Troubleshooting Bazz Fuss circuit.

[zenpeace69]

Ok, so I perfboarded all the wiring and I think I have it correct, but when I plug it in it won't work.  I get nothing.  So I take off the battery from the clip and all of a sudden I am getting sound.  It is a low volume splatty kind of fuzzy mess.  What could be the problem?  With the battery clip on the battery I get nothing and with the battery off I get splatty fuzz at a low volume.  What do you think?

Also, I know it's a bit late to be asking this, when you are laying out the diodes which way do you justify them?  There is a black line at one end of the diode and I have it at the end where the arrow is pointing on the diode symbol on the schematic.

[Mike Burgundy]

The diodes should be correct (line matches the line next to the arrowhead), but when in doubt, always measure.
This sounds like a total mis-bias problem to me (have been wrong quite often though, grin). Check your wiring (drawing the schem *from the circuit* instead of checking the two against each other helps here), battery polarity and double check pinouts. Make sure you have the pinout from the brand of tranny you actually use - they sometimes differ from brand to brand.
While youre measuring, take the pinvoltages for all trannies also.
hih

[zenpeace69]

Well, there has been a development.  I turned the diode around (with the black line facing towards the transistor) and I am not getting sound through the circuit.  It is muffled, low volume and no gain.  The high end is getting cut out.  Still, when I take the battery off the clip it goes back to that splatty fuzzy sound.  This is bizarre.  There are only 5 components on the whole circuit.  

I still am unclear as to how you think the diode should be placed.  Also, I am pretty weak on the multimeter as of yet.


Has anyone out there built the bazzfuss?

[zenpeace69]

I'm sorry.  I mistyped up there.  I am now getting a sound, but it is muffled.  I wish you could edit your posts here.

[Mike Burgundy]

you can. On your own posts, there's an edit button in the upper right corner.
The diode should have the striped end (cathode) to the transistor's base, the other end (anode) to the collector.
I'm still thinking pinout.
It sounds like the transistor is blocking hard with power applied, and opens slightly when power's removed. Once again, check your wiring against the correct datasheet. Replace the transistor when you're convinced you have the legs sorted.
hih

[lightningfingers]

i built the bazz fuss a while back. the condidtion you are describing could be due to a transistor screw up...........which transistor are you using? also if you used an electrolytic cap for the input make sure the -ve side is connected to the jack

[lightningfingers]

i built the bazz fuss a while back. the condidtion you are describing could be due to a transistor screw up...........which transistor are you using? also if you used an electrolytic cap for the input make sure the -ve side is connected to the jack.

good luck, its a great fuzz

[zenpeace69]

Thanks for the heads up on the diode.  Ok, I switched the diode around.  Also, I switched the transistor around.  Now, I am not getting a splatty fuzz if my pick attack is very hard.  Otherwise, it won't really make a sound.  I know that people say this sounds like a mis-biased transistor, but I don't know what that really means to me.  I have 5 more of these transistors that I have not tried yet and I don't know how to test them to see if they are biased correctly.  

what do you suggest I do?

[Mike Burgundy]

what transistor are you using, and do you know what brand?
What are the exact markings on the casing?

[zenpeace69]

Ok, I believe the cap is correct.  It's a radial cap and the side that has the black arrow pointing down with the minus side in it is giong to the input.  

The transistor is a 2N5088 NPN I bought from mouser electronics.  It is made by Central Semi Transistors, I believe.  It is part number 610-2N5088

It is black plastic and shaped like a half-circle kind of thing.  At first, I had the flat side towards the diode.  When it was like that I wasn't getting any gain at all.  I could hear the guitar, but it was muffled and low volume.  Then I turned it around the other way and now I am getting that splatty fuzz sound when my pick attack is ridculously hard.  

It's  bit frustrating not knowing what the hell I am doing with such a simple circuit.  I have learned a few things, though.  

I don't know if any of this information helps.

[Mike Burgundy]

this is important. You MUST know what leg is what - which one is the base, which one the collector and which one the emitter. Hook them up wrong, and nothing happens. If you're lucky.
All datasheets I have show EBC for a 5088 looking at the flat side, legs down and left-to-right. See http://212.57.231.17/datasheetarchive/Datasheets/On_Semiconductor/DS7135.pdf
and
http://www.fairchildsemi.com/ds/2N/2N5089.pdf
Make sure the middle leg goes to the input cap. Make sure that, looking at the flat side/legs down, the LEFT leg goes to mass, the RIGHT leg goes via a resistor to V+, and via the 10u to out. This leg also has the diode pointing from it to base (middle leg). Check again. Have a cup of tea.
Now draw the whole thing up anew *from the circuit you've built* with the transistor marked the way it looks in real life - something like a half-circle with three connectors. This would be the top view. Make sure the connections are really ok this way too - once again compare to the datasheet. Etc.
If youre not completely sure which connector is what, you can keep trying unilt you break.
If the tranny was hooked up wrong, I'd replace it, even if it still works.

[zenpeace69]

Ok, I checked the data sheet and I now have the transistor wired correctly.  The diode, however, may be backwards off of the Collector pin.  Should the black stripe on the diode be away from the pin or going towards the pin?  I will try and reverse it to see what happens.

Thanks for all your help so far.

[zenpeace69]

Ok, I know the transistor is going the right way.  I went and swapped the diode around so that the stripe side is away from the Collector pin.  Now, I am back to the muffled low gain sound.  Maybe the diodes striped side should be going to the collector pin?  At least then it was making a fuzzy sound (though I had to pick really hard to hear it).  

I dunno...

[zenpeace69]

I wanna thank everyone for their help.  I learned a great deal from my first build and I am thrilled to say it is up and running!  It only took me like 12 hours (I did break for an early afternoon nap and dinner with my wife's spaghetti sauce).   :wink:

Anyhow, my first build is complete... What do I get for breaking the cherry?  (besides a headache from playing my new fuzz so loud)  :lol:

Thanks everyone!

[Mike Burgundy]

cool!
What was the problem?
btw - 12 hours is nothing. Haha. You'll get better and quicker real fast, but there's still going to be those frustrating "doh!" moments, when after hours of searching you realise you didn't stick an IC in a socket or something

[zenpeace69]

Both the transistor and the Diode were both wired in backwards.  I did the diode first and it didn't help so I switched it back.  Then I did the transistor and that didn't help (because I obviously switched the diode back around).  I finally got them both in the right place at the same time.

Thanks again for all your help Mike.

I am sure I will be back for more on my next build.   :oops:

[petemoore]

Heck of a little circtuit isn't it? amazing what just a small selection of components can do @@@.