Fulltone '69 Fuzz - Wow

[WinterSun]

So, I've had this pedal for years and had all but given up hope on it, even considered selling it. It stayed on my board cause I felt like I needed a fuzz available, but every time I'd hit it, it would sound weak and flabby, no matter what settings I used. I kept hearing about the awesome tones everyone was getting with their fuzzes, and thought I just didn't know how to use it. Then I started wondering if it was damaged or just a bad model, so I decided to do a little research on it to see what kind of results people were getting with different settings. That's when I discovered the internal trimpot! I had been inside plenty of times for battery swaps, but never noticed it! And of course it was almost turned completely clockwise.......which apparently means tone=suck.

I turned it completely counterclockwise and there it was. That thick, rich, creamy, punchy fuzz that everyone was talking about. I'm not sure how exactly the trimpot functions, but all I know is that the more I turn it clockwise, the worse the tone gets.

Thank God I have a usable fuzz now, I was so discouraged. Anyone out there know how exactly that trimpot functions?

[woude]

From the site:

"An Internal Trimmer allows for adjustment of Clipping Symmetry, Harmonics, and Tracking."

When I had my ' 69 I used it together with a Burkey Flatliner Pro, which let me adjust the voltage which was fed to the '69, from around 3 volts to around 9 volts. My experience was that this voltage adjustment had the exact same effect on the overal sound as the internal trimmer, so it wouldn't surprise me if that internal trimmer adjusts the voltage fed to the circuit. Or something like that.

With my '69, the factory set position of the trimmer was marked with a black line and I've read somewhere - maybe in the manual - that they test the pedal before shipping and set it at the best sounding position. I have to say that I liked the trimmer turned a bit more counterclockwise.

[Don A]

I'm not sure where mine's set but it sounds great!

[jb1911]

It balances the voltage going to the transistors. Put a meter on one leg of one of the transistors and set to around 4.5v as a starting point.

[WinterSun]

It balances the voltage going to the transistors. Put a meter on one leg of one of the transistors and set to around 4.5v as a starting point.

Thanks and happy birthday!

[SRVBlue]

The trimpot adjusts the voltage to the collector of the second transistor. 4.5V seems to be the overall "best" starting point but I just adjust it to taste.

[GuitarBrent]

The internal trimmer is just an bias knob like the external one on the Sunface. I generally like to run my Fuzzfaces hotter than 4.5v of bias, as it makes them a little cleaner and articulate. And I do love my Burkey Flatliner, since it allows adjustment of the voltage and the resistance. I can make it sound exactly like a battery this way.

[WinterSun]

Thanks for the info on the trimpot guys. Here's another general fuzz question, do most people put fuzz before or after overdrive pedals when stacking?

[steveb]

Thanks for the info on the trimpot guys. Here's another general fuzz question, do most people put fuzz before or after overdrive pedals when stacking?
I like fuzzes before OD pedals. It's more like hitting a cooking amp with the fuzz. Although, I never tried putting an OD before the fuzz.

[applescruffs]

So, I've had this pedal for years and had all but given up hope on it, even considered selling it. It stayed on my board cause I felt like I needed a fuzz available, but every time I'd hit it, it would sound weak and flabby, no matter what settings I used. I kept hearing about the awesome tones everyone was getting with their fuzzes, and thought I just didn't know how to use it. Then I started wondering if it was damaged or just a bad model, so I decided to do a little research on it to see what kind of results people were getting with different settings. That's when I discovered the internal trimpot! I had been inside plenty of times for battery swaps, but never noticed it! And of course it was almost turned completely clockwise.......which apparently means tone=suck.

I turned it completely counterclockwise and there it was. That thick, rich, creamy, punchy fuzz that everyone was talking about. I'm not sure how exactly the trimpot functions, but all I know is that the more I turn it clockwise, the worse the tone gets.

Thank God I have a usable fuzz now, I was so discouraged. Anyone out there know how exactly that trimpot functions?


its not a bad sound for sure, however the better functionality is with a timmy personally. I had a 69 and was using it exactly as your mentioning and I was in love, until I recieved my timmy. The 69 was instantly traded as it seemed to really cross over. I realize the 69 is a fuzz but I used it as a slight boost, light overdrive, clean up crew type of box. The timmy replaced that and kicked its behind. The timmy made me sell off my 69 and sunface and london fuzz. I think the whole idea of fuzz is a useful one, but dated. Modern approaches give you that overdrive, that boost, that organic sound. Cheers to the trim pot, but try a timmy in place or klon centuar and you will find the magic is extended.

[boldaslove1977]

i broke out my 69 for the first time in a while the other day... i didn't sound anything like i remembered... i'll have to check the internal trim...

[GuitarBrent]

its not a bad sound for sure, however the better functionality is with a timmy personally. I had a 69 and was using it exactly as your mentioning and I was in love, until I recieved my timmy. The 69 was instantly traded as it seemed to really cross over. I realize the 69 is a fuzz but I used it as a slight boost, light overdrive, clean up crew type of box. The timmy replaced that and kicked its behind. The timmy made me sell off my 69 and sunface and london fuzz. I think the whole idea of fuzz is a useful one, but dated. Modern approaches give you that overdrive, that boost, that organic sound. Cheers to the trim pot, but try a timmy in place or klon centuar and you will find the magic is extended.

Uh maybe you should have tried using those fuzz boxes as straight up fuzz boxes, then you would have found the magic is extended. :boxer

[applescruffs]

Uh maybe you should have tried using those fuzz boxes as straight up fuzz boxes, then you would have found the magic is extended. :boxer

but that is not how the op uses it, ps if you want fuzz a good mk2 is always the better option:boxer

[GuitarBrent]

Good, cause I have a Mullard OC84 Skinpimp coming to me in a day or two...

[WinterSun]

Holy crap!!! I just got an NKT275 Beano Boost in the mail today, put it after my NKT Fulltone '69 with a bit of battery "sag" from the pedal power 2........match made in heaven!

One word: Hendrix

[southtone]

Holy crap!!! I just got an NKT275 Beano Boost in the mail today, put it after my NKT Fulltone '69 with a bit of battery "sag" from the pedal power 2........match made in heaven!

One word: Hendrix
I bet that does sound awesome! I will have to try. Now if I had a beano.