For the newest Axis Face I was thinking about forgoing the low gain Silicon transistors that I've been using and sticking in some higher gain BC109 and BC109C transistors. In all reality, the lower gain Silicon transistors do sound very good, but they lack the fuzz intensity that even the Germanium transistors have. They seem to have more of an overdrive sound quality.
Would you guys like to see the new Axis Face Silicon with higher gain transistors like the BC109?
cool!! it sounds good, but i'm not too sure what the effect will be on the end product,
(can you tell that i'm a newb at this stuff? )
also off topic i know, but do you like have one pedal that you just keep changing little things on trying to get it to sound different? or do you make fresh ones each time?
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quote: Originally posted by: BonoVox "so basically...it would sound fuzzier? cool!! it sounds good, but i'm not too sure what the effect will be on the end product, (can you tell that i'm a newb at this stuff? ) also off topic i know, but do you like have one pedal that you just keep changing little things on trying to get it to sound different? or do you make fresh ones each time?" Usually I just make a new circuit board for the newest version and build it in the shell of the previous version. All the Axis Faces have been built in the same shell that the previous version was in...big time and money saver!
The BC109 transistors would definitely make it more fuzzier! I'd also be trying out some Silicon transistors that have gains in between that of the low gain and BC109s. I've had a lot of good luck with the BC109, though.
The Axis Face is going to be my second build after the Rangemaster. I'm waiting on parts now. I have a lot of tube stuff here from when I was fix'n and modding amps but no real solid state stuff... I was hoping that your axis was a little less fuzzier... Kinda looking for the big note tone.. I've heard a few samples of others on the web and most are over the top. Almost as bad as my Dunlop JH fuzz. From your discription it seems that it is less fuzzy. I'll have to let you all know how it works out but I really don't anticipate it done till after the new year...
Yep, I would like to see the BC 109- based Axis Face. High-gain trannies keep the feeling on the top, besides, my Ax Face with BD 139 and so on never worked, all my fuzzes with trannies gain over 250, they' ve always worked... So, luck for the planning and buildin for the new Axis!!
quote: Originally posted by: Matlock "Yep, I would like to see the BC 109- based Axis Face. High-gain trannies keep the feeling on the top, besides, my Ax Face with BD 139 and so on never worked, all my fuzzes with trannies gain over 250, they' ve always worked... So, luck for the planning and buildin for the new Axis!!"
You should double check your pinout, wiring, and biasing on the FF with BD139. Simply biasing by adjusting Q2's collector resistor until you hit 1/2 ps doesn't always work, depending on the transistors. Q1's emitter should be 0v's of course, but Q1's base and collector are also important, both alone, and in their relationship to Q2. Sometimes, you have to bias by adjusting both Q1 & Q2, sometimes by Q1 alone. Dunlop even used the ultra high gain MPSA18's in their fuzz's before. Anything from the 2n2369's to the 18's will work. Not that they will all sound spectacular, or even good.
For low gain transistors, I've had good results with 2N2369's for Q1 & 2N4000's (not 4001) for Q2. For higher gains, BC108's always sound good, as do the BC109's. The standard pf cap trick works good, but don't over do it. Some people want their Si's to sound like Ge's. I like my Si FF's to sound like the best examples of the original Dallas Si Fuzz's. Sharper, with more biting treble, but still musical, and will still clean up the guitar volume. Once again, there are three basic ways to bias. Try them all and go with which method works best with the particular gain of your trannys. Actually, there is a fourth method, which is Joe Davisson's Fuzz Face calculator. I tested it, and it's slightly off for Ge's, but very good for Si's. Good for people who don't like biasing. The best part about it is it also minds the Q1 voltages very well also.
Thank' s man. I suppose my trannies must be quite crap, cause I' ve biased both collectors and they still don't work. But hey, the trannies, that I use are from the late 70' s to mid 80' s, like all my sili trannies, but the rest, they always work.
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less fuzzy. I'll have to let you all know how it works out but I really don't anticipate it done till after the new year... 
