Fuzz face guitar effect pedal schematic diagram the original schematic isnt exaclty what is shown above, it had a pretty complicated switching system that has been simplified certainly nothing has been missing dont get worried and a different grounding setup. You will find apparently two identical designs of the fuzz face. Oh and another thing about humbuckers and fuzz faces. The sound of eric johnsons favorite fuzz tone in a pedal designed around johnsons personal collection of fuzz face pedals created by fuzz face master engineer, jeorge tripps handselected bc183 silicon transistors provide extrahigh gain unique look includes custom 6869 knobs and a vintagestyle. This is the classic fuzz box used by jimi hendrix and other legendary rockers of the 60s and 70s. The original fuzz face is constructed to the vintage specs, with the original germanium pnp transistor design. Original arbiter fuzz face nkt275 red dot 60s vs our tribute to fuzz face charged white dot nkt275.
Producing a thick, distorted, fuzzy tone, this pedal adds grit to any signal, creating something akin to the. Uses nos nkt 275 germanium transistors and sounds killer. The ac128 and the nkt275 transistors found their way in, the former, which is reported to be a low quality transistor, and the latter, are very similar. Other dunlop jhm5 jimi hendrix fuzz face pedal limited edition pcs worldwide 4. The dallas arbiter fuzz face has one of the most instantly recognizable tones in rock history. It was introduced in 1966 by arbiter electronics, which later became dallas arbiter. Dunlop dallas arbiter fuzz face thomann united states. Ruggedly constructed to the original germanium pnp transistor design and vintage specs.
Ivor arbiters sound city music shopwhich catered to swingin londons rock royaltysold the first arbiter electronics versions in 1966. The early ac128 and sf363e fuzz faces are probably only a myth. The kit contains all the parts to make either the pnp or npn version of a dallas arbitor fuzz face. The kit contains a pair of low gain npn silicon transistors and a pair of low gain pnp silicon trasistors that sound great in this stompbox. Mxr jhw1 authentic hendrix 69 psych series fuzz face distortion pedal bundle with blucoil slim 9v power supply ac adapter, 10ft straight instrument cable 14in, 2x patch cables and 4x guitar picks. An early adopter of the fuzz face was jimi hendrix, who used it on songs such as fire and love or confusion. Fuzz face, 1st run 1993 dallasarbiterengland discussion in the effect effect started by thekid, jan 24, 2015.
The fuzz face, as the name implies, is a classic fuzz pedal, so named because the circular shape of the pedal, coupled with the combination of knobs switches and manufactures name create a smiling face. Pete townshend used a dallas arbiter fuzz face fuzz pedal on stage for a brief period in 1968. The most important components are the transistors, germanium will get you the classic 60s sound where silicon goes towards a 70s sound. The original germanium fuzz face has a warm fuzzy distortion that is easy to tame. Through this designs past youll find all kinds of different variations in the basic original circuit, from pnp germanium to npn silicon, and a countless number of fuzz pedals that are based on it. This poor guy had been put through the ringer over the years. The debate that will start on this thread is, did hendrix use a germanium or silicon fuzz at woodstock and did hendrix use a roger mayer modified fuzz face or a stock fuzz face. Building a germanium fuzz face guitar pedal hackaday. My recently sold early 2000s dunlop fuzz face had nkt 275s in it too. The fuzz face is an effects pedal for electric guitar, used also by some electric bass players. The simplicity of the circuit has caused much debate and lore, but two transistors, three capacitors and a couple of resistors still sounds like magic. This may be the original unit that spawned them all.
The fuzz face is a fuzz pedal used primarily for electric guitars, and sometimes bass. The reason for this is that it actually predates the original arbiter fuzz face production began 1965. From the micstand casting to the smile that reads arbiterengland to the pnp germanium transistors arbiters reissue is the closestsoundinglooking pedal to the real deal. Fender stratocaster 1957 custom vintage overdrive joyo wah wah electro harmonics cool cat vibe compressor laney amp. Check out analogmans sunface pedal or phoenix custom electronics fuzz pedal, both are very well made copies of the fuzz face circuit. Uk company arbiter electronics released in 1966 what would be one of the most beloved guitar effects of all time, the fuzz face. I go over some of my most favorite fuzz pedals, and offer some tips to make it useable in different settings.
It produces a characteristic high distorted sound called fuzz. In one q1 and q2 had been pnp germanium ac128 or nkt275 types. Arbiters fuzz face mimicked the maestro fuzztone, but in a simple even simplistic design. Dallas arbiter fuzz face replica complete kit kits.
Still others claim that the arbiter fuzz face, the first run of the unit had sf363 transistors in it see 1992 guitar player mag. This is the circuit diagram of fuzz face mods, guitar effect pedal. In one q1 and q2 had been pnp germanium ac128 or nkt275 types, in the other they had been npn sillicon bc108c types. Later units bear the dallas arbiter, dallas music industries ltd. Find great deals on ebay for fuzz face arbiter and vintage fuzz face. When connecting the arbiter fuzz face clone circuit to your multimeter as shown in the photos below your meter will read 4. In 1967 or 1968, the brand changed to dallas arbiter, but the circuit remained the same. Silicon transistors were used in later editions of the pedal.
Vintage germanium nkt275 and silicon bc183 and 108 fuzz face. The one drawback with running a ff into an od is you get more of a volume jump from the fuzz when you run it into a clean signal into an od the fuzz will be limited by the ceiling of the od pedal, so its hard with some pedals if you want to use the fuzz for a lead because you dont get any boost in volume once you hit the max level of the od. In the pantheon of classic stompboxes, few loom as large and legendary as the fuzz face. As time wore on germanium transistors were slowly being phased out in favour of the more stable and consistent silicon versions, as a result dallasarbiter began equipping the fuzz face pedals with these new transistors from 1968 onward with differing results. Therefore it is more than likely that arbiter based the fuzz face on this circuit. The jimi hendrix signature fuzz face is a pretty faithful reproduction of a fuzz face he used at a concert in hawaii rainbow bridge, iirc. I secured the remaining finish and rebuilt the circuit using as much of the original parts i could, and then supplementing with my stash of nos. Popularized by jimi hendrix, this pedal has been used by david gilmour, eric clapton, pete townshend and more recently, eric johnson. Theres some good reading on analogmans site about the fuzz face circuit.
The only photos showing its use are from august 1968. Arbiter was famous for selling ringo starr a black oyster pearl ludwig kit in 62, which he hastily inscribed with the beatles across the front to make the sale, complete with the dropped t logo that became part of rock history. Ive had some very nice compliments about my strange ability to play the guitar. Played on navigator stratocaster maple fingerboard neck pickup.
This is most accentuated with singlecoil pickups, like those on a stratocaster, but you can do it with a humbucker as well. In 1993, dunlop manufacturing took over production, and this is where the fuzz face is made today. The paint was flaking pretty bad and the insides were a mess. This is my fanpage dedicated to the awesome dallasarbiter dunlop fuzz face fuzzface. The dallasarbiter fuzz face has been around since 1966, and it shows no signs of dying any time soon.
In an attempt to recapture the predallas arbiter fuzz face sound, ivor arbiter recently reissued his original mid60s fuzz face. Fuzz face diy germanium ac128 transistor jimi hendrix tone. Book depository books with free delivery worldwide. Four tips to make the most of your fuzz face zzounds. It is designed to produce a distorted sound referred to as fuzz, originally achieved through accident such as broken electrical components or damaged speakers. Discontinued but can be found, usually half the price of the dallas. Early fuzz face circuits employed several different types of germanium transistors. The original fuzz face used nkt275 transistors made by a british company called new market. Denis cornell fuzz face, made by the man who redesigned the original fuzz face circuit for dallasarbiter, circa 1970. Germanium transistors are what were used in the very first dallas arbiter fuzz faces. The dunlop fuzz face is ruggedly constructed to the original germanium pnp transistor design and vintage specs. Dallas arbiter fuzz face diy germanium ac128 youtube.
Before a clean amp, it can cut quite nicely though thanks to the germanium transistors, it is never as annoying as various other distortions, but before an already distorted sound, the sun. Built to the exact specifications of the original dallasarbiter fuzz face. We designed the face the fuzz with a few key changes to make it more useful to the modern musician. Cheaper alternatives to vintage dallas arbiter fuzz face. The sound of the germanium fuzz face was popularized by jimi hendrix on his first two albums. This is a modified diagram and simpler than the original fuzz face diagram. Dallas arbiter fuzz face from 1970 in rare aqua blue color. I think it is safe to say the fuzz face is one of the top five or ten most famous and influential guitar effects of all time. The fuzz face is very sensitive to playing dynamics, so you can get many shades of gain with slight variations on the guitars volume knobs. The fuzz face featured a smiley face round configuration of its two controls volume and fuzz and footswitch, housed in a red housing. Fuzz face effects circuit diagram circuit schematic. The fuzz face is a distortion guitar pedal designed in london by arbitrer electronics ltd in the autumn of 1966. The arbiter fuzz face clone uses the classic circuit that is known and loved by many, and everybody loves a classic. According to gear journalist rg keen, the fuzz face circuit consists of two transistors, four resistors, three capacitors, and two controls.
Dunlop fuzz face guitar effects pedal musicians friend. I will say i liked my 2000s fuzz face with no smile slightly better than the newer ones with the smile. For the fuzz face circuit to be optimally biased, the collector of q2 needs to be at 4. Thekid most honored senior member strattalk supporter. A list of all the components needed to build up synthroteks arbiter fuzz face clone. Fuzz might have proved a means of imitating a cranked tube amp early on, but has long since established its own thingsomething that even cranked tubes cant match. Ivor arbiter took the round shaped enclosure idea from a microphone stand and it was the first pedal including a. The classic fuzz box used by jimi hendrix and other legendary rockers of the 60s and 70s. Silicon transistors provided for a more stable operation, but have a different, harsher. A micro trimmer is added on the bottom side of pcb board for fi. This is the classic fuzz box used by jim hendrix, eric johnson, and more.