ORPHEUM FUZZ !

[Dragonfly]

OK, so the Orpheum Fuzz schematic came up in a thread today...so I figured I'd do a quick vero layout for it and build one !

Dang, this thing is NASTY !  Pure 60's filth...a totally viable alternative to the Mosrite Fuzzrite and the Shin-Ei FY-2 fuzztones.

I built mine using 2N3903's for the transistors (hfe approx 120)..didn't try anything else. There may be better alternatives out there, but these are cheap, sound cool, and worked just fine !  Also, I swapped lug-3 and lug-1 on the "Tone" pot...just a matter of personal taste.

HERE'S the link to the folder in my gallery...it includes the layout, build pics, and sound clips !

NASTY STUFF INDEED !

Enjoy,
  AC

[nightingale]

Yep,
It's one of my favorites. I like the pots on top of your build DF. It's looks good in a Fuzzrite way!  Thanks for the quick layout.
Here's the schemmo too:

[Dragonfly]

Yep,
It's one of my favorites. I like the pots on top of your build DF. It's looks good in a Fuzzrite way!  Thanks for the quick layout.
Here's the schemmo too:

I used 2 different shematics for the layout...they were actually "the same", but one had pot values labelled and one didnt. The "other one " (not yours) had the lugs on the tone pot labelled from top to bottom as 1-2-3 ! I did the layout like this, however, i prefer it as 3-2-1...it workds more like a traditional fuzz pot that way.

Does my build sound similar to your Orpheum ?  I'm wondering mainly due to the transistor differences.

Also...got any more "obscure" fuzz schematics laying around ?

AC

[Auke Haarsma]

man..... that's uhm... a lot of noise. Not really my style of fuzz, but kudo's on the nice pics and clips!

[Sir H C]

Also seen under the Clark name.  These are very hit or miss as the circuit uses a pretty shaky biasing scheme.

That first transistor has a 10MEG resistor on the base?  Wow, that is huge.

[petemoore]

That first transistor has a 10MEG resistor on the base?  Wow, that is *huge.
  Might sound just as good with a 'big' resistor there.
  I can't get the old style movie camera's to play for me...awwww...
  But I get a pretty good vague idea what'd'd sound like from your descriptions and the schematic, 'Nice radical', short looking schemmo on it !
  Might hafta whip one up and see ...

[Dragonfly]

That first transistor has a 10MEG resistor on the base?  Wow, that is *huge.
  Might sound just as good with a 'big' resistor there.
  I can't get the old style movie camera's to play for me...awwww...
  But I get a pretty good vague idea what'd'd sound like from your descriptions and the schematic, 'Nice radical', short looking schemmo on it !
  Might hafta whip one up and see ...

its ugly, pete

nasty, spitty, splatty sixties style fuzz....

[DDD]

The circuit seems to be quite impressive due to the 10 MOm resistor... maybe there is a sort of "enigma" there?

[nightingale]

Does my build sound similar to your Orpheum ?  I'm wondering mainly due to the transistor differences.

Also...got any more "obscure" fuzz schematics laying around ?

AC

Yeah,
Your clone sounds dead on man!

Have you heard the malboro wailer aka the ibanez standard fuzz or fuzz machine? It's like a superfuzz clone with a fet on the input.
It is by far my fav of the superfuzz family.




here is a link to the schemmo from Dan N: http://users.rio.com/senorris/junk/iswf.gif

[Dan N: let me know if you want me to pull the link]

fuzz on,
ry

[stomper]

My first stomp box was an Orpheum that I bought at a musician's tag sale for the princely sum of $2.  It sounded a lot like the sound clips, but with way more treble.  A friend of mine bought a germanium version that has a beautiful transistor overdrive tone.  Think low gain fuzz face that isn't gated or muddy.  We always smile when he plugs that one in.

[doug deeper]

well i'll be building one of these!
sounds great!!!!

[Dragonfly]

My first stomp box was an Orpheum that I bought at a musician's tag sale for the princely sum of $2.  It sounded a lot like the sound clips, but with way more treble.  A friend of mine bought a germanium version that has a beautiful transistor overdrive tone.  Think low gain fuzz face that isn't gated or muddy.  We always smile when he plugs that one in.

*ahem*

pictures, please.

If you get pics of the front / back of the circuit board, we can work up a schematic for it

AC

[Dragonfly]

well i'll be building one of these!
sounds great!!!!

Its pretty nasty...you'll enjoy it Doug !

EASY build, too.

AC

[Sir H C]

I have a Clark version, can get some pics, think it is germanium.

[Dragonfly]

I have a Clark version, can get some pics, think it is germanium.

That would be great.  Give me something to do while on vacation

AC

[Barcode80]

CRAP! this looks almost exactly like a schem i drew up AGES ago, with basically NO electronics knowledge. I thought I was original....  Well, I guess the people I sold it to didn't mind.  It is definitely not for the faint of heart, raunchy fuzz here. Makes me feel good that I designed a functioning circuit that closely matches a commercial pedal though!

When i drew it up, I was basically guessing. I was taking a VERY amateur electronics class, and barely knew what anything did, i just kind of guessed on circuit sections based on what i had seen in other fuzz schems, then randomly chose some values. didn't even know about biasing or anything 

Of course it sounded like garbage, nothing like this, and the couple of people who had me build one were noise rock guys, which i guess is a sign...

how does everyone build theirs so tidy all the time? I can't ever get mine to look like that. I guess trial and error with part placement, but I rarely am able to actually mount a board in a 1590B. it is usually "hanging" and just indiscriminantly stuck between an offboard component and the box wall

[Barcode80]

by the way, i till know diddly about biasing, which is why i currently don't design circuits. i will be attending electronics courses soon though...

[nightingale]

FWIW,
There is a 3 knob version of the Orpheum fuzz: http://filters.muziq.be/files/pics/orpheum_fuzz_003.jpg
If I had to guess I would say it is a 3 knob tonebender type, or maybe even a sam ash fuzz type?

Anyone seen/heard one of those?

curious,
ry

[audioguy]

The sound clip in the gallery is cool!

[warioblast]

Dragonfly did you breadboard it first or did you fire it directly on vero ?
I put the orpheum on my breadboard this afternoon. I used 2N12219A for the transistors (hFE150) and I'm having nasty squealings when the volume is up.
Though my voltages are close to the targets:

Q1:
C: 6.5
B: 0.5
E: 0

Q2
C: 0.9
B: 0.9
E: 0

Anyway I'm gonna put it on a vero and see if it heals my ear pain.