50 Shades of Purple

[Chuck D. Bones]

My all-time favorite fuzz pedal! I finally got around to labeling it.
This vero build was the prototype for the Fuchsia board. It's a slightly modified BJFe Pink-Purple. The NATURE pot is split into separate TREBLE & BASS controls and a COMPRESSION pot is added in series with the clipping diodes. I used a 2N1306 instead of a 2N1308 because that's what I had at the time. All caps in the signal path are film, tantalum or silver mica. That lone aluminum electrolytic is the power supply bypass. I used a business card as an insulator between the pots and board. Purple sparkle box from the late Mammoth Electronics. LED is 3mm UV. Check the date code on that 2N1306, it's older than a lot of you guys!

 

[K Pedals]

Awesome!!!

 

[Barry]

That looks great!

 

[Kroars]

Very nice!

 

[chongmagic]

Looks good Chuck! Love the enclosure color!

 

[dawson]

What a saucy little box you've made there- I like that the controls are sensually labeled in LoveTone-ese!

Nice-looking strip-board. They look so much cleaner when the edges are sanded like you've done here. I didn't look up the code, but if I assume correctly and that transistor is from '79, it is indeed my elder, I bet it sounds awesome- party in Mojo-Town!

 

[Mourguitars]

Awesome Chuck !

Mike

 

[Nostradoomus]

Let me know next time you’re doing a purple special, I’ll send you a couple feet!

 

[Chuck D. Bones]

Thanks for the kind words everyone. I just bought some wire from Tayda, but didn't get purple! WTF was I thinking?

 

[cooder]

Nice and good use of a business card there... ! I have a Fuchsia board in the works and just need to get some suitable GE trannies, probably will end up socketing and try what I can get my hands on. Would you have a recommendation for the HfE and leakage or other pointers for this?
Great build and looks to boot. And oh the labelling...

 

[Chuck D. Bones]

Bjorn Juhl did a good job on this circuit. It's not sensitive to Q3's leakage or HFE. Most germanium NPN should work. Socketing Ge transistors and diodes is always a good idea. Try whatever you have. SB has a nice selection and not too pricy. That ETCO 2N1306 in the pic came from SB. For Q2, you want high gain and low noise. I used 2N5210, but BC550C, 2N5089, MPSA18 and the other usual suspects will work fine. For Q1, any n-ch JFET with Vp around 2V will be good.

 

[HamishR]

I love the name! Brilliant! I've built a couple of those - cool pedals. And I have used business cards in pedals as insulation quite a few times too!

I think Pain should be the red knob. Is Pain the volume?

 

[Chuck D. Bones]

Good point!
Pain is the Treble.
Ardor is the Volume.
It's easy enough to change the knobs colors!