Ha-ha-ha, I remember cutting those out of tube amps and throwing them away! I regret nothing. There are some resistors and capacitors inside, nothing that can't be found at Radio Shack.

Unlike tube amps, 9V effects don't stress the components hard enough to make them sound different. You will need the right kind of transistors, though, and the Fuzz-Rite has a reputation for not sounding correct if the transistors are wrong. Even transistors with the correct part number may not sound right, so some Fuzz-Rite builders measure the transistor characteristics and use the ones with the proper number (not too high or too low). If you want to spend time and money building a Fuzz-Rite, spend it on the transistors, not the passive components.

If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.

Thanks for the correction. Those modules are very cute! I'd still be tempted to throw something like that in the trash, though, but I would be sure to stomp on it first just to make sure it was thoroughly dead. The transistors need to be the right ones, and even original Fuzz-Rites are going to sound different from each other. It's not a good idea to spend hundreds on an 'original' circuit when there is no guarantee that the transistors are going to have desirable transconductance values.

Now that you've told me that the Sprague assembly includes the transistors, this may be a clue to the origin of the Fuzz-Rite design. The first time I saw the Fuzz-Rite schematic I thought, "Why are people playing guitar through a flip-flop circuit?"

http://www.techlib.com/electronics/flipflopflash.htm

The second one down is very, very similar to the Fuzz-Rite circuit. The difference is that in the Fuzz-Rite, one transistor is linked to another through a capacitor while the other is connected to the guitar input. As such, the Fuzz-Rite is essentially a triggered square-wave generator, which accounts for its rather extreme sound.

Perhaps the Mosrite designers simply took a stock Sprague flip-flop module and wired it up as a fuzz effect. Fortunately for Sprague, the flip-flop will work even when the transistors have huge variances in their characteristics. Unfortunately for us, the Fuzz-Rite is not very tolerant of these variances so we are taking chances if we install transistors that haven't been measured.

If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.

I have one of those first 200+ Fuzzrites with Germanium transistors. Amazing tonal opportunities! Both, with, and with out the "Attack" knob turned up. I think a Fuzzrite with the "Attack" turned down can produce a very similar sound to Jimi Hendrix's "All Along The Watchtower". I've recorded a spy type theme with the fuzz effect that the tone still trips me out. Getting a clone to ACT, not only sound right, is the elusive quest that I've not seen accomplished yet.

~ dave

"it is supposed to sizzle and sputter and decay unpredictably. Some of us actually enjoy those aspects of the Fuzzrite."

Oh yes we do indeed

zak

BJB
There are some resistors and capacitors inside, nothing that can't be found at Radio Shack.

Wrong.

The entire Fuzzrite circuit, including the transistors is in there.

So it's some resistors, capacitors...plus a couple of transistors

Let me guess...this elusive circuit that's impossible or expensive to get is the best sounding of all the Fuzzrite variants...??? That's how it usually works with all gear...gotta have the cool rare one.

www.apollo4.com

The 2.2M resistor is called a 'pulldown' resistor. It prevents popping when the circuit is used with mechanical true-bypass switching. It is not present in the original schematic because in the old days, most effects did not use true-bypass switching (the original Fuzz-Face did, despite what you will read on the internet). The circuit input was always connected to the input and the footswitch simply selected between the effect output (on) and the guitar input (effect off, or bypassed). The trouble is, when many effects are used, then many effects are connected to the guitar and everything starts to sound awful. Of course, back when these fuzz circuits were designed, nobody was using a chain of effects so this was only recognized as a problem much later on.

Anyway, adding a true-bypass switch to an old effect became popular at least by the 80's, but now a new problem surfaced. The Fuzz-Rite schematic shows the input coupled to the first transistor by a .05uF capacitor. If we add a true-bypass switch and turn the effect off, there is nothing connected to the input so a charge will leak across the capacitor and DC will be present at the input. When the effect is switched on, the DC will quickly discharge into your guitar (don't worry, it doesn't hurt your guitar), and the quick discharge will create a huge pop! into your amplifier! Adding the 2.2M resistor prevents DC from building up on the cap and prevents the popping sound. Keep in mind the original Fuzz-Rites don't pop because the guitar is always connected, draining leakage from the cap.

A lot of vintage effect clone schematics will add the pulldown resistor at the input. I added one to my Crybaby because it popped like crazy when I converted it to true bypass. It doesn't seem to cause an audible difference so the cloners don't worry about it too much.

If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.

cool, thanx for answering that.

i was looking at ashbasses fuzzbrite and on their website they claim the ashbrite "is not based on the incorrect schematics available on the internet"
anyone have any idea if thats true?

The problem is determining WHICH out of all the variants is the "correct" one to build! ?? Some are Germanium, some aren't, some are encased in orange crud...BJB says there are even multiple variants of the same type (Ge) circuit!

I think I'm personally just going to build a ShinEi and call it "good". I only need one brand or variation of a crappy sounding Fuzz and from everything I've read (and heard from clips) it will get the sound I'm after.

www.apollo4.com

tonetti
I am in the middle of building a germanium fuzzrite clone. If any one has an origional, please post some detailed pics. I would really appreciate it.

Just curious...why'd you pick the germanium model tonetti? All my research as led me to believe that the Si is the one to build if you want the trebly/buzzy surfy sounds.

I have a preconcieved idea that the Ge Fuzzrite is going to sound more similar to an early British fuzz like a FuzzFace or Tonebender. Dave's description of it sounding like Hendrix's "All Along The Watchtower" seems to support that theory as well.

www.apollo4.com

zak
Better have money...
I found a place that sells obsolete and discontinued electronic stuff and they happen to carry the Sprague/Sierra SM001 circuit that's at the heart of the Fuzzrite and its close relative the ROSAC NuFuzz.
http://chips-now.com/catalog/cat/4828.html

Unfortunately they're $116.66 each! $350 for three of them. Yeesh.

image

Holy crap. You could waste money on that, or just order the individual parts from small bear and build the pedal yourself for probably less than $40.

http://www.reverbnation.com/thedeadranchhands

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZEW74mHjQk