ACE TONE: FM-3 Fuzz Master

I'd somehow missed this one.  The Ace Tone FM-3 Fuzz Master is similar to the Ace Tone FM-2 in looks and name, but that's where the similarities end.   The FM-2 is based on the Univox Super Fuzz and the FM-3 is a Big Muff variant.

Schematic can be found here on Kit Rae's BMP site.  Basically take a Big Muff, and add an additional tone control with its own volume pot attached to it, then switch between the Big Muff circuit and the boost circuit.   No you cannot route one in the other, as they share input and output sections.  Nice idea though...  

The tone controls are a little different, as they use a combination of values not found on any of the many EHX circuits.  There's still the scoop, but it just has a different response.  I haven't compared it to a Big Muff, as which Big Muff should it be compared to?

For those with keen eyes, yes the resistor in the collector of Q1 is really 150k, not 15k as one might expect to see.    I'm not sure about the 100k on the input to ground either, but it was on the traced version found on FreeStompBoxes - link to the thread and schematic here.  It's not on the Kit Rae schematic.  

ACE TONE FUZZ MASTER FM-3  -  VERO LAYOUT

ACE TONE: Fuzz Master FM-2

One more for the vintage Japanese Fuzz collection   The Ace Tone FM-2 Fuzz Master - a variation on the venerable Super Fuzz.

It's a little different as the "Expander" control is missing (bypassed), which is the same as running it full-tilt all the time.  It also uses silicon diodes instead of germanium and has a strange "Fuzz Adjustment" control, which is more of tone control.  Apart from a few little quirks, it's a member of the Super Fuzz family.

ACE TONE FM-2 FUZZ MASTER - VERO LAYOUT