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Thread: Jim Dunlop JD-F2 Germanium to Silicon BC108C transistor conversion.

  1. #1
    GAStronomist DrNomis_44's Avatar
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    Jim Dunlop JD-F2 Germanium to Silicon BC108C transistor conversion.

    Hey Everyone,


    Recently, my red Jim Dunlop JD-F2 Fuzz Face died and stopped working while I was in the process of doing some re-organizing of my pedal board so I could add my Boss MT-2 Metalzone pedal, well, my red Fuzz Face pedal actually didn't just suddenly stop working, it started oscillating and then stopped working, so seeing as I had been looking for a good excuse to convert it over to silicon BC108C transistors from the stock NTE 158 Germanium ones, I decided to go ahead and remove the stock circuit board and replace it with one that happened to have two BC108C silicon transistors soldered onto it.


    It's a well-known fact that Germanium transistors are temperature-sensitive, and, while the stock JD-F2 circuit board does incorporate a board-mounted thermistor as a way of mitigating any temperature effects, I decided to just cut-to-the-chase and do the conversion to silicon transistors since they are far-less temperature sensitive.


    The replacement Fuzz Face circuit board I used was one that came as part of a kit of parts I had ordered from a company in England, called Pigeon FX....if my memory serves me right.


    I'll post a pic of the insides of my red Jim Dunlop JD-F2 Fuzz Face, which I took after the conversion had been done, and I'll also post a link to a demo I uploaded to my soundcloud account, so you can hear what it sounds like.


    Here we go:


    Insides of the red JD-F2 Fuzz Face after the conversion to BC108C silicon transistors.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    And a close-up pic of the replacement circuit board.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    The two silver things with three legs are the two BC108C silicon transistors.


    And here's a link to the demo I uploaded to my soundcloud account:

    https://soundcloud.com/drnomis_44/re...DJu00W1fAYuF_4


    Here's a link to the Pigeon FX website if you're interested in ordering some circuit board kits from them:

    https://pigeonfx.com/


    Note that the circuit board kit pricing is in English pounds, so you might need to open an account with paypal.
    Last edited by DrNomis_44; 11-02-2019 at 02:05 PM.

  2. #2
    GAStronomist DrNomis_44's Avatar
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    So today I decided to order some new caps for my red Fuzz Face pedal from Evatco, one leg of the original 10nF output cap literally fell off it as I was doing some troubleshooting of the pedal to figure out why it sounded real blatty when first switched-on, after a while the sound would gradually become more like what it was supposed to sound like, I thought that maybe one of the solder joints might be dry and need re-doing, so I went through all of the solder joints and re-worked them, when I got to the solder joints for the 10nF output cap, I used some solder wick to remove the old solder so I could put new solder on, and as I was in the process of removing the 10nF cap one of the solder legs literally fell off, I didn't have any spare 10nF caps so I used a 47nF/630V greencap as a temporary replacement to get the pedal going again, that got rid of the initial blatty-ness.

    I ordered the following caps from Evatco:

    X1 .01uF/630V Metalized RT.

    X1 2.2uF/100V Electrolytic RT.

    X1 20uF/50V Electrolytic RT.


    I went with express postage so the new caps should arrive by maybe next week at the latest.


    If you look at the close-up pic of the circuit board in my previous post, the output cap is the one closest to the two mounting screws for the circuit board.
    Last edited by DrNomis_44; 26-03-2019 at 01:54 PM.

  3. #3
    GAStronomist DrNomis_44's Avatar
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    Woohoo!!!!......the new caps for the Fuzz Face just turned up in the post today, so I'll be installing them on the circuit board tomorrow.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by DrNomis_44; 29-03-2019 at 04:44 PM.

  4. #4
    GAStronomist DrNomis_44's Avatar
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    New caps installed on the replacement circuit board:

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Gave it a test out and it's all working as it's supposed to, so I'm calling it job done.

  5. #5
    Mentor Marcel's Avatar
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    I've always been amazed how influential a tiny two transistor circuit has been to the industry...

    Not eggzachery the same but for me it's a Big Muff that does the job .... or my RAT ...

  6. #6
    GAStronomist DrNomis_44's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Marcel View Post
    I've always been amazed how influential a tiny two transistor circuit has been to the industry...

    Not eggzachery the same but for me it's a Big Muff that does the job .... or my RAT ...

    Both the Big Muff and the Rat are just as famous and popular as the Fuzz Face is, I happen to have a Big Muff pedal that I made myself, it uses the 4-transistor Triangle circuit rather than the later one that uses an Op-Amp IC, I used to own both a Rat and a Turbo Rat before I moved to Darwin, missing them, one day I might see if I can build a couple of Rat pedals.

  7. #7
    Mentor Marcel's Avatar
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    Mine is a RAT2 which I bought in Brisbane only a few months ago and for my needs & purposes is just as good as the original or any variation. It sits beside my TS9 and my kit Klon clone and 5 other pedals (2 dly, tune, gate & phasor) on my current pedal board. Sadly as my power supply has only 8 outlets this means my reissue original spec Big Muff sits for the moment idle, though I'm not too fussed as there is plenty to "play" with as it is...

  8. #8
    As I read I'm wondering what I ever did with my original Russian big muff pedal from the 90's. Couldn't miss it, it was such a big green tank! Such a cool sound.

  9. #9
    GAStronomist DrNomis_44's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bakersdozen View Post
    As I read I'm wondering what I ever did with my original Russian big muff pedal from the 90's. Couldn't miss it, it was such a big green tank! Such a cool sound.

    If it was a vintage one, it would have been worth a bit.


    Pedals currently on my pedal board are my red Fuzz Face, Ibanez TS-9 (re-issue), Boss BD 2 Blues Driver, Boss MT 2 Metal Zone, Jimi Hendrix Wah, Boss CH 1 Super Chorus, home made Univibe w/ext speed control pedal, and Boss RE 20 Space Echo, power is via an MXR power brick.
    Last edited by DrNomis_44; 30-03-2019 at 08:26 PM.

  10. #10
    GAStronomist FrankenWashie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bakersdozen View Post
    As I read I'm wondering what I ever did with my original Russian big muff pedal from the 90's. Couldn't miss it, it was such a big green tank! Such a cool sound.
    I had one of those, olive drab, big assed knobs and heavy and dirty as all get out. Loved that thing.
    FrankenLab
    Hand crafting guitars, because Death Rays are expensive.


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