Overcast Fuzz

S

Strat68

Active member
Just built it today and had some questions. There is a bias pot and I wondered if biasing needs to be done or is it for something else? It works but seems to be just another distortion/fuzz pedal. I need some more time with it before I decide if its worth boxing. Also, what are the chances the 3903 transistors are the issue? Are there fakes out there?
Thanks
 
No trimmer just a bias pot. But the closer to max the better it sounded. I obviously did not spend a lot of time with it but I could not dial in the sound I expected for Spirit in the Sky. As mentioned, it sounded like a generic distortion box.
 
Haven't built it but I suspect you'd need to roll back the guitar vol and likely go in unbuffered. Then roll back bias to get the broken, sputter.
Did you check gains on the transistors?
It's a bosstone, and it's sounds like it sounds like a bosstone.
Maybe check the demos for what settings were used to coax out the friendly Jesus.
 
jwin615 said:
Haven't built it but I suspect you'd need to roll back the guitar vol and likely go in unbuffered. Then roll back bias to get the broken, sputter.
Did you check gains on the transistors?
It's a bosstone, and it's sounds like it sounds like a bosstone.
Maybe check the demos for what settings were used to coax out the friendly Jesus.
Click to expand...
Great ideas. Thanks. The HFEs are about 135
 
Strat68 said:
It works but seems to be just another distortion/fuzz pedal.
Click to expand...
It is.

Strat68 said:
But the closer to max the better it sounded.
Click to expand...
Try things dialed lower than you think they should be... the goal is off-bias / starved voltage. Neck pickup, tone rolled off.

Strat68 said:
Also, what are the chances the 3903 transistors are the issue?
Click to expand...
Where'd you get them? The originals measured around 125 so yours should be close enough.
 
Robert said:
It is.


Try things dialed lower than you think they should be... the goal is off-bias / starved voltage. Neck pickup, tone rolled off.


Where'd you get them? The originals measured around 125 so yours should be close enough.
Click to expand...
Took a chance and bought them on ebay. I had to toss the first one I tried due to a low hfe. Good suggestion on starved voltage.
 
Feral Feline said:
Don't toss stuff out. That first one with low hFE could be used as a clipping-diode, or there ARE circuits that require stupid-low hFE.
Click to expand...
The Superfuzz for example. Just built one and had to track down three NPNs in the 50-70 HFE range for Q 4, 5 and 6. Idk if that exact range is really totally necessary in the circuit or not, but I just followed the info Aion provided from an original unit and it sounds great.
 
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