This Week on the Breadboard: BJFe Arctic White Fuzz
- Thread starter Chuck D. Bones
- Start date
Laundryroom David
Keyboard Cowboy 🤠
Not to get too far off topic, I think I’ll try this circuit out! I’m a big fan of both fuzz faces and BJFe. And large wild cats.
Chuck D. Bones
Circuit Wizard
I think that snow leopard is saying "Get me the fuck outta this enclosure. I want some real food."
A short question: would it be possible to make the pedal brighter (less wooly) by simply modifying the tone pot value?
Sorry for such a noob question, I don't have great electronic skill (just enough to follow a schematic and build pedals).
The current context is I got a BJFe AWF (pretty expensive) which sounds too dark to my ears, and I don't want to modify something in the circuit itself, changing a pot seems to be quite safe though...
Sorry for such a noob question, I don't have great electronic skill (just enough to follow a schematic and build pedals).
The current context is I got a BJFe AWF (pretty expensive) which sounds too dark to my ears, and I don't want to modify something in the circuit itself, changing a pot seems to be quite safe though...
Chuck D. Bones
Circuit Wizard
The short answer is "no." You would need to change something(s) other than the TONE pot to make this pedal brighter.
Are you saying that with the TONE dimed, the pedal is still too dark?
My breadboard was disassembled long ago, but my recollection is that it was plenty bright.
What FUZZ setting do you use?
Do you drive the AWF directly from your guitar? If so, what guitar are you using and how do you set its controls?
The higher you turn the FUZZ knob, the more the pedal interacts with the guitar or whatever else is ahead of it in the chain.
What comes after the AWF in your rig?
Maybe you'll like the Polar Bear Fuzz better. You could sell your AWF and buy this one, you might even end up with some spare cash.
https://reverb.com/item/34628759-bearfoot-fx-polar-bear-fuzz-arctic-white-mk-ii-polar-white
Are you saying that with the TONE dimed, the pedal is still too dark?
My breadboard was disassembled long ago, but my recollection is that it was plenty bright.
What FUZZ setting do you use?
Do you drive the AWF directly from your guitar? If so, what guitar are you using and how do you set its controls?
The higher you turn the FUZZ knob, the more the pedal interacts with the guitar or whatever else is ahead of it in the chain.
What comes after the AWF in your rig?
Maybe you'll like the Polar Bear Fuzz better. You could sell your AWF and buy this one, you might even end up with some spare cash.
https://reverb.com/item/34628759-bearfoot-fx-polar-bear-fuzz-arctic-white-mk-ii-polar-white
Thanks for the advice, I'll check for a Polar Bear to be able to compare.
The AWF I own is a 4 knobs one. The 4th knob is named "A" as "Attack" according to Bjorn, but it seems to be more a pre-gain setting, which affect the cleanup. The best setting for the more "open" sound is around A at 75% and Fuzz at 75-100%, Tone at 100% of course.
For this test I have the simplest rig possible: the guitar (P90 pickup, vol and tone dimed) and a clean Fender Deluxe. My reference is a pretty standard dunlop silicon Fuzz Face, bright and open sounding compared to the current AWF
The AWF I own is a 4 knobs one. The 4th knob is named "A" as "Attack" according to Bjorn, but it seems to be more a pre-gain setting, which affect the cleanup. The best setting for the more "open" sound is around A at 75% and Fuzz at 75-100%, Tone at 100% of course.
For this test I have the simplest rig possible: the guitar (P90 pickup, vol and tone dimed) and a clean Fender Deluxe. My reference is a pretty standard dunlop silicon Fuzz Face, bright and open sounding compared to the current AWF
Chuck D. Bones
Circuit Wizard
I'd like to see the schematic for the 4-knob version.
So I was able to compare the Bearfoot Polar Bear with my BJFe original ... OMFG ^^
I don't want to denigrate the Bearfoot version but if it's the same circuit the components must be way different.
Anyway... this test makes me realise how lucky am I to own this pedal, and how awesome sounding it is.
I also asked Bjorn what's the story about the 4th knob, I just wanted to share his answer here, could be kinda instructive:
From Bjorn Juhl :
Yes Attack control on AWF 4 is a gain control and as such allows different combinations with the Fuzz control
Technically the Fuzz control set the sensitivity at the input whereas the Attack control sets maximum gain of the circuita
In use though setting both at say noon gives less complex tone than if A control is on max and it is also useful especially at very loud volumes to be able to control the amount of overtones versus clarity
I don't want to denigrate the Bearfoot version but if it's the same circuit the components must be way different.
Anyway... this test makes me realise how lucky am I to own this pedal, and how awesome sounding it is.
I also asked Bjorn what's the story about the 4th knob, I just wanted to share his answer here, could be kinda instructive:
From Bjorn Juhl :
Yes Attack control on AWF 4 is a gain control and as such allows different combinations with the Fuzz control
Technically the Fuzz control set the sensitivity at the input whereas the Attack control sets maximum gain of the circuita
In use though setting both at say noon gives less complex tone than if A control is on max and it is also useful especially at very loud volumes to be able to control the amount of overtones versus clarity
Chuck D. Bones
Circuit Wizard
Does the ATTACK control "scratch" at all when you turn it?
Chuck D. Bones
Circuit Wizard
It gives me a clue as to what BJ did to add the ATTACK control. Based on the information you provided, I think the ATTACK pot replaces R9. It's also possible that he kept R9 and put the ATTACK pot is in series with R9. ATTACK is probably C10K. Can you take a look inside and confirm my theory?
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If I well understand, the AWF Attack knob could be compare to the Fuzz knob on a classic Fuzz Face ?
And the AWF Fuzz knob would act more as kinda pre-gain ?
Chuck D. Bones
Circuit Wizard
That's my thinking. I ran some simulations. FUZZ and ATTACK both affect the gain, but they do it differently. I've built FF's with two gain controls, similar to the AWF, but I never thought of giving the pot at the front such high resistance. The ATTACK control has a strong effect on the voicing because when ATTACK is turned up, there is a strong mid focus. Turning ATTACK down evens out the freq response. I expect there is quite a bit of interaction between FUZZ & ATTACK.
Chuck D. Bones
Circuit Wizard
That's in-line with my expectations.
Going back to your initial question about making the tone "less wooly," what happens to the tone when you back-off on the guitar volume?
Going back to your initial question about making the tone "less wooly," what happens to the tone when you back-off on the guitar volume?
cooder
Well-known member
I had a bit of a senior moment with the biasing of the jfet and was shooting stubbornly for the wrong value, but once Chuck (thanks man!) saw me right and got me out of the rabbit hole it purrs like a snow leopard indeed.
Here's my version, the White Out Fuzz.
Sounds great, smooth, enough grind, tone control is really useful and for a FF very low noise indeed. Dig it!
Here's my version, the White Out Fuzz.
Sounds great, smooth, enough grind, tone control is really useful and for a FF very low noise indeed. Dig it!
Chuck D. Bones
Circuit Wizard
Looks great!
