Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 19

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

  1. #1
    GAStronomist DrNomis_44's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Darwin,NT Australia
    Posts
    5,484

    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. 

Name:	Red Fuzz Face 1_resized.jpg 
Views:	739 
Size:	221.6 KB 
ID:	30029


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

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Red Fuzz Face 2_resized.jpg 
Views:	550 
Size:	162.9 KB 
ID:	30030


    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 01:05 PM.

  2. #2
    GAStronomist DrNomis_44's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Darwin,NT Australia
    Posts
    5,484
    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 12:54 PM.

  3. #3
    GAStronomist DrNomis_44's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Darwin,NT Australia
    Posts
    5,484
    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. 

Name:	New Fuzzface Caps_resized.jpg 
Views:	223 
Size:	169.0 KB 
ID:	30397
    Last edited by DrNomis_44; 29-03-2019 at 03:44 PM.

  4. #4
    GAStronomist DrNomis_44's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Darwin,NT Australia
    Posts
    5,484
    New caps installed on the replacement circuit board:

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	New Caps Installed_resized.jpg 
Views:	301 
Size:	238.4 KB 
ID:	30410


    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
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Bouldercombe Qld.
    Posts
    1,168
    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
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Darwin,NT Australia
    Posts
    5,484
    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
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Bouldercombe Qld.
    Posts
    1,168
    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
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Darwin,NT Australia
    Posts
    5,484
    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 07:26 PM.

  10. #10
    GAStronomist FrankenWashie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Glebe, NSW
    Posts
    5,666
    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.


Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •