Full Repair and Modification, Dunlop Germanium Fuzz Face!

[@Dan.Solo.Chicago]

I went with the full size red FuzzFace as well. Whenever it comes to classic legendary effects in the modern day, I never get the small pedalboard friendly versions. Having it look the same as the one that inspired you is part of the fun. I get stoked every time I look down and see them on the floor. The next pedal I'm going to buy is the Jimmy Page Tone Bender from British Pedal Co. And you bet your ass I'm getting the big OG one.

[@Gma7788]

Bigger components make bigger sounds.

[@DTGuitarTech]

That wiring is a work of art.

[@Pigeon_FX]

Thanks for the shout out! Awsome build!

[@KetchupLettuce]

Very cool. I enjoy all of your content, but especially builds/repairs. Recently I started throwing together kits with zero electronics knowledge and watching you work and explain everything is enlightening and inspiring. Thanks.

[@graybenchelec]

Thank you!

[@pricedlx]

One of the things I enjoy is watching the different approaches to troubleshooting and design. It’s a great way to learn

[@graybenchelec]

Thank you!

[@simonkormendy849]

Internally, that looks a lot like my Jim Dunlop JD-F2 Fuzz Face after I opened it up after it stopped working, well it didn't just stop working, first it started oscillating like crazy and then it stopped, turned-out the two NTE158 Germanium PNP Transistors were bad, so I ended-up replacing the original circuit board with one I bought online from Pigeon FX, and I elected to go with two BC108C NPN Silicon Transistors (the silver top hat types), that got it working again and it sounded really good and smooth for a Silicon Fuzz Face.

[@instrumentsaudioetc]

Really great solution for the spaced out transistor holes!

[@misterdecibel]

I bought a new one of these red FF pedals and it was DOA. Problem turned out to be that one of the jacks was contacting the bottom plate, grounding the signal. Rotate the jack, easy fix.

[@graybenchelec]

Easy fixes are nice, but that should have been caught by dunlop surely!

[@JohnShalamskas]

I had a similar problem when I shielded all the cavities in my Strat with copper tape. I found that the output jack tip prong was touching the bottom of the cavity which was now at ground potential. I put some electrical tape over the copper foil and that resolved the issue.

[@jadamdavisart]

I added a 9 volt adapter for my 1-Spot power supply years ago to my Fuzz Face and drilled hole in the exterior for the wire to pass through because that thing ATE batteries. That was about the extent of my pedal modding, but this was a lot of fun to watch! Great job!

[@Gma7788]

Foolish. Thriftiness has ruined your life

[@proc007]

Great vid! I used to be a tech for a notable pedal manufacturer, and just so you know, there are extended nut driver socket sets available that would allow you to take that footswitch off much easier. Just make sure the socket is hollow all the way through (some are not), and you’ll be able to fit it over the switch. Cheers!

[@graybenchelec]

Good tip, thanks!

[@wesleymorris1]

Some of these newer pcbs are so hard to desolder, because they got heat dissipation pads around the holes. There almost impossible to not burn a pad off. What I do is add solder to it and then use a solder sucker, to remove the solder.

[@75YBA]

Excellent channel chief! All the best from Canada 🇨🇦!

[@graybenchelec]

Thanks! Keep an eye on the channel for the next couple weeks, got something you'll be into :)

[@wesleymorris1]

You need a set of rocket sockets, there made of hard plastic, they won't scratch the paint on the pedal. They work well for guitars as well.

[@TheAaron3dg]

23:17 thats such a smart way to adapt, very clean! Loved the video

[@distortedchannel1022]

Man can sokde, man can talk and man can play. That is a great content!

[@graybenchelec]

Thank you!

[@2bikemikesguitartopics145]

Very impressive work

[@michagonet3716]

Awesome video. Majestic sounds at the end! 🎩

[@patrickhealy2008]

finally someone else that adds solder before desoldering

[@graybenchelec]

For sure! especially if lead-free solder was used

[@TheYjmfan]

I hand built 2 fuzz faces 1 with BC108 silicon transistors sounds fine.

[@fullwaverecked]

I just subbed. You and Wampler are very informative and entertaining. Thank you for all you do. You and your channel are an amelioration to humanity. Cheers! 😸🤟😎

[@graybenchelec]

Thank you!

[@SamHarrisonMusic]

Sounds fantastic. I want a fuzz face now lol!

[@blankthoughttv]

Maaaaaan. That sounds really good. I want you to know that im listening on a pair of AKGk240s too.

[@simonlynch6080]

Such meticulous work. Good job !

[@graybenchelec]

Thank you!

[@Gma7788]

Yeah, dunlop sure does know something you don't 😏 Their fuzz and wah pedals only start working properly when the last pedal is plugged into the signal path. So your fuzz requires the dunlop rotovibe pedal to complete the signal and send the completed signal to the amplifier. FUZZ REQUIRES ROTOVIBE to activate the fuzz. Wah also REQUIRES rotovibe to activate the true wah sound.

[@Matthew-qk1xi]

I do not have that problem at all. My Jimi silicon FF works just fine without the others.

[@toddweaversound]

It easy to get stuff like that foot switch out by adding a low melt solder to the pins. That stuff will stay liquid easily and allow you to just pull it out after heating, using a small bit of hot air makes it child's play.

[@graybenchelec]

Someone just turned me on to that, might have to check it out. Thanks!

[@HazeAnderson]

@@graybenchelec It's a game changer! I also recommend buying a stack of clean room clean wipes for cleaning the flux off -- cut them up into small squares, add IPA and scrub over the PCB with a brush. Better than Factory!!™😂

[@stoneysdead689]

I work leather, I've been doing it for years- making sheaths, holsters, belt pouches, back packs, whatever ppl wanted- and repairing old saddles and tac. I took my fuzz face and removed the black rubber foot guard thingy- and replaced it with 10 ounce veg. tan. leather that I tooled a biohazard symbol into- it looks wicked. The nut now sits on top of the leather to so- much easier to work with.

[@Gma7788]

Well, start from scratch then. Stop trying to reinvent stuff and just start from scratch and introduce a new thing into the world instead of destroying what somebody else has created for other people

[@mrrootytooty5797]

Your channel is fantastic! I build pedals too but am way behind youdlr knowledge level. But close enough to really value your expertise :) Thanks for your insight

[@graybenchelec]

Thank you!

[@tobyk_8045]

With germanium transistors, a bias trim pot is the best solution, since they are very sensitive to temperature

[@lousekoya1803]

Hey I love your channel so you have a new sub here from Quebec ! I have a question , if you change all the resistors with carbon comps , will there be an audible difference for the better or you hear a difference only with higher voltage amps ?

[@Dan.Solo.Chicago]

Instead of rubber feet, I just cut some half inch squares of leather, and glued them on the bottom. Those stick on clear rubber raindrop ones from Home Depot that everyone uses suck. Only two-part epoxy keeps them on. Forget that. leather and super glue is all you need. You can get leather from the crafts store, or just cut a piece off an old belt. If you only have thin leather, stack the squares until they're as high as the center screw.

[@huddyskiba1]

Was the cause of the initial failure ever mentioned? Or too many possibilities to sort out and quicker/easier/more fun to rebuild?

[@graybenchelec]

Yeah, the second thing 😆

[@mtbsteve1]

Nice job man!

[@watchmangamer4380]

36:13 Did you change to the neck pickup here? When you started to play the higher notes, it sounded a bit too muddy to be just the bridge. And I could hear some loss of treble when you changed the pickup.

[@guitfidle]

I'm curious- you used sockets for the transistors, why not use a trim pot for the bias instead of a fixed resistor based on the reading of the pot? Won't that change a bit if you change transistors?

[@graybenchelec]

It almost definitely will, but not to the extent of the fuzz not working at all. There also wouldn't be a great way of attaching the trimpot to that PCB, unlike the sockets which slotted right in. I tried to strike a compromise with going vintage/mojo and modern functionality.

[@joebloggs4369]

Newmarket sold NKT275 as matched pairs. Dallas Arbiter bought them as pairs. Hfe range was 30 - 90 but rarely exceeded 70.

[@AH-zm2me]

Haven't followed the industry super closely for a bit over a decade, but NTE was always the Dorman Auto parts of the semiconductor world. I'd be stunned if any manufacturer was using them for new designs. Only ever used them for substitutes if there was absolutely no other alternative. And don't even get me started on insulation displacement connectors...

[@graybenchelec]

Germanium might be an exception, because they're so elusive. Side note, I live pretty close to the Dorman building :)

[@Doomlord74]

Exacto knife? trim around the nut. you can always add a small black washer.

[@uncle_ike]

Losing PCB pads can be avoided by wicking or sucking solder completely out of the through holes rather than the melt & pull method that was employed to remove those transistors.

[@JohnShalamskas]

If I were rebuilding a Fuzz Face, I'd drill another hole in the top and use a pot for the bias, like the Sun knob on the Analogman fuzz pedals. It would have to avoid hitting the circuit board, of course. But you get some ability to alter the tone with the bias knob, and you can adjust for ambient temperature.

[@stoneysdead689]

Actually- that design sort of already exists, but it's silicon- not germanium. It's the Series 3 by JHS- he added a bias knob to Q2, added a bit more gain, cranked it, and then got rid of the fuzz knob altogether. Now the "fuzz" knob is actually an input volume that just reduces the signal coming in like turning down the vol. on your guitar. Imo it's the best Fuzz Face JHS makes, and one of the best ever made by anyone. Why it's only 99 bucks- no idea, kind of proves you don't have to charge a fortune to make a really good, useful pedal.

[@fullwaverecked]

What amazes me is how simple and empty these things are... So that's how the Astronauts are jamming in space without a pedal board. Wouldn't want one of those getting wrapped around your neck and strangle holding you...

[@Croccolucho]

Hey man whats up, im missing a 1k pot for the fuzz control and im almost finishing to build the FF, should i put a 1k resistor to ground instead? How would you do it?

[@graybenchelec]

Personally I would wait and find a 1k pot. I do sometimes prefer to back off the fuzz a bit, and you lose that with a fixed resistor obviously. But in the mean time I would try different values between 1k and a jumper to see what you prefer.

[@whatevernamegoeshere3644]

7:16 maybe the germanium transistors were soldered by hand afterwards? They are quite sensitive to heat so they might not have been able to put them in the wave soldering machine

[@kevinficzere3826]

killer! skills abound! thank you for this vid! learned alot!

[@graybenchelec]

Thank you!

[@TommySprocket]

Socket wrench to remove nut someone prolly told you that already great video!

[@gregmize01]

Great job Joe!

[@wesleymorris1]

When I worked on mine, I pulled the rubber back and just reglued it when I was done, the glue stays very sticky , u may not even have to reglue.

[@jakebrown4009]

So glad I found your channel, keep up the great work! Cheers

[@graybenchelec]

Thank you!

[@robertwhit]

When you are biasing for Q2 what tabs are you connecting to on the 25k pot?

[@graybenchelec]

Been a while, but should be the wiper and one of the ends. Essentially using the pot as a variable resistor.

[@alexisdrosopoulos]

It amazes me how such a big manufacturer as Dunlop can give as much as zero shits for repairability when it comes to the pcb mounting technique that was used in this pedal. I mean come on, why can't you just make the hole cutout at the rubber the same diameter as the freaking nut. I just spent two minutes in fast forward watching someone trying to unscrew a nut for God's sake! Enough of a rant. This was a great video once again! It's really nice watching you build things again. Just a word of caution though, having all these AC signal wires so close in parallel with each other especially in a high gain circuit like this is not the best idea. I know it look nice and I admit that I've done it myself too, but it isn't the best practice electrically speaking.

[@graybenchelec]

Good point, I felt comfortable doing it here because FF have always been built this way, and you're right it does look nice :)

[@alexisdrosopoulos]

@@graybenchelec you're right about that, but just because something was always done a certain way doesn't mean that it's the proper way 😉 Nevertheless spotless build once again!

[@graybenchelec]

@@alexisdrosopoulos Maybe one day I'll do a build with a modern fuzz face PCB for some contrast!

[@alexisdrosopoulos]

That would be interesting indeed!

[@darwinsaye]

It’s cool that you can still buy those vintage style circuit boards.

[@Gma7788]

No. It's mass production. Normal for business. It's UNFORTUNATE to rebuild something that can't be rebuilt without wasting all your time and money. This modern red thing ISN'T vintage. It's wrong and Most unfortunate to be doing this to that pedal.

[@darwinsaye]

Whatever bud.

[@lordflatworm]

Very cool.

[@EdgarsLS]

Connecting a shield at only one side depends, but in this case it's true. But that shield is pointless anyway, since it's in a shielded can anyway and it's powered by a battery.

[@taborturtle]

Where do you get that type of resistors? I've been looking around but can't find them.

[@graybenchelec]

those are generally referred to as "allen-bradley" resistors. The type is carbon composition. Allen-bradley was the most well known manufacturer. Most likely to find them on ebay I imagine.

[@noel3422]

Vintage pcb sounds funny to me.

[@krispatel1]

You can peel the rubber footswitch pad from the top exposing the nut. Much easier

[@graybenchelec]

Yes I did ultimately do that, and widen the hole a bit off camera. I was concerned the adhesive wouldn't work again but it was fine.

[@catface101]

Banzai Music in Germany sell fuzz face PCBs, and sell the rubber tread piece as well

[@antipusrises]

This is really awesome. The Mojo parts kit that you used, where can one find that?

[@graybenchelec]

These parts were just in my collection from a couple years of browsing ebay. But here is a pretty similar kit: reverb.com/item/26668076-n-o-s-germanium-fuzz-parts-kit-for-dallas-arbiter-fuzz-face

[@antipusrises]

@@graybenchelec Nice, thanks!

[@13aphomet]

Great job dude

[@graybenchelec]

Thank you!

[@MegaTubescreamer]

use a box spanner on the f/sw nut, but just grind a taper , narrow it down to fit inside the rubber pad, 😇👍

[@jeffhess9484]

Hey, I'm interested in having a Dunlop JDF2 Classic Fuzz Face Pedal modified. Do you do that?

[@graybenchelec]

I'm not taking any outside work right now, sorry! Good luck :)

[@moonsgin3817]

hi Joe, what values would you change in the FF circuit to enhance the glassy effect of rolling back guitar volume?

[@graybenchelec]

Transistor hfe is the big one. Going with lower gain transistors will give you more "range" over the slightly-dirty/overdriven sound while rolling back the guitar volume. Also important to plug the guitar straight into the pedal, no buffers in between.

[@moonsgin3817]

@@graybenchelec thanks! anything that i could also change in the typical Strat circuit to enhance?

[@andromedusmoat9608]

Man, where are you based? I live in a town called Gray, and it's got me wondering where that name comes from... If you were my neighbor and I didn't ever ask this question I couldn't forgive myself. Hahaha. Have you ever considered doing a series on test equipment? Different rigs, what they do, etc? I'm a low level builder but I really think the next step for me would be learning how to assemble a killer work station. If I could choose one person to clarify the muddy waters of equipment selection, it would def be you... Just a thought! Even if it were just a showcase of what you've got, or what a basic starter setup should have, it would be a great vid. Another side question: I have a bunch of Russian MP16B PNP's... I've breadboarded a bit with them, and like the idea of a Sziklai pair where the first half is a Si NPN, followed by the russian Ge PNP. It would be AWESOME if you did a vid, or vids, showing your biasing process for Darlington/Sziklai pairs. Sorry for the long winded comment! You seem like you might be the kind of guy that actually takes some of this into consideration though, so I thought I'd ask. Even if you don't do this stuff and just stick to teardowns, it's a great channel. Keep it up!

[@graybenchelec]

Thank you. I called my channel that cause...well, my bench is gray. I painted it gray for good white balance while filming/taking pics. Cameras evaluate light color based on a known 18% gray value. The darlington/sziklai pair idea you have is popular, and you'd definitely want the configuration you described, so the Si transistor isn't amplifying the leakage from the Ge. I plan on do a bench tour video soon, stay tuned :)

[@andromedusmoat9608]

@@graybenchelec Of course. (facepalm) The bench is indeed gray. Duh! hahaha

[@PieCompanyGuitars]

Awesome work...

[@graybenchelec]

Thank you!

[@slucas380]

Is possible do a mod than emulates a used low voltage battery with a pot? Like a control of the % of energy thats In the circuit? Sorry my bad english

[@stoneysdead689]

He did that with this circuit- it's called a "bias" control. Lots of fuzz pedals have it- the 3 Series Fuzz by JHS adds a bias control to a traditional silicon FF.

[@bigbasil1908]

It would be fun to get a deactivated land mine and make it into a fuzz face pedal with the stomp switch being where the land mine firing mechanism goes lol

[@scramblesthedeathdealer]

That would be dope! I have a deactivated hand grenade, maybe I could turn it into a pedal or something... 🤔

[@bigbasil1908]

@@scramblesthedeathdealer Maybe but it wouldn't have the same significance lol. I have a non deactivated mills b0mb hand grenade that I found under the ground metal detecting years ago lol. The cordite has leeched away but the primer may still be active lol

[@bigbasil1908]

@@scramblesthedeathdealer I did look online for a deactivated anti personnel mine but it was pretty expensive to buy lol

[@scramblesthedeathdealer]

@@bigbasil1908 Yeah, be careful with that!

[@bigbasil1908]

@@scramblesthedeathdealer I don't go near it lol. I should probably dispose of it but its such a cool artefact lol

[@stompfolks]

great job really and finally the sound is bad, a loss of signal. the pots of volume and fuzz at full is not the way to get versatile sound, but i think the mod is not that acurrate

[@dasczwo]

from a piece of crap to a piece of art. how much did you charge for the operation?

[@bancorodrigez1718]

Bravoooo

[@Forbes780]

28:10 What's it all about? I need to know!!! Great vid

[@graybenchelec]

Haha I think I meant something explaining that I had the input and output jack reversed, but I don't remember.

[@nitrosake]

Nice rebuild other than using old carbon composition resistors. That's just not worth it, even for a non-precision application. They drift and have awful tolerances... Metal film resistors should be the go-to always!

[@Jah_Rastafari_ORIG]

Amplified Parts sell loads of phenolic FF clone boards. I have one sitting on my bench right now, all populated and waiting for a good deal on a round enclosure... BTW, it sounds like you live next to a dirt flattrack...or maybe it's just that speeding up the video makes cars sound like 2-stroke dirt bikes...

[@Jah_Rastafari_ORIG]

End of video edit: Your result really captures that Swell Maps Nikki Sudden guitar sound on 10...

[@96alexius]

Hi Gray) cool channel u have. i m looking for a FUZZ for a blues . Could you gimme some advice.... thinking bout King Tone Vintage Fuzz.... or..... wht else can you reccomend to take a look....

[@graybenchelec]

Kingtone Vintage Fuzz is a good choice, but there are cheaper fuzz faces out there. Check out the Barber Gain Changer. Not specifically a fuzz, but has a wide range of sounds available.

[@РоманЛазарев-м1ы]

@@graybenchelec appreciate, dear. Great

[@jeanious2009]

So you went from a new PCB (epoxy and tin plated traces) to a one sided pcb with non tin traces? Going backwards ehhh? Like vehicles going electric.

[@decomputerleraarable]

checking the 9 volt first?

[@graybenchelec]

sorry I don't understand the question, can you ask it a different way?

[@mr.howard1]

I think I'll just peel that rubber off and contact it back on when I'm done.

[@Dasiliy]

Cool sound tho!

[@druwk]

Nice!

[@jasoneddy9111]

I am on the side of: Screw that rubber pad. Im cuttin out a wider circle...

[@bill.clifford.59]

I didn't see a video on a mxr distortion + pedal on your channel, if you want to do one I have one that isn't working and I don't know why!

[@graybenchelec]

Shoot a couple pics to [e-mail]!

[@kevinficzere3826]

did you reverse the trannys from stock?

[@graybenchelec]

Nope, the transistors were hooked up to the circuit the same way.

[@waynegram8907]

Why does the fuzz face circuit want Q2 to have an HFE at 100 or more? for what reasons

[@graybenchelec]

Haha that's a great question. I believe the original "recommendation" of ~80 hFE for Q1 and ~120 hFE for Q2 came from Mike Fuller of Fulltone. AFAIK, the justifications came down to sonic preference, not anything as the result of mathematics/scientific experimentation. It's a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy now. But to be clear I didn't mean to imply you shouldn't even try less than 120 for Q2, by all means go for it.

[@waynegram8907]

@@graybenchelec ok thanks, I thought Q2 has to be 120HFE because its amplifying the signal in the feedback biasing loop back to Q1. So the extra signal gain is doing something with the feedback biasing of Q2 back to Q1

[@graybenchelec]

@@waynegram8907 could be, I'm no expert! Electrosmash has a great writeup on the fuzz face if you're interested: www.electrosmash.com/fuzz-face

[@brocktechnology]

Great stuff! Kind of a stretch to call it repair and mod, you pretty much just reused the case. The original circuit still exists and isn't repaired. But there's room for range of views on this.

[@jeanious2009]

Bruh get you a solder pump iron, no messing with the wick braid.

[@vincentpritchett1231]

150 for a handful of components and an enclosure. Way too high. I can build my own for much less. Good rebuild, though. 👍

[@danielbarbieri8199]

At the price they sell those pedals, they should de built like that...

[@ddotu22]

I’ve got all the bits and a completely bare fuzz face enclosure. I’m just struggling to figure out how to wire one up, it’s my first go at a pedal build and I can’t find a layout picture that I can follow, have you got any ideas?

[@graybenchelec]

This pic from pidgeon FX might help: cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0082/1244/7290/products/[e-mail]?v=1638498231

[@ddotu22]

@@graybenchelec absolute legend!! Thank you very much for that 👍

[@TheCleaner6969]

Check my channel out I have many videos & also diagrams you can download from mediafire when I built mine.

[@xdoctorblindx]

This is definitely sloppy seconds. I dooubt they'd come from the factory like that.

[@graybenchelec]

Agreed!

[@manonbassguitar]

Stupidly designed pedal (being the massive circle). To improve it, Put it all inside a much smaller box

[@whiskerbiscuit6674]

The nails....

[@graybenchelec]

I know! I'm working on it :)

[@Gma7788]

You're the WORST kind of tinkerer. You destroy pedals and then sell them on to unsuspecting members of the public. So for THAT you've got yourself reported to the authorities for misleading the public. This pedal is most likely to NEVER ACTIVATE THE FUZZ when they plug in the rotovibe pedal. Shame, shame on you 😔

[@swagwolfgang]

You need to fix your title to full rebuild because you got as far as taking it out of the housing and decided to just use all new components, pcb, switch even looks like new pots never even stated the original problem. so thats not a full repair its a rebuild.

[@qddk9545]

It is insanely annoying that your hands are flipping and flopping around in the picture at all times. Try to control your ADHD please.