Analog Man Sun Face Teardown! See what's inside!

[@analogspam]

Thanks for the great video! If you squeeze the plastic standoff which is in the middle of the board you can pull the board off, we use them on many pedals. We have sold thousands of these and I don’t remember any coming back with the standoff not attached. but if you are worried you can put some foam on top of the board before the bottom plate. I don’t like PC mounted potentiometers, they tend to break a lot and are more difficult to change, although I do use them in a few of our pedals. Our latest fuzz board this summer has LED hole, I didn’t really like tacking it on the resistor either. It also has two additional optional components which would’ve been fun to see if you could figure them out. :) thanks and have fun!

[@ScottyBrockway]

I use them too, I buy the ones with industrial adhesive, they dont come off. DAM uses them as well.

[@graybenchelec]

Thank you! As far as the LED wire, like I said in the video, I've done it too.

[@pirhala]

DC jack and clock?

[@adeptgopnik]

Hey Mike, big fan of your pedals. I have a sun face and chorus from you that are wonderful. Keep up the good work!

[@stupot7281]

Please more Fuzz Face projects in the future !

[@mikegee729]

Back in the day, I was the Chair of the Electronics Dept. at a two-year college and like to think that I know something about both electronics and instruction. That being said, let give you my highest compliment on this video: I couldn't have done better myself. Truly as good as it gets. Others might nit-pick about not delving deeper into some nuance of the circuit but, IMO, any more info would have muddied the water and made your presentation less practical. Kudos. I have subscribed.

[@graybenchelec]

Appreciate that. I do try to strike a balance between techy stuff for the pedal nerds, but still keep it relevant musically for the players. Glad you enjoyed :)

[@ScottyBrockway]

The 50K trimmer is the "clean" control, it serves two purposes. It raises the input impedance of the circuit which works better with humbuckers, and it also makes the pedal play nice with a wah pedal, just tweak it with your wah pedal plugged in before it and it will make the circuit sound a lot better with it. Common old mod from way way back in the day.

[@graybenchelec]

Good info, I think this was one of Fuller's mods?

[@analogspam]

@@graybenchelec Dave Fox told me about it when I was helping him with the Captain Coconut about 20 years ago.

[@ScottyBrockway]

@@graybenchelec I was doing that in like 92 myself, I forgot who told me about it.

[@SurfaceDweller]

Love these vids!

[@gregmize01]

What a great video on a modern classic! Thanks! 🎸

[@graybenchelec]

Thank you!

[@ninocarlitos5229]

As an EE i can understand about how Led's power lead cable attached into resistor's lead which is also connected into power trace, but in a pedal businessman's perspective I think that method is much more make sense, I just imagine that those Sun Face PCB was ordered 10/20 years ago in mega quantities and all of those were not yet in produce at least for next 20/30 years from now untill the Sun Face PCB's would be the "mojo" itself replacing the NKT or any NOS trannies out there. Now I realized that Mike Pierra is pure genius in analog business world.

[@fredtaylor9792]

I have this exact version, minus the LED. You can remove the pcb from the plastic standoff if you push that plastic tab in.

[@erikvincent5846]

It would be interesting to see a tone control added, like how was done on the ZVEX Wooly Mammoth.

[@graybenchelec]

Got that one on the list!

[@mattflickinger8151]

The bias, sundial knob also kinda acts like a tone control, if you work it and adjust other knobs.

[@Marceloriighiii]

Thanks for the video, great content!!

[@graybenchelec]

Thanks!

[@tbobbyelectric]

Howdy, Joe. Truly, a great time consistently had, since learning of your channel, and it's been a little while since I've had someone with the ability to be able to keep my attention, for the most part, with every bit that you've got to share with us.... So, overall, HECK YEAH, man. Great work. Muchly appreciate your efforts to teach & entertain. I've only got one constructive criticism to share with you, if you'd be open to hearing it. I am asking to be respectful, I have no intentions on offending anyone here but I don't want to just come out and say it publicly breaking balls and suddenly I've got someone that's upset and I like their channel I don't know. I do however have a Rotovibe original JH4S model, and I bought it from someone who was doing some sort of modification involving what I believe to be the true bypass situation or they bought it as a shop that repairs and then got sick of trying to repair it so they sold it to me for cheap and paperwork even came with it and I'm sure I will be looked at or left that like the fool that I truly deep down a.m., and the amateur that I truly am at working with electrical gear one that I wondered if I would if you would be open to taking a look at what I've got going on and I wander do you have an email that's open to this kind of thing originally, I would have come up with a plan to pay for shipping send it to you if you know you put it on the show I'll pay for shipping again of course and I mean if you want to fix it or you could just say yeah dude take a R9 out plug back in your clean Swiper from the electric Kool-Aid and push back in your flux capacitor nonsensical machine guard jargon jargon dig it? I was worried that it was fuzz petals only until I saw the tube driven UniVibe breakdown, earlier today. Obviously, there seems to not be a way to send photos thru the comments section. AND, just to sell you on wanting to hear me out about this, the former owner completely sawed/cut out a chunk of the board, in order to achieve the installation of the 3P2T Switch, which is just a little bit interesting. And, if you're on the edge, leaning either way, I've also got a decent secret final backup plan, to throw in, & sweeten things up. Perhaps. Truly, it might be obvious, and my Wampler Pedal book has the answer, I'm just still working on understanding what's going on, why, and how to fix this mess. Too many words, it seems. My apologies.

[@graybenchelec]

Thank you! Wah pedals are not really my thing, but shoot me a couple pics to my email: [e-mail]

[@stupot7281]

If sometime in the future you could show viewers , how to measure gain and leakage of a Germanium transistor fit for a FF build ....that would be cool !

[@graybenchelec]

Stay tuned ;)

[@richardburkow3792]

Great video - thanks Joe!

[@graybenchelec]

Thank you!

[@TweedToneKing]

Enjoying your videos. I can see how you care, by the way you carefully voice your opinions. Very smart. I'd like to see a teardown of the Ibanez TS 808HW Hand-wired Tube Screamer Overdrive. Would be interesting to see if its worth the extra dough.

[@graybenchelec]

Thank you! Noted on the TS

[@pirhala]

Hey Joe! I enjoy watching all of your videos… this video in particular is one that brings up a question because i am a bass player. Why is it, or, what is it about this circuit that makes it extremely hard to use a bass guitar with it??? I know its not as easy as allowing more bass with the input cap change. I have the big blue Dunlop Hendrix bc108 model fuzz face and I do use it with my bass rig, like a good guitar player would, and I am able to get some really nice clean to overdriven sounds depending on my bass’ volume. The big red germanium I have is almost impossible but only works with one particular P-bass going through my ‘65 ampeg b-15. I do have an earthquaker devices cloven hoof that has all silicon trannies, with the help of LED’s i believe and that pedal works great with bass. Also, the “go to” thing to do is add a blend knob on most pedals but I have to refer to my first question… what is it about this circuit and what can be changed to make it work with bass guitar? The usual things are that there’s an obvious loss of low frequencies (besides the Hendrix model bc108) and the fuzz is usually way blown out with volume full up. Thanks for your time, Joe. Great content! 🙌🏼❤️

[@HendryWong324]

hey! love your videos! love this tech nerd thing as always! and i just got a question, i see a lot fuzz face type clone or anything like fuzz face. almost 90% of the input cap is 'electrolytic'. it is 'must' be electrolytic or for what anything 'important' reason? can I just use poly or other types cap? what's the different types cap will 'do' in this case?

[@heggy_69]

I don't think it does, it's just most fuzz faces use 2.2uf and that's usually an electrolytic capacitor. I have one where I used a 1uf film capacitor for the input and it works and sounds pretty good

[@TheTubeDude]

That was enjoyable. Thank you.

[@graybenchelec]

Thanks!

[@Digosaurus]

Blue Colander Tremond would be dope to see!

[@graybenchelec]

Noted!

[@Rainydaydreamaway7]

Hey man, was curious if you recognize the brand of pots used in these pedals? Have tried to search for it based on logo but had no luck

[@DirkGentley42]

Thanks for the video, really interesting. It'd be interesting to see one of the silicon versions as well if possible at some point. How Mike gets consistently great pedals from so few components is fantastic.

[@stratoplaster]

The video is impressive and highly informative! I'm intrigued about a technical aspect. Regarding the schematics displayed at 12:37, I'm curious if the 50k input trimmer is accurately represented. Specifically, I'm wondering if one of the three leads of the pot should be connected to ground. Thanks to whoever can provide an answer to this question.

[@graybenchelec]

I'm pretty sure it's wired as a variable resistor as my schematic shows, but I see other schematics showing it as a potentiometer to ground as you suggested. Unfortunately I don't have one on hand so I can't check.

[@bobibobik5903]

Cool video. I saw your 1st videos with amps, any chance to make more of them?

[@graybenchelec]

Planning something soon, stay tuned :)

[@MichaelGovers]

Hey Joe (where are you going with that gun in your hand :) ) with this pedal having a positive earth rail, can it be connected up with other pedals having a negative rail?

[@graybenchelec]

You can indeed, you just want to be careful with power. Rule of thumb is positive ground pedals need their own power supply, or their own isolated output from a power brick.

[@MichaelGovers]

@@graybenchelec Thanks for that, So I'm guessing that plastic 1/4 would be a must!

[@lenin_zacary]

excellent video! What is the hFE of Q1,Q2?

[@edlicari3909]

How many pedals have you sold? 😁

[@GovmntLacky]

After seeing the build quality, it just 100% reassures me that most pedal collecting is pure cork sniffing. I wouldn’t pay $50 for that thing!

[@damonkatos4271]

How much for a pedal with 10 components?

[@Crumpleshadow]

Do you think the resistor on the switch is an "anti-pop" resistor? The Sunface is my favorite pedal of all time and I've always wondered about it.

[@graybenchelec]

No, I believe that's the current limiting resistor for the LED.

[@CaptainRon1913]

Can't unsee the booger ring

[@adeptgopnik]

Do you know anything about the early 90's dallas arbiter fuzz faces that have nkt275 marked transisters in them? I have heard that they are fake and never were real nkt 275s to begin with, but actually do love the sound of them. I realize that is all that matters is whether i like it, which is why ive held onto it as long as I have, but have always wondered and wanted to know if they are real nkt 275's

[@graybenchelec]

My understanding is that they are germanium, but they're not made by newmarket (NKT). They're relabeled transistors.

[@adeptgopnik]

@@graybenchelec thanks for the reply. That's kind of what i figured. They do sound great and it's cool to have a pedal that looks like the og.

[@BrianBechtolt]

Once standoffs are seated they are fine, also tagging a resistor for an l.e.d. that’s an after thought for a guitarist who needs a light to tell him his fuzz is on, a dedicated port for that seems completely unnecessary.

[@paul_bliven]

Does anyone know why there is what looks like a 27k Ohm resistor wired across the footswitch? 7:04

[@analogspam]

That is the LED limiting resistor :)

[@paul_bliven]

@@analogspam Oh, thank you!

[@ToneCraftFX]

When building a fuzz face clone, does the input and output capacitors need to be polarized electrolytic or can they be a polyester type (non-polarized)?

[@graybenchelec]

It will certainly work with non-polarized caps, film or otherwise. If you're building with a PCB, you may have trouble finding a 2.2uF film cap that will fit the allotted space on the board.

[@galactictravels224]

Does anyone have any recommendations for more volume sweep on a silicon fuzz face ?

[@keiranbradley3238]

Yeah, use germanium!.

[@ToneCraftFX]

I believe by changing the 470 ohm resistor will effect overall volume levels.

[@BenState]

The profit margin on these pedals must be astronomical.

[@fredtaylor9792]

Sort of. You have the time spent sourcing and sorting those vintage resistors and transistors. I've built some pedals and doing it by hand is fairly time consuming.

[@BenState]

@@fredtaylor9792 Waste of time. Makes no difference whatsoever.

[@fredtaylor9792]

@BenState But that's a different discussion. Waste of time or not, it costs time and money sorting and matching germanium transistors and if your customer wants a fuzz face with germanium transistors, you have to buy a batch and hope you can pair a few together that work. And therefore, you have to build those variables into the cost.

[@BenState]

@@fredtaylor9792 Again, charging customers for wasting time is not a cost its a scam. Matching germaniums takes no time at all and doesn't come close to making up for the extortionate prices charged for some of these basic circuits built like crap.

[@fredtaylor9792]

@@BenState A scam? Now you're just being contentious.

[@nicksregor4208]

No power supply filtering? *buzzzzz

[@slipperyfrog24]

Alkaline battery? For shame, sir.