Germanium Fuzzrite with bass boost on eyelet board

[andare]

Build Rating

3.00 star(s)

I'm on a Germanium kick so here's a Fuzzrite. All stock, Q1 has a gain of about 80, Q2 is around 40. This way the CCW setting on the Depth knob is beefy and the CW setting is not too over the top. Housed in a really nice vintage blue 1590BBS from Banzai.



This is me after 4.5 hours of trying to be neat with the wiring...




And this is the layout I put together. 100% stock with the addition of a 10nF cap to ground at the input to tame the hiss:


I put the 22k resistor on a footswitch so I could boost the bass. With a tube amp, volume is pretty much consistent but with a SS amp or an interface, switching out the resistor also increases volume.
This circuit barely gets to unity, especially with the 22k at the end. Without it it sounds very generic. The limited cleanup can also be useful. This is a noisy circuit but nothing else sounds like it.

This early Germanium version sounds like a better version of its Silicon brother.
Silicon fuzz is a watery soup with few ingredients and too many bird's eye chilies. Germanium fuzz is a thick soup with a deep, complex flavor, many ingredients and fruity Habaneros.

This is the first build where I implemented a voltage inverter board - I hate making these on stripboard, I want to learn how to design PCBs so I can make voltage inverter PCBs.

Things I learned:

• DOH! #1: ground is essentially 0V so it can be shared anywhere inside the pedal, regardless of the voltage inverter
• DOH! #2: resistor and capacitor types don't seem to make any difference to the sound
• Everything is so damn tiny: the lugs on the power jack, the lugs on the footswitches, the holes in stripboard, the legs of LEDs. I hate it!
• I don't know how to tin wires or splice resistors to LEDs
• I'm sloooooow
• I shouldn't quit my day job yet

 

[Harry Klippton]

I like this. I would like to hear it

 

[andare]

I like this. I would like to hear it

I'll try to record a quick demo later this week.

 

[Here I Go]

Hi Andare,

I just really wanted to thank you for this.

It’s my first pedal I’ve made without using a pcb and my god is it gnarly and so different to the silicon version. I understand what you mean when you described the sounds.

Only difference I made is using 2 470k log pots with a 1.5m resistor to mimic a 350k for depth pot.

Transistors was 170 and 60.

Thanks again - I love it !!

 

[andare]

I actually sold this pedal to a band member who fell in love with the tone. He uses it for the riffs in "You Sexy Thing ".
Of course I still use my other Fuzzrite

 

[vibroverb63]

Wow, awesome work! Those are really, really nice builds! Speaking of Fuzz-rite build, I've currently have parts ordered for a germanium FR pedal build. I'm still curious, if one wanted to mount a pot to externally control the "gatedness" of the entire effect, would it be best to insert a trim pot at the 100k resistor position? Or better to put individual (separate) trim/bias pots at the collector of Q1 (22k resistor position), and collector at Q2 (47k resistor position) respectively?

 

[andare]

Wow, awesome work! Those are really, really nice builds! Speaking of Fuzz-rite build, I've currently have parts ordered for a germanium FR pedal build. I'm still curious, if one wanted to mount a pot to externally control the "gatedness" of the entire effect, would it be best to insert a trim pot at the 100k resistor position? Or better to put individual (separate) trim/bias pots at the collector of Q1 (22k resistor position), and collector at Q2 (47k resistor position) respectively?

Being a mere hack, I'm afraid I can't help. I haven't tried to bias this circuit.
The other Ge Fuzzrite I've built is gated because the transistors are leaky, at least I think that's the reason.

So unless someone knowledgeable steps in, it'll be faster for you to breadboard those pots. And report back!

 

[vibroverb63]

For sure, Andare! This will definitely call for more experimentation, definitely a circuit well-noting for updates or fine tweaks. The Fuzz-rite is absolutely one of the most unique sounding fuzzes there is: anywhere from light fuzzy overtones, to violin-like sustain, to chain-saw ripping, to sitar-like robot wasps/bees/hornets buzzing around in a tin can, vibrating with sheet metal overtones --- sound!

 

[vibroverb63]

Well, I've just added an additional order of trim pots, and two additional 'regular' pots in case I decide one of the bias points is something worth having as an externally-controllable feature of said values. Incurring the additional cost for experimentation is still good; overall cost of the build is still very well below the first '3-figures' number. Pedal enclosures can definitely drive the price of the build way way up: examples are using a Maestro-style' or GH MK I -style enclosure, or even a Buzzaround-style wedge enclosure at many online parts stores, without paint, without predrilled holes: they are expensive, almost nearly the cost (or more than the cost?) of a "simple" name-brand pedal or even some of the 'big name' mini pedals out there.

Just simple for me: standard sized Hammond enclosure (similar to the build in above pic), pre-drilled ( I can drill more holes later if needed), no paint, bare aluminum, 3 plastic/aluminum knobs, and of course all the required components of the build. If at some later point I decide to add paint, or just polish-sand the chassis to make it look like sheet metal, the option is there.

Despite my busy work schedule, I am excited for the build, and hope to accomplish it in the coming weeks.