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Thursday, 4 May 2017

Diaz Texas Square Fuzz

Another day another fuzz. While we have a lot of fuzzface layouts on the site, you can never have too many fuzzface. There seems to be a bunch of different versions, at least a lot of different colors of them. I don't remember where I found this schematic, but it's a pretty good sounding fuzzface, IMHO, that's supposed to sound like SRV's tone.

A description of one of the sellers of the pedal:

The Texas Square face was originally designed as a replacement for Stevie Ray Vaughn's fuzz faces, which were always dying. Cesar built his circuit into one of SRVs dead fuzz face boxes and Stevie used it until his unfortunate death.

The square face is NPN not PNP..it comes with two germaniums but it has transistor sockets and two silicons are included for more gain. They can also be combined, for different tones. Changing positions will also help!! You can really hear it on the SRV album "IN STEP"





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62 comments:

  1. Dexter4 May 2017 at 22:38

    Thanks Zach.

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  2. Joe P.5 May 2017 at 00:38

    Is it me or is volume 3 not touching anything?

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    1. Zach5 May 2017 at 02:58

      oop. i was moving a whole bunch of stuff around and forgot to move the wire. layout's been fixed and updated.

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  3. Dexter5 May 2017 at 00:50

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  4. Anonymous5 May 2017 at 09:52

    Well it works! Used some MP38s at first, both hfe 68. Sounded quite good, but perhaps a little dark. The some 2N1308s (I think!) with hfes around the 130 mark. Better, brighter but not too bright. One of the better FFs I have managed to build. :-)

    BTW it's 8x10, not 9x10. And I made mine 8x9 anyway. Fits easily into a 1590A. Thanks so much for the layout! Sounds great with my Strat.

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  5. Claudio5 May 2017 at 16:34

    The availabe option I got around here for NTE103 is AC187, I will give it a try since I have the NPN fuzz face version with germanium, and it's the most amazing F@kin' fuzz I ever built, (and there's not enough fuzzes for man!)

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  6. Unknown5 May 2017 at 18:02

    In the description it mentions silicon transistors as an option. Any idea which ones they used?

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    1. Zach5 May 2017 at 18:58

      i'm not sure of the ones used in the Si version, but you can sub in any NPN Si transistor.

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    2. 903 Effects10 October 2018 at 20:28

      It took some searching, but I found out they use the NTE123A as the silicon option... be sure to bias your transistors properly by adjusting the 33k and 8.2k resistors.

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  7. Nicholas5 May 2017 at 18:12

    haha, doesn't get any more "fuzz face" than this one, it's all the exact parts except the one resistor between both collector resistors

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    1. Zach5 May 2017 at 18:57

      that makes a huge difference actually. it affects the output level and bias of Q2.

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    2. Nicholas5 May 2017 at 19:05

      yes, i know. it's just funny that it's "based on a fuzz face" but it's just a one-part difference.

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    3. Zach5 May 2017 at 19:47

      well, if you really sit down and think about it, 99% of the pedals out there really are just a few tweaked designs, ie 1 or more values changed or different transistor/ic. prime example is the venerable electra distortion. lovetone has made a mint on selling what is essentially the electra distortion with a few changes. or how many OD's that are basically tubescreamers, which is why so many reverse engineered pedals are simply YATS (yet another tubescreamer).

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    4. Nicholas5 May 2017 at 21:17

      i know...

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  8. Nicholas5 May 2017 at 19:05

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  9. Juan Manuel6 May 2017 at 16:42

    One of the best Fuzz Face I hear, sounds a lot like Eric Johnson.

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  10. Unknown8 May 2017 at 04:57

    Where is everyone buying NTE103s? I found them in a couple of places for US$10 each. That's pricy not knowing what hFE you're getting; certainly too costly to buy a batch and test. It would be cheaper to just buy the original pedal...

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    1. Zach8 May 2017 at 05:40

      You don't have to use NTE103 transistors. You can use any NPN Germanium transistors. Building pedals isn't always about it being cheaper then buying the real thing.

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    2. Unknown8 May 2017 at 06:10

      Thanks Zach.

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  11. Highsmith9 May 2017 at 01:49

    Hi, this sounds great with MP38s at 57 and 65 hfe

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  12. Moda14 May 2017 at 08:35

    BC109,s for me. Bit of doomy fun!

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  13. Moda14 May 2017 at 09:15

    And with a 550c and 2n3904 it turns into a mellow overdrive

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  14. Anonymous14 May 2017 at 16:03

    I hate to be a smart alec but that top cut doesn't need to be there.

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  15. Moda15 May 2017 at 09:34

    Correct i noticed that as well.

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  16. Anonymous15 May 2017 at 13:29

    I tried your suggestion Moda and it sounded pretty good. Right now i have a pair of BC550Cs in one and it sounds really good too. I don't know why, but this FF circuit has worked out better for me than most others I have built.

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  17. Moda20 May 2017 at 03:48

    Hi Hamish. Whacked some 550,s in. Not bad. They tighten it up a bit to my ears.

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  18. Unknown22 May 2017 at 10:47

    I've just built this and it sounds great with a BC107 and BC108 but when I roll the guitar volume completely off I get an awful ticking/humming noise. Does anyone know what this is and how to cure it?
    I play a lot on the guitar volume so don't want to have to keep turning the pedal on and off when playing live.

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    1. mirosol22 May 2017 at 10:57

      Sounds like DC ripple/hum. You should add 100µ or 220µ + 100p caps from supply rail to ground to act as power filtering. Or you could power it with a battery or a well regulated power supply.
      +m

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    2. Unknown22 May 2017 at 12:04

      Thanks Miro. I had a feeling it was something like that. I will give it a try when I get home.
      Also got an OCD clone that I've just built and all of a sudden it has lost volume. Unity used to be around 9oclock and now it is around 2oclock. Could this be a dodgy pot or cap?

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    3. mirosol22 May 2017 at 12:37

      No idea about that. Solder blob moved inside the enclosure? Could be number of reasons...
      +m

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  19. Craig19 July 2017 at 22:10

    Built this with 2-BC550c transistors and it sounds phenomenal.

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  20. Unknown3 March 2019 at 01:50

    Does unplugging the guitar from the input turn the power off on this build? In order to preserve battery?

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  21. Silva23 January 2020 at 07:49

    This is my first non-kit build. I need help. I build this as is except for a trimpot in place of the 33k resistor and a B10k pot in place of the 8.2k resistor. I also used the offboard wiring scheme. I can bias Q1 with the trimpot no problem, but I cannot get a reading from the emitter of Q2. The collector and base both read just under the voltage of Q1 emitter's reading. I have checked and double checked and I cannot figure out what it wrong. Please help

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    1. Silva23 January 2020 at 07:50

      I have also swapped out for a different Q2 transistor and same problem

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    2. Silva23 January 2020 at 21:23

      Never mind. I figured out the problem. The third, un-needed leg of the trimpot was making contact. Now that it is tucked out of the way, the board works fine. Everything is biased and sounding great!

      Also, I should probably wait until morning before posting something. Rereading this, I confused Q1 and Q2 and collector with emitter. Maybe I shouldn't try and think after many frustrated hours of staring at a circuit. Sleep first, post later.

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  22. Kamfi27 January 2020 at 09:13

    Any layout whhich comapring to Cesar Diaz Texas Ranger?

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    1. Sidney27 January 2020 at 15:56

      I want to know too, really interested in the texas ranger

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    2. Silva30 January 2020 at 09:23

      The Texas Ranger is based on a Rangemaster circuit with an extra knob that lets you select from three EQ settings: High, Middle, and Low. The Keeley Java Boost is really similar in that it has a switch to choose between High, Middle, and Low and it also has a tone knob. The Catalinbread Naga Viper replaces the switch with a knob for more eq choices and instead of a tone knob it has a gain knob. I have a Naga Viper clone and I really like it because I can fine tune the EQ to add or remove bass, control the level of boost, and also add a nice dirty distortion. There are layouts for both the Java Boost and the Naga Viper on this site. Maybe listen to clips on YouTube and for both to see which one best fits your needs. I have never built a Jave Boost but the Naga Viper is a pretty easy build.

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    3. Rama Satria24 February 2020 at 02:14

      Diaz Texas Ranger schematic and layout:

      https://www.tdpri.com/threads/diaz-texas-ranger-schematic.1006122/#post-9618417

      Delete
  23. Kamfi29 January 2020 at 22:47

    any layout to share which would be compared to texas ranger ?

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  24. Aaron487 May 2020 at 12:59

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  25. Irimia19 August 2020 at 11:27

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  26. Sabzor9 September 2020 at 19:32

    Could this circuit be built on to a standard arbiter circuit board or is there a difference in the routing?

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  27. Unknown6 April 2021 at 12:56

    So, I'm a super noob and wanting to build this. What exactly does the "Cut" mean in the breadboard, denoted by the larger red circles? sorry for the silly question.

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    1. IvIark6 April 2021 at 13:00

      The stripboard is made up of numerous parallel rows of copper which go to make up the circuit. Where you see the red mark in the copper, you need to cut the copper at that location to isolate the track. The easiest way to do it is to use something like a 3mm drill bit and turning it on the copper until it cuts it all away

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    2. IvIark6 April 2021 at 13:01

      Bear in mind that when you look at the layout you are looking at what is the front of the board. The copper is on the back and so the board will need turning over to cut the copper. You'll have to be careful to make sure your cuts are in the correct location

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    3. Unknown6 April 2021 at 14:39

      Oh okay! That makes total sense. Thank you so much! :)

      Delete
  28. Unknown3 May 2021 at 23:57

    Any suggestions am I possibly doing wrong if every time I power the pedal on it blows the LED? It's sounds good, not much noise until I max out the volume, and then it gets really noisy, like current hum. Any help would be amazing!

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  29. Ivan Delgado13 November 2021 at 18:17

    For PNP I just need to reverse the caps and change the 9v with ground?

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  30. Pete18 December 2021 at 15:42

    What voltages should I be getting on this one ?

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  31. Pete18 December 2021 at 17:26

    Have to say on lower HFE Germaniums this sounds so good

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  32. fuss buzz2 March 2022 at 12:49

    How to tame super loud volume output from this fuzz?

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  33. Josh1 May 2022 at 23:03

    Pretty new guy here...having trouble figuring out which way the caps go as it doesn't seem to indicate on the schematic like some of the other ones I've done.

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    1. Silva4 May 2022 at 02:09

      it's hard to see but the grey part at the top of each cap is the negative side. So negative facing up for both caps

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    2. Silva4 May 2022 at 02:10

      it's hard to see but the grey at the top of each cap in the pic is negative. So negative facing up for both caps

      Delete
  34. rere24 September 2022 at 05:47

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  35. rere24 September 2022 at 05:47

    im a very very beginner :( , where is a output pcb? its a ground?
    thanks 🙏

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  36. YusufKarsli3 May 2023 at 19:09

    hi thanks for schematic. can anyone draw point to point schematic with foothswitch and pots wiring? please guys :(

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    1. Silva4 May 2023 at 00:32

      this is just a NPN Silicon Fuzz Face with one resistor value difference. Find any point-to-point schematic for SI Fuzz Face and use that

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    2. Silva4 May 2023 at 00:33

      This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
  37. Yobakolobok5 May 2024 at 16:06

    This board is so compact it fits inside the strat's wiring cavity. Goodbye, extra tone pot. Had to shuffle two parts around to fit КТ315Б, beta values 120 and 190 worked best - lower q1 for cleaner sound on low gain and higher q2.

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