Hey
So I've been building a germanium fuzz face, and it sounds really good, but only with the volume pot maxed (it's a A500k). If it's not, it gets dark very soon. It already has a bass, contour and input control.
I just found that a treble bleed cap (2.2nf) between lugs 2&3 works well to keep some treble even with the volume pot turned down.
Here's the schematic I found :
(http://fuzzcentral.ssguitar.com/schematics/classicfuzzschem.gif)
I thought maybe someone would be interested. :)
Thanks. I noticed my recent Fuzz Face build sounds somewhat dark, especially when the guitar is plugged directly in. I'll have to give this a try.
*Update - Ok, I gave this a shot, and yes, it does work. But it's too much! This takes the Fuzz Face out of the fuzz realm and more into high-gain distortion on par with a Big Muff. There is a definite treble boost, but also a boost in output overall, which is great if you want that. I tried a few different values in there and found that 470pf (much smaller) tends to sound better to my ears. It maintains the overall character of the Fuzz Face sound, while adding just a little more highs.
You can also put a resistor in series with the capacitor to "tame" it a bit
IIRC Eric Johnsons fuzz face uses a lower value vol pot to brighten up the pedal .
Sorry, I actually didn't use it with the Fuzz Face I built... didn't feel the use for it in the end... But glad it was useful! :)
I use a simpler solution. I prefer 100kA in my tone benders and 250kA in germ fuzz faces. It lets the guitar out and increases output without changing the character of the effect.