Why do I like my DBA Fuzz War so much?

I've read conflicting things about what circuit it is based on, but I can't find a better fuzz for my setup than the DBA 3-knob Fuzz War.

Why is that? Anyone played one and know what's inside?

can you open it and take picture of the PCB?

I will tonight. In the meantime, I found this. https://pcbguitarmania.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Death-By-Fuzz-II.jpg

Seems this guy modded it slightly though.

The Death by Audio Fuzz war ™ is a monster but V1 was basically turn it on and make some noise. Because with seven transistors there was no ‚low gain‘ and no ‚slightly settings‘ so DBA made a second version and went back to the roots by keeping it closer to the all mighty and well-known Big Muff ™. They added some germanium diodes for aggressive clipping and away more radical tone control that has a little bit of a wah feeling to it. In my personal build, I added a momentary footswitch to pad 1 and 2 of the tone control potentiometer for some intro riffs with no treble at all. Even know what it’s based on this is a pedal you not just add to your collection in the shelf and I can’t wait to hear you guys riffing with it.

I found a load of schematics that are all a bit different, if you take a pic it'll help me verify them. They all have quite a bit in common though so Ic an guess at you? It looks like 5 run of the mill BJTs ina row into clipping diodes into a lossy tone control recovered by 2 more of the same transistors which are bog standard boring old parts you might find in any discrete audio circuit from a mic preamp to a practice amp

if that's not enough for you take it apart

Okay, I don't know many of those words.

Here's what it looks like.

https://imgur.com/a/LDJ56gl

Do I need to flip the board or is this enough info to find out which schematic is correct?

Do I need to flip the board or is this enough info to find out which schematic is correct?

LOL, yeah, Michael... you would need to take it apart

know that it has a shit to of gain, okay?

Okay, I'll have to get some tools later.

So if this is based on a muff and has generic components, why does it sound so different to my ears? Is that the circuit if not the transistors? Am I imaging it?

In other news, why is this thing so big? I feel like I just opened a bag of Lay's potato chips and it's half empty... and taking up my valuable pedalboard space.

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZmxSWqg1_kg/V3_peCj_LdI/AAAAAAAAD5A/-ArwD6S6HY8FeRI99UoOKu0c_sjz9jtFQCK4B/s640/DBA%2BFuzz%2BWar%2BII.png

it isn't a muff, it only has 1 diode clipping stage and it has 3 more gain stages

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZmxSWqg1_kg/V3_peCj_LdI/AAAAAAAAD5A/-ArwD6S6HY8FeRI99UoOKu0c_sjz9jtFQCK4B/s640/DBA%2BFuzz%2BWar%2BII.png

I think that's the 1 with only 4 transistors which is more of a jumbo tonebender on steroids

all of these thigns will have a lot in common because there's only so many ways you can arrange components to make a signal loud enough to clip, and there's only so many ways to induce clipping, especially in a way that a guitarist will like.... it really narrows the options down, you know?

Okay, so that seems to jive with what I'm reading on the v2 fuzz war.

Thanks.

I've never played with a tonebender, but to my ears this is less squishy than a muff, at least in my amp.

because the peaks aren't being shunted to ground, reamplified and then shunted to ground again.... try clipping 1 leg on a pair of diodes in your muff, say D1 and D2?

What tonebender style pedals that don't cost an arm and a leg do you recommend?

there's so many tonebenders, the jumbo has clipping diodes and is closer to a muff.... then there's the mk3 aka burns buzzaround which was my favorite stage fuzz it has versatility but a traditional, garulous fuzz sound, not so squared off and 'even' sounding.... then there's the professional mk2 which is pretty much a 3 but with no tone control and therefore it just does what it does, very similar to the 3 but a like it or lump it sound.... forget the 1, they're unfindable even in clones.. Then there's my favorite alla rounder, the mk 1.5 aka vox tonebender that's the inspiration for the fuzz face but is a much better and cooler fuzz that will have absolutely NOTHING to do with the sound of the fuzz war so don't get that.

I found the mjm brit bender to an excellent mk3, if you want a umbo/supa you can just cut d1 and d2 out of your big muff and you have it, its really not worth cloning because its just muff with those 2 diodes out using british silicon transisters. Yup.... I would put it on a switch if you sometiems want a stock muff sound, but I'm not sure why you would.

also, if you want another take on over the top that predates the war try a interfax harmonic percolator or a reputable clone

Does the Land Devices HP-2 fit into reputable clone? https://landdevices.bigcartel.com/product/hp-2

Will this sound significantly different than the Fuzz War? I like it, my only complaint is the large form factor, but the Harmonic Percolator and clones all seem to be in oversize enclosures also.

Thanks for all the advice. :)

At some point, it'd be fun to just give you a mission, like make me a pedaltrain nano max board that can give me tones like Led Zep, Tres Hombres, etc. I'm clearly out of my element in knowing the characteristics of why I like the fuzz I do.

yes to 1, yes to 2, no to 3 because I can't put zep on a pedalboard, i can tell you to get a little supro though, they all sound like zep1 and you could get a vox solid state amp from way back which will get you near a vox UL hybrid head like on zep2 or I can make you an amp that sounds like the royal albert hall hiwatt but not as blisteringly loud but also you're not jimmy page and there's stuff he does with his hands and his controls that's a lot of his sound. He seldom ahs his guitar volume pinned. Anyway...

catalinbread makes a normal sized percolator called the karma suture which I at on time owned and did not like which meant is was PERFECT because I don't like the percolator when I use it.... its a unique, vicious device and I love when other people like steve albini use it... I think I gave it to a friend who then amde it sound wicked