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PROJECT NAME
SOLARIS
BASED ON
Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face
EFFECT TYPE
Germanium fuzz
PROJECT SUMMARY
A hot-rodded adaptation of the classic fuzz pedal made famous by Jimi Hendrix.
This documentation is for the kit version of the project. If you purchased the PCB by itself, please
use the
PCB-only version
are completely different due to the specialized parts and assembly methods used in the kit.
SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ
VOLUME
CONTOUR
SOLARIS
GERMANIUM FUZZ
IMPORTANT NOTE
of the documentation instead. The circuit is the same, but the instructions
BUILD DIFFICULTY
Intermediate
DOCUMENT VERSION
1.0.0 (2022-01-21)
9V
BODY
FUZZ
ON
PICKUP
INPUT
SIMULATOR
1
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Table of Contents
Related Manuals for alon SOLARIS
Summary of Contents for alon SOLARIS
- Page 1 This documentation is for the kit version of the project. If you purchased the PCB by itself, please use the PCB-only version of the documentation instead. The circuit is the same, but the instructions are completely different due to the specialized parts and assembly methods used in the kit. SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ...
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Page 2: Table Of Contents
25 Enclosure Layout: Main & Footswitch PCBs 26 Enclosure Layout: Input/Output PCB 27 Final Assembly & Biasing 28 Final Assembly (Cont.) 29 Schematic 30 Full Parts List 31 Troubleshooting Information 32 Support & Resale Terms 33 Legal Information & Document Revisions SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... -
Page 3: Introduction
It’s recommended to read through all of the instructions before you start, particularly if you’ve never built a pedal before. If you familiarize yourself with the entire process ahead of time and you know what the goal looks like, each step will make more sense. Now, on to the fun stuff! SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... - Page 4 Electrolytic Capacitors NAME 10uF 22uF NAME 47uF 100uF TC1044SCPA 8-pin socket MLCC Capacitors Transistors NAME NAME 100n (marked “104”) PN4303 or 2N5457 Diodes Transistors, germanium, matched for Fuzz Face NAME Trimmers 1N5817 1N4742A NAME 10k trimmer 100k trimmer SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ...
- Page 5 3-pin wire assembly header LED, blue 4-pin wire assembly header 9V battery snap DC jack Input/output jack Mounting nut, jack, 0.54" Outer washer, jack, 0.6" Lock washer, jack, 0.5" (thin) Enclosure Enclosure screws PCB, main circuit PCB, footswitch PCB, input/output/DC SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ...
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Page 6: Tools Needed
The tip should used to tighten the dress nut to avoid lot of pedals! be no more than 0.1” (2.5mm) wide. scratching or denting it (which can happen with metal tools). SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... -
Page 7: Component Identification
“multi-layer ceramic capacitor.” is marked. OP-AMP / IC IC SOCKET TRANSISTOR OR JFET TRANSFORMER Charge pumps and delay chips also look like this. They may have more than 8 legs. WIRE ASSEMBLY WIRE ASSEMBLY HEADER DC JACK LED BEZEL SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... -
Page 8: Hardware Identification
MOUNTING NUT DRESS NUT LOCK WASHER DIAMETER: 0.36” / 9.1mm DIAMETER: 0.375” / 9.5mm DIAMETER: 0.4” / 10.1mm FOOTSWITCH MOUNTING NUT DRESS NUT LOCK WASHER DIAMETER: 0.6” / 15.2mm DIAMETER: 0.77” / 19.6mm DIAMETER: 0.6” / 15.2mm SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... -
Page 9: Pcb Assembly Overview
Generally speaking, you should populate the components in this order: 1. Resistors 2. Diodes 3. IC sockets 4. Trimmers 5. MLCC capacitors 6. Film capacitors 7. Transistors (silicon) 8. Electrolytic capacitors 9. Transistors (germanium) 10. Transformer SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... -
Page 10: Resistors
If this is your first time soldering, watch tutorial videos on YouTube and make sure you get it down before you begin. You don’t want to practice or experiment on this board! SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... -
Page 11: Diodes
1N4742A is orange with a black stripe. Diodes are polarized, so make sure to identify the polarity band (which indicates the “cathode”, or negative side) and match the band to the footprint on the PCB. SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... -
Page 12: Socket & Ic
ICs may have two different orientation marks: either a dot in the upper-left or a half-circle notch in the middle of the top side. Some ICs have both marks. This shows which way the IC should be rotated when inserting it into a socket (the socket also has a half-circle notch). SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... -
Page 13: Trimmers
The two trimmers can be soldered like normal components, by bending the legs outward as shown: These trimmers are used to bias the germanium transistors. We will adjust them at the end once the pedal is fully assembled. SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... -
Page 14: Jfet Transistor
You can just solder it directly to the board. Bend the outer leads of the JFET to hold it in place on the board. Then, solder it and clip the leads. SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... -
Page 15: Capacitors (Non-Polarized)
Note: The blue box film capacitors (C3 and sometimes C4 and C7) have the value printed on the top, while the red capacitors have the value on the side. The text on the side of the blue capacitors is not related to the value and can be ignored. SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... -
Page 16: Wire Headers
They do fit pretty tightly in the holes, though, so press firmly. There’s also a 4-pin header on the I/O board that we will do in a later step. SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... -
Page 17: Capacitors (Polarized)
47uF Populate the electrolytic capacitors. They are polarized (i.e. they will only work in one direction), so note the vertical mark that indicates the negative side. The longer leg is positive and fits in the square pad. SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... -
Page 18: Germanium Transistors: Introduction
Q1 and Q2, not by specific part numbers such as AC125 or MП16Б. Matching The transistors included in the Solaris kit have been measured and matched for best performance in the Fuzz Face circuit. The transistors come in two bags stapled together, and each bag has two numbers written on it that are used for the matching process. -
Page 19: Germanium Transistors
The base pins are connected to the metal casing, so anything they touch will be shorted against the base. Bend them slightly away from each other and they should remain that way. SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... -
Page 20: Transformer
As with earlier components, first bend the six legs to hold it in place as shown in the diagram below. Solder the legs and the two outer tabs and then clip them short. Now that we’ve finished with the main PCB, go back to page 12 and insert the IC into the socket. SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... -
Page 21: Footswitch Pcb
BLUE MARKING Once all three wire assemblies are soldered, set the footswitch PCB aside. We’ll solder the actual footswitch and LED in a later step. SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... -
Page 22: Input/Output Pcb
Red is positive (+), black is negative (-). After soldering, pull it tight. For even more strain relief, you can thread the snap through the loop to form a knot. (not shown) SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... -
Page 23: Enclosure Layout: Panel Mounts
You’ll need to hold the bezel in place when OUTER WASHER tightening the nut. The top of the bezel is fairly MOUNTING NUT sharp, so try using a rubber band for grip instead of pressing your finger against the bottom. SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... -
Page 24: Enclosure Layout: Panel Mounts (Cont.)
MOUNTING NUT LOCK WASHER BEZEL MOUNTING NUT & LED The dress nut acts as a mounting nut, unlike the footswitch dress nut. Use flat- nose pliers on the flat sides of the nut to tighten securely. FOOTSWITCH 125B SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... -
Page 25: Enclosure Layout: Main & Footswitch Pcbs
“box it before you rock it”. If you’ve read the documentation carefully and followed all the instructions, there’s a good chance you will get it right the first time! SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... -
Page 26: Enclosure Layout: Input/Output Pcb
Note the use of two mounting nuts on each of the jacks, one inside and one outside. The inner nut acts as a spacer to set the DC jack flush with the outside of the enclosure. The inner nuts should be threaded as far down as they can go. MOUNTING NUT OUTER WASHER LOCK WASHER MOUNTING NUT 125B SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... -
Page 27: Final Assembly & Biasing
Plug in a 9-volt supply and test it out with a guitar and an amplifier. Test the bypass switch a few times, then start turning the controls and see if everything sounds OK. If it works, great! If not, don’t be discouraged. See page 31 for troubleshooting info. SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... -
Page 28: Final Assembly (Cont.)
Last, just close the panel on the back using the four screws. Before that, though, grab a permanent marker and write your name and the completion date on the inside of the back panel. This is an accomplishment! SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... -
Page 29: Schematic
SCHEMATIC 1N5817 100uF 100n CONTOUR 10uF TC1044SCPA PWR_GND PWR_GND 100n 47uF PWR_GND PWR_GND PICKUP PICKUP 2N5457 100n 100k 22uF SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... -
Page 30: Full Parts List
2N5457 10n (0.01) 47uF electro 10uF 100n electro MLCC 22uF 100n electro MLCC Potentiometers Switches Transformer PART VALUE PART VALUE PART PART TC1044SCPA Fuzz DPDT on-on 42TL019 Input 250kB 3PDT stomp Body 100kB Contour Volume 500kA SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... -
Page 31: Troubleshooting Information
Q2. This knob directly adjusts the bias of Q2 which happens to change the midrange tone in a useful way. At 25% rotation, it has the stock Fuzz Face resistance of 470 ohms, which is what the bias voltages are based on. SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ... - Page 32 Aion FX kits, but please don’t go out of your way to hide it. The guitar effects industry needs more transparency, not less! SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ...
- Page 33 All content and graphics in this document are original works and are copyrighted by Aion FX and may not be used without permission. DOCUMENT REVISIONS 1.0.0 (2022-01-21) Initial release. SOLARIS GERMANIUM FUZZ...
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