# Making Starboard Fuzz Louder?...



## Coda

I recently completed the Starboard Fuzz (Mosrite Fuzz-rite). Sonically, it sounds like its supposed to, for the most part*. However, the pedal is pretty quiet. Maxed out, there is a significant volume drop. Is there a mod to remedy this?

*I think I may have made a mistake: the Depth control seems to work in reverse. All the way to the left is full fuzz. Turning to the right thins the fuzz out. The pot is mounted to the PCB, so it cant be in backwards...


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## Robert

Hmm, that's how it was drawn on the schematic that was used but there seems to have been some debate about which way the pot should be connected....

It does seem more intuitive for it to behave the _other_ way around though, so I might have to revise this one.  

If that's the case and you want an updated PCB just shoot me a message.


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## Coda

Robert said:


> Hmm, that's how it was drawn on the schematic that was used but there seems to have been some debate about which way the pot should be connected....
> 
> It does seem more intuitive for it to behave the _other_ way around though, so I might have to revise this one.
> 
> If that's the case and you want an updated PCB just shoot me a message.



I'm not disappointed. I think it is a bit counter-intuitive the way it is, but its definitely not a deal-breaker. I wasn't prepared for it, but its not that big a deal. Reminds me a bit of how the tone control on a 3-knob Tonebender works...

I may mess around with some different transistors in this one. I like it with the 2N3904, but am curious as to how other stuff would work. Its a fun pedal...kinda between a Maestro and a Tonebender, with a kind of false octave thing going on. Though, for the first 20 mins, all I could think to play was Iron Butterfly...

Also, regarding the volume drop. Standing next to the amp, it definitely sounds like a volume drop. However, when recorded (well, just with an iphone) there doesn't seem to the a volume drop at all. I have heard that this pedal cuts pretty well, so that makes sense...


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## Coda

As an addendum to my previous post, and for anyone else who may stumble upon this thread looking into this build, I have read that swapping the transistors will not make too much of a difference, as this circuit is “self-biasing” (DC feedback). That could be a crock of bull, but it makes sense...


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## Nostradoomus

What transistors did you use? I’ve breadboarded this guy and I got unity at around 1/4 turn.


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## Mir9

The clone I have is based on a Catalinbread one and just adds a boost stage after, like some other modded projects I've seen. 

 I'm going to make another one, but stock and hear how converting a 500k pot to about 350k changes the filter sweep.   Nostradoomus, what did you use? I plan on a pair of 2222.


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## Nostradoomus

Regular ol 3904


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## music6000

Coda said:


> I recently completed the Starboard Fuzz (Mosrite Fuzz-rite). Sonically, it sounds like its supposed to, for the most part*. However, the pedal is pretty quiet. Maxed out, there is a significant volume drop. Is there a mod to remedy this?
> 
> *I think I may have made a mistake: the Depth control seems to work in reverse. All the way to the left is full fuzz. Turning to the right thins the fuzz out. The pot is mounted to the PCB, so it cant be in backwards...


Does your Depth knob react the opposite of this Demo:
35 seconds in


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## Coda

Nostradoomus said:


> What transistors did you use? I’ve breadboarded this guy and I got unity at around 1/4 turn.





Nostradoomus said:


> Regular ol 3904


I used 3904.  I have other I could try. I think I have some 2222’s laying around I can try...


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## Coda

music6000 said:


> Does your Depth knob react the opposite of this Demo:
> 35 seconds in



You are correct. I get the cleanest tone with the control maxed right, and the fuzziest tone maxed left. Though, that’s a bit misleading. It’s not more or less fuzz, just the tone of it. Left is thick and hairy (though not really all that thick), and right is thin and kind of sharp. In the middle, it’s interesting. It seems super compressed, plenty buzzy, but a bit distant...


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## Coda

I put some 5088’s in the pedal. It doesn’t really sound all that different. Maybe the tone is a bit more rich sounding, but that could be a trick. The volume is still low. The pedal sounds far away when you turn it on...


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## Nostradoomus

If you’re in to experimenting, try C500K for depth and A500k for volume...I’m curious haha. I’ve seen so many different schematics for this.


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## music6000

Can you post a Picture of the Component side?


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## Coda

music6000 said:


> Can you post a Picture of the Component side?


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## music6000

I need a picture that shows the Resistors and Pads clearly.


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## music6000

Your Electrolytic Capacitor is wrong, Positive should be facing Footswitch, Negative to the Top.


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## Coda

music6000 said:


> Your Electrolytic Capacitor is wrong, Positive should be facing Footswitch, Negative to the Top.


According to the build doc, yes, but not the pcb itself (on the right)...


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## music6000

Coda said:


> According to the build doc, yes, but not the pcb itself (on the right)...


Good, Just confirming!
Can you send a picture clearly showing Resistors?


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## Coda

music6000 said:


> Good, Just confirming!
> Can you send a picture clearly showing Resistors?


How’s this?


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## Coda

Nostradoomus said:


> If you’re in to experimenting, try C500K for depth and A500k for volume...I’m curious haha. I’ve seen so many different schematics for this.


I’ll think about it...but this thing was pretty difficult to cram in there. I had a few 1590B’s laying around, and wanted to make use of them. I didn’t consider the depth, and getting the pots and the jacks in were rough...


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## Nostradoomus

No worries, I have some time coming up, I’ll breadboard it again.


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## music6000

Coda said:


> I’ll think about it...but this thing was pretty difficult to cram in there. I had a few 1590B’s laying around, and wanted to make use of them. I didn’t consider the depth, and getting the pots and the jacks in were rough...


Do you have a MPSA18 handy for Q1, curious if that makes it jump out of the Mix


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## Coda

music6000 said:


> Do you have a MPSA18 handy for Q1, curious if that makes it jump out of the Mix



I do not. It seems I have every other Si available, except that one. I did pop some 2n2222A’s in, and it still sounds the same, mostly. Maybe a bit creamier. It’s all in my head, though. I’ll try it out through my big boy amp at big boy volumes tomorrow. Right know it’s my couch rig (headphones)...


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## giovanni

I just built this today and honestly I haven’t had much time to play it but I did notice that I have to crank it to get barely close to unity gain. Maybe it’s just the nature of the beast? I used 3904 from Tayda.


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## music6000

giovanni said:


> I just built this today and honestly I haven’t had much time to play it but I did notice that I have to crank it to get barely close to unity gain. Maybe it’s just the nature of the beast? I used 3904 from Tayda.


See what happens if you lift R4- 22k from going to Ground ????


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## Coda

music6000 said:


> Do you have a MPSA18 handy for Q1, curious if that makes it jump out of the Mix



Well, 1.5 years later, and now I do have an MPSA18 handy. Just popped it in. Not too sure of the difference. It doesn’t seem any louder. Sounds good though. I’m not entirely sure that the pedal is quiet…maybe it’s the thinness of the tone making it seem quieter, less-meaty…


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## giovanni

I wonder if a feedback resistor, say 100-200K from emitter to ground would increase the gain (it should provide 13dB at 100K)?


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## music6000

Coda said:


> Well, 1.5 years later, and now I do have an MPSA18 handy. Just popped it in. Not too sure of the difference. It doesn’t seem any louder. Sounds good though. I’m not entirely sure that the pedal is quiet…maybe it’s the thinness of the tone making it seem quieter, less-meaty…


You could try increasing the Input cap C1 from 47nF to 68nf or 82nF ???


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## music6000

giovanni said:


> I wonder if a feedback resistor, say 100-200K from emitter to ground would increase the gain (it should provide 13dB at 100K)?


I'm curious what lifting R4- 22K to Ground will do, I'm suspecting a Volume increase????


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## giovanni

music6000 said:


> I'm curious what lifting R4- 22K to Ground will do, I'm suspecting a Volume increase????


Ah right I forgot about that. I doubt it would change the volume because it’s just in parallel with Q2’s collector, which is the output voltage. I think it would just affect the frequency response?


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## ICTRock

I recently revisited my fuzzrite and agree that the transistors (short of using something extremely low in hfe) sound more or less the same regardless of value and that even blending differing hfe values is a fairly spurious mojo claim. The only strange mojo claim I haven't investigated yet is whether the collector resistors are too large, but that's an easy test by just tacking in something like 22K in parallel.


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## Betty Wont

Tequila_Buzz_1.1.pdf
					






					drive.google.com
				



I build this version of the fuzzrite that has an integrated boost, body control, and Hi-cut option. Unity volume is at 9 o'clock on this one.


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## ICTRock

Betty Wont said:


> Tequila_Buzz_1.1.pdf
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> drive.google.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I build this version of the fuzzrite that has an integrated boost, body control, and Hi-cut option. Unity volume is at 9 o'clock on this one.


I had the oshpark of that once and I think I re-gifted it during a madbean PIF.


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## andare

giovanni said:


> Ah right I forgot about that. I doubt it would change the volume because it’s just in parallel with Q2’s collector, which is the output voltage. I think it would just affect the frequency response?


I just finished a Fuzzrite (on tagboard) and I put the 22k resistor on a switch. If I turn it off I get a ton more bass, presence and volume and the fuzz loses its trademark splatty character. Definitely happy to have the option.

My pedal is super loud but the volume depends on where the Depth knob is. As I blend in the second gain stage it gets much louder (BTW I flipped the pot so the gain increases clockwise).

I'll post a build report with some sound clips soon, hopefully.


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## giovanni

andare said:


> I just finished a Fuzzrite (on tagboard) and I put the 22k resistor on a switch. If I turn it off I get a ton more bass, presence and volume and the fuzz loses its trademark splatty character. Definitely happy to have the option.
> 
> My pedal is super loud but the volume depends on where the Depth knob is. As I blend in the second gain stage it gets much louder (BTW I flipped the pot so the gain increases clockwise).
> 
> I'll post a build report with some sound clips soon, hopefully.


I think the gain increases cw in the stock build?
Edit: oh wait, mine is a PPCB build so that’s probably why.


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## andare

giovanni said:


> I think the gain increases cw in the stock build?
> Edit: oh wait, mine is a PPCB build so that’s probably why.


In the schematics, lug 3 of the Depth knob goes to Q1 and lug 1 to Q2, so gain increases CCW. Several users have noticed this counterintuitive behavior. I don't know if the PCB has been revised.


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## giovanni

andare said:


> In the schematics, lug 3 of the Depth knob goes to Q1 and lug 1 to Q2, so gain increases CCW. Several users have noticed this counterintuitive behavior. I don't know if the PCB has been revised.


Now you’re making me doubt myself  I’ll have to test it again. All my stuff is packed after our move at the moment.


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## Coda

The original (and the PPCB version) have more gain CCW. In that setting you have both transistors at 100%. As you go CW you are essentially blending Q2 out of the signal…

I think I may breadboard the 22k mod thing tomorrow morning (Summer semester prep can wait). If I like it it would be easy to mod…even with my build being in a 1590B. Thanks for the tip.


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## andare

Coda said:


> The original (and the PPCB version) have more gain CCW. In that setting you have both transistors at 100%. As you go CW you are essentially blending Q2 out of the signal…
> 
> I think I may breadboard the 22k mod thing tomorrow morning (Summer semester prep can wait). If I like it it would be easy to mod…even with my build being in a 1590B. Thanks for the tip.


BTW my build was ridiculously noisy until I boxed it up. Now, with all the grounds in place, it's only as noisy as your average Fuzz Face when everything is maxed out, with a bit of radio when the guitar is rolled off to zero. I read somewhere that a 2n2 cap from input to ground kills that noise but I just let my Strat on 2, it's still off but silent.


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## Coda

So the resurrection of this thread got me to dig my FuzzRite out. I plugged it in, and was kinda blown away. I haven't modified the pedal in anyway (yet)...but I have never played it through this particular amp before. On my Blues Jr, the FR is a bit too quiet, thin and bright, and a bit harsh. Through my 1972 Acoustic 134, its...still thin and bright (big time treble, man), but is a bit more smooth, and a bit more tame. In short, its super good. It nails that super thin and buzzy 1960's tone.


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## finebyfine

If none of these mods work, I gotta throw out my go to rec for output booster, which is the recovery from the superfuzz (c14 onwards). Just a simple NPN common emitter amplifier with high enough value capacitors to barely cut frequencies. Plays really nicely with older fuzz pedals like this and is easy to build on a scrap of vero.

 Swap the last resistor for a pot and play around with the values for unity gain at noon or wherever you want it. 50K usually works for me.


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