While the X Fuzz by Deadastronautfx is a relatively small circuit with a low part count don’t let that fool you, it packs quite a punch and makes a perfect candidate for a first up vero (stripboard) build.
For this build I used the layout from the Tagboard Effects site that you can find here. The original thread from where the X Fuzz was born can still be found on the DIY Stomp Boxes forum.
The first time I tried this one I didn’t necessarily have the prettiest of components. In my case the capacitors I had on hand were on the large side. The result was that things became quite cramped.
Make sure to socket the transistors and the onboard LEDs so you can experiment.
Finally hook up the potentiometers and any additional leads required (in this case power and ground). You’ll want to refer back to the layout to see what needs to be hooked up where.
In this case the board was hooked up to lugs 1, 2 and 3 of the pre-gain potentiometer, with lug 1 of the pre-gain pot hooked up to lug 1 of the volume pot. Lug 3 of the volume pot was also hooked up to the book. In this example, the ‘input’ lead is attached to pre-gain 3 and the ‘output’ lead is attached to lug 2 of the volume pot. For a quick and easy run down of potentiometers and their lug number check out Understanding Potentiometers in Guitar Effects.
Experimenting with LEDs
In the original thread on the DIY Stomp Boxes forum there was quite a bit of discussion around the tone differences you’ll get with different LEDs for clipping. I believe the recommendation from Deadastronautfx was to run with Yellow LEDs. I’d really suggest taking a ‘socket and see’ approach with the LEDs.
When I first put this together though I didn’t haven’t any Yellow on hand so I had to use Red. Comparing to some of the audio samples I’ve heard online, the Red LEDs give a more classic style distortion in my opinion. I’m interested in trying out some Orange LEDs to see how they sound as well. If you’re building this one yourself, it may be worth adding a switch to swap between two different types of LEDs so you could switch between Yellow and Red for example.
Conclusion
I haven’t got around to boxing this one but in the future I’ll try and record some sound clips and post them here. The X Fuzz is a quick and easy build and a fun one to play around with swapping in different parts.