Sugar Skull Fuzz (Mad Bean El Guapo)

[SYLV9ST9R]

I had finished my LETFA/El Guapo mid-August but it needed a bit of troubleshooting (mainly because it's so cramped), and here we are.

From the build docs:

LETFA (Less Than Four Amigos f.k.a. ElGuapo) is a derivative of an older madbeanpedals project called “Deadpool” which is itself based on the Os Mutantes fuzz. This monster of a fuzz box was designed by Claudio Baptista for Sergio Dias, the guitar player in the Brazilian band for which the original was named.
Many liberties have been taken with the original design so it’s not accurate to call this one a clone of the OM fuzz, but an alternate version. Let’s call it: the Sweater implementation. This is a highly squashed, “velcro” type fuzz. If you are looking for something smooth and restrained (if such a fuzz exists) this is not for you. But, if you love belting out super compressed leads for effect the LETFA will envelope you like a warm, uhh, what’s the word? Sock. No, scarf. What a beautiful scarf!

Having seen the movie a lot on TV as a youth (the French translation), I fully enjoy the references and I choose to go with some calaveras to adorn this little mean guy, and evidently I had to have the eyes glowing, so it made for a nice placement puzzle

It was my first 1590A project, and apart from my shody hand drilling (which is not so bad except for the LED lenses where I went just a bit too large with the step bit), I’m satisfied. Just need a tad bit of biasing, but it sounds great, and the controls give you a cool range of tones (one pot is asymmetrical to symmetrical clipping and the switch changes the input capacitance of the circuit). Went with 2N3904 because that's what I had in hand, but I don't see how I could have fitted 2N3565 in there...

And I couldn't end this post without giving mucho kudos to the man @thewintersoldier for providing the board (Thanks Chris!).

 

[cooder]

Great squeeze there! The eyes top it off for sure!

 

[Dan0h]

Very cool. !

 

[Harry Klippton]

Love it. The led placement is a nice touch!

 

[fig]

Straight from the Canuckatan Peninsula!

Positively adorable!

That uses 9mm pots and a low-rider 3PDT?

 

[SYLV9ST9R]

That uses 9mm

Yes

pots and a low-rider 3PDT?

No, regular 3PDT.
The build docs called for low profile electro caps, but it works fine with this two bent this way.
I had socketed the transistors first, but the lid was touching, so off they went.

 

[SYLV9ST9R]

Great squeeze there! The eyes top it off for sure!

Very cool. !

Love it. The led placement is a nice touch!

Thanks guys! Although I could've planned better for the placement of the skull with eyes as the LEDs are just under one jack, and I had to take it out a couple of time to get it right.

That turned out fantastic! You did way better than I would have and I know it has to sound great, glad I could help out.

Thanks again! It's great. I'll probably gift it to a friend who's a pillar of the left field music and arts community in the area and has always been supportive of my music.

 

[Harry Klippton]

I had socketed the transistors first, but the lid was touching, so off they went.

I'm a certified socket hater

 

[Feral Feline]

I love sockets.

You can put stuff in and pull it out, try some other thing in there...

 

[danfrank]

I love the eyes!