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germanium fuzz build


Guest Farnsbarns

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Guest Farnsbarns

Worked out a layout and soldered the board and pots. I had to flatten out the tags for the output filter cap because my lovely pio example wouldn't fit between the tags as it was. I still need to add feeds for my shape controls across the ac128s.

 

fboard.jpg

 

More to come....

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Guest Farnsbarns

Awesome! Looks great! Have you tested it out yet?

 

 

It looks a lot like the mk1.5 I made recently. (I put one cap under the board because I only had this sized piece of tagboard left)

photo-1200.jpg

I totally love this fuzz!

 

We both have 6 tags but you seem to have an extra cap. Do you have a schematic of your circuit? Just interested.

 

I am using the same switch and similar sockets so it will look even more like it.

 

I am having a dc in using a socket that disconnects the battery so I can use a power supply without removing the battery. I'll also have an led.

 

My "shape control" idea might be a later addition because the parts for that were ordered from Hong Kong and the estimated delivery is the 29th. Things might change when I hear it but based on what I expect, for now, I'm calling the pedal Fresh Ground Fuzz and the 2 shape controls are called creme and sugar.

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Oh yeah.. I added a 47uf from 9v- to gnd+. I don't remember if It was in the schematic but I add it to almost all of my builds.

 

I dunno how to post the schematic, but I used the SolaSound mk1.5 schematic drawn by David Main. The mk1.5 Tonebender was basically a Fuzz Face circuit tuned For a more prominent midrange.

 

The main differences are the input cap is 5uf, output cap is 10nf, and the cap on the fuzz pot is 25uf. I just used the resistors that would bias these particular transistors perfectly, so those values wouldn't really be helpful to you.

 

But I have to say the mk1.5 specs sound much better to my ears. It's much less muddy but still very fuzzy. The two transistor Vox Tonebender circuit would be another Fuzz Face based circuit to look at

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Guest Farnsbarns

My 48k variable resister came today, as well as a bag of 500k pots for my shape controls. I'm still waiting on some tiny caps (150pf) for that so I decided to build it as a standard pnp fuzz face for now, albeit with some cool vintage components (pio and tantalum caps etc).

 

I put the variable resister in place of what is usually labelled R4 and is around 8k on a fuzz face using long wires so it's easy to adjust it while everything is connected because I want to make the adjustment by ear. Once done I'll shrink wrap the entire thing and glue it into a tidy corner.

 

Wired the switch to true bypass, connected power across the ground of the input so pulling the cable cuts power.

 

Got a nice little 9v dc in connector which disconnects the battery when an external power source is pushed in. (A la Boss pedals)

 

Got an led in there too.

 

I tested the board before doing the power, switch, led etc and it sounds pretty bad but that's just down to not having set the variable resister which governs voltage to the transistors. I only wanted to know if it worked.

 

Pics coming soon.

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Guest Farnsbarns

Now I've biased it roughly. Holly fuzz, if you'll pardon the expression. I love it! I'm kind of gutted it worked straight off, I need something else to build, maybe that amp circuit I've been meaning to do for years.

 

I'm uploading pics now.

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Guest Farnsbarns

Here's the final board, notice I've tidied up a bit of rough work.

 

ffboard.jpg

 

Here's the bias pot I mentioned.

 

ffboardbias.jpg

 

This shows the wiring for the dc in, led, battery and switch. I made it complicated but I was determined to get it all as I wanted it with dual power.

 

ffswleddcin.jpg

 

Here's the whole thing.

 

ffcompopen.jpg

 

And all finished

 

ffcompclosed.jpg

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