Fuzz boxes?

[X-1]

I am going to be rebuilding my old fuzz. I have an original Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face that has seen better days. It is basically dead, but I have just ordered all new parts for it from Small Bear Electronics and I am going to try to bring it back to life (I can hear the thunder in the background and the sound of the jacobs ladders as eegore is running around the lab.) I am going to try a small modification that I found here http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/fuzzface/fffram.htm that is from Mike Fuller (it looks to be a simplified version of his '69 pedal).

I will let you know how it comes out when it is finished.

For some stupid reason a long time ago, I put it in a small box and I have lost the original round case for it. Those old round boxes are awkward but it would have been quite the conversation piece to have it in the old grey round Dallas Arbiter box. Oh well, I will be putting it in to a new white powder coated box that I purchased from Small Bear that will fit much better in my pedalboard.

I assembled the pedal. I built it with a negative ground arrangement (the original PNP fuzz faces used a positive ground arrangement, but that means that you have to use a dedicated supply for it.)

It sounds fantastic when using a battery but is noisy when using an external power supply. After doing some more research, I have decided to try flipping over to a positive ground arrangement. It supposed to be a bit more stable in that old circuit and with the old school Germanium transistors. Man I hope I don't screw up the sound because it does sound good. I just need to have it powered by an external source to make it viable in my pedalboard.

I have solved the problem that I was having by adding a capacitor across the 9VDC power leads from the Wall Wort at the power jack on the pedal. I am very happy with this pedal. I got to use it live for the first time on Friday and it performed stellar. It is much warmer and more musical sounding than the Silicon based DOD fuzz pedal that I had been using prior. The DOD pedal is cool for some nasty sounding fuzz stuff, but I prefer my new fuzz creation over the DOD.

If any of you are at all adventurous, you might try building your own fuzz pedal.

 

[xscottx9]

Someone makes a Germanium/Silicon *spelling* switchable fuzz box. One side is old Hendrix early fuzz .. The stuff that sounds so good going into a slightly breaking up plexi sound, .. and the other side os silicon, .. taking you to Wall of Fuzz type sound.

Im sure you could search the Gear page, or HC effects and find it.. it was brought up this last week. ... just cant remember what it was called.

 

[cvansickle]

Someone makes a Germanium/Silicon *spelling* switchable fuzz box. One side is old Hendrix early fuzz .. The stuff that sounds so good going into a slightly breaking up plexi sound, .. and the other side os silicon, .. taking you to Wall of Fuzz type sound.

Im sure you could search the Gear page, or HC effects and find it.. it was brought up this last week. ... just cant remember what it was called.

Keeley's Fuzz Head does this.

 

[Humbility]

If you can find a Danelectro Fabtone made in the late 90's then I'd suggest trying that. The newer ones don't even sound like the same pedal. I played one for years and I played with the drive rolled almost to the lowest setting. Good tone, loud, built well, not expensive. I have had many people tell me that my dist. sound was awesome. When I bought the Single Rec I left it out of the chain of course...gave it to my bass player. It was in rough shape after all the giging it saw...but man...with a nice clean tube amp....hit the front end with THAT little thing....I was surprised. I kinda wish I had it back now but what can you do. Anyways...my$0.02

 

[paleamberglow]

i also recommend the Fuzz Factory
my friend has it...
has been used by NIN, and lots of others for generally f*cked up sounds..
very high quality hand made (and painted!) pedal

 

[SabuJSE]

Just recently purchased a Keeley Fuzz Head - works unbelievably with a Class-A amp. Put it front of an overdrive pedal and liquid smooth bliss awaits.

Highly recommended.

 

[hmmikey]

Yes, I couldn't agree more.

The great thing about the Boss FZ-2 is it's sheer adaptability. Mode II is nice, but the great thing about this pedal for me is that it comes with a third mode - a clean boost of up to 25db. So if you find a really sweet distortion with the amp's natural overdrive you can simply boost it for solo. Have tried many boosters - but this is by far my favourtie, and as I said the fuzz itself isn't too bad either.

The ZVex Fuzz Factory is another great out-and-out Fuzz pedal though.

Mike.