Exploder Fuzz

At last - a Fuzz Face-style fuzz that'll fuzz nicely without fuss.

A buffer up front and a transformer to simulate a pickup means this circuit isn't concerned about where it is in the chain. It just churns out the filth.

No Fuzz control on this one. It's all out all of the time. The original does away with the Volume control too, with that being set by an internal trimmer. You can do the same, but we're offering it up as an option in case the thought of that makes you shudder. Tweaking the big fat Bias control does what you think - it alters the bias of the circuit (with the baseline being set with another internal trimmer). Of course that means you're going to get a variation in output as you'd expect. So, it's up to you... keep it simple and sexy or play it safe and control your volume with a knob.

There are some expensive, hard to source transistors in the orignal. We've tried them. They sound good. Good enough to kick the price of the kit up to the next level? We think not. We're supplying this with 2N2222 cans which sound just as good.

The kit is supplied with vertical-mount pots which have round shafts, so you'll need set-screw fitting knobs.

If you want the PCB without parts there's a link for that at the bottom of the page.

Partial kit: PCB, all board-mounted components, pots.

Full kit: As above, plus footswitch and appropriate daughterboard/components for your selected bypass type (see Downloads section for details of those), jack sockets, DC socket, battery snap, hook-up wire, LED.

Enclosure (pre-drilled) is available as an option with full kits, and will not take a battery. Knob(s) are not included.

Builds are only available with full kits including enclosures. Please choose appropriate knobs.

Inspired by: Erupter

Difficulty: Medium

PCB size: 50 x 34mm

Knobs required: 1

Enclosure: 1590B

Direct Connect compatible (4 way)

If you want the kit pre-built you must add the enclosure option below and select your knobs in the Components section. Check Specials for powder-coated enclosure availability.

Download the INSTRUCTION PDF