Superfuzz Not That Fuzzy

[GeorgeFormanGrill]

Hi all:

Hoping to get some sage advice on a Superfuzz clone I'm trying to build. Taking a crack at the BYOC Leeds Fuzz (schematic attached). I've successfully breadboarded the circuit – I'm getting a signal, at least. The problem is that it's just not that fuzzy. I mean, when I turn the amp down and the guitar up I get a nice crackle, but when guitar and amp are both up to a nice, normal playing volume it is more like a boost, and nowhere near that evil fuzz I'm looking for.

Could this be an issue with the transistors? I couldn't find any of the trannies specified in the schematic. Over at the DIY Stompboxes forum, I read those are nothing special, and I could swap out for six 2N5088 transistors, which I did.

Could it also be diodes 1 and 2? I don't have germanium, so used a silicon replacement I read about, again, on DIY Stompboxes.

Thanks for the assist everybody.
George

[EBRAddict]

Are the pinouts on the 2n5088 reversed vs the transistors on the schematic? I haven't had my cup of coffee but they seem to be reversed.

The germanium diodes will have a lower forward voltage than silicon. Try a silicon BAT41 which has a lower forward voltage.