Not A Muff

Happy Fuzz Friday, all! Recently I got a request for the new EQD Hizumitas. Found a schematic for it over on FSB and it's just a BMP. The values are tweaked, but the topology is the exact same as a standard Muff. If you've hung around here for really any length of time you know how many times I've laid out the BMP. There are so many clones out there dating back to the early 70s, most of which I haven't really explored here on the blog. So using Kit Rae's fantastic Big Muff site, I put together a BOM of 6 versions of non-muffs, including the Hizumitas and the Elk Sustainar the Hizumitas is derived from. So for your building and experimenting pleasure, here's the Not A Muff. (BOM, schematic and drilling templates linked below)

Build Doc

Also, if you're interested in how I laid out this board, I did a livestream over on YouTube. I've been trying to do a couple streams a month of just chilling and doing some layout work in Eagle. So go and sub and all that nonsense.

What the Wah?

Hadn't done a wah in a while and thought I'd do project where you can build several old school wah circuits on the same board. Many of the early wahs back in the late 60s were based on the original Thomas Organ CryBaby, and as a result many of them follow the same topology with a few value changes. Here's the schematic:

A lot of the original transistors used have a BCE pinout, so I've made 2 layouts: one for BCE and one for the more common CBE pinouts. Generally speaking your just need transistors in the 300-400 hFE range, however with many circuits, different transistors offer different flavors. So as always, socket and experiment.

What the Wah? Project

Univox Super Fuzz - tone mod

For #FuzzFriday here's the Univox Super Fuzz (again) with a modified tone stack. I'm in the middle of building this one and wanted more control over the tone than just the on/off switch of the original. This stays true to the tone of the original, but with a bit more control.

Shin Ei OB-28 Octave Box

Here's a weird one for you–the Shin Ei Octave Box. It's apparently an all analog clean octave down effect. I'm not going to pretend to understand how it works, but there are a lot of transistors. Originals used 2SC644 and 2SC666 transistors, which I think were in the massive TO-3 package. I've drawn the layout for more modern replacements, BC547s and a BC557. Other transistors like the 2N3904/06 or 2N5088/87 would probably work as well. Socket and experiment with what you have on hand.

Univox Super Fuzz

This circuit is most known for being manufactures and sold by Univox, but was designed by Shin-Ei as the FY-6 and licensed to several manufacturers including Ibanez, Teisco, Kent, Companion, Apollo, and several others. The Super Fuzz has been used by many guitarist since it was first made in 1968, including Pete Townsend, J Mascis, Poison Ivy, and Josh Homme, just to name a few.

I did a layout of the Super Fuzz almost 8 months ago, and was always disappointed it wasn't really 1590B friendly. Well, I finally got around to redoing it and this version should fit just fine in 1590B. I based it off the original Super Fuzz circuit board, but with non-standing components and added polarity protection, increased the power filter cap, and added a pull down resistor.

Shin Ei FY-2 Companion Fuzz

The epitome of buzzsaw fuzz tones, the Shin Ei Companion Fuzz has become a highly sought after fuzz box. The one drawback to the FY-2 is the tone stack between the Fuzz and Volume controls. Besides not being controllable, it drops the volume of the effect below unity. I've drawn up a stock layout, as well as a modded version with a booster at the output to up the volume to a more reasonable level (based on the schematic from General Guitar Gadgets). The stock layout will fit in a 1590A, and the boosted version could as well, it would just be a tighter fit.

A useful mod to the stock layout could be adding a tone bypass switch. Use a DPDT (on/on) and wire it like this:

When the tone stack is bypassed, the volume should increase significantly. 

Univox SuperFuzz (stock)

Here's a layout for the stock Univox SuperFuzz. I probably should have drawn this one first and then the modded one below, but it was actually easier to take the modded layout and reverse it back to stock.

Univox SuperFuzz (modded)

Here the Univox SuperFuzz with the mods done by FSB member derringer. It replaces the stock tone switch with a pot, as well as a few other useful mods. Socket the 2 ceramic caps going from the base to collector on Q1 and Q6 and try some different values (I'm guessing in the 100pf to 500pf range). This one's a little on the wide side, so you'd be hard pressed to fit it in a 1590B, but it should fit quite nicely in a 1590BB.