# BJFe Folk Fuzz Deluxe



## Chuck D. Bones (Mar 27, 2021)

This is the latest circuit to hit my breadboard.  Bjorn Juhl is my favorite pedal designer.  He has created some iconic designs, and tweaked some classics.  The Folk Fuzz is a twist on the Fuzz Face.  What BJ has done here sounds nothing like a Fuzz Face.  It's better.  Excellent tonal balance between the bottom and top end.  Smooth note decay.  Responsive to guitar volume and picking, particularly at high FUZZ settings.  VR1 is the FUZZ control, C1M.  VR2 is the TONE control, A50K.  VR3 is VOLUME, A100K.  The ON-OFF-ON toggle switch selects between a pair of transistor clipping diodes, a pair of red LEDs or two pairs of silicon diodes.  At low drive levels the clipping is pretty symmetric for all three settings.  At higher drive levels, they all become more and more asymmetric because T2 and R10 drive the clippers asymmetrically.  You can use whatever you like for T3 & T4; high Vf diodes like BA482s or BA283s would also work.  I stuck in some vintage 2N2219A & 2N2905A trannys I had in my stash.  Nice tones, with the transistor clipper being the hottest and most compressed, the four diodes having a fatter sound and the LEDs more open sounding.  I'm not always fond of LED clippers but they work well here.  The TONE control has a good range, and gets pretty dark down around zero.  T1 & T2 can be Ge or Si, I supposed you could even mix 'em up.  I used a pair of Russian MП38As.





I started out with a stock build and ended up making two little changes: Lowered R2 to 10K to add some more gain at the top end of the FUZZ control range and lowered C7 to 15nF brighten up the TONE control a tad.  If you're looking for something simple & fun to breadboard, give this a go!


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## cooder (Apr 1, 2021)

Ooooohhh noice! Curiosity is killin' the cat again...


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## Chuck D. Bones (Apr 1, 2021)

Got the Vero built today & box painted.  

BTW, I subbed BA842 diodes for the 2N2219A/2N2905A clippers.  Very similar V-I curves.


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## BurntFingers (Apr 1, 2021)

Is there enough juice for a more interesting tonestack in there? Maybe a passive bmt?


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## HamishR (Apr 1, 2021)

Oh I have one of those somewhere - you have made me want to dig it out and try it again now!


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## Chuck D. Bones (Apr 1, 2021)

BurntFingers said:


> Is there enough juice for a more interesting tonestack in there? Maybe a passive bmt?


With the LED or 4x diode clipper, yes.  With the two trans clipper, maybe.


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## cooder (Apr 5, 2021)

Chuck D. Bones said:


> With the LED or 4x diode clipper, yes.  With the two trans clipper, maybe.


How about a Baxandall stack? Will add parts of course, but could be sweet in there me thinks?


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## Chuck D. Bones (Apr 5, 2021)

Sure, why not?


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## Chuck D. Bones (Apr 6, 2021)

Finally finished cramming it into the box.  DIODE switch top left.  FUZZ top center.  VOLUME bottom left, TONE bottom right.  That's "chrome" paint.  Thought about clear-coating over it to make it more shiny.





I have an insulator that goes between the jacks & the board, made from a 6-pack carrier.  Anti-pop resistor mounted on the stomp switch.


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## cooder (Apr 7, 2021)

Great squeeeeeeeeze there! I will put this on my ever growing to do list, yehaaa.


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## fig (Apr 7, 2021)

Very chic-industrial. 

Is that JB weld?


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## Chuck D. Bones (Apr 7, 2021)

It is.  Rather a thick mix this time.  I use it to attach the washers that hold the stomp switch, attach the little piece of sheet metal that covers the unused hole and to reinforce the knock-outs.  I won't goop boards, but gooping boxes is ok.


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## Tremster (Apr 8, 2021)

PedalPCB should just make PCBs for all your projects as you post them, so people (=me) won't have to request this one and your Mona Lisa Simpson and your EQD Monarch / Chrysalis / Warden etc.


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## mjh36 (Apr 12, 2021)

As I am both trying to practice my breadboarding (can you tell?😆) and find a fuzz to box up, I gave this a go. Very experimental, I worked with what I had. Excellent low gain fuzz, whether that was the intention or not. Transistors are MPS 6531. Used a pair of GE 1N1692's tophat diodes. Fun! Thanks!


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## Chuck D. Bones (Apr 12, 2021)

I'm digging those big-ass rectifiers.  I wonder if anyone has tried selenium rectifiers in a pedal?


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## mjh36 (Apr 14, 2021)

Honestly before I put them in I thought "These look old, the GE must be for germanium!" But no...


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## Chuck D. Bones (Apr 14, 2021)

I had to look 'em up.


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## fig (Apr 14, 2021)

Breadboarding seems to bring out the mad scientist in everyone. It's always a C9H13NO3 pump to throw the power to one and see what happens.


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## Mir9 (Jun 11, 2021)

Have you seen these other BJF  diy projects? The Sparkle, 109, and Universal are Fuzz Faces, and the Bone Benders are his (npn) Tone Bender reinterpretations.  https://moodysounds.com/en/produkt-kategori/kits/bjf-kits/

They've all sounded very good with plenty of distortion. The Sparkle uses 2n1306/8 and the Tone Benders were easy to dial in, which is a relief for the MK1 inspired one.

The manuals explain some of his ideas, and the Sparkle Face had a 20 page thread on his old forum


			BJFE / BearFoot fx Guitar Effects Community • View topic - >>>   Sparkle Face Research Project   <<<


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## Chuck D. Bones (Jun 12, 2021)

I have.  Tried the Bone Bender, but to me it didn't stand out as different / better than some of the other TBs I've built / breadboarded.  

The Honey Bee is from the same family as the Model G, Model H, Sweet Honey, etc. That family of circuits is at the heart of the Mojito.

I don't like the sounds of every circuit Bjorn Juhl has designed, but the ones I do like, I _really _like. The Folk Fuzz, Pink Purple Fuzz, Emerald Green Distortion Machine and Honey Bee circuits really impress me with their sound, versatility and quality of design. I respect BJ for his designs and his understanding of how electric guitar sounds are formed and modified in pedals and amps. I've learned a great deal from studying his work.


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## Barry (Jun 12, 2021)

Chuck D. Bones said:


> I have.  Tried the Bone Bender, but to me it didn't stand out as different / better than some of the other TBs I've built / breadboarded.
> 
> The Honey Bee is from the same family as the Model G, Model H, Sweet Honey, etc. That family of circuits is at the heart of the Mojito.
> 
> I don't like the sounds of every circuit Bjorn Juhl has designed, but the ones I do like, I _really _like. The Folk Fuzz, Pink Purple Fuzz, Emerald Green Distortion Machine and Honey Bee circuits really impress me with their sound, versatility and quality of design. I respect BJ for his designs and his understanding of how electric guitar sounds are formed and modified in pedals and amps. I've learned a great deal from studying his work.


Speaking of the Mojito I need to bump it upon the wishlist


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## G.G. (Feb 15, 2022)

Chuck D, is there a vero you might be able to share for this? I've built the Sparkle Face, 109, and the BoneBenders, would love to give this one a go.


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## Chuck D. Bones (Feb 15, 2022)

Sure thang! 
FUZZ pins 1 & 2 go to the stompswitch.
VOICE sw center pin goes to GND.
TONE 2 & 3 go to GND,
LEVEL 2 goes to the stompswitch.
LEVEL 1 goes to GND.
R1 is mounted on the stompswitch.
Let me know if you have any questions.


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## G.G. (Feb 15, 2022)

awesome! I have some MP38As that need a place to go.


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## G.G. (Feb 20, 2022)

Chuck D., I'm looking at the datasheet for 1N4004s, which is the critical value for use in this circuit? I have 4001s and 4007s. The maximum RMS voltage is pretty different but the forward current is the same for all of them.


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## Chuck D. Bones (Feb 20, 2022)

They're interchangeable when used as clipping diodes.  1N4007 may have a slightly higher Vf.


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## G.G. (Mar 1, 2022)

Thanks for sharing your layout Chuck, this thing really rips! I tried out my MP38As and some GT404s, which all sounded good, but ended up going with an AC127 set I had. In hindsight I should have tried out the transistor clippers but these germanium diodes sounded pretty good and I just left them in. Thanks again! Here's a pic in the messy temporary enclosure.


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## Chuck D. Bones (Mar 1, 2022)

Glad you like it.  Proves you don't need a ton of parts to get great tone.  The AC127 is a sweet transistor.  

Make sure the transistor heatsinks don't short to anything on the board because the base connects to the case on AC127s.


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