumblebee** » 20 Mar 2008, 00:23

if you need your volume lowered for it to work its not right and something is very wrong with it.

paperhouse · Post by **paperhouse** » 20 Mar 2008, 05:39

bumblebee wrote:if you need your volume lowered for it to work its not right and something is very wrong with it.

it sounds weak unless the volume on my guitar is slightly lowered. it sounds like a fuzz factory though. i'm going to solder a resistor to the input when i get a chance.

bumblebee · Post by **bumblebee** » 20 Mar 2008, 20:53

doing that wont fix the problem that it has tho.
somethings not right with it as a fuzz factory sounds its strongest with everything on full.
re-trace all your work and find the problem.

Beedoola · Post by **Beedoola** » 21 Mar 2008, 08:36

what difference will the All American Fuzz Face transistors I used compare to the AC 128s? What are some other transistors I should check out to compare?

pandadandan · Post by **pandadandan** » 21 Mar 2008, 09:45

Beedoola wrote:what difference will the All American Fuzz Face transistors I used compare to the AC 128s? What are some other transistors I should check out to compare?

I used 2sa18's. Or 2sc17's. I forget...

bumblebee · Post by **bumblebee** » 21 Mar 2008, 21:21

vex himself used to use AC128's.

he claims he has "special NOS transistors unavailable to anyone but me" but the fact is he uses what he can buy, all common low gain germanium.

use what you can get.

nokaster · Post by **nokaster** » 22 Mar 2008, 07:51

bumblebee wrote:vex himself used to use AC128's.

he claims he has "special NOS transistors unavailable to anyone but me" but the fact is he uses what he can buy, all common low gain germanium.

use what you can get.

or use low gain PNP silicons... they do work!

paperhouse · Post by **paperhouse** » 22 Mar 2008, 20:14

nokaster wrote:
bumblebee wrote:vex himself used to use AC128's.

he claims he has "special NOS transistors unavailable to anyone but me" but the fact is he uses what he can buy, all common low gain germanium.

use what you can get.

or use low gain PNP silicons... they do work!

yeah, that's what i ended up using. i preferred the sound over AC128's

bumblebee · Post by **bumblebee** » 22 Mar 2008, 22:47

i have a zvex fuzz factory and i ripped out the stock trannies and put some nos mullard AC128's in it,sounds better imo. i didnt much like it before that, its totally voiced different now.

Beedoola · Post by **Beedoola** » 25 Mar 2008, 03:32

where can I get those transistors bumblebee? How much different will they sound from the ones i have in there now? There currently isn't much gain right now...

Beedoola · Post by **Beedoola** » 03 Apr 2008, 07:20

The Gate on my FF clone seems to stop signal after 12 o'clock, is is supposed to be like that? the All American Transistors seem to be lower gain than the FF clips I've heard - I didn't use the AC 128, will put different transistors in the FF make it more versatile/ give it more gain?

briggs · Post by **briggs** » 03 Apr 2008, 10:51

paperhouse wrote:
nokaster wrote:
bumblebee wrote:vex himself used to use AC128's.

he claims he has "special NOS transistors unavailable to anyone but me" but the fact is he uses what he can buy, all common low gain germanium.

use what you can get.

or use low gain PNP silicons... they do work!

yeah, that's what i ended up using. i preferred the sound over AC128's

yup. It's a nice mod, it sounds more "focused" with the silicons in there. A little more modern. Maybe a switch to change between silicon and germanium is needed

Zvex - Fuzz Factory [traced]