Building an RM Axis Fuzz

[Xplorer]

Hi guys,

thought i'd build an axis fuzz properly, compared to the first time i tried a few years agi : it didn't work properly, and it was too bright, harsh, i don't remember.
But i think i didn't have the proper amp to use with it.

Now, since i love bog tones, i get some very nice bog tones to my ears with a 45/100 and a Dunlop blue Hendrix fuzz, but i'd like to see how it reacts with an axis fuzz ...

since there are plenty of schematics on the web, and that they're mostly all different, i figured i'd start from a gut shot of a real axis fduzz, and compare.

Well, i'm not 100% sure about the cap values, and the pots, or the transistors values.
But it's said to work nicely with some Motorola 2n3904 and 2n3906 . arround 170 - 190 hfe, with Q2 being the higher.

i found such transistors in my stock, and well ... i'll build this

So here it is, my work on a pcb picture, i didn't finish yet.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28160216@N ... otostream/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

i found a 50k lin pot, a 2k lin pot, and a 250k lin pot for an input bias i'll use ( so i'll can use a wah in front of the fuzz )

Any advices or corrections to this layout ?
it seems that there were about three versions of this axis fuzz so ...

[Xplorer]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28160216@N ... 376517323/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[yladrd61]

Let me now how it works

[Xplorer]

sure !

i think i'll tech a pcb for the first time ... rather than doing a point to point or copper breadboard stuff.

this technic looks fun and very fast :

http://www.instructables.com/id/Sponge- ... Will-Need/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Xplorer]

damned !

i had the stabilo pen written nicely, ( uneraseable, resisting water, i guess it's ok, since i don't have a sharpie pen ) for a test, i tried this iron chlorure from banzaï and .... didn't work !

later i looked at the expiration date : may 2010 !! i thought i had bought it a year or two ago ???
Inside : some liquid, Brown, and some hard stuffs, liquid that became solid or something.

damned, have to wait monday or tuesday now to go buy some in a shop in paris.



nevermind, it's not the end of the world. And anyway, i'll have to buy some drilling sticks, for my kind of dremel, to dig the holes later, i broke the only one i had. And i'll look for some transfer paper, for laser printer, for some more complex pcb's. i hope i have a laser printer somewhere.

i know, i'm the one who thought that i could start a fuzz project and finish 2 or 3 hours later, ha ha ....
no .................

[Lefty Lou]

Try Shape Shifter hand wired pedals made in England. I bought his Catalinbread RAH clone pedal for less than half of what Catalinbread charges for the same pedal. Tim Thompson builds every kind of pedal imaginable with good construction and parts, frankly I don't see how he does it as cheap as he does.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shapeshi ... 17?sk=info" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Xplorer]

Thanks but no, i can't spend much, close to zero, and i already have the parts, looking in my stock.
+ i like to build stuffs myself , that's a pleasure to do it. But i'll check for his site.

[Lefty Lou]

Thanks but no, i can't spend much, close to zero, and i already have the parts, looking in my stock.
+ i like to build stuffs myself , that's a pleasure to do it. But i'll check for his site.

Good luck on your project anyways.

[Xplorer]

Thank man. Just bought some perchlorure, will try this afternoon.

[Xplorer]

So, my first pcb etching ! on some NOS paxolin. i'm glad it worked perfectly.
Except that ..... lool, i forgot to reverse the traces letters "RM AXIS FUZZ" but nevermind.

[Xplorer]

..

[Lefty Lou]

It's coming along nicely buddy!

[mathd]

Looking good. Best sounding fuzz ever(to me)
Am going to make axis fuzz pcb(photoresist method) this month. Maby i will make some extra to sell on this forum if people show some interest.

[Xplorer]

thanks.

i tested it out of the enclosure, and it was Noisy, not sounding good too.

i still couldn't finish this build since it's a mess in my room, they're redoing all the bathroom and copper water connections.

i hope that it'll sound better when grounded properly.
or ... even if i used some Motorola transistors, with the right hfe, i may need to find some others.
eventualy, if you test a matched pair that work nicely for you, i'd be interested to get one.

also, i'm sure that once working properly, a good sounding axis fuzz dépends a lot of the amp and speakers used, hence some peoples disapointed, and some others totaly fan.

thanks.

[mathd]

How much noisy?,
i made my first axis fuzz on a 1x1" breadboard with resistor upside and component stacked very close(i used 1/2watt resistor too, build from scratch), it was a very little noisy(inside the enclosure).

I think that pot lead and battery lead placement play a big role.
Try moving the wire around.