I'm using the Easy-Face schematic --
What should I do if I want more of a soft OD/trebly/rangemaster tonality out of my fuzz face -- I've already potted down the pregain a bit -- the equivalent of turning down the guitars input volume -- and adjusted the bias and voltage for a little more headroom.
I still want this to be a fuzz/od, but what should i swap out to get a more unctuous treble/soft clipping sound?
Make the input cap a .0047uF instead of a 2.2uF or whatever. The original Dallas Rangemaster is said to use a .005uF.
http://fuzzcentral.ssguitar.com/rangemaster.php
CHAD
great -- i've also read that swapping out the 500k volume pot for 100k can help, as well as changing the output cap (0.1uf) to something smaller -- perhaps a 0.0047uf as well.
right now i've got a 250k trimpot controlling the pregain. I imagine that using a 100k trim here will have more treble and something like 500k will have more bass?
I suppose i should just mess around with these variables until I get something I like..
However.. is there a way to reduce the "Attack" or amount of clipping so I don't have to pot down the input so much?.. looking for more of an overdrive/rangemaster sound with a taste of fuzz..
heres a great example of a fuzzface-gone-overdrive tone..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UmBIAJA2sg
Take out the second transistor's emitter bypass cap. On the Easy Face it's the 22uF cap in parallel with the 1k resistor.
one of the coolest ways to make the easyface or other FF types more OD-like is to use the gus smalley Q1 emitter trick. 150 or 200 ohm is cool, but even better is a 500 ohm trimmer to dial in OD goodness.
interrupt the E to GD connection with this resistor/trimmer.
play around with the 100k feedback resistor as well. 120k will lessen the fuzz.
Great! i will take all of these suggestions to heart. i think installing some temporary switches and trimpots is in order until I figure out what works for me..
Joe! seeing as you are the one to ask.. will i encounter anything ill if i omit the "blend" pot? just have no use for it on this build.. do i need to bridge anything in its place, or is it ok to simply leave it out?
well, if you like the effect it has, take a reading of its resistance and put a fixed R to GD in its place, to keep the same loading and effect that it has on the circuit.
once the easyface pregain is omitted the circ reverts to being more of a regular FF.
I like to use this for variety: Pick caps way too small and way too large so you have a good range.
(http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb54/seedlings/BassInputCap.png)
CHAD
seed, i like it! the supersmall and super large make it nice.
+1 on the "bass" knob variable input cap blend pot. very usefull!