Best c.1970 Real Fuzz Circuit?

[Anchoret]

Yeah, I want a circuit for REAL vintage psychedelic fuzztone.

Not a distortion unit...

Not a dirtbox...

A fuzztone.

What's best? There's not much in them, so I don't see dropping the crazy money on a readymade.

As always, thanks for any useful help!

[mabley123]

the roger mayer axis fuzz. look no further.

The Axis Fuzz was developed in early 1967 to give an additional series of tone colours for Jimi. This guitar effect is named after it's most famous use on the title track of the album "Axis Bold as Love". It can also be heard extensively on the "Band of Gypsies" and various other post 1968 recordings by Jimi. Since it's reissue it has become a firm favourite by guitarists who demand rich fill range quality fuzz tones with plenty of bottom end but that can also be used on chords and riffs. It cleans us very well from the guitar volume control and retains its large range of tone colours. The guitar does not loose identity and is truly a modern classic used by many leading performers today.

Electronically the Axis uses a discrete circuit configuration that is completely unlike the simple and crude Fuzz Face configuration. Both PNP and NPN silicon low noise transistors are used in an unique configuration that is temperature stable, free from radio interference and producing more output level and sustain than the Classic Fuzz. It produces a distinctive rich-biting sound that makes solos extremely noticeable but not thin sounding and weedy like so many popular mass marketed effects. The unit has a high input impedance to keep the guitars character and quality of tone whist providing great sustain. It is definitely best described as fuzz rather than distortion but has the ability to be used on chords as well as solos
Provides thick, rich fuzz for chords at lower volume setting (around 6-8) and great sustain drenched in fuzz for solos at higher volume settings (8-10).

he also makes a classic germanium circuit

classic fuzz

Our Classic Fuzz incorporates the same modifications that I personally developed for Jimi and can be heard on his early recordings.

Electronically this guitar effect uses the Fuzz Face configuration of the classic two transistor amplifier but the low parts count and simplicity of this configuration produced many problems in the mass produced versions that were produced and available to the public. The large variations in tone quality from unit to unit, radio pickup and high frequency oscillations, temperature causing tone quality to change all made life very difficult and it was not unusual to have to select from up to 20 units to find a really good one. No two units were the same!

The version that we produce today has eliminated all of these problems and is representative of the best units that Jimi used. PNP Germanium transistors of the exact same type that were used in the early versions are very carefully selected for gain and stability to produce the rich smooth rounded tones that the later version NPN silicon transistors failed to emulate. These are still used by many modern manufacturers in so called vintage Fuzz Face versions. Germanium transistors do not pickup radio or oscillate and a pre-set has been added on the PC card to enable the unit to be optimised at varying temperatures. It is unquestionably the most accurate "Vintage fuzz effect" manufactured today that replicates the sound of the early Hendrix tracks. The Roger Mayer Classic Fuzz has the genuine pedigree and heritage and you can rest assured of having a device designed and built by the man who was there.
"Oh, the sonic havoc you can wreak with only two resistors, three caps, and a pair of NOS(new old stock) germanium transistors. The Fuzz´s volume and intensity knobs deliver classically brittle sounding fuzz on a monstrous scale. Once you experience it, you'll understand why Hendrix amps could sound like they were about to detonate at any second. The Fuzz is quite dynamically responsive..."


analogman also makes great fuzz units. i have one but i would go for the mayer ine if i had it to do over just because i like the fact mayer was hendrix amp and pedal guy and has been building pedals before 1964.

48 years iof experience is a deal maker for me. he wouldnt be around so long if he wasnt great.

[Anchoret]

So, are these circuits available anywhere?

As I said, I don't want to buy a readymade.

Thanks!

[fraser]

the axis fuzz is a good suggestion-

here is a thread, some good info with a schematic shown-
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforu...?topic=86281.0

here is some more info-
http://fuzzcentral.ssguitar.com/axisface.php

an image search in google brings up a bunch of schematics, pcb and vero layouts-

all kinds of ways to approach this circuit, great idea to breadboard.

my favourite, simple 60's fuzz is the burns buzzaround- id say it qualifies as a REAL vintage psychedelic fuzztone.
it gets a bit more complicated, because you need to test and sort the transistors, unless of course you buy a tonebender set. i had good luck with some nte158's i got locally, made a gain/leakage testor so i could sort them for best placement- sounds great-
i say its a bit more complicated, but i did it, and i know you are more electronically knowledgable than i am.
http://freestompboxes.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=1211

i also love the fuzzrite and shin-ei fy-2, as well as the coloursound one knob.
these three can be made really cheap and easy, using common transistors like the 2n2222, 2n3904 etc.

id post schematics etc, but none are my property-
i dont want to piss anyone off!
google image search brings up all kinds however.
if you want to pm me, i can send you schematics that ive used, so i know they are good.

i cant justify spending money to buy these things ready made either-
ive built about a dozen nice usable old school fuzz boxes, all boxed up nice, with no money scrimped on switches, jacks or anything,
and the most expensive was a 4 knob germanium fuzz face- oc75 and oc76- sounds glorious-
and less than $50 in total spent, including shipping.

[Anchoret]

I saw a Bill Lawrence layout for the Axis somewhere. An Axis seems like a decent place to start.

I probably have all the parts here somewhere, except maybe the transistors.

I'd have some kind of fatal seizure if I spent $50 on a project stomp.

[ Funny, but I had a big pile of salvaged c.1960 germanium transistors around here someplace, hundreds of them. I wonder if I could find them, or if they'd be useful in building this sort of thing. ]

[Anchoret]

After torturing myself trying to listen to demos of these pedals on Youtube, I've come to the conclusion that only about 1% of these people know what fuzztone even is.

Everyone seems to think it's simply distortion, and virtually every one of these guitar-wankery videos show these devices outputting standard distortion, NOT fuzztone. All these fuzz demos sound like a DS-1 or something similar.

What's with that?

[fraser]

if you find those transistors- check this out.
http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/ffselect.htm

yeah, $50 was a lot-
it was a birthday present for myself, so i got a set of matched trannies from small bear, at $18.
also got enclosure, jacks, switch, pots and knobs- yup about $50.
but i sat down and built myself a nice fuzz face, with all new parts laid out for that purpose.
no waiting for things, nothing missing, no scavenging, no frustration.
it was worth it to me, at that moment.
and ive got a tank of a pedal with all new parts, lots of knobs and trimpots, done just the way i want.
no regrets for the money i spent.

[fraser]

Originally Posted by Anchoret

After torturing myself trying to listen to demos of these pedals on Youtube, I've come to the conclusion that only about 1% of these people know what fuzztone even is.

Everyone seems to think it's simply distortion, and virtually every one of these guitar-wankery videos show these devices outputting standard distortion, NOT fuzztone. All these fuzz demos sound like a DS-1 or something similar.

What's with that?

so- you are looking for this sound then?



couple of 20 cent silicon transistors is all you need!

[Anchoret]

Originally Posted by fraser

so- you are looking for this sound then?

Wait, that's my Shovelhead!

Yeah, that's the sort of thing I'm after, or like in the outro of the documentary, Fuzz: The Sound That Changed The World, which unfortunately has just been pulled down off of Youtube.

What kinda circuit will give me that?

[Anchoret]

BTW, this eBay store has some really good delivered prices on a lot of stuff.

On the West Coast, I'm getting the stuff I import from Asia in about a week to ten days, on average.

[fraser]

the dave allan clip is a fuzzrite.
first fuzz i built myself.

google image search for fuzzrite- lots of schematics.
its very simple, and you can use very cheap and common trannies for it.
ive made several, all are nice.
there is a resistor to ground, 22k, off the volume pot-
not always shown in the schematics available-
i put this on a toggle, and use a 100k for the volume pot.
that resistor is like a bee inducer- it adds treble and buzz.
nice with it, but nice without it as well.
the shin ei fy2 is similar, but more gain.

[Higgs F. Boson]

Runoffgroove's Sili-Face. I built one for about $20 total. I used 3904 transistors and it sounds "right" to my ear. Pure fuzz, not distortion or OD.

[imsilly]

Fuzzrites are dam cool, but they aren't the most versatile of Fuzz. The controls are weird. You are choosing between mud and hiss. A lot of people have trouble with them. Especially if they are not built well.

I think if you are looking at something circa. 1970 you can pretty much choose any true, discrete fuzz circuit out there because nothing new has really popped up since then. Some kind of Tonebender would probably be your best overall option. Schematics for MKI, MKII and MKIII Tonebenders are all over the internet. They get steadily smoother as they evolve. The MKI.V and Vox Tonebender are similar to a Fuzz Face in many ways.

Also a good option might be a Burns Buzzaround because they are just flat out badass.

The hardest part is making something that sounds good. You'll need the right parts and will probably have to adjust the values from the schematics to get something that works. A liberal use of trimmers to find the right value for fixed resistors and bread-boarding is a must.