Dream Fuzz noise and very low output on tone bypass.

e_man_89

e_man_89

Member
I just finished my first build in a long time. Been wanting a fuzz so I went with a Dream Fuzz.

This thing roars!, but I have a couple of challenges;
- There is a low freq oscillation that is always there and,
- when I switch to tone bypass the level drops to below the bypassed volume even with the volume @ max).

All I could find for C7 was a ceramic. Would this contribute to my symptoms?

Thanks for any help, and for a great forum and product. thumbnail_Image.jpg
 
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I just discovered something.

The sustain pot (B10k) has a restriction in its rotation. I thought I was at zero in its rotation but was actually at around 9 o'clock.

I've scrubbed it through the rough spot and it has improved, but it is definitely NOT smooth. This was brand new from Tayda, so go figure...
 
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Some questions about what "always there" means.
is the oscillation there when nothing is plugged in to the input?
is it there when the fuzz control is at minimum?
does the oscillation change frequency when any of the controls are adjusted?
does the oscillation change when the volume on your guitar is turned down?
 
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Yep, the pot is bad. only passes signal at the rough spot and 180 degs. opposite.

Don't suspect that this is the source of my noise and my tone bypass trouble, but I guess it needs to be the first thing I straighten out.
 
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Thanks for your interest zgrav.

- the oscillation is not there when nothing is plugged in and the effect on (silence when the effect is off). There is some high freq. hiss but hey, it's a fuzz pedal.
- I have recently come to realize that the "sustain" pot is bad. See above.
- The oscillation does not change frequencies when controls are adjusted.
- The oscillation decreases in volume when my guitar is turned down but does not stop.
 
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Went through the whole board and found one other resistor I made a mistake on.

Replaced all three and the sustain pot. Everything sounds great. Not a lot of variation in the amount of fuzz (sustain), but I'm not really looking for light fuzz. I've got some 10k pots on the way and will pop one in when they get here.

And thank you again Chuck D. Bones, you definitely gave me a big head start on finding the trouble.
 
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What changes could I make to this circuit (component value wise) that would decrease the low end slightly? I don't want any drastic reduction, just a little less.

thanks.
 
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e_man_89 said:
What changes could I make to this circuit (component value wise) that would decrease the low end slightly? I don't want any drastic reduction, just a little less.
Click to expand...
Make C6 smaller for less bass. I'd recommend something in the range of 100nF to 1μF. R6 is sofa king large that cutting it in half will still let a shit-ton of bass thru.

You should have a HUGE sustain range, even with a 5K sustain pot. Are you sure that R9 is 47Ω?
 
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