Creepy Fingers Hybrid Ge/Si Fuzzbud?

[tracer03]

Looks like there's one for sale on Reverb right now...Creepy Fingers Hybrid Fuzzbud

I can't see all the values on the gutshot photo, but the electros match the layout here: Creepy Fingers Fuzzbud - but the reverb version has the added Fuzz control.

I would *think* it would be possible to use the existing layout, and just swap one of the transistors for a Ge NPN like the 2N1306 - along with tinkering with a few values.

Would that be correct? And should Q2 be Ge?

[Travis]

The resistor values seem to match from what I can see but I can’t see all of them for sure

If you want to add a fuzz control I would start with a Fuzz Face layout instead of the Fuzzbud but it looks as simple as swapping in an NPN Ge transistor for Q2.

The Si tranny certainly looks NOS. I usually find the Si tranny harder to select than the Ge, not sure what he’s using there

[tracer03]

Would I be able to use JohnK's layout (here) and just swap the 1K resistor connected to the emitter of Q2 with a 1k pot (lugs 1 and 2) as a fuzz control?

[Travis]

You also have to move the anode of the electro cap from Q2 emitter to Fuzz 2 (don’t connect any pot lugs together)

John’s layout has a tone control of course so it’s different than the Creepy Fingers at any rate

[tracer03]

Trying to learn, and based on the comments for the Emanating Fist Black Dust, would it be something like this?

EDIT: Removed incorrect layout.

[Travis]

On further inspection of that schematic, I would be willing to bet that the 820 ohm and 100 ohm resistors should be swapped, but your second layout matches except for the addition of the 10p cap to ground at the input

I recommend breadboarding this to select transistors and also to check if swapping those resistors sounds better.

Also just a tip you could easily connect fuzz 1 to the bottom of the ground link on the row below Q2 just to make wiring neater

[tracer03]

Travis wrote

On further inspection of that schematic, I would be willing to bet that the 820 ohm and 100 ohm resistors should be swapped, but your second layout matches except for the addition of the 10p cap to ground at the input

Also just a tip you could easily connect fuzz 1 to the bottom of the ground link on the row below Q2 just to make wiring neater

Thanks for the tips - still working on learning how to make tidy layouts. I'll throw this together this weekend and see what I can blow up...

[tracer03]

Removed the incorrect layouts above - the trace cuts on the component view didn't match the 'naked' view. This is the corrected layout: I just finished building it - tested with 2 2N2222As and it fired right up, no issues.

The fuzz pot really works nicely - you get the full-on fuzz wide open, and lower gain fuzz to almost an od sound as you turn down.

I then swapped out Q2 for a 2N1306 - hFE 76, lkg .2 mA - and wow. I think I like it even more than the Meathead Deluxe. Gonna spend the evening testing out NPNS in this one, before it gets boxed...

[squirrels]

Great layout, works great. I added a bias control to mine and used a 2N2222A for Q1 and a 2N169 (Smallbear Flat Hat) for Q2 with .04 mA leakage and 89 hFe (measured with my DIY tester).  I think I’m going to try some other low gain NOS silicon for Q1 next time I order from Smallbear just to try something new. Sounds awesome, thanks Tracer.

[tracer03]

squirrels wrote

Great layout, works great. I added a bias control to mine and used a 2N2222A for Q1 and a 2N169 (Smallbear Flat Hat) for Q2 with .04 mA leakage and 89 hFe (measured with my DIY tester).  I think I’m going to try some other low gain NOS silicon for Q1 next time I order from Smallbear just to try something new. Sounds awesome, thanks Tracer.

Glad to be able to give back to the site!

I'm going to build one up with sockets so I can test out different transistor combos - I just got a bag of low-gain Russian NPNs, and I want to try some other low-gain Si transistor combos with it. I think I'll have to re-do the layout to add a bias trimmer/pot for Q2 soon...

[squirrels]

All I did was swap the 5.6k resistor for a 10k pot. Not the most elegant tweak but effective. 25k worked great in my Sunface, I may wind up changing it out.

[BetterOffShred]

Maybe post this in the contributions verified layouts, I think people would like to see it!