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Building a Band of Gypsys-era FuzzFace?

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5/20/2004 6:48 PM

Building a Band of Gypsys-era FuzzFace?

I've been diggin' Hendrix and The Band of Gypsys again lately and I'm thinking of maybe building a clone of what he was using at that point. Apparently it's a FuzzFace using Silicon transistors instead of Germaniums.

Two years ago I built Joe Gagan's EasyFace which is a hybrid silicon/germanium, and I just finished putting the finishing touches on an all Germanium FuzzFace. I love both of these pedals but I was wondering if it would be redundant building the Silicon FuzzFace, are they pretty close in sound or is there a significant difference? I've heard that the silicon FF is higher gain but how much more?

Also, I'd like to know what Silicon transistors would work the best in this case? And would I use the basic FF circuit and just stick a couple of Silicon transistors in there or would the resistor values etc... be different?

5/23/2004 4:37 AM

Build both and see, they sound different to me.

Also consider building a Roger Mayer "Octavia" and adding in/out switching for the Q3/Diodes section.
(which IS the octavia part)

The RM octavia has an "Axis Fuzz" as the Octavia front-end driver (the RM has 3 sections: 1:Fuzz, 2:Octavia, 3:Output Buffer) in this way you can have 2-pedals-in-one which is cool because the Octavia is kind of a one-trick-pony. Review the RM "Axis Fuzz" schematic and compare it to the RM "Octavia" schematic, you'll see what I mean.

BTW, Roger Mayer says Jimi used the Axis fuzz on "Band Of Gypsys":

http://www.rogermayerusa.com/axis.html

PS: I made my Fuzzface with both Germanium and Silicon circuits on a single PCB.

5/24/2004 11:18 AM
Humbucker	With a handle like RedHouse, I'll definately take your advice! 8^) Thanks, I'll take a look at that schematic, I think I have a copy of it in my files.

5/24/2004 1:56 PM
Humbucker	I checked and I guess I don't have a schematic for the Axis Fuzz, can somebody help me find it? Also, I'm wondering if someone can verify if the Fulltone '70 is a stock FuzzFace circuit but with Silicon transistors rather than Germaniums?

5/24/2004 2:15 PM
Humbucker	Found it. I found the schematic for the Axis Fuzz at Aron Nelson's site. http://diystompboxes.com/pedals/axisfuzz.gif

5/25/2004 1:44 AM
Cole Davis	The '70 is indeed a stock FF. FFs came in germanium and later, silicon variants.

5/25/2004 2:37 PM

Please recommend silicon transistors.

Thanks Cole.

I've read that some of the later FuzzFaces came with BC108C, BC109/BC109C silicon transistors, I think these are NPN, am I correct?

I want to build my Silicon FF with PNP silicon transistors, can someone offer some help in choosing something good?

Small Bear Electronics stocks "work-alikes" for the BC108, BC108B, BC108C, BC109, BC109C! Would any of these work in a FF with a positive ground?

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