Guitar effects category page 4 of 4 circuit schematic. But many people to this day favor germanium transistors in fuzz pedals because of their tone, and because they want to recreate fuzz tones of their favorite players who used germanium fuzzes. Shinei fy2 companion fuzz with postboost fuzz really skanky vintage fuzz. The medium gain set will get you the great balanced fuzz sound that you know from the better boutique fuzz pedals. A quick way to tell the difference is to look at the smile on the face. Rift based on the univo superfu 3 build notes 1 shin ei fy2. When most people say companion they are referring to the fy2 pedal, which is two transistor buzz saw fuzz. Distortion, and fuzz tones to play with, it responds dynamically to your guitar and your playing.
Behold, the super rare germanium shinei fy2 companion fuzz, a quite different animal from the silicon transistor. C7 100n c8 47n c9 10u c10 10u c11 100u q1,2 low gain silicon npn 2n3904, 2n2222 etc q3 2n3904 vol 50kb fuzz 50kb components shown in blue on the schematic are the lpb postboost circuit. Its a great time to upgrade your home music studio gear with the largest selection at. On the higher notes you will get a good balance between octave up and standard fuzz sounds. Rift based on the univo superfu 3 build notes 1 shinei fy2.
Nov 11, 2014 heres my take on the zvex fuzz factory. See the next section titled transistor selection for a discussion on how to choose the right transistors for this circuit. Pedal was designed as an oemproduct by the japanese manufacturer shinei. The shin ei companion fy2 is a discontinued fuzz box which was made by the shin ei company in the 1970s in japan.
A million years ago when i was around 15 say, 1972 or so, a guitar playing bloke by the name of frank wally simpson played a burns, from sans souci, made me a fuzz box. The originals have the pots mounted to the board as well, but zvex uses the little square pots which are more expensive. These transistors began showing up in shineis pedals including the univibe, super fuzz and companion. This article answers some common questions about the transistors used in cloning and modifying the fuzz face and similar pedals. Secf shin ei companion fuzz fy2tm replica bill of materials. It just goes to show how much winesniffery bollocks there is in the pedal world. They started making copies of popular western effects pedals under the sekova brand around 1969, and this particular red boxed big muff clone, their model 2015, first appeared around 1972 or 73.
How to test germanium transistors fuzz face ac128 vintage. Germanium transistors fuzz faces and similar page 1. Fy2 pedals are considered a rarity, and can be occasionally found on ebay and different versions were made, most used silicon transistors. Smooth fuzz, dynamic in nature with the ability to clean up when the volume knob of the guitar is lowered allowing for different shades of distortion. How to test germanium transistors we use these ac128 transistors in our fuzz face clone pedal kit. Super fuzz shineis utterly uncompromising monster contents of this document are 2018 pedal parts ltd. The rift octave fuzz is a recreation of the univox superfuzz, originally developed by the shin ei company in japan in the late 1960s and called the fy6. Dig into it, and the germanium transistors give you vintage distorted tones without the vintage noise and hiss. Jan 10, 2020 this effect contains bc4c and bc293c transistors. For those of you who care about that sort of thing, the part number was 2sc828. Later on, honey was taken on by shin ei, who produced the effect separately who also produced another well known fuzz box, the shin ei companion fy2 and imported in the usa by unicord. Fender blendershinei superfuzz, percolator, bosstone and even the sho. The red dunlop fuzz faces have improved in recent years.
Fuzz face pedal and distortion analysis robert lemiesz. Oct 01, 2012 how to test germanium transistors we use these ac128 transistors in our fuzz face clone pedal kit. But if i were making a commercial pedal, im probably omit the transistor gain and stick a 100k drive control on the input, assuming, sadly, that few players are. Dunlop eric johnson signature fuzz face ejf1 there is an ongoing discussion on fsb about this pedal, because we know that there are some hidden surface mount components underneath the board, and so this is based on a best guess by marc ahlfs after some experimentation he did on the circuit. I worked in reverse and it worked like a charm as it has many times before. Transistors wont work the same when put in wrong, but i have flipped them around countless times and have never had one go bad because i put it in wrong. So i dont believe you will damage the transistor if you put it in wrong. Historical fuzz, distortion and overdrivedevices gitec. The circuit was designed in the late 1960s by the japanese company honey, in the form of a multi effect called the honey psychedelic machine.
The circuit was soon altered by sola sound or perhaps more accurately one of the consultant boffins sola sound utilised. Axis fuzz pcb and layout roger mayer classic fuzz, early version roger mayer classic fuzz, later version classic fuzz pcb and layout roger mayer classic fuzz classic fuzz pcb and layout roger mayer octavia mayer octavia pcb and layout. The origin of the fuzz face circuit the early sola sound tone bender mk ii. Dig into it, and the germanium transistors give you. I also redesigned the html files for the website, incorportating php for the very first time, which will help to speed up the loadig of the pages as well as making general website maintenance much easier for me. The rift is a modified version of the univox superfuzz, a. The fuzzwah pedal 8tr is one of the most popular pedals of shinei, available. Apr 03, 2012 the red dunlop fuzz faces have improved in recent years. Toshiba transistors were manufactured in tokyo and all bore the prefix 2sc in compliance with the newlyinstituted japanese industrial standard. Rift univox superfuzz workalike project documentation. These had a tone switch added which lowered the volume.
We recommend using 1900, mini fluted, mini 1510, or b. The shinei companion fy2 is a discontinued fuzz box which was made by the shinei company in the 1970s in japan. You can buy our transistors in our store, or you can buy your own. Two germanium transistors type ac128 are selected by us for the best fuzz face sound. Besides not being controllable, it drops the volume of the effect below unity. Shineis highgain fuzz box was made under many guises in the 70s, the most famous probably being their own fy6, and univoxs super fuzz.
All fuzzes in their own right and their own unique topologies. The shin ei fy2 has a few small value changes from the superfuzz. Take two identical random silicon transistors for more mojo. Dont bother putting them in if youre not using the diode. Part id part name q1 lowgain npn bipolar junction transistor q2 lowgain npn bipolar junction transistor q3 2n3904 d1 1n4001 or other j1 stereo quarterinch jack j2 mono quarterinch jack j3 dc jack b1 9 volt battery not included in the kit sw1 heavy duty 3pdt foot switch 9v battery snap, printed. The 2 minicaps could have been larger ones, theres enaugh room for better ones. Fuzz face schematic finally, within this bearfoot pedal, we are able to see one tantalum capacitor orange drop around the left from the circuit, mkt capacitors, most likely epcos brand blue boxes, electrolytic capacitors of various sizes big and small black and whitecolored cylinders. Shin ei rebadged the circuit for over a dozen other brands such as apollo, electra and hohner. The input stage will first hit mushy saturation on one polarity of signal and then if driven hard enough, hit cutoff on the other polarity. Features all throughhole components, including nos bc108 transistors, and fullsized, panel mounted hardware. It seems that one of the keys of that sound is the use of a shin ei fuzzwah 8 transistors pedal.
These transistors began showing up in shin eis pedals including the univibe, super fuzz and companion. Theres much debate about the best transistors to use in this. Theres much debate about the best transistors to use in this circuit, but really. The reason why people opt for pnp germanium fuzz is because the transistors are much more consistent than the npn equivalents. Shinei fy2 companion fuzz with postboost fuzz dogs pedal parts. Many of the shin ei pedals had a badge that read shin ei companion. Shin ei s highgain fuzz box was made under many guises in the 70s, the most famous probably being their own fy6, and univoxs super fuzz.
The term companion doesnt specifically identify the model, though. Univox used a japanese circuit conceived by the shin ei corporation, whose chief engineer was fumio mieda, the father of the univibe and several korg keyboards. Sekova big muff by shin ei another japanese builder that made a clone of the big muff was the effects company shin ei. The fuzz face has asymetrical clipping designed into it.
The version that dunlop made in the 90s that used ac128 transistors tends not to have as many fans as the newer red ones that use matched nkt275s. Dunlop jimi hendrix system fuzz face the gear page. The rift octave fuzz is a recreation of the univox superfuzz, originally developed by the shinei company in japan in the late 1960s and called the fy6. For my physics 406 project i created a fuzz face pedal. Tonehome the world of vintage guitar effects pedals. The one drawback to the fy2 is the tone stack between the fuzz and volume controls.
We tried several types of transistors and our findings were that the higher the hfe of the transistors used, the nastier the fuzz. In one q1 and q2 had been pnp germanium ac128 or nkt275 types, in the other they had been read more. This is the circuit diagram of fuzz face mods, guitar effect pedal. Univox used a japanese circuit conceived by the shinei corporation, whose chief engineer was fumio mieda, the father of the univibe and several korg keyboards. Secf shin ei companion fuzz fy2 replica instructions. I built the shinei with the boost stage but made the boost stage separate and footswitchable so you could get the stock fy2 sound, boosted fuzz which you can blend with a combination of the fuzz volume and boost knobs, or just use the boost on its own to boost an amp or other pedals. The japanese company, shinei electronics produced this fuzz, with minor variations, from the late 1960s to the. A rundown of the most mythical fuzz pedals audiofanzine. The epitome of buzzsaw fuzz tones, the shin ei companion fuzz has become a highly sought after fuzz box.
The london fuzz uses two vintage germanium transistors which are hand matched for the best possible tone and performance along with other period correct components for a truly authentic sound. Shineis highgain fuzz box was made under many guises in the 70s, the most famous. But also some well and lesser known german brands like schaller, hofner, schulte and lemon studio sound. This is a modified diagram and simpler than the original fuzz face diagram. No reproduction permitted without the express written.
I even made a fuzz pedal where i have a toggle switch that flips the emitter and collector of one of the transistors. Jun 19, 20 i originally made the fuzz face in the fuzz detective video without knobs, and only added the gain and output controls later to conform with the other pedals in the video. I built the shin ei with the boost stage but made the boost stage separate and footswitchable so you could get the stock fy2 sound, boosted fuzz which you can blend with a combination of the fuzz volume and boost knobs, or just use the boost on its own to boost an amp or other pedals. Dunlop electronics ffm2 germanium fuzz face mini youtube. Tonehome the world of vintage guitar effects pedals fuzz. Theres much debate about the best transistors to use in this circuit, but really it.
In this case, shin ei is the manufacturer, and companion is the brand. It is meant for beginners who are confused about what devices to use and where to get them, and as a reference for more experienced diyers. This is a twothree effects into one pedal, a 6 transistor fuzz with octaver high octave plus a 2 transistor wah effect at the end. Only twentyfive units will be available for purchase. If youre using silicon emulating germanium, then why use pnp silicon transistors that will need you to have a positive ground when there is no benefit in doing so when the silicon npn transistors are just as consistent. Fuzz central has moved to much faster adfree hosting, thanks to the very generous offer from the administrators of. Created by the shin ei custom shop, the u915 chorusvibrato rack module is a 19 rack mounted version of the vibebro with the addition of some innovative and desirable flexibility. The u915 features the same manual flexibility as the vibebro with a little extra added.
Because of limited space, you cannot use knobs with skirts larger than 16mm. Part id part name q1 lowgain npn bipolar junction transistor q2 lowgain npn bipolar junction transistor q3 2n3904 d1 1n4001 or other. I originally made the fuzz face in the fuzz detective video without knobs, and only added the gain and output controls later to conform with the other pedals in the video. This is the place for vintage guitar effects pedals and stomp boxes, mainly ibanez and uk brands like sola sound, colorsound, marshall and top gear. Fy2 pedals are considered a rarity, and can be occasionally found on ebay and. Wattson classic electronics fy6 by dannyunderwood3d 20523 shinei companion sf1 super fuzz by stromer mutroniks. These units are increasingly hard to come by, and are better known by most of us as the shinei companion fuzz.
Most germanium transistor production ceased in the 1970s in favor of silicon which are more stable, consistent, have higher gain, and lower leakage. The fuzz was a little weak with classic combo ac 128 and also with 2n404 even combo, maybe my choice should have been for hotter trans. The heart of this clone is the 2sc828 transistors and the oa90 germanium diodes. A clone of the legendary late60s fuzz face, only much, much smaller. I wanted a layout that used regular 16mm pots, which are easier to come by and what you probably already have in your parts stash. Fuzz central making the world a fuzzier place for 5 years.
Fuzz is a fuzz because someone thinks its a fuzzy sounding pedal. Directconnect compatible 4way download the instruction pdf heres. We dont know of a source for the original c536f7g transistors. Any germanium diodes will do fine herethe part number isn.
Shinei rebadged the circuit for over a dozen other brands such as apollo, electra and hohner. Nov 29, 2014 it seems that one of the keys of that sound is the use of a shin ei fuzz wah 8 transistors pedal. Fuzz 50kb components shown in blue on the schematic are the lpb. There are other topologies that fall into the fuzz category as well. When it came out in 1968, the super fuzz embodied years of experimentation that had made the fuzz widen its scope. The shinei fy2 has a few small value changes from the superfuzz. Later on, honey was taken on by shinei, who produced the effect separately who also produced another well known fuzz box, the shinei companion fy2 and imported in the usa by unicord. Super fuzz, which i found out was made by shinei and marketed under several different brand names which unfortunately i dont recall. The circuit found in the fuzz face appeared first in a competitors product, the early version of sola sounds tone bender mkii. Apr, 2012 dunlop eric johnson signature fuzz face ejf1 there is an ongoing discussion on fsb about this pedal, because we know that there are some hidden surface mount components underneath the board, and so this is based on a best guess by marc ahlfs after some experimentation he did on the circuit.
Suggest me the best shin ei companion and maestro fuzz clones. Roll off your guitars volume knob, and the soulbender cleans up just like your favorite tube amplifier. Many consider it the penultimate fuzz due to its versatile tone selection. Fuzz face diy kit good fuzz kit, alpha pots, good quality jacks. Different versions were made, most used silicon transistors. Secf shin ei companion fuzz fy2tm replica instructions. Oh yes, these germanium transistors were pulled from the control panel of a uboat at the bottom of. You will find apparently two identical designs of the fuzz face. But it also added an octave below, providing a fuller sound. Shineis fy2 companion fuzz was born in a time when the east and west shared a hunger for fuzz, and all the fuzz pedals were being made that are now. Fuzz faces naturally tend to bias with only about half a volt on the collector of the first transistor, so there is a lot of room upwards.
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