Metropoulos Forum

I am definatly going to build a AC127/NPN version after the holiday(all my AC128/PNP are total crap..). it looks really interesting .

The 3 transistor fuzz does just what the old West Coast mod does since the gain pot can be adjusted from zero all the way to the full output signal. This is just what the Dunlop mod accomplished with the 10K pot in the collector of Q2.
The only advantage of the three transistors was that you could adjust the gain of Q2 without having to adjust the gain of Q1 at the same time (i.e. the fuzz control), and that also meant it could be "on" all the time with the clean signal being mostly clean but with whatever boost you wanted to give it, to overdrive your Marshall just a bit, or a lot.
Really, it was a way to get a tube type fuzz and a transistor fuzz all in the same pedal, without having to use any tubes. (except the 12AX7s in the Marshall).
It was also a way to get a lot of distortion shadings, since you could control the gain of Q1, the gain of Q2, and the input gain of the Marshall, all independently.
Like I said, I had to guess at the settings for Jimi since those FF units only had two knobs, but you can be sure Jimi would have had the multiple knob unit if there had been time for me to build it, and that many of his tunes would have had different distortion characteristics than they ended up with.
If I can get a couple of these units out to you and Shakti, you can try out all the "what ifs", and then let the forum members see what you come up with.
I'm sure they would all be curious to hear what can be done with it.

If I can get a couple of these units out to you and Shakti, you can try out all the "what ifs", and then let the forum members see what you come up with.
I'm sure they would all be curious to hear what can be done with it.

great plan !!

I am definatly going to build a AC127/NPN version after the holiday(all my AC128/PNP are total crap..). it looks really interesting .

looking forward to hear it !!

Tek, check out the link for a discussion of the AC127. They are kind of low current gain for the FF circuit.
Also I note that the Q1 collector voltage using these is pretty low, about as low as you can go to make the circuit work. Most fuzz cats prefer about 1 to 1.2 volts. (the sweet spot)

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/i ... ic=35752.0

There are some new developments on the three transistor fuzz, so I think I'll have Xplorer pull that schematic off the cloud and replace it with a different one. Few little changes to make it more useable.

cool! (although a two transistor schematic would also be great)

We had a rare chance to put a string of Jimi gear together, his Wah, the West Coast fuzz, his Guild amp, his Marshall major, and a Marshall bottom with 4 of the alnico Celestions we installed in his Marshal cabs back in '69.
I made some recordings, and we even got some video. We're having some Jimi freaks over to play a few licks, just to see how close we can come to matching the sound from one or more of his projects.
(nobody is pretending to be Jimi, just trying to get something to match the sound)
I hope to do an explanatory video where I twist the knobs and demonstrate what happens to the sound as you adjust things.
We even have his re-amp setup going, where you slave the Guild to the Marshall, and the other way around. Wish you could have heard what I did, but I'll try to get some of this stuff posted as we go along.
Anybody who thinks the Guild can't keep up with the Marshall is going to be greatly disillusioned. It rocks. ( 2 8417 outputs equal 4 EL34 or the equivalent)
So wish me luck on getting a good video together.

Here is a clip ! sorry for my playing. didn't learn very much the early Experience tracks and it was disturbing to record directly into my soundcard without hearing the amp.
this is using Dave's fuzz proto and Jimi's modded Guild amp. i feel so privileged, wished i had done better.
anyway :

https://soundcloud.com/xplorer80/161201 ... n-chauveau

There are also some Videos made with Dave, presenting the gears and hearing the amp with a little portion of my clip. will try to have them on youtube or something. Dave, please, can you send them to me through wetransfer ? thank you.

and here is another little clip, very badly played again .... ( what's my problem, damn ... )

of the west coast amp, the univibe clone, and the blue fuzz modded ( volume on 9, and fuzz gain on zero ) . i find that it gives some nice Bog shades and accents. that's the only purpose of this "playing".

https://soundcloud.com/xplorer80/16-11- ... zz-hendrix

You have no problemo, my friend. I heard everything I needed to hear in your demo.
It sounds great and has certain characteristics others do not.
I like your settings ! It's what I use with Analog Mike's Sunface w/ sun dial going through a '68 Superbass and a JH100 Jimi bottom, and for a vibe I have a KR.
1st thing I do is crank the Vol. to 10. Next, gain on zero. I try to find the sweet spots + or - 1.
Either Vol. on 10=9 and Gain 0-1. Amp does the rest.
Anyway that circuit sounds great and compliments the singlecoils of a Stratocaster excellent. Thick sounding.
Then that fuzz breakup is killer. Probably make for an insane Octavia circuit.
In my Experience I hear characteristics of a Jordan Boss Tone.

On the 2nd clip I thought the vibe was stepping on something. ?
Like to hear with a Jimi wah through it now...

JimiJames wrote:On the 2nd clip I thought the vibe was stepping on something. ?
Like to hear with a Jimi wah through it now...

thank you. glad it could deliver enough.

what do you mean by "the vibe was stepping on something" ?

yeah, maybe a wah clip someday with this setup.

I like your settings ! It's what I use with Analog Mike's Sunface w/ sun dial going through a '68 Superbass and a JH100 Jimi bottom, and for a vibe I have a KR.
1st thing I do is crank the Vol. to 10. Next, gain on zero. I try to find the sweet spots + or - 1.
Either Vol. on 10=9 and Gain 0-1. Amp does the rest.
Anyway that circuit sounds great and compliments the singlecoils of a Stratocaster excellent. Thick sounding.
Then that fuzz breakup is killer. Probably make for an insane Octavia circuit.
In my Experience I hear characteristics of a Jordan Boss Tone.

do you talk about the first or the second clip ? or both ?
in the first one, Dave used the fuzz prototype and adjusted along the clip being played through the fuzz and Guild amp.

in the second clip it's just my Dunlop blue fuzz modded, vibe clone and west coast marshall.

i'd love to your some clips from your setup ! it sounds interesting

Hello!

I'm new in this thread so first I'd like to thank Dave for sharing all this information. It's interesting to read your thoughts about the FF circuit. I wonder for the early 2n525 2 transistor west coast mod, was it standard to change the gain pot to 2K? My thinking is it would be hard to get 5V on Q2C and about 1.2V on Q1C with a 1k gain pot without reducing the collector load on Q2. Also, did you keep the 500k value for the volume pot?

I have some 2n527 and really like how they sound. I'm going to try both your circuits, will be fun.

i just realize that i didn't post the schematic of the three transistors fuzz, slightly updated, so here it is

http://imgur.com/a/gykZ2

Thanks for the schematic. Since playing with the circuit did you feel seperate volume controls for fuzz and bypass(clean boost) would be useful? The earlier schematic had some volume compensation when switching. I guess one could use two 20k pots in parallell and switch between the outputs.

i didn't play with the circuit, although i did build one of these three transistors fuzz more than a year ago but i didn't make it right. and i don't remember now.
you'd have to ask Dave about it. i'm sure he'll shime in.

Xplorer wrote:i'd love to your some clips from your setup ! it sounds interesting

I would like to do that, but I have to track down another NKT275. All I have to offer is this track with a 1969 RW cap '05 ri, neck pickup which I believe are the Custom Shop '69's - straight into a Metro '69 Superlead add reverb - mid '70's cab w/Blackback's ( no 1982JH Big Bottom here)

https://m.soundcloud.com/user5906127/a- ... VdAfa#play
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The 1st track is great and you can hear how different it sounds compared to a generic stock fuzz. It would sound really good with what I have.

The vibe track; you can hear a fade or distortion in the sweep. Like something too hot in the signal...