Build Your Own Clone Message Board

Hey guys,
Just finished this layout after quite a few hours of struggling with it, and I think it's good... I realy NEED to have some other pairs of eyes looking at this and giving their opinions. I checked many times but you know how it goes... It's also the biggest layout I'd ever done so it was very confusing and definitley not an easy job.
It's made using the schematic below which is actually the same as the BYOC Leeds Fuzz (changes I made by comparing the schematic I had with the Leeds Fuzz schematic from the pdf manual).
So here goes:
Schematic:

Fixed layout: (notice 2 cut traces under R7 and 1 under C7)

Cuts only - reverse image:

BTW does anyone know if I can use 2N2222 Transistors with this? If so which hfe should I be looking for?

nothing...

I checked the board through and I must congratulate you on what is not an easy build on vero board. Apart from a few small changes, you have a working circuit.

First a couple of points that don't affect the circuit.

The size of the board - at 35 x 16 holes, that works out to about 91.5mm by 43mm (about 3.6 x 1.7 inches). The first thing I do before the vero board design is to work out where the off-board components (pots, jacks, switches, batteries, LEDs etc) are going to be placed so that I calculate the maximum size of the board. It can be extremely annoying to have done the layout and built the board only to find that it won't fit in the enclosure with the off-board components.

Track cutting. It's good that you stated there are 25 cuts. I can only see 23 (perhaps I'm going blind in my old age). If you have cuts that are hidden by componets, it is a good idea to make a list of them so that people don't miss them when cutting. Another idea for boards of this size and complexity is to make a reverse side (mirror image) of the board showing just the cuts. I find this helps a lot when cutting. To make a mirror image:

Save your work
Mark all of the components on the board by clicking on any component in the right hand window and then press "Ctrl" and "a"
Hold the "Ctrl" button down and click on [Cut Track]. This should deselect the cut tracks.
Right click with the mouse and select "Delete". This should remove all of the components except for the cut tracks.
Render the image and name it something like "Fuzz Bottom.jpg".
In the left hand window click on "Undo". This should restore all of the components to the board.
Save your work.

If you haven't got a picture editing program such as Photoshop, you can use the freeware program IrfanView to flip the picture horizontally:

Open the image with IrfanView and press "V" - this will flip the image.
Save the file.

Things to change on the board:

I can't see if the track is cut at g10 and i12. If not, then you have the jucnction of Q1 emitter and R5 connected to the collector of Q3 and also the junction of C1 and R1 connected to the emitter of Q3. These need correction.

The positive side of C6 capacitor should be connected to the base of Q3 and the negative side to lug 2 of the Expander pot.

The positive side of C14 capacitor should be connected to the base of Q6 and the negative side to lug 2 of the Balance pot.

Swap the labeling for EXP-3 and EXP-1, the circuit still works but you've got the pot connections reversed.

Move the b34- g34 jumper to b35-g35 and the a35 - o35 jumper to a34- 034 (swap the jumpers around) this will make soldering the wires for the Tone Switch easier.

Once again, not an easy build - so well done.

Wow, thanks a lot tonnman, I'll look it over this evening and make the changes.
I thought about the size of the board and I should really check if it fits a 1590BB with all offboard components.

Corrected.

.

I checked and these 2 caps are oriented the same as in the BYOC schematic. Are you sure they need to be reversed?



This always confuses me... Does the pot symbol in DIYLC show the back or front of the pot? and which is 1 and which is 3? I never get it.



Yeah that's definitley right! I made the change.

Thanks a lot again.

nothing...again...

Thanks and congrats on a job well done, Guy. Hurts my head a little to look at at, but I think I'll give it a go.

Thanks, but know that it's not verified YET!

I noticed you changed a few values...an 001 to 0022.....

That one is from the BYOC Leeds Fuzz Schematic, that and R32 and the trimmer.

One of those questions that pop up on the forum from time to time.
I think everybody knows that polarized electrolytic capacitors need to be orientated correctly so that the positive lead sits at a higher voltage than the negative lead. The first point to make is we are talking about the DC voltage (no signal applied to the input) of the circuit, which makes sense, as the DC voltage is always present when power is applied to the circuit.
If you look at the left hand side of C6, the amount of DC voltage there is....... none - C5 blocks Q2's emitter DC voltage. On the right hand side of C6 there's the bias voltage for Q3, somewhere around 3.5V.
The same applies to C14, no DC voltage on the left hand side (C10 blocks the DC voltage from the collectors of Q4 & Q5) while the right hand side of C14 is connected to the bias voltage (around the 1.2V mark) for Q6. So, which way round would you connect the capacitors ?



Sorry, I meant the labeling on the vero board. R32 goes to EXP-1 and C5 goes to EXP-3.

Thanks for the capacitor clarification, now I really understand the issue. I study electronics (2nd year) but have a hard time "connecting the dots" when it comes to these more complex circuits sometimes. But I should say that the BYOC schematic is wrong in these 2 cases as it shows the caps reversed!



Sorry, I meant the labeling on the vero board. R32 goes to EXP-1 and C5 goes to EXP-3.[/quote]

Ok, now I need to change it AGAIN........

Thanks a lot tonnman, you're a big help as always.

Edid: I made all the changes including caps reversing and reposted at the top of the page the fixed layout plus the reverse image of the cut traces.... Still not verified but it should work!

YEP, IT WORKS!!! great sound and all... Don't have time now, will write more later. Thanks to tonmann (as always) for the assistance.

edit: It sounds really good on both "tone" settings, very much to my taste. I don't have any germanium diodes so meanwhile it's 2 1n914's for the clipping, as mentioned it sounds great with those diodes, hopefully will get some 1n34a soon and will check them out.

The scooped mids mode is kinda bassy and a bit boomy at certain low notes. It really depends on the hfe of Q4-Q5 and the setting of the trimmer. best I could find is when the trimmer right in the middle (as BYOC recommends) and the hfe really low around 80 (it's the lowest I got).

Hope to box it up when I get the time, probably after my exams end in a month or so, it only fits in a big enclosure (1590BB I think?) so I might pair it with another circuit... not sure yet...

So good luck to anyone who builds this and don't forget to give props...

Hi,

Know this threads a few months old now but i've just put this layout to use and it sounds awesome!

Thanks very much to gshapzira for posting it (been looking everywhere for a workable superfuzz layout!)

Socketed the transistors and stuck in some 2N3904's. Used some 1N34A for the diodes too. Sounds gorgeous (and just the right amount of nasty as well!!)

Unfortunately i've gotta give it away to a friend but I'm gonna start my very own one pretty much as soon as i've finished this message.

Cheers again dude.


Stu

You're welcome Stu... Glad to see someone else using my layout, this is a great sounding pedal!
Do you find the scooped mode too bassy or is ok for you?

Yeah the scooped side sounds good to me. Plenty sizzle to it!

Having trouble with the trimmer after about halfway though. Starts to pick up a repetitive 'click' that speeds up the further past 12 o clock setting!

Any idea what it might be? Effects still perfectly usable, just not much octave to it!

no idea where that click is coming from... Mine sounds best with trimmer at halfway anyhow.