New BYOC Fuzz Pedal

[duhvoodooman]

Buildyourownclone.com (http://www.buildyourownclone.com/index1.html) is about to roll out a new fuzz pedal, a clone of the classic Univox Super Fuzz. While perhaps not as well known as the Fuzz Face, Big Muff Pi and Tone Bender vintage fuzz pedals, it's still got quite a reputation among vintage effects mavens. Probably its most famous proponent was Pete Townshend of The Who (http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/equip-univoxsuperfuzz.htm), who used one for the better part of ten years. Big, nasty fuzz tone, with a bit of octave effect, though not as strong as an Octavia pedal. Here's a pic of a couple of different versions of the original:

http://files.muziq.be/pics/univox_superfuzz_001.jpg http://files.muziq.be/pics/univox_superfuzz_002.jpg http://files.muziq.be/pics/univox_superfuzz_005.jpg

There's some more info and a couple of clips posted HERE (http://johannburkard.de/blog/music/effects/legendary-guitar-effects-univox-super-fuzz.html). I don't care for the death metal style stuff at the begnning of the MP3, but later on it calms down and you can get a better idea of what it really sounds like. Not for the faint of heart--definitely an extreme fuzz!

Anyway, we BYOC forum moderators get first shot at beta testing the new BYOC kits, so take a wild freakin' guess who has a beta kit coming? :D Should arrive next week. I'll post some progress pics and impressions of the completed pedal, when available....

[tunghaichuan]

DVM,

I used to own and original back in the '80s. It was the blue/orange version. I think I bought it for $30-$40 and was probably lucky to get $40 for it when I sold it. I wish I still owned it now :D

Personally, I didn't like it back then. I never could get a sound out of it that I liked. But then again I'm not really a fuzz kind of guy. It will be interesting to see how BYOC implements it. Who knows, maybe my tastes have changed enough that I would like it.

tung





Buildyourownclone.com (http://www.buildyourownclone.com/index1.html) is about to roll out a new fuzz pedal, a clone of the classic Univox Super Fuzz. While perhaps not as well known as the Fuzz Face, Big Muff Pi and Tone Bender vintage fuzz pedals, it's still got quite a reputation among vintage effects mavens. Probably its most famous proponent was Pete Townshend of The Who (http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/equip-univoxsuperfuzz.htm), who used one for the better part of ten years. Big, nasty fuzz tone, with a bit of octave effect, though nothing approaching an Octavia sound. Here's a pic of a couple of different versions of the original:

http://files.muziq.be/pics/univox_superfuzz_001.jpg http://files.muziq.be/pics/univox_superfuzz_002.jpg http://files.muziq.be/pics/univox_superfuzz_005.jpg

There's some more info and a couple of clips posted HERE (http://johannburkard.de/blog/music/effects/legendary-guitar-effects-univox-super-fuzz.html). I don't care for the death metal style stuff at the begnning of the MP3, but later on it calms down and you can get a better idea of what it really sounds like. Not for the faint of heart--definitely an extreme fuzz!

Anyway, we BYOC forum moderators get first shot at beta testing the new BYOC kits, so take a wild freakin' guess who has a beta kit coming? :D Should arrive next week. I'll post some progress pics and impressions of the completed pedal, when available....

[marnold]

Definitely fizzier than the more murky Fuzz Face. Can't say I'm all that enamored with that clip. I'm still interested to see how it turns out for you. When it comes to fuzz, the question must be asked: germanium or silicon?

[duhvoodooman]

Silicon NPN bipolars--six of 'em. No wonder the thing has gain & distortion out the wazoo.

It's not my favorite fuzz style either, but "opinions vary widely" when it comes to effects in general and fuzzes, in particular--or so it seems to me. But since this was an opportunity to add a cool (and free!) vintage fuzz pedal to my collection, I couldn't pass it up. This fuzz apparently has lots of fans, so if I don't like it, I can always sell it to someone who does!

[marnold]

It's not my favorite fuzz style either, but "opinions vary widely" when it comes to effects in general and fuzzes, in particular--or so it seems to me. But since this was an opportunity to add a free vintage fuzz pedal to my collection, I couldn't pass it up. This fuzz apparently has lots of fans, so if I don't like it, I can always sell it to someone who does!
Hard to beat free! Who knows? You might just fall in love with it.

[duhvoodooman]

Got the beta kit yesterday and populated the PCB last night. Straightforward build and nicely laid out, but quite a few components for a fuzz. Should finish it up tonight.

The physical layout of this pedal is quite different from the "traditional" BYOC kit. I understand that it's representative of the new direction Keith Vonderhulls wants to be taking with his pedal kits. The I/O jacks are mounted on the top side of the enclosure, along with (Spuds will LOVE this) the AC adapter jack. Will make it easier to daisy-chain on a single power adapter.

I'll post some pics, if Keith is comfortable with that (I've asked & am waiting for his answer). It is, after all, a beta design and things could change before the commercial release, so he may not want pics getting out yet.

[duhvoodooman]

Just heard back from Keith, and he doesn't mind, so here are two photos. The first is the completed PCB "fit up" with the hardware, but not soldered in yet, and the second is just a PCB closeup:


http://duhvoodooman.com/miscimages/musical/leeds_fuzz/PCB_set_in.jpg http://duhvoodooman.com/miscimages/musical/leeds_fuzz/PCB_closeup.jpg

[tunghaichuan]

DVM,

Looks pretty cool. Much better than the cheesy original. I may have to try this one.

What are your thoughts on finishing the enclosure? Any ideas yet?

tung



Just heard back from Keith, and he doesn't mind, so here are two photos. The first is the completed PCB "fit up" with the hardware, but not soldered in yet, and the second is just a PCB closeup:


http://duhvoodooman.com/miscimages/musical/leeds_fuzz/PCB_set_in.jpg http://duhvoodooman.com/miscimages/musical/leeds_fuzz/PCB_closeup.jpg

[duhvoodooman]

Looks pretty cool. Much better than the cheesy original. I may have to try this one.
It's obvious to me that a lot of thought went into the PCB and pedal layout design. The amount of wiring required vs. the "old" BYOC designs is much reduced. With the exception of the battery adapter leads, I don't think there will be a single run of wire more than 1.5" long, with most well under an inch. Both control pots are of the "PC mount" type with legs that solder directly into eyelets on the board, as does the SPDT toggle that switches between two tone modes. Makes for a clean and easy build. :AOK:


What are your thoughts on finishing the enclosure? Any ideas yet?
Really haven't given it any thought yet, since the main "mission" on this build is to provide feedback to Keith on how well the build goes and make sure everything works properly and sounds as it should. One interesting element of this build, my first beta kit: no instructions and no diagrams to refer to, though the component placement/values are all nicely silk-screened on the board. Keith did post some pics of his own build in the Moderator's forum on the BYOC forum site, which I needed to refer to on a couple of details. But I'm quite amazed by how easy this is to build just based on prior experience with his pedal kits, even with the substantial layout changes made on this one. My old brain must actually be absorbing some of this stuff--wonder of wonders! ;)

Suppose I should start brainstorming a bit about the enclosure finishing, though, huh? The working name of this new BYOC model is the "Leeds Fuzz", so named because of Pete Townshend's use of the Univox Super Fuzz on the famous Live at Leeds album. Maybe I can come up with something out of that....

[duhvoodooman]

For those interested, here are a couple of YouTube clips I came across--one a home-produced video featuring the early '70's vintage Univox pedal and a second more professional clip from ProGuitarShop.com demoing the Wattson Super Fuzz, a modern reissue of this classic fuzz circuit:

kLq2ZJNH3pg

9387LVG80mc

Because both are true to the original circuit, I would guess that the BYOC pedal will be very similar in sound and performance to the Wattson, which goes for $200. I expect the kit will probably go for less than half of that.

[marnold]

'Bout as subtle as a punch in the face, eh?

[duhvoodooman]

There are times when a punch in the face is exactly what's needed. Sonically speaking, of course. No reference to any volume swell thread postings stated or implied.... :D

[duhvoodooman]

OK, here are a couple of pics of the fully assembled pedal:

http://duhvoodooman.com/miscimages/musical/leeds_fuzz/leeds_fuzz_gut.jpg http://duhvoodooman.com/miscimages/musical/leeds_fuzz/leeds_fuzz_top.jpg

Sounds pretty damn good, but definitely a pedal-to-the-metal fuzz. I like the heavily scooped tone setting mopre than the mid-boosted one--huge, rumbling bottom end. I'm still playing around with the trimpot some. I can get excellent fuzz/sustain, but the octave effect isn't very noticeable. Not as much as I've heard on some video clips, anyway. Need to dial it in a bit more.

As far as the pedal build goes, I really like this new layout. I think Keith has a real winner with this new design. Smooth build, no glitches found in the kit, and everything functions perfectly. I'll try to post a sound clip in the next day or two.

[tunghaichuan]

Very good work, DVM. That pedal looks great and looks like a winner. I like the uber-clean layout. :AOK:

tung





Sounds pretty damn good, but definitely a pedal-to-the-metal fuzz. I like the heavily scooped tone setting mopre than the mid-boosted one--huge, rumbling bottom end. I'm still playing around with the trimpot some. I can get excellent fuzz/sustain, but the octave effect isn't very noticeable. Not as much as I've heard on some video clips, anyway. Need to dial it in a bit more.

As far as the pedal build goes, I really like this new layout. I think Keith has a real winner with this new design. Smooth build, no glitches found in the kit, and everything functions perfectly. I'll try to post a sound clip in the next day or two.

[duhvoodooman]

Tung got me started thinking about how I'll finish this pedal, so I started noodling on the Who/Townshend connection of this vintage effect and came up with a basic concept. Now I just have to decide how I want the graphics to look. I've got that pretty well defined, but I'm undecided on the font to use for the word "FUZZ". Take a look at my 4 candidates on the graphic attached, and let me know which one you like:

http://www.thefret.net/imagehosting/74490893efe274b.gif

Haven't decided if I'll paint the pedal white, as these mock-ups show, or some other very light color, like perhaps a cream or very light blue, or maybe even my "standard" silver metallic. Open to suggestions....

[tunghaichuan]

I vote #2.

As for colors, I think Sonic Blue or Robin's Egg Blue would look pretty cool.

tung




Tung got me started thinking about how I'll finish this pedal, so I started noodling on the Who/Townshend connection of this vintage effect and came up with a basic concept. Now I just have to decide how I want the graphics to look. I've got that pretty well defined, but I'm undecided on the font to use for the word "FUZZ". Take a look at my 4 candidates on the graphic attached, and let me know which one you like:

http://www.thefret.net/imagehosting/74490893efe274b.gif

Haven't decided if I'll paint the pedal white, as these mock-ups show, or some other very light color, like perhaps a cream or very light blue, or maybe even my "standard" silver metallic. Open to suggestions....

[Spudman]

#2
As an ex-sign maker...it's clean and legible.

The drop shadow on #1 has little effect from any distance. The cartoon font in #4 is too erratic. #3 just seems too unbalanced.

Are you going to have any copyright issues using 'you know who's' likeness?

[warren0728]

Are you going to have any copyright issues using 'you know who's' likeness?
i was thinking the same thing....i voted for #2 too....

[tunghaichuan]

#2
Are you going to have any copyright issues using 'you know who's' likeness?

:thwap: Didn't think of that, good call.

DVM: do you know someone who could do a custom image for you?

tung

[duhvoodooman]

Are you going to have any copyright issues using 'you know who's' likeness?
Fair question, but I wouldn't think so--I found this same image plastered all over the internet when I did a Google image search (try "Townshend windmill" and you'll see what I mean). Besides, at this point, the pedal is a "one-off" for personal use.

[warren0728]

here you go....it's a close approximation to the original image....i'll even give you the copyright for a couple of them there pedals you build!! :rotflmao:

and yes....the pic was taken just moments ago by my lovely 9 year old daughter! it's nice to be wearing shorts (plaid of course) and no shoes in my living room with the windows wide open during october!! :poke:

http://www.thefret.net/imagehosting/thum_354908a8d9785ac.jpg (http://www.thefret.net/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=760)

[duhvoodooman]

My eyes....my eyes!!! :eek: ;)

P.S. Terrible weather up here--pouring rain and mid-30's yesterday. This morning, several cars in our parking lot belonging to employees living in the "hill towns" around here had 3 or 4 inches of snow on them! Now that may not be unusual for this time of year for the "Rocky Mountain High" Fretters, but it sure is around here....

[Robert]

I like #2 and #3. Here are a few more cool looking fonts - http://www.bittbox.com/freebies/5-excellent-free-grunge-fonts/

[Algonquin]

There are times when a punch in the face is exactly what's needed. Sonically speaking, of course. No reference to any volume swell thread postings stated or implied.... :D:AOK: 'And that's all I have to say about that'


As for the pedal, my preference would be #2 as well.

[duhvoodooman]

Thanks, guys--looks like a pretty clear concensus on #2. That was my preference, too!

Thanks for that link, Robert. :AOK:

Here's the winner, full size:

http://www.thefret.net/imagehosting/744908b417c99d1.gif

[tunghaichuan]

P.S. Terrible weather up here--pouring rain and mid-30's yesterday. This morning, several cars in our parking lot belonging to employees living in the "hill towns" around here had 3 or 4 inches of snow on them! Now that may not be unusual for this time of year for the "Rocky Mountain High" Fretters, but it sure is around here....

It's about 73 degrees here in Colorado. :bravo:

It's supposed to be nice on Halloween, but usually it's nice and warm right up until the day of Halloween and then it gets cold and rainy :(

tung

[Tone2TheBone]

I'm late to the party but it's ok cause I liked #2 also.

[marnold]

Here I am! #2 as well, so I guess it's all good!

[oldguy]

Number 2 was my choice also, nice looking graphic, the layout on the pedal was super clean also. Nice work, Vood!:AOK:

[Bloozcat]

I kind of like #1 best, then #2 second DVM.

If you could find some blurry looking letters for FUZZ, that would look cool..

[sunvalleylaw]

Late to the party too, but I also vote #2. And I think that graphic over silver looks just fine. :AOK:


Warren, you crack me up! :thwap: :rotflmao: :pancake:

[duhvoodooman]

I kind of like #1 best, then #2 second DVM.

If you could find some blurry looking letters for FUZZ, that would look cool..
Ah, finally--a contrarian! ;)

Actually, I was looking around for a "fuzzy" font, but I also wanted it to be an outline style, and didn't come across anything I liked that met both criteria.

[sunvalleylaw]

'Bout as subtle as a punch in the face, eh?


Yep, I agree, but I like it! A fuzz should distinguish itself from other overdrive/distortion/dirt pedals, and that sound certainly does. I guess I am of the mind that a Fuzz pedal is not about subtlety. :rockon: My fuzz I already own also is not so subtle. I will be interested in hearing clips of the "as-built" pedal when you are done.

[just strum]

I like #1, but agree with Spuds point, so #2 it is.

[duhvoodooman]

Here's an audio clip I recorded with this pedal. Done using my '89 Strat Plus on the neck pickup (CS Texas Special) though my Epiphone Valve Jr. into a Drive 2x12 cab with Eminence Legend speakers. Mic'ed into my sound card and recorded with Audacity. Pedal settings were Balance (volume) at 9 o'clock and Expander (fuzz/gain) at about 1:30. After a brief "clean" intro, I played some (mostly) familiar riffs in pairs, first on the lefthand setting of the tone switch (heavy mids) and then on the right (bigtime mid-scooped/heavy bass). Here's the link:


http://www.box.net/shared/g1o4bnqzv0

[Ch0jin]

LOL @ 1:04

Forget Wayne's World. Thats the original "can I help you" riff right there :)

Not a bad sounding fuzz though DVM. I'm not a fan of the thinner tones, but the thicker settings sounded pretty good, and I'm betting a HB equipped guitar would make it pretty close to perfect for my tastes :)

[sunvalleylaw]

I like the fatter tones, and bet I could find a use for the thinner tones too. I like it.

[Ch0jin]

Hey SVL, I don't want to thread jack and this isn't a sales pitch, but if you like things a bit darker and in your face, did you catch the mp3 I posted ages ago of my Ge FuzzFace? I think i called it "it fuzz's in the dark".

Alternatively track down the song "Uptown Girl" by Me First and the Gimme Gimme's. Yes it's a cover (thats what they do) but that fuzz sounds real, real close to the one I made.

If you dig it, mebbe hit DVM up to make you one ;)

[sunvalleylaw]

Oh, my Little Big Muff Pi works just fine and can certainly get in my face, but if I didn't have one. . .

[marnold]

I don't know enough and haven't heard enough of the original pedal to judge how good of a clone it is, but it seems to be a pretty versatile heavy-duty fuzz.

[duhvoodooman]

If you already own a Big Muff or clone thereof, you won't really need one of these. But if you want an over-the-top fuzz in that genre, or if you're a huge Who/Townshend fan, this pedal is a good choice.

One comment on that tone toggle--rarely (in my experience, anyway) does throwing a switch result in such drastically different tone from a pedal. Maybe I should label the two toggle positions "day" and "night"!

I really like the new layout--quicker build and cleaner result. The only tricky part is the tight soldering work required to connect the AC adapter jack to the PCB. Provided comments to Keith on that, so who knows--he may make a change or two. After all, this is a beta kit. I'll post here when the commercial kit becomes available....

[tunghaichuan]

If memory serves, DVM's clone sounds a lot like the vintage version. I wish I still had my original to say for sure.



One comment on that tone toggle--rarely (in my experience, anyway) does throwing a switch result in such drastically different tone from a pedal. Maybe I should label the two toggle positions "day" and "night"!


I like that! :AOK: You should consider using them as labels for your pedal.



I really like the new layout--quicker build and cleaner result. The only tricky part is the tight soldering work required to connect the AC adapter jack to the PCB. Provided comments to Keith on that, so who knows--he may make a change or two. After all, this is a beta kit. I'll post here when the commercial kit becomes available....

If anything, I bet the clone is quieter and laid out better. The originals had pretty cheesy PCBs in them and were kind of noisy.

tung

[duhvoodooman]

If anything, I bet the clone is quieter and laid out better. The originals had pretty cheesy PCBs in them and were kind of noisy.
Yeah, I saw a "gut shot" of an old Super Fuzz posted on the net, and it was indeed a cheesy looking affair. The BYOC boards are just gorgeous--best I've ever seen.

As far as noise goes, I'm sure that modern component quality helps--metal film resistors, box metallized film capacitors, etc. But it's still a pretty noisy pedal just due to the nature of the circuit. These multi-transistor gain stage distortion and fuzz pedals all seem to be prone to high noise levels, and this one contains six high-gain NPN bipolar trannies (2N5088's). I definitely wouldn't want to run one of these with my S-S-S Strats at positions 1-3-5 without a noise reduction pedal. Didn't seem to have a high amount of intrinsic noise (i.e. fundamental to the pedal itself), but it sure boosted the single coil 60 Hz hum noticeably. Not bad at all with humbuckers or at the hum-cancelling 2 & 4 positions on my Strat.

The other good point is that it doesn't take much on the volume knob to get to overall "unity gain". With the fuzz/gain knob at about 1:30, I only had to run the volume at ~9 o'clock. That's about the lowest I've seen in the pedals I've owned/built. So you're generally down below where any hum gets really objectionable.

[sunvalleylaw]

Yeah, like I said, if I didn't already have a Big Muff that I am happy with, I would put this on the list. The versatility you mention in this pedal, and also the incredible versatility built into my Mouse v.2 (Rabid Rodent) you built for me is really a plus, if you are getting a pedal. Plus the nice parts and great build that you do. I am pretty much clueless about all that, but I can sure recognize the appreciation expressed by folks like Tung, who do know.


If you already own a Big Muff or clone thereof, you won't really need one of these. But if you want an over-the-top fuzz in that genre, or if you're a huge Who/Townshend fan, this pedal is a good choice.

One comment on that tone toggle--rarely (in my experience, anyway) does throwing a switch result in such drastically different tone from a pedal. Maybe I should label the two toggle positions "day" and "night"!

I really like the new layout--quicker build and cleaner result. The only tricky part is the tight soldering work required to connect the AC adapter jack to the PCB. Provided comments to Keith on that, so who knows--he may make a change or two. After all, this is a beta kit. I'll post here when the commercial kit becomes available....

[duhvoodooman]

Painted & decaled:


http://duhvoodooman.com/miscimages/musical/leeds_fuzz/windmill_fuzz_top.jpg http://duhvoodooman.com/miscimages/musical/leeds_fuzz/windmill_fuzz_gut.jpg

[tunghaichuan]

Stellar work, DVM. :AOK: :bravo:

tung


Painted & decaled:


http://duhvoodooman.com/miscimages/musical/leeds_fuzz/windmill_fuzz_top.jpg

[Kazz]

Very shagadellic man.