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Boutique Fuzz Face PDF Print E-mail

The fuzz face is one of my favorites. The Fuzz Face has a thick sweet distortion like nothing else. It can clean up as you roll back your guitar's volume knob and create yet another wonderful and useful tone. What a great design. When I build your fuzz face you are getting the real thing. I use a real tie-dyed shirt to cover the box... every one is one of a kind.

The original fuzz faces used germanium transistors and that's part of why they sound so damn good. Still to this day the only way to get that sound is to use germanium transistors. I build real germanium, positive ground fuzz face circuits and I do few mods that make it more usable on stage.

 

Germanium Transistors and Bias

I really like the Japanese 2SB172 transistors and also the US made 2NXXX transistors. I have a few good sets of AC128's that I also like but they lack something that the others have.

Update: I do not have any more set's of 2SB172 or AC128 transistors available. I sold out and it's nearing impossible to find a reliable source. The 2NXXX's sound just as good so don't worry.

Your fuzz face will have a matched set of 2NXXX transistors. They are consistent and have "the sound"... great transistors for this circuit.

Your Fuzz Face will have an internal bias trimmer and also an external bias control so that germanium transistor heat sensitivity will be less of an issue. When a fuzz face get's hot or cold the bias voltage changes... in an ideal world the second transistors collector voltage would be at -4.5v all the time. This control alters the Q2 collector resistor value so that you can keep it as close as possible regardless of temperature. 

 

Input Volume Control

When I build your fuzz face I can include the input volume control on the outside like any other control or I can use a trim pot on the inside. If you guitars all have nearly the same output then definitely go with the internal trimmer so you can set it and forget it. If you go between a Strat and a Les Paul or some other guitar with hot pickups then we'll put it on the outside so that it's easily accessable.

 

One of a Kind Enclosure

Your fuzz face will have one of my cool hand covered tie dye boxes. Yes, I use real tie dye shirts for this. Sorry, I keep the pink shirts for my own pedals.

 

Power Options

The good sounding germanium transistors are PNP which means they work in a positive ground fuzz face circuit. Boss stlye adapters will not work. Zinc batteries are what you should use for ultimate tone. If you really want to use a power supply then  I will include a power jack per special request but you will have to get a positive ground adapter. If you try to use a standard negative ground adapter (like boss psa) you will kill your fuzz face.. that's why I recomend a battery only configuration.

It takes a special relationship with your fuzz face to get the sound that we all want, so please read my page about fuzz face fixes and mods for more information about the fuzz face circuit.

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