Marbles wrote
I sort of know what you mean. I kind of have the same experience. I am doing something wrong, but apparently keep doing it wrong :) Even the silicon fuzz faces, it's just not there. Not enough gain, not enough fuzz, not loud enough.. every single time. I have a graveyard box of Fuzz Faces and Tonebender failures. Yesterday I took one (germanium) out again and swapped a bunch of very high gain russian transistors and again: Ok sounding, but 'stiff', gain too low and volume as well. That is my error I'm sure, just doesn't get it right.
Maybe this is more a case of the fuzz face not being something for you? Maybe your tastes run more into a different sort of fuzz?
The version that works for me (built a few and all good) is the Skreddy Lunar Module. 5 knobs to wire, but really a great fuzz.
Hell yeah! The Lunar Module rocks! And best of all, it even sounds good after a buffer. Once it wormed itself onto my board I just couldn't find anything else that would kick it off. I wish Fractal has a Lunar Module modeled in the Axe.