suggestions for fuzz circuit to be made as a "one knob on top" pedal

[The Gator]

I have a friend who wants me to build him a "one knob on top" fuzz pedal. Meaning it could have other controls inside, or above the top jacks, but on the face he would like nothing but one big knob. (Light and footswitch still there of course)
So I am looking to those with more knowledge and experience for suggestions.
I thought taking a two knob fuzz and just putting a resistor or jumper in place of the volume.
Or perhaps a great sounding 3 knob fuzz with jumpered volume and internal tone pot.
Really there are lot's of options.
Any suggestions ate appreciated.
Thank you
~Gator

 

[Coda]

Fuzz Face: the knob controls the bias…

 

[Feral Feline]

Two Sticks of Derm would be a good option.


Another one to consider is the Haunting Mids (no, not the JHS thing, rather the DIY Muff).

Haunting Mids Fuzz V3

This was a request. It is basically a stripped down Big Muff without external gain control, tone control and recovery stage. Decoupling cap...

dirtboxlayouts.blogspot.com

It's a Big Muff stripped of its tone and recovery stage, the gain is an internal trimmer that most people leave pegged.
You could skip the vero and easily build this on just about any PedalPCB Muff-based board.
If you used the Muffin Factory with all internal controls you'd have room for a REALLY BIG SINGLE KNOB!
BWAHHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!

Speaking of gain/vol — twice you mentioned fixing the volume but having adjustable gain. I'd think it'd be better the other way around, like the aforementioned Haunted Mids. INTERNAL GAIN, EXTERNAL VOL!


How about an HM-2 (PedalPCB Promethium) with all internal trimmers dimed and just a volume pot external? — quite a few people have done this to get that Swede Swede metal sound.

A simple BAZZ-FUSS always sounds great, IMO (EQD's Bellows is basically a Bazz-Fuss so get the PedalPCB Barrage)




The following list is all one-knobbers, but not necessarily just fuzz and not all DIY (though you can find DIY-equivalent for most);
I've gotta dash right now, so you'll have to filter out the fuzz from the list yourself:




Black Arts Toneworks
Ritual
Destroyer
Braking Train Fuzz
Broughton
HPF
LPF
Carl Martin Hydra
Catalinbread Super Chili Picoso boost
Codtone
Codpiece Mini
One-eyed Willie (one-knob Muff)
Colorsound One-Knob Fuzz Box
Creation Audio Labs Funkulator
Custom Audio Electronics Boost/Line Driver
D*A*M
1966
Meathead
Meathead Dark
Dan Armstrong [originals had a switch, not even a knob…but, well…]
various
Purple Peaker,
Yellow Humper,
Red Ranger,
Orange Squeezer
Blue Clipper (Moonn PCB Clippity Clop)
DBA
Harmonic Transformer :: have Vero one knob 2 sw
Digitech
JamMan Express XT
DOD Phasor 201
Donner Noise Killer
Dr Acid Effects LSDrive
Dunlop EP101 Echoplex Preamp
Dunwich
Cthulhu
Op-Amp Distortion
EHX
Freeze
HOG
Holy Grail reverb
LPB-1 linear power booster
Screamin Bird
Small Clone chorus
Small Stone phaser
Emanating Fist Black Dust
EMPRESS ZOIA BWAHhahahahahahhahahhhh
EQD
Arrows
Eruptor
Speaker Cranker
Sun
Eventide H9 Mwahhhahhahahhahahaha
EWS BMC [para-EQ concentric cheat — could change to semi-para with toggle values]
Frantone custom Tremolo pedal for Hives' guitarist
Fdec HPF Pre
Gore
Cult Ge OD
Duh fuzz
Purrr vibe
Screech octave fuzz
Gtrwrks 19 Sixty 3 Boost
Hao RustDriver
Haunting Mids [haunted]
Hermida Reverb
ISP Decimator
Jennings
Fuzz
Growler
Hi-Lo
Repeater
Scrambler
Wah-Vol
Wah-Wah
JHS
Prestige [rabbit in top hat] clone of Tim Escobedo’s Duende JFET
MiniBomb same again, Tim Escobedo’s Duende
JRocket Boing
Kasha Amps & Tone Americana reverb (for PhilX EvilRobot amp)
Keeley Katana Boost
Kinatone Squatch Stank
Lightning Boy Audio Thunder Knob
LovePedal
Amp50
Babyface Tremolo
Balance
Echo Baby
Pickle Vibe
Reverb (Hermida’s)
Tchula (electra of course, nothing special — YET JOSH SMITH made it his SIGNATURE PEDAL )
Woodrow
MM Effects ? [RadialFluxCapacitorReactor]
Monstro
Riff Monket [monkey?]
Tuber
Mooer
Baby Bomb 30 — 1590A 30w amp!
Echo Verb
Graphic B EQ [total cheat with one vol trimmer and SLIDERS]
Micro ABY
Micro Buffer
Micro DI
Micro Looper
Ninety Orange
Noise Killer
Radar Speaker Cab emu (Impulse Response Loader)
Pitch Box [lotsa mooers cheatable trimmers?]
Wahter
Moskey Clones of 8 different pedals
MXR
Micro Amp
Micro Chorus
Phase 45
Phase 90
Mythos Golden Fleece
Nick Greer Black Fuzz
One Control
Mesquite Blender
Purple Humper : a mid-boost circuit from a Strat into pedal form, not OD nor cocked wah
ONE KNOB FAT FUZZ OKFF
Parasit Studios
U-235 (u235)
Theremin Fuzz
Thundering Mantis
8-Bitar
Eagle Claw
Randale F*ck the W◉rld
Randall Mor
Seymour Duncan Killing Floor
Southampton Fifth Gear V1
Stomp Under Foot Sonic Warfare
SviSound Si Fuzz
TC Electronic
Body Rez
Ditto
DittoX2
DITTO X2 JAM one-knob, 2 stompers
HOF Hall of Fame Reverb
Spectra Comp
Spark Mini
Tone Freak Effects Buff Puff
TRex PhatShuga
Union Tube & Transistor More
Valve Wizard U-Boat
Vertex Landau Boost
Wampler DB+
Whirlwind Orange Box Phaser
Wren & Cuff
Mercy Phuk
PhatPhuk
PhatPhukB
Xotic EP Booster
ZenZero Electronics One Knob Pony
Zvex SHO Super Hard-On

 

[spi]

One Knob Fuzz DIY PCB Guitar Effect (taydaelectronics.com)

Although the Two Sticks of Derm looks more interesting than the Tayda one.

 

[iamjackslackof]

I would recommend the Mythos Golden Fleece/Copper Clad fuzz. Killer sounding pedal with only 1 knob. Cheap and easy to build as well.

 

[The Gator]

Oh man. Just watched a vid demo on Two Sticks of Derm. I like it.
Now I gotta go play some Rival Sons. Lol
Thank you all for the suggestions!

 

[cdwillis]

If you've got some vero board around you can put together a Colorsound Fuzz or one of it's variants like the DAM Meathead easily. I can't remember if there is a pedalpcb board for these or not. Here's the Tagboard Effects layouts for a few versions:

 

[jhaneyzz]

Two Sticks of Derm would be a good option.


Another one to consider is the Haunting Mids (no, not the JHS thing, rather the DIY Muff).

Haunting Mids Fuzz V3

This was a request. It is basically a stripped down Big Muff without external gain control, tone control and recovery stage. Decoupling cap...

dirtboxlayouts.blogspot.com

It's a Big Muff stripped of its tone and recovery stage, the gain is an internal trimmer that most people leave pegged.
You could skip the vero and easily build this on just about any PedalPCB Muff-based board.
If you used the Muffin Factory with all internal controls you'd have room for a REALLY BIG SINGLE KNOB!
BWAHHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!

Speaking of gain/vol — twice you mentioned fixing the volume but having adjustable gain. I'd think it'd be better the other way around, like the aforementioned Haunted Mids. INTERNAL GAIN, EXTERNAL VOL!


How about an HM-2 (PedalPCB Promethium) with all internal trimmers dimed and just a volume pot external? — quite a few people have done this to get that Swede Swede metal sound.

A simple BAZZ-FUSS always sounds great, IMO (EQD's Bellows is basically a Bazz-Fuss so get the PedalPCB Barrage)




The following list is all one-knobbers, but not necessarily just fuzz and not all DIY (though you can find DIY-equivalent for most);
I've gotta dash right now, so you'll have to filter out the fuzz from the list yourself:




Black Arts Toneworks
Ritual
Destroyer
Braking Train Fuzz
Broughton
HPF
LPF
Carl Martin Hydra
Catalinbread Super Chili Picoso boost
Codtone
Codpiece Mini
One-eyed Willie (one-knob Muff)
Colorsound One-Knob Fuzz Box
Creation Audio Labs Funkulator
Custom Audio Electronics Boost/Line Driver
D*A*M
1966
Meathead
Meathead Dark
Dan Armstrong [originals had a switch, not even a knob…but, well…]
various
Purple Peaker,
Yellow Humper,
Red Ranger,
Orange Squeezer
Blue Clipper (Moonn PCB Clippity Clop)
DBA
Harmonic Transformer :: have Vero one knob 2 sw
Digitech
JamMan Express XT
DOD Phasor 201
Donner Noise Killer
Dr Acid Effects LSDrive
Dunlop EP101 Echoplex Preamp
Dunwich
Cthulhu
Op-Amp Distortion
EHX
Freeze
HOG
Holy Grail reverb
LPB-1 linear power booster
Screamin Bird
Small Clone chorus
Small Stone phaser
Emanating Fist Black Dust
EMPRESS ZOIA BWAHhahahahahahhahahhhh
EQD
Arrows
Eruptor
Speaker Cranker
Sun
Eventide H9 Mwahhhahhahahhahahaha
EWS BMC [para-EQ concentric cheat — could change to semi-para with toggle values]
Frantone custom Tremolo pedal for Hives' guitarist
Fdec HPF Pre
Gore
Cult Ge OD
Duh fuzz
Purrr vibe
Screech octave fuzz
Gtrwrks 19 Sixty 3 Boost
Hao RustDriver
Haunting Mids [haunted]
Hermida Reverb
ISP Decimator
Jennings
Fuzz
Growler
Hi-Lo
Repeater
Scrambler
Wah-Vol
Wah-Wah
JHS
Prestige [rabbit in top hat] clone of Tim Escobedo’s Duende JFET
MiniBomb same again, Tim Escobedo’s Duende
JRocket Boing
Kasha Amps & Tone Americana reverb (for PhilX EvilRobot amp)
Keeley Katana Boost
Kinatone Squatch Stank
Lightning Boy Audio Thunder Knob
LovePedal
Amp50
Babyface Tremolo
Balance
Echo Baby
Pickle Vibe
Reverb (Hermida’s)
Tchula (electra of course, nothing special — YET JOSH SMITH made it his SIGNATURE PEDAL )
Woodrow
MM Effects ? [RadialFluxCapacitorReactor]
Monstro
Riff Monket [monkey?]
Tuber
Mooer
Baby Bomb 30 — 1590A 30w amp!
Echo Verb
Graphic B EQ [total cheat with one vol trimmer and SLIDERS]
Micro ABY
Micro Buffer
Micro DI
Micro Looper
Ninety Orange
Noise Killer
Radar Speaker Cab emu (Impulse Response Loader)
Pitch Box [lotsa mooers cheatable trimmers?]
Wahter
Moskey Clones of 8 different pedals
MXR
Micro Amp
Micro Chorus
Phase 45
Phase 90
Mythos Golden Fleece
Nick Greer Black Fuzz
One Control
Mesquite Blender
Purple Humper : a mid-boost circuit from a Strat into pedal form, not OD nor cocked wah
ONE KNOB FAT FUZZ OKFF
Parasit Studios
U-235 (u235)
Theremin Fuzz
Thundering Mantis
8-Bitar
Eagle Claw
Randale F*ck the W◉rld
Randall Mor
Seymour Duncan Killing Floor
Southampton Fifth Gear V1
Stomp Under Foot Sonic Warfare
SviSound Si Fuzz
TC Electronic
Body Rez
Ditto
DittoX2
DITTO X2 JAM one-knob, 2 stompers
HOF Hall of Fame Reverb
Spectra Comp
Spark Mini
Tone Freak Effects Buff Puff
TRex PhatShuga
Union Tube & Transistor More
Valve Wizard U-Boat
Vertex Landau Boost
Wampler DB+
Whirlwind Orange Box Phaser
Wren & Cuff
Mercy Phuk
PhatPhuk
PhatPhukB
Xotic EP Booster
ZenZero Electronics One Knob Pony
Zvex SHO Super Hard-On

I think you missed one...

 

[Bricksnbeatles]

Shin Ei FY-2

The fuzz knob does almost nothing. It barely reaches unity on its own iirc, so it’s useful to add an LPB to the end of the circuit.

 

[Coda]

Shin Ei FY-2

The fuzz knob does almost nothing. It barely reaches unity on its own iirc, so it’s useful to add an LPB to the end of the circuit.

I’ll counter with the FY-6, with only a toggle…

 

[AgAuthority]

If you've got some vero board around you can put together a Colorsound Fuzz or one of it's variants like the DAM Meathead easily. I can't remember if there is a pedalpcb board for these or not. Here's the Tagboard Effects layouts for a few versions:

View attachment 48275

Hammond toneworks on reverb has a pcb for these variations as well. I picked some up, haven't had opportunity to build it yet. Looks good though

Ag

One knob on reverb

 

[andare]

Shin Ei FY-2

The fuzz knob does almost nothing. It barely reaches unity on its own iirc, so it’s useful to add an LPB to the end of the circuit.

I agree. I built mine with an LPB at the end and unity is at 1-2 o'clock.

However I wired the Fuzz pot like the Depth pot in the Fuzzrite, with the two transistors going to the outer lugs and the wiper going to the tone section.
Wired this way, the Fuzz knob has more range, going from darker and quieter to brighter and louder. Still not very useful. I'd just replace it with a resistor going to ground to leave it maxed out.
It's a one trick pony but, surprisingly, it cleans up into a dark, moody crunch if you wire it as I described.

 

[The Gator]

These are some great suggestions. Looks like everyone else has been thinking about this for way longer than me. Very cool. Thank you to all of you.
Whatever I end up doing, I want to try using a dual pot to make the indicator light get brighter the fuzzier and louder it gets lol. Put a smaller CLR in series with the secondary pot, use it as a variable resistor. Possiblly parallel a resistor with it if the value is too high to get the led to light up at lowest setting. Use a large indicator jewel as well to put it in.
One giant knob, one giant light.
FUN.

~Gator

 

[jwin615]

If you've got some vero board around you can put together a Colorsound Fuzz or one of it's variants like the DAM Meathead easily. I can't remember if there is a pedalpcb board for these or not. Here's the Tagboard Effects layouts for a few versions:

View attachment 48275

FWIW, @bean has the SnackShack.
It's pretty gnarly.
SnackShack - Madbean Pedals https://www.madbeanpedals.com/projects/_folders/1590A/pdf/SnackShack2021.pdf

 

[Bricksnbeatles]

Might sound like an odd choice, but the meathead Dark circuit with a Q1 selection ~ 150hFe and Q2 ~ 900hFe makes for a really spectacular fuzz

 

[jwin615]

Might sound like an odd choice, but the meathead Dark circuit with a Q1 selection ~ 150hFe and Q2 ~ 900hFe makes for a really spectacular fuzz

Yeah. I did fing that too high of hfe in q1 on the meathead led to unsatisfactory behavior. Oscillations galore.

 

[traumprinz]

The Colorsound One Knob Fuzz, DAM Meathead, and a lot of others use the Fuzz Face topology just with different values/transistors. IMO, for good reason - you get the most control out of that circuit as a one-knobber. Guitar volume control works as a fairly effective fuzz amount control - a lot of users keep the actual Fuzz control on a FF dimed anyway.

Plenty of other circuits make for cool one-knobbers, but it's hard to find anything that responds as well to guitar volume as the FF circuit. The Meathead and Colorsound both are sweet and I'm sure the other variants are too, but you can also go with the stock FF values and just use a 1k resistor instead of the fuzz pot.

 

[Bricksnbeatles]

The Colorsound One Knob Fuzz, DAM Meathead, and a lot of others use the Fuzz Face topology just with different values/transistors. IMO, for good reason - you get the most control out of that circuit as a one-knobber. Guitar volume control works as a fairly effective fuzz amount control - a lot of users keep the actual Fuzz control on a FF dimed anyway.

Plenty of other circuits make for cool one-knobbers, but it's hard to find anything that responds as well to guitar volume as the FF circuit. The Meathead and Colorsound both are sweet and I'm sure the other variants are too, but you can also go with the stock FF values and just use a 1k resistor instead of the fuzz pot.

This^
The meathead is essentially just a dimed fuzzface that works slightly better on bass. The dark version has an incredible amount of low end and works well as a more “doomy” sounding fuzzface.

There are dozens of different one knob takes on the fuzzface circuit, and they’re all pretty much just that. Anything that you like as a one knob fuzz based around that topology can be expanded into a traditional fuzz face, and any take on a fuzz face that you like can be turned into a one knob fuzz as well.

 

[Chuck D. Bones]

Jordan Bosstone with the ATTACK pot removed. Jumper pin 2 to pin 3. Install a 470K anti-pop resistor from pin 1 to pin 3. Try different clipping diodes.



Or try this one, inspired by Sandy's Wish Not Buzz Not. Replace the GAIN pot with a jumper (pin 1 to 3) and make the TONE pot an internal trimmer.

 

[VanWhy]

Jordan Bosstone with the ATTACK pot removed. Jumper pin 2 to pin 3. Install a 470K anti-pop resistor from pin 1 to pin 3. Try different clipping diodes.

Just to clarify since Im interested in doing this, just jumper pin 2 to 3 on the PCB and also add a 470k resistor to the same spot on the PCB? (where the attack knob would be).