Introduction: How to Make FUZZ Guitar Effect From Aliexpress DIY Kit
I bougt DIY Fuzz electric guitar effect form AliExpress and there was so modest information that i was desided to make an Instructables to other, less experienced users or buyers. So, this is.
Step 1: This Is the Content of the Package and What We Get From the Seller
There is a nice coloured housing, all electronics parts (resistors, diodes, capacitors, IC's etc), connectors and wires.
Good soldering experience is necessary to complete this DIY kit. "Arctic" (cold) joints and overheated connections or electronic parts are the greatest enemies of good functioning of any device!
Step 2: Resistors First
First, we need to mount resistors. Because they lie the lowest on the PCB and is easy to mount them.
Observe Silk screen (white print on top of Printed Circuit Board = PCB in futher text) where to place resistor of named resistance. You can check on instruction manual too, but on PCB is more visible. 330K means 330 kOhms or 330,000 Ohms, 4.7k means 4700 Ohms, 47R means 47 Ohms etc. Check resistors colour code to decipher resistance:
http://www.resistorguide.com/resistor-color-code/
or use Ohmmeter to check the resistance.
Good practice in electronics work is orientation of the resistors: 1st number left, tolerance right. It's not important about resistance, but it is important for the final look of your work :) .
Step 3: Next - Diodes
Pay attention how diodes are orientated - this is very important, because diodes are semiconductors and conduct electricity in one direction and don't conduct in the other. See all about diodes:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diode
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diode#/media/File:Di...
Line on the PCB = line on the diode. There is also square point for diode placing on PCB (the other point is round) and in a square point goes cathode (line on diode).
Step 4: Capacitors
Just as for resistors, it also applies to capacitors doesn't matter how they oriented, capacitance is the same. But good practice says: "Place the capacitors so that the labels are visible".
154 means 150nF, 104 is 100nF etc and 150P means 150pF.
More about capacitors:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor
Pay attention that one 104 capacitor must lie down on PCB (it is marked on PCB), because we need space for In and Out jacks.
Step 5: Electrolytic Capacitors
This kind of capacitors are polarized and thus you must pay attention about orientation. Long wire of electrolytic capacitor is +, the minus is marked on capacitor with a thick line. Incorrect installation will cause a smoke and even an explosion!
More about electrolytic capacitors:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolytic_capacit...
Pay attention that one 1uF and one 4.7uF must lie down on PCB (also for In and Out jacks).
Step 6: IC Sockets
IC sockets are intend to place IC's in them on the end and we don't need to solder IC's directly in the PCB. In this way, we can change damaged IC with many pins without burnout the PCB when we need to remove bad IC.
Orientation of sockets are the same as drawn on PCB: noch on the socket are placed like is printed on PCB. Then it is easy to know how to put IC on a socket - IC has also noch on it. And square pin means no.1 pin of IC (pin 1 of the IC is marked as small dot on the housing of IC).
Step 7: Foot Switch and Battery Connection
Foot switch is a holder of whole PCB when PCB is mounted in a housing, so make sure it is soldered well. You cannot misplace it, because switch has thick pins which goes only one way in the PCB. Maybe you will need some force to push switch in the PCB so be gentle and not brake the PCB or foot swith.
Battery snap (seller names it this way on instruction paper) is connection for 9V battery which supplies energy to the circuit if there is no auxiliary power supply. Put wires trogh two holes, this helps not to brake wires during the battery exchange.
Step 8: Potentiometers
Potentiometers are variable resistors, intended to increase resistance from one end position to the other end position with intermediate resistance.
More about potentiometers:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potentiometer
In our project potentiometers are drawn and marked in Installation instruction, very clear. Only pay attention that Tone (T) potentiometer is wired opposite than other two. In the picture is well visible too. Use wires from kit to connect to PCB.
Step 9: Output Jack
We can now connect the Output Jack. It uses only two contacts: ground (which is largest terminal all arround the jack and with nut to fix on housing) and top tip of the output connector (from Fuzz to amplifier). Check with guitar connector which contact is connected to Out pin when guitar connector is pushed all the way in the jack. I/O Jack is also drawn on Instalation instructions and is marked GND/Shield and Tip (output signal) = OUT TIP on PCB. Connect GND contact to earth sign
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Schutzklasse_1_fett.svg
on PCB.
Step 10: LED and Power Supply Connector
Prepare LED an external power supply connector with wires. Don't connect to the PCB, because you must mount in the housing before you connect to PCB (cannot goes trough the hole from in to out).
Just solder wires and mark them to know later, which wire is which. LED is semiconductor diode too, so mark polarity (longer wire from LED is +LED on PCB). You can shorten LED wires, but do it same way as original (longer wire stays longer).
Pay attention to Suplly connector because it cut-off battery when you use external power supply. There is one tricky: from kit you are short for one wire - PWC on DC Jack (external power supply) and IN RING (Input jack) MUST be connected together and wired to pin "PWC/IN RING" on PCB. So, you put wire from DC Jack to Input jack Ring PWC and use additional wire of your own from here to PCB.
Step 11: Mounting the LED and Power Supply Connector in the Housing
Now mount LED and external power supply connector to the housing. Use pliers or fork key and don't tight too much because both elements are fragile.
Step 12: Mounting the Input Connector
Mount Input connector (which is connected to the guitar) in the housing.
Pay attention on contacts and specially to PWC as described in step 10. Grey wire is additional wire, white are from the kit. This gray wire goes to PWC pin on PCB.
Otehr two wires are same as output pin: GND and signal tip = IN TIP on PCB.
Step 13: Connecting LED, Power Supply and Input Connector to the PCB
There is nothing much to say - connect LED, External power supply and Input Jack to the PCB regarding to marks on the wires. + LED goes to "LED+" pin, other goes to "LED-", input tip from Input Jack goes to "IN TIP", Gnd/Shield goes to Earth mark and gray (additional) wire goes to "PWC/IN RING" and +9V and PWB from external power supply connector goes to "+9V" and "PWB" pins on PCB.
Step 14: Mounting Potentiometers and Output Jack in the Housing
Make sure thet right potentiometer goes trough right hole, as is written on the housing. Use washers on top of the housing to avoid "draw" the washer with your pliers or key on the painting of the housing.
Arrange positions of the potentiometers that you can put all wires into housing whitout too much pressing on electronic parts.
Mount output jack in that way there is no possible to touch other contacts or elements on PCB (there is not much space!).
Step 15: Put IC in the Sockets
Pay attention that pin 1 of the IC goes to pin 1 in the IC socket.
Don't use too much force to avoid bent the IC pins, don't tuch IC pins because IC's are electrostatic sensitive
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrostatics
That is why we mount IC into the PCB in a last step.
Step 16: Mounting PCB in the Housing
Now we are ready to mount PCB in the housing. Foot switch is our guide, so we must to arrange lower nut on the foot switch that way, that we have enogh space between PCB and other elements inside to avoid any unwanted short circuit. After we arrange all wires etc inside the housing not to tuch anything else, we tighten the ouside nut of the foot switch - off course we use plastic washer beneath the nut to avoid drawing washer with pliers on painting, as I mention before :) .
Step 17: Final Test
We successfully installed PCB into the housing. Now is time to test. Connect the 9V battery in battery connector and do some test with guitar and amplifier. When everything is connected (guitar in Input connector, amplifier to output connector) we step on the foot switch and red LED lit and if we move strings, thunder from the speakers tell us that thing is working.
We can put lower cover on the housing.
Step 18: Bottom Cover With Rubber Legs
Now, as we are sure that everything works well, is time to mount bottom cover with 4 screws, which are also part of the kit.
Next, legs: in the kit there are 4 selfadhesive rubber legs. Mount them in the way that they will not couse problem if you want to oper bootom cover and change the battery or to roll over when you step on the foot switch.
Step 19: Final Result
This is the final result of our work. It's pretty nice, isn't it?
Step 20: Test
Now is time to test your new equipment. Connect guitar to input, amplifier to output, open potentionmeters all the clockwise and make some noise!
I will take my Fuzz to my friend which is awsome guitarist and he will make an oppinion (mine is not value because I am good electronic man, but lousy guitar player).