Which fuzz can be used as a clean boost?

[brand0nized]

Which DIY fuzz is good to be used as a clean boost that I can use to boost into my OD?

[midwayfair]

Sorry, but is this a serious question? Everything about a fuzz is designed to destroy your signal. They're not intended to be clean.

[GhostofJohnToad]

The only thing that comes to mind to me is the lunar module.  I built a vero of it an actually use it to goose my pharaoh muff a bit.  But it's certainly not a boost per se even though I believe a LB-1 is built in.

[Mike B.]

Yeah, what Jon said - fuzz is designed to completely change the sound wave. However, as GoJT suggested, there are some "fuzz-ish" overdrives like the Lunar Module that clean up better than most pure fuzzes. A couple other similar examples are the Colorsound OD (CherryBomb) or Red Llama (Snarkdoodle).

[brand0nized]

Sorry, but is this a serious question? Everything about a fuzz is designed to destroy your signal. They're not intended to be clean.

Ooh, sorry John. Maybe I can clarify a little. Is there a fuzz circuit where you can put in a switch to take out the clipping stage and it'll work like a boost? Is that possible?

[jkokura]

I was thinking that the Tubesound fuzz might work, because technically it doesn't use transistors, it uses that CD4049 to distort. However, I'm not sure it really has enough clean volume to work effectively as a boost.

Jacob

[midwayfair]

Sorry, but is this a serious question? Everything about a fuzz is designed to destroy your signal. They're not intended to be clean.

Ooh, sorry John. Maybe I can clarify a little. Is there a fuzz circuit where you can put in a switch to take out the clipping stage and it'll work like a boost? Is that possible?

It depends.

In most fuzzes, the 'clipping stage' is the transistors being overdriven by boosting your signal beyond the headroom of the circuit. In most cases, you'd simple have too many components that need to be changed.

The Screwdriver might be the best candidate for this. You could build it so that you only bypass the fuzz face stage with the on/off switch. Then you're left with a MOSFET booster, which is essentially what the first stage is. No idea what the relative volume levels are like, unfortunately.

Another possibility would be something like the companion, orpheum, etc. You could use Jacob's companion PCB for this ... Set up a bypass switch where you take the output from lug 1 of the fuzz/tone pot when you're in clean boost mode, and when you're in fuzz mode you reconnect lug 1 and take the output from the PCB output like normal.

Another good candidate would be the Big Muff. Each stage is actually a linear power boost, so you could nab the output between q2 and q3 and lift the diodes from q2, then you'd have a reasonably clean boost. This one needs a four pole switch or some other cleverness to work.

Some Fuzzes create distortion almost entirely with diodes, but the diodes also limit the signal and lifting them can vastly affect volume differences between the clean and dirty signals.

[jkokura]

In addition to what Jon said, there are two circuits that come to mind that do act the way you're asking about.

The Muff Fuzz is a two transistor fuzz, and if you play with the clipping diodes, you can get overdrive and even boost type sounds out of it. My friend Curtis (GermanCDN) showed me this.

The second is the Big muff, which is a four transistor fuzz. Playing with the second clipping stage can produce some very less than full on fuzz like sounds. The Scuba Muff/Muff Diver project taught me that.

You can get the Fuzzy Muff and Scuba Muf PCBs from jmkpcbs.com.

(Boy, sorry for sounding so much like a salesman. If they were available elsewhere, I'd point you there too)

Jacob

[Mike B.]

Or, there are a dozen or so clean boost circuits which are small enough to fit in the same enclosure with your fuzz of choice. Just put 'em on separate footswitches and you have your choice of clean boost, fuzz or both. Just sayin'

[pickdropper]

My fondness of the Screwdriver circuit is well known.  It can be dialed down quite a bit.  Not quite a clean boost, but better than most fuzzes.  As Jon suggested, switching out the fuzz face section would probably be even better.

[kothoma]

...technically it doesn't use transistors, it uses that CD4049...

What? That 4049 it full of transistors, just like about any IC ever designed. Just sayin'.

[jkokura]

What I meant by  'technically' was just that... The ICs do have transistor elements built in, but that they aren't being utilized in the same method more typical transistor fuzzes do.

Jacob

[kothoma]

What I meant by  'technically' was just that... The ICs do have transistor elements built in, but that they aren't being utilized in the same method more typical transistor fuzzes do.

Right, you don't see this inverting amplifier configuration in typical fuzzes.
(Only stumbled over your line... Of course I didn't assume you meant it literally.)

[Cortexturizer]

I use a fuzz as a warm clean boost all the time. It's probably cheating but I'm talking about the Fulltone 69 clone I have, with fuzz and bias to zero, and volume and contour to taste you can get an awesome clean boost. I love it, never turn it off.

[croquet hoop]

The only thing that comes to mind to me is the lunar module.  I built a vero of it an actually use it to goose my pharaoh muff a bit.  But it's certainly not a boost per se even though I believe a LB-1 is built in.

I've not tried to use mine as a boost, but from the man himself :

Settings suggestion (I've been curious how close I can get to Gilmour's Power Boost sounds)

For Shine On You Crazy Diamond clean-boost sounds, try this:
Vol: 3:30
Fuzz: 9:30
Body: 2:30
Brite: 3:00
Range: 9:00

source: http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showpost.php?p=9757918&postcount=60