Silicon Fuzz Face mods? BYOC

[knives_on_static]

So i'm thinking of buying a BYOC ESV Silicon Fuzz kit. The fuzz circuit for this kit is essentially a Silicon Fuzz Face. Because I already own a Silicon Fuzz Face, I want to buy this kit and do a few mods to the Fuzz Face and make it sound a bit different. Do you guys know of any simple mods i can do? Nothing too difficult please. Perhaps something that can give it more of a biting tone, more volume, and gain?

[Gus]

Do a search of this forum and the web lots of stuff has been posted over the years
Lots of way to adjust the circuit
First play a Si FF then think about what you want to change

[induction]

An external bias adjustment is fun with the Si Fuzzface. Adjust collector resistor and bias pot values so the pot gives you a range from 2.8 V to 7 V, or whatever sounds best to your ears. High bias will give you more bite, low bias gives the ripping velcro thing. Right in the middle is classic FF territory.

[Elijah-Baley]

The Fuzz Face circuit is simple enough to make some tests on a breadboard. Do you have one? You should get the layout for breadboard on the web easily.

I think there's no much to replace, I built it with two BC108B, made some tests and in the end I change nothing, but maybe you could try some adding. A bias pot, as induction said, or a pre-gain pot. You could try a different value of the volume pot, it should give you a different response of the treble frequency.
You can dare adding a switchable buffer, or a switchable octave up (Green Ringer).

[smallbearelec]

The Fuzz Face circuit is simple enough to make some tests on a breadboard.

Yea! The tool costs less than five bearskins and is basic for trying out mods. Here is a breadboard layout for the FF:

http://diy.smallbearelec.com/HowTos/BreadboardSiFF/BreadboardSiFF.htm

and my article covers lining up the bias, which is the first thing you would likely do. Then I would suggest experimenting with the values of the input and output capacitors, or maybe adding a tone control.

Happy Construction!

[deadastronaut]

with the si FF ive breaded, the fuzz control pot is next to pointless..

i move that pot to a pregain on input  instead , it has a much more useful control imo....

bias pot is fun too..

[Gus]

You are getting replies of what people like.  IMO this can limit your experimentation.

as an example

with the si FF ive breaded, the fuzz control pot is next to pointless..

i move that pot to a pregain on input  instead , it has a much more useful control imo....

bias pot is fun too..

You can build a Si FF like circuit that the gain control works well or you can build one that interacts well with just the guitar volume or ...

I don't like the bias control in the collector leg of the 2nd stage but that's me and I have a reason, I place the bias control in different spots

So the point is search there is a lot of stuff on the web about FF circuits some good some not so good

Myself and others have shared some good circuits over the years.

[deadastronaut]

fair enough..

[induction]

He asked for ideas. It's assumed he's going to try them and see whether he likes them or not. I don't think that's limiting at all, it's just a starting place. If he was ready to start from a blank canvas, he wouldn't be asking us. (No judgement, we all have to start somewhere.) He also indicated he wanted to use a specific pcb as a platform, which doesn't usually lend itself to building an entirely different circuit. You're answering a different question than the one he asked.

[PRR]

> costs less than five bearskins

I don't know what the exchange rate is in NYC. I assure you that up here where bears do poop in the woods, a bear skin is a lot of cash. About $1,700 well prepared. (Moose-head is more!) Not even sure bear-hunt is legal here? (But bear-fat is required when you fry-up a porcupine.) I know bear-hunt is a thing in that state with a bear on the state flag.

Also: those very-helpful articles should have linkage to the part-pages or at least your front page.

[smallbearelec]

> costs less than five bearskins
Also: those very-helpful articles should have linkage to the part-pages or at least your front page.

Beg pardon, figure of speech. Links are on the to-do list.

SD

[Elijah-Baley]

with the si FF ive breaded, the fuzz control pot is next to pointless..

i move that pot to a pregain on input  instead , it has a much more useful control imo....
[...]

My Silicon Fuzz Face works great especially if I set the Fuzz at max, else become a bit muddy and loss sustain and grit or something.
But with the Fuzz at max I can get nice sounds just using the guitar's volume pot.

[deadastronaut]

yes this is what gus was refering to....thus your fuzz pot is really your guitar pot....

which is what i meant by 'fuzz control is next to pointless" in a traditional setup..

with the pregain your guitar can be full, and the pregain pot can be more useful...e.g controllable..

so its a toss up of guitar fuzz control, or pedal fuzz control.....either is good.


of course with a bit of tinkering you could have both options..
just my 2p....

[knives_on_static]

Thanks for the replies guys I am definitely going to try a bias mod, so that the Fuzz Face can be a bit more diverse. I assume doing this can give me the option of having your standard Silicon Face and possibly a sputtery buzzy fuzz like the Shin-ei FY2 / Fuzzrite, or anything in between.

I might even add a Green Ringer Circuit in series with the Fuzz Face. I'm not sure as to whether i should place the green ringer before or after the Fuzz Face. I know most would say after is a good idea. Having the Green Ringer after the Fuzz Face can make it sound more like an octavia, where as if i were to put it after the Octave up would be less noticeable, but maybe perhaps more useable and pleasant to the ear? Like a Univox Super Fuzz with its less noticeable Octave Up?

Also the pre-gain mod sound interesting. I'm guessing it can give me something like a clean blend?

Anybody know of any changes i can make to the volume and fuzz pots that would give me more fuzz and volume? I really want this thing to be a beast 

[smallbearelec]

Also the pre-gain mod sound interesting. I'm guessing it can give me something like a clean blend?

The pre-gain pot gives you a preset for the FF. Just dime the guitar volume when you switch in the FF and you know where the output will be.

changes i can make to the volume and fuzz pots that would give me more fuzz and volume?

More volume is easy to get by moving the output capacitor to connect directly to the Collector of Q2. If you want a "beast" with more fuzz and sustain, add the input stage that makes the circuit into a TB Pro MK II.

[knives_on_static]

Awesome  thanks guys. I'll keep these mods in mind when building it as soon as I get the money.