Here's the Axis Face, finally finished at long last. It's another version of the Fuzz Face, taking into account mods done by the Fulltone '69, the Analogman Sun Face, and some work by Joe Gagan. It uses a pair of 2N404 PNP Ge. transistors...one with a gain of 77, and the other with a gain of 99. Check out the Axis Face artciles at Fuzz Central for the full story.
Notice there is no LED or DC power jack...two things I usually always build into pedals ;)
(http://axiseffects.home.att.net/misc/axisface1.jpg)
(http://axiseffects.home.att.net/misc/axisface2.jpg)
What do you guys think?
Phillip
Neat....in every sense of the word.
Man Phillip, that is one organized looking pedal. You got some sound clips for us? Preferably into a cranked Marshall? ;)
The inside looks Straight. The outside looks pro.
Quote from: javacodyPreferably into a cranked Marshall? ;)
Marshall...what's that? ;) I'm a 100% Fender Twin Amp guy :D
Phillip
Ya sure ya didn forget some parts. :wink: That has to be the cleanest build I have ever seen. Very nice.
Nice carbon comp resistors!
(p.s. I'm of the "if they didn't need DC jacks and LED indicators in the 70's - you don't need them now" school. 8)
Beautiful Work Phillip... absolutly beautifil :)
Nice looking Phillip, and super clean inside! 8) 8) Your finishing work is always impeccable!
I love the MXR/1590b sized boxes. I know it's more wastefull, board wise, but the MXR/Boss style of board mounting on the bottom of the box gives the 1590b the ability to house circuits that could normally only be used in the 1590bb using the top of box mounting method.
Plus, with the board sitting on the bottom of the box, below the offboard components, you can mount your jacks on the sides, and have more freedom pot wise, up to 4 - 16mm pots, plus an LED.
I measured a block-logo MXR board, and it had 5.76 sq. inches of board area. The board goes from the front edge of the box, back to the switch. With the clipped corners, and a 3PDT switch, fiqure 5.25" - 5.5". GGG's Big Muff board is 4.68" sq., and a GGG TS-9 is 4.5" sq. So there's plenty of circuits that could fit in the 1590b.
That's one of the main reason's I'm going to start doing my own PCB's, so I can start using the 1590b more.
The one disadvantage is the lack of secure mounting. MXR used foam to insulate the board, and Boss used the plastic sheet. But, I'm working on a few ideas about solving that.
Quote from: Fret Wire
The one disadvantage is the lack of secure mounting.
I used double-sided foam tape to stick the circuit board to the backs of the pots. It ain't goin' anywhere anytime soon ;)
Phillip
Quote from: phillip
I used double-sided foam tape to stick the circuit board to the backs of the pots. It ain't goin' anywhere anytime soon ;)
Phillip
I noticed that, Phillip. Nice touch. What I was talking about, was the bottom of the box mounting method, where you either have to wrap the board in foam (MXR), put foam on the bottom plate (MXR), or the plastic insulating sheet (Boss).
After I get going on the PCB's, I want to come up with a mechanical means of securing the board at the bottom of the box.
Quote from: bobbletroxif they didn't need DC jacks and LED indicators in the 70's...
Ahh there's the catch...they didn't have LEDs in the 70s ;) I'm sure that most of the vintage effects that we're all after now would've have them if they did exist ;)
I can't remember exactly when LEDs were invented...at the very very end of the 1970s or the early 80s maybe?
Phillip
Cool, Phillip. You made a great look box.
That is a great looking pedal,outside and inside!
Phillip,did you ever use those tropical fish caps and were they what you thought they were?
Greetings,Ed
Hi Ed. Yep, I've been using those tropical fish that you got for me in RangeMasters and RangeBlasters :)
Phillip
:shock: If I had the money I would buy one without pluggin in
Very interesting and nice looking job. There has been some stories that some legendary recordings were made by plugging tonebender or fuzzface straight to the console, and perhaps some of these are true. But you need a good one for that
If this is one of these you have done good job, again. No surprise for me, visited your site, good stuff...
Quote from: phillipHere's the Axis Face, finally finished at long last. It's another version of the Fuzz Face, taking into account mods done by the Fulltone '69, the Analogman Sun Face, and some work by Joe Gagan. It uses a pair of 2N404 PNP Ge. transistors...one with a gain of 77, and the other with a gain of 99. Check out the Axis Face artciles at Fuzz Central for the full story.
Notice there is no LED or DC power jack...two things I usually always build into pedals ;)
What do you guys think?
Phillip
looks cool! do you solder the leads of the transistors to the socket strips?
Alf
Quote from: ahermida
looks cool! do you solder the leads of the transistors to the socket strips?
Alf
Nope, I just leave them unsoldered from the sockets in case I want to try out different transistors in the future.
Phillip
That looks as good as any boo-teek box on the market!
I'm tempted to build one just like it(I've got 2 2N404s), though not as neat(cause I can't). I've already got an AM Sunface, and a GE FF(which sounds great) I built myself already, and they both stay home in my effects drawer(along with @ least 3 Si FFs and TBs). The thing is though, the FF sound is just not me. You know, I wanted it to be considering who-all have put them to good use over the years. I just can't get excited about that tone. It's kinda like that tube rectifier sag thing, I absolutely hate that. I'm not saying that it's not a good sound, it's just not a good sound for me.
Regards
RDV
Hey RDV, you wanna sell me that AM SunFace then? :)
Quote from: javacodyHey RDV, you wanna sell me that AM SunFace then? :)
Be cheaper to build an Axis Face ;)
Phillip
Quote from: javacodyHey RDV, you wanna sell me that AM SunFace then? :)
The thing was $185.00 new, I tried to sell on eBay a while back for $150.00, but it didn't sell. It's not the NKT version either, I paid for the regular SF, but was sent an NKT version, & sent it back cause it sounded grainy to me. So this is the NKT version(w/trimpot for bias), but with 2N508 Ge(General Electric) trannys with the original boxes the transistors came in also. I've got the bag, box, and manual also. If you've got a Marshall Plexi or an old tube amp of some sort, this thing will light it up. It would be cheaper to build Phillip's version, but PM if interested.
Regards
RDV
Hmm 2N508 you say? I'll have to source some of those and plug em in! Hopefully soon some will pop up on eBay.
Phillip
Quote from: phillipHmm 2N508 you say? I'll have to source some of those and plug em in! Hopefully soon some will pop up on eBay.
I think Mike has them all! I never see them anywhere, but good luck!
Regards
RDV
Quote from: RDVI think Mike has them all! I never see them anywhere, but good luck!
Regards
RDV
I think you're right! Ebay sure didn't turn up anything. I did a Yahoo search and some of the old electronics surplus houses have some for sell, but their prices are usually VERY steep...sometimes up to $5 or more for a single transistor. I got my 2N404s off eBay for about 80 cents each when I bought a bag of 10 NOS Texas Instruments pieces.
I think I'll keep grabbing all the 2N404s that I get get ahold of for now ;) I still want to try out some 2N404A.
Phillip
I looked too, nothing. While we're on the Ge subject, anybody try the AC128/01 heatsink transistors. Are they pretty much the same as the standard 128's, gain and character wise? Any more consistant? At first glance, you'd think they'd hold up better when the temp goes up, but who knows?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2245180396&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1
Here's a page that gives some detail on different types of the AC128, including those AC128/01 that the eBay seller has been auctioning recently:
http://www.geocities.com/stompbox2001/ac128.htm
I've been eyeballing those auctions, but I've never bid on them...I wish that he would put some up as "buy it now"...waiting 6 or 7 days annoys me like nothing else...but I've always been impatient ;)
Phillip
Thanks, for some reason, I was under the impression that they were higher gain. I know what you mean about those auctions. Waiting all that time is like watching water boil. :x Just once, I'd like to be the guy that finds a whole case of them in a corner of some warehouse.
I got a couple of those modern reproductions of the AC128...they suck. These days they're also remarking/restamping various no name Germanium transistors as NKT275s and selling them on eBay as "Genuine NOS" NKT275. I'd say that over 90% of the "NKT275s" that have sold on eBay are restamps or reproductions because the real ones are so hard to get.
Those are definitely real AC128/01s, though. As far as I know, no one has gone to the trouble of trying to fake the ones with heat sinks.
Phillip
What do the modern repro 128's look like? Are they the metal cased, top hat style? How are they usually marked?
The repro AC128s look like the one pictured under #3 on that AC128 page. The originals didn't have the little flange around the bottom of the case. They looked like the NKTs and lots of other part numbers.
Phillip