“The Road to Your Complete DIY Equipment” 1st Edition for 2024: Building the Fuzz

Happy New Year!

I hope you will continue to enjoy “The Road to Complete DIY Equipment” this year as well.

Last year, I was so lazy that I made only three products in one year. This year, however, I intend to design (if I have time), make more and more products (if I have time), and publish them (if I have the motivation). ......
Please do not give up on me and watch over me long and warmly.

Well, I have already decided on the first project of this year.
The first thing for this year is the production of “The Fuzz”.

I forgot to tell you ...... that I hate Fuzz.
I've designed and built a number of them in the past, but I've never received a good evaluation.
I have never received a good evaluation for my designs, and there is no way I can make a good Fuzz if I hate Fuzz.
So this year, I decided, “Let's make it sound like something I thoroughly dislike!
The more I dislike the sound, the more I might be able to make something that is highly evaluated. I thought, “The more I don't like the sound, the more it might be appreciated.

First of all, let me introduce the circuit that will be the base of this sacrifice .......
Since simplicity is the best, I'd like to minimize the number of parts and maximize the effect based on the Fuzz Face.

The biggest challenge in finding parts for this project was the transistor.
Germanium transistors are rare and expensive, so they are excluded. In general, transistors whose effects change depending on the environment, such as those whose distortion decreases when it is cold, are useless.
Silicon transistors are still the best choice here.
However, the scary thing about Fuzz is that the sound that comes out of the same circuit can be as different as the difference between heaven and earth, depending on the transistor.
I am currently in the process of selecting a transistor, and I will let you know as soon as I have made a decision, but be prepared for the transistor with the sound I dislike the most.

I have already proceeded to this point, but Fuzz is still very dark.
It is the circuit with the fewest number of components, so changing just one component constant can change the sound drastically. If you are not careful, you may end up with no sound.

Now, specify the components used.

• Capacitor
• Electrolysis 2.2uF/16V or more ×1
• Electrolytic 22uF/16V or more ×1
• Film ERO KC-1860 4700pF/400V ×1
• Film MKT-1813 0.01uF/0.022uF/50V min. × 1

Electrolytic capacitors are like fresh fish: freshness is essential!
As we have said many times before, do not use old or used capacitors unless they are hermetically sealed tantalum capacitors.
For the film capacitor, use a KC-1860 polycarbonate capacitor made by ERO of Germany for the input section and an ERO MKT-1813, also made in Germany, for the output section.
The KC-1860 polycarbonate capacitor made in Germany by ERO may be available at Sound House's Sound Mart.

The lush, full transparency can only be experienced with this capacitor.
Unlike using it in the tone circuit of a guitar or bass (guitars and basses short out the sound through the capacitor and discard it), you should not use a capacitor that is too expensive, as it will distort the sound through the capacitor.

Gold skin resistors should also be used, but those that are labeled “gold skin” with no brand name are strictly prohibited, even if they are DALE or KOA.
Also, wound resistors are not allowed this time, as they are the source of noise and oscillation.
You should no longer use carbon molded resistors of unknown origin just because they are used by some other manufacturer.

The values used are

• 330Ω×1
• 1KΩ×1
• 8.2KΩ×1
• 10KΩ×1
• 33KΩ×1
• 100KΩ×1

Then variable resistors 500KΩA (CTS pot) x 2, 50KΩB (any, but preferably CTS)

SCUD ( SCUD ) / CTS-A500MM CTS millimeter size compatible pot

One stereo jack for IN-OUT and one mono jack (Switchcraft) for each.

SWITCHCRAFT ( Switchcraft ) / 11

SWITCHCRAFT ( Switchcraft ) / 12B

One 9P footswitch 3PDT for effects ON-OFF.

MONTREUX ( MONTREUX ) / Cliff 3PDT foot switch [806].

A battery snap and a case are all you need.
I can't announce the transistor at this time.
I am still searching for a transistor that produces the sound I hate.
I will announce it in my next blog along with the circuit diagram.

Happy New Year to all the DIY challengers out there!
I wish you all the best in this new year.