Union tube/third man Bumble Fuzz schematic?

[Snufkinoob]

After a cursory search I can't find much out about the no-knob bumble, let alone the schematic. Seems to get mostly neutral comments regarding it, but I'm interested in finding out about what makes it tick. Is it entirely an original design or a clone of some kind?

[nocentelli]

Foxx tone machine seems to be the suggestion at the other place, the single blurry gut shot is inconclusive.

[Snufkinoob]

 The Premier Guitar review mentions four transistors, but a "relatively spartan circuit board". I wonder if if shares DNA with a Devi Ever? Maybe the Destruco Noctavia? That combination of "sparse board" and "four transistors" reminded me of a Devi circuit or two, but I can't find the schematic for that one in particular.

Any links to that blurry image? I know the one you mean, I had it saved at some point, but have since deleted it.

[nocentelli]

Any links to that blurry image? I know the one you mean, I had it saved at some point, but have since deleted it.

https://tinyurl.com/yabvj54j

I looks to have 5 transistors in that shot, but far too blurry to make much out. The two pairs of diodes is the only thing that appears to link it to the tone machine. The pete thorn youtube video i just watched made it seem like it could be a univox superfuzz derivative

[duck_arse]

must be a different Snufki.
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=106424.0

[Snufkinoob]

 Nope I'm just an idiot. I haven't used photobucket for a looong while. Although I did search the forum afew times and that old post never came up. 

So anyway, it looks like most of the resistors are low. A lot of brown/black bands. Quite a few 1k's?

16 resistors
5 electrolytic caps
2 small value caps
1 medium value cap
1 blue thing. A cap, or possibly heat shrink tube covering something?
4/5 Q's, (I think that blurry component on the left is actually just the input cap and not a transistor. Maybe both?)
2 pairs of diodes (The lower pair must work in a Big Muff style network since they aren't going direct to ground?)

Seems like it's close to the Bee Baa and Kay fuzz with a touch of Big Muff? Makes sense given the descriptions of it.

[Snufkinoob]

This is the best I can come up with based on that pic... Not very informative but it's a start. I'm sure that blurry component is just an input cap. Any ideas on the mystery component on Q1 emitter? Should be a cap I guess, but looks like a heat-shrink wrapped resistor.  Q4 layout is mostly a stab in the dark.



Since there's an octavey quality to the clips I've listened to, Q3&4 might actually be facing each other like the FY-6 and Kay fuzz:

[blustrat]

Hello, i am also in the quest for tracing down this schematic, looks like a Kay Fuzztone to me (wich is very similar to a Superfuzz minus some parts) so i made one on perfboard and  the sound was barely acceptable, then i realized (thanks to a couple of threads on this forum) that Q3 and Q4 need some bias tweaking, wiring a 1K pot instead of resistor on Q4 collector made the sound Ok, very pleasant fuzz and subtle octave up, but not exactly like the BumbleBuzz kind of misbiased sound. Oh.. and  forget that blurry pic, a much clearer one here
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=85899
Hope this helps.

p.s.
these are frame screenshots i took from of a video advert on youtube, just few resistors indentified but they match with the kay values, except for the last 330k i supposed is replacing volume pot.

[blustrat]

Maybe i messed up the resistor values in the pics i posted, i am not confident with 5 bands color code resistors, please would some put a light on this? Thank you.

[PRR]

https://www.digikey.com/en/resources/conversion-calculators/conversion-calculator-resistor-color-code-5-band

[blustrat]

Thank you for the link to the res code calculator, i've already used it but i wasn't sure of the orientation, if i've read them right the values are correct. I see two 1,8k along with three 10k, these should be on the input side (note that the pedal input is placed to the right, looking at the picture), and one 330k (more or less) as last resistor before output.

[Snufkinoob]

Good find! I think those you've marked as 10k are 100k's. Fourth bands look orange not red.

Having looked at the video, I think the other one adjacent to the blue cap is grey, grey, red... ? 8r,880r,8k2?

Frustrating that the non-blurred pic is so dark!  There's an input resistor there, but can't make out much else. I need to get my arse in gear and put a breadboard together.

[Snufkinoob]

Almost one year to the day bump! 

Had someone send me a message about drawing up a schematic based on some better photos, so here's what I came up with. Still not 100% sure of some resistor values or most caps, so I've just put up what's in the Kay Fuzz.

EDIT: Corrected from PRR's post below -




Very surprised by how expensive these are given the how cheap and readily available the components are. 

No idea why that 0,1uf on Q1 seems to be the only thing to have a few more pence thrown at it? This one has a vishay/orange drop and a blue...something in the pics above.

[PRR]

> a schematic

I suspect Q1 Q2 Q4 are wired like this:

[Snufkinoob]

Thanks for picking those two errors up.

Definitely a 10k on Q2E, and that 10k on Q4B goes to ground. I missed those when drawing it up on the computer for some reason.  Schematic amended.

[Kidtronic]

Hello everybody ! I'm a new member of this forum and this is my first contribution.

I picked up this schematic from an original Bumble Buzz buyed in 2017.

All polarised capacitors are electrolitycs, All non-polarised are Mica except C6 is an MKT. Resistors are metalfilm 1% tolerance. Transistors are basic 2N2222. Values and polarity of all components are  same as original bumble buzz.

Nothing special about those components and it's a good thing, the pedal is easy to repair or clone.



As you can see, this is a replica of the kay fuzztone F-1 whith few Mod's.

The 2,2nf compensation capacitor (C5) has been moved in the first stage to alow more basses in the signal path.

The original Kay use 2x OA90 germanium diodes for clipping. The Bumble use 4x 1N4007 silicon diodes for a more harshy sound.

The original 50K tone pot was replaced by a 42K resistor and a 22nf capacitor (R17 and C7 in my schematic) this part is the tone identity of the pedal you can feel free to modify it if you want to explore different sound.

T3 and T4 should be appaired.

I builded few clone with this base if you have any questions....

[Kidtronic]

OUPS !! There is a little mistake in the schematic I posted.

The R10 resistor is a 100K and not a 22K. Sorry

[duck_arse]

OUPS !! There is a little mistake in the schematic I posted.

The R10 resistor is a 100K and not a 22K. Sorry

I'm not sure this is right. most of the variant circuits I've looked at had either 10k or 22k connecting the commoned collectors to Vcc [your R10].

and - a belated welcome to the forum.

[rutabaga bob]

Will confirm Mr. Duck's recommendation.  I built this using the 100K at the collector of Q3&4.  It's a no-go.  At his suggestion, tacked a 15K across the 100K. - HUGE difference!  A tip-o'-the-hat to Stephen for his assistance!

[duck_arse]

interesting. does anyone have a Kay to check the Q3/4 collector resistor?



this ^ circuit, quoted earlier, also shows 100k - but I have a local copy of a Divos schem that shows 10k. from my calcs, and Bob's experience, 100k will try and make 12V across itself.