Fuzz- I kinda don't get it. Your input appreciated.

[Jabulani Jonny]

Getting synth sounds, tight gated square stuff... all those noise that only those type of circuit can give, putting a FuzzFactory in front of an high gain amp to get a uber dirty harmonizer effect that sounds like Transformers having hardcore sex... it's AMAZING!

I'm thinking this needs a demo.   

In fact, what if someone who happens to have a wide variety of the DIY variety of fuzzes does a quick and dirty demo on the different flavors.  I know there gobs of fuzz demos on Youtube, but it would be awesome to flip through about 5 or 6 and hear the different varieties.  Just a thought.

And thanks again for the great discussion on this.  It has definitely sparked my interest in building a few different variants and see what happens.  I'm thinking I should do a Cosmopolitan (screwdriver), a Woolly Mammoth, Tonebender MKII, and ...

[lincolnic]

I'd also recommend a Harmonic Percolator - but to stock specs, not Albini specs. It's probably the pedal I had the most fun playing through out of the builds I did last year. It's also a super simple build, so there isn't a huge time investment if you turn out not to like it.

[alanp]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbppuFbaQi8

The rhythm is fuzzilicious, and the lead on this is more overdrive. Skip to about 1:00 if the intro is too slow.

[mattlee0037]

My favorite fuzz box is the EHX Micro Synth (big enclosure). Talk about a pedal with an array of different sounds and textures. I like that you can blend your clean signal with the square wave, as well as add high AND low octaves. Its like getting several fuzz pedals in one, very versatile. When it's set right, the "synth" section can be used like an EQ to add presence and attack without going into the whooshy spaceship sounds most people have heard in the youtube demos. And unlike the Big Muff, it can cut through the mix very well.

Why did I go from never having heard of this pedal before to NEEDING one. Quite possibly one of the coolest pedals ever. I want one so bad....

[Willybomb]

I'm pretty much in the same boat as the OP.  I don't get these guys with 24 flavors of Big Muffs or 1-knob jobs.

Having said that, I built a Sprout that I eventual gave to my brother that used generic PN100 transistors.  It was ok, but didn't do much for me.  When I ran the pedal workshop for the kids I put bc548 and bc549 in the sprouts, and THAT was pretty cool.  I still think it's a bit one-dimensional, but it's awesome for what it does...

I'm about to build a hipster.  Any tranny suggestions (I'm going to put a beforementoned BCs in there).