Fuzz Face with a Rangemaster tonality? help !

[aeiou]

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?

[seedlings]

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

[aeiou]

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..

[aeiou]

heres a great example of a fuzzface-gone-overdrive tone..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UmBIAJA2sg

[CynicalMan]

Take out the second transistor's emitter bypass cap. On the Easy Face it's the 22uF cap in parallel with the 1k resistor.

[joegagan]

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.

[joegagan]

play around with the 100k feedback resistor as well. 120k will lessen the fuzz.

[aeiou]

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?

[joegagan]

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.

[seedlings]

I like to use this for variety:  Pick caps way too small and way too large so you have a good range.



CHAD

[joegagan]

seed, i like it!  the supersmall and super large make it nice.

[Quackzed]

+1 on the "bass" knob variable input cap blend pot. very usefull!