Posted by on 4/23/2024 to
Assembly Instructions
EZ Face the Fuzz Build Guide
Please note: All EZ kits are intended to be used with an EZ3PDT kit. If you are an experienced DIYer, you can use a different stomp switch circuit, but we do not offer support for circuits built without an EZ3PDT kit.
Thank you for purchasing the EZ Face the Fuzz! This is a great build for beginner DIYers. All the components are through hole, and there's no ground plane, which makes it much easier to build than your average circuit.
If you feel like you can handle it, please proceed! If not, get some help from a friend with experience or purchase a fully built pedal.
Please build according to the BOM, and not these instructions or the pictures alone. Some components may have changed since these were written, or we may not be able to get the exact components in the pictures.
Tools and supplies necessary for the build:
- Soldering iron (we recommend an iron with a base station and a fine tip)
- Solder
- Snips
- Flat head screwdriver
- Multimeter (for biasing)
DIODES & RESISTORS
Take time to carefully pre-bend the resistors and diode before placing them into the PCB. The diode is polarized and must be placed into the PCB by aligning the line on the diode with the line on the PCB silkscreen.
Once you place the components into the PCB, turn the project over (a piece of cardboard can help) and solder the components in place. You can now clip the excess leads.
CERAMIC CAPACITORS
Place the ceramic capacitors into the PCB (these are not polarized).
Turn the project over and solder in place. You can then clip the excess leads.
TRANSISTORS
Place the transistors into the PCB by aligning the flat side with the flat side on the PCB (if using other transistors check your data sheet for pin order). Turn the project over and solder in place.
You can then clip the excess leads.
TRIMMER RESISTOR
Place the trimmer resistor into the PCB, carefully turn over and solder in place.
ELECTROLYTIC CAPACITORS
Next, populate the electrolytic capacitors by lining up the longer lead (anode) with the '+' marking on the PCB. Solder in the small caps first, then do the large one.
Turn the project over and solder in place, then trim excess leads.
SCREW CLAMP HEADERS
Note: You can choose to omit the screw clamp headers if you want to just solder the jack,
switches, and potentiometers directly to the PCB. There are holes for strain relief for the wire.
You can now place the screw clamp headers into the PCB as shown above. Connect the headers together first, then insert them into the PCB.
Turn over to solder in place.
WIRING THE POTENTIOMETERS
Cut the wires to your desired length then strip and tin both ends with solder. Ten feet of wire is provided with the kit, which is enough to make each section 5 inches long.
You can now carefully solder wire to the pins on the pots as shown above. Do not solder to the holes beside the pins.
CONNECTING WIRES TO THE PCB
Connect the potentiometer wires to the appropriate screw clamp header as indicated in the BOM. Pin 1 and Pin 3 can be swapped if you want the pot to work CW or CCW. The middle wire should always be pin 2.
Next connect your EZ3PDT build to the EZ Face the Fuzz project
Biasing
This is the typical method of biasing, but feel free to adjust the trimmer to taste.
Set your multimeter to read DC Voltage. Power the circuit on.
Touch the black lead to the metal screw top of the header labelled GND. Touch the red lead to TP1.
Record the voltage and calculate half the value. For example, if the voltage is 8.8V, half the value would be 4.4V.
Keeping the black lead on GND, touch the red lead to TP2 and turn the trimmer (TR1) till the voltage equals half of TP1 (within 0.1V).