Hey BlueStrat...

[Philip OKeefe]

I was rummaging through some old boxes and found a MXR sized Mesa / Boogie channel switch box. Single LED, only one 1/4" jack (on one side) and a SPST switch. I have no use for that anymore (the amp it went with is long gone), so I was thinking of gutting it, drilling it and putting something else INTO it... Got any suggestions for a nasty (and yet quick / easy - I'm just as busy as ever ) fuzz project? Something like a FuzzFace? With easy (preferably Rat Shack) parts availability?

 

I know I'm asking a lot, but thank you sir!

[Blue Strat]

That Range-Master would fit the bill, but it doesn't have tons of gain like a Fuzz Face. You could built a Schmidt trigger type fuzz in there without a lot of parts. One 741 chip, five resistors, one pot, three caps, input/output jacks, and a SPDT switch would be all you'd need. Radio Shack doesn't have the type of switches you'd need; they're a bit flimsy to be stomped on. Not true bypass, but the input impedance on a opamp is infinite (in theory) so it shouldn't load the signal too much, and I figure you'll be using it in the studio more than on stage, right?

 

I'm thinking a non-inverting opamp stage with a gain of about 1,001 (gain is always 1 + R1/R2 in a non-inverting circuit) one pack of 1M and one pack of 1k would do the job, as well as a 100k audio taper pot. If you wanted adjustable gain you could get a 100k linear pot (don't know how you'd get everything in that little box) for a fuzz control. Also you'd need one of the little 1.75" square PCB boards RS sells for IC circuits. These come two to a package with a break line in the middle of the board, but don't break it - saw it. I've tried breaking it and the results weren't pretty.

 

I'll play around with my breadboard and see what I can come up with. Is it the small size MXR box, like a Distortion + comes in?

[Philip OKeefe]

Yup, it's the same size as a Distortion +, Phase 90 or Dyna Comp. And you're right - it's going to be mostly for the studio and not for stage use. But then again, I guess I could always make a online order through Parts Express or Mouser or whatever. I'd rather have true bypass and ruggedness "just in case".

 

I'm probably going to get a Rangemaster - either as a kit or a clone - probably the HBE Germania. For $70-$100, that sounds like a good idea... but I guess I could just build one from scratch myself - the schematics are available online. But I figured, why not buy the Rangemaster and build a fuzz in the extra box instead?

[Blue Strat]

If you're going to order the parts through Mouser, you can get Alpha 16mm pots and get two controls on the pedal. Also, Alpha sells a DPDT footswitch for $5 that has turned out to be fairly robust.

 

The boards from Radio Shack that I like to use are 276-159B boards.