Shin-ei Clone

[fungalattack]

I want to do a little project of my own and I want to know if anyone can recommend a good starter project/kit of a shin-ei fy2 fuzzzzzz kit. I have no experience in building pedals but i want to learn and I am willing to spend the money on a kit with everything I need even though I know buying the components separately will be cheaper. I am enticed by this kit - http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/projects/73-fuzz-tones/89-shin-ei-companion-fuzz

Anyone have any experience with the shin-ei circuit and could you point me in the direction of a good/exact replica for the Jesus and mary chain toooooooaaaaaannnnn city. All the help would be appreciated. Keep it fuzzy yaaaaaalllllllll!!

[soldersqueeze]

Not built that particular fuzz before, but you'll not go far wrong with that kit if you're a beginner. You're right to buy a kit- sourcing parts and drilling enclosures are the only two steps in pedal building I loathe! Also with GGG stuff you get good quality documentation to see you through.
If you've never done any electronics before, buy some veroboard and a bag of random resistors and keep soldering until you feel comfortable and confident. It can be a bit nerve wracking experience otherwise.

[skullservant]

GGG FY2 board RULES. It's easy to populate, and if you socket the transistors ENDLESS TOANZ

[fungalattack]

Thanks for the reassurance dudes. I just went out and got a perfboard and a bunch of resistors to practice my soldering skills so the pedal I build will be clean. What do mean by socket the transistors?

[skullservant]

Mammoth sells sockets that you can break apart to be the length you need and it just is soldered in place instead of the transistors. They have plastic guards around them and connect directly to the PCB or vero so you can switch out the transistors whenever you want!

[fungalattack]

That sounds very interesting and I'll order some when I order the kit. Is this what you are referring to? So are the tooooaaannzz in the transistors? Thanks again Skully doooood for helping me out. I know I can google it but it is nice to hear it from a cool dude!

[greyscales]

More than anything it's a good idea to socket them so that you 1.) don't fry them when you solder them in, 2.) don't have them the wrong way, and 3.) can experiment if you want to.

[skullservant]

Aw shucks. Just helping dudes out! I love that everyone is starting to DIY. It's just the best way to get exactly what you want, and its good to know your way around pedals if something breaks!

And yeah, Transistors have a LOT to do with that circuit. I tried about 4-5 different combos in Wes' before I sent it out to him. I finally settled on 3x2N3904 which are pretty common, but I definitely suggest buying a bunch of random NPN's of different gain values to try out!

[fungalattack]

I want A LOTTTT of gain for this bad boy! Oh I meant to ask if this is the socket you are referring to http://www.mammothelectronics.com/620-SIP36-36-Contact-SIP-Through-Hole-Connector-So-p/620-sip36.htm ?

Thanks for your help to Greyscales! It is much appreciated and I am excited. It feels good to create and do something new and exciting. I feel invigorated!

[skullservant]

Yep! And you'd just break 3 off at a time for the transistors. 3904 is really gainy and has a nice bottom end as well. Whooly, but not muddy. If I can get Wes to take a picture of the back side of his board, I've also got a gain mod you can try that turns it into a straight distortion pretty much as well

[fungalattack]

Hmm thanks ill keep that in mind but I pretty much got distortion covered with the elements. Thanks for all the info!

[skullservant]

No problem dude, good luck. If you've got any questions hit me up!

[benjuro]

I built that GGG kit, think it was the first thing I ever built!
Sounds about like you'd expect, although if I remember right one of the controls doesn't have a whole lot of effect on the sound....? I stayed with the stock values, and its a nice straightforward build.
Also an error on some of the PCB cap labels--print it out from the site and pay close attention to the layout, make sure everything lines up with the screenprinting.

[Gone Fission]

Usual consensus is that the JAMC sound is the FY-6 fuzz circuit, aka Univox Super Fuzz. The FY-2 Companion is Radiohead's Myxomatosis.

If you want FY-2, GGG's C5 is 3300 pF, where the original value is 3000 pF, which is a non-standard value these days. The guy at Wattson Classic Electronics recommends paralleling a 1000 and a 2000 to get the original sound.

[fungalattack]

I already have a superfuzz circuit in the super puzzle so I was looking for something a bit different. It doesn't have to be exactly JAMC toooaaanzzz but at least a wall of sheet metal fuzz ripping through the speakers. I picked up an old school soldering iron and a chest filled with old resistors and pots and assorted parts at a flea market. I am going to continue practicing my soldering and then get the GGG kit. Any others I should look at?

Is there any books or websites that you could recommend to me for getting a grasp on electricity and currents and pedlulz?