“I’m gonna make you a Fuzz you can’t refuse.”
The Fuzzfather is an effects pedal inspired by the classic Dallas Arbiter Germanium Fuzz Face, initially put to good use by the early guitar gods Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour, and, Jimmy Page. After many years of success across many styles of music, the fuzz pedal is currently a staple within the Stoner, Sludge, and Doom genres.
The sound of this pedal is classic fuzz but in a more compact size. The Germanium transistors are wonderfully sensitive to input changes. Simply roll back on the tone knob, and the sound changes from an aggressive fuzz to a warmer driven sound.
The Fuzzfather is hand-wired, features turret board construction, and includes sockets for swapping transistors. The circuit board consists of all N.O.S. (new old stock) components to capture as much of that old school mojo as possible. Also employed, are huge 24mm Alpha potentiometers, enormous vintage flying saucer knobs, Switchcraft jacks, an LED indicator, an 18AWG ground buss bar, and, fat 22AWG PTFE wire throughout. The pedal also has real heavy duty rubber feet (not adhesive) bolted to the back plate with stainless steel hardware and Nyloc nuts. These can easily be removed and reattached.
The transistors are N.O.S. Russian. I compared a great deal of germaniums and these were the winners to my ear. Their low leakage and gain characteristics are perfect for the circuit. For the first transistor (Q1), I fit either a MP20B or P416B, depending on availability. For the second transistor (Q2), I use the GT402B. The Fuzzfather does incorporate transistor sockets, so that other types of Germanium BJT – PNP transistors can be auditioned. Some N.O.S replacements to try are AC128, NKT275, SFT363E, GT402G, GT308V, and many others.
The Fuzzfather is powered by battery only and should not be used with any daisy-chain type power supply as it will cause problems with your other pedals. I include a carbon zinc battery because, believe it or not, they really do sound better! I have found that The Fuzzfather sounds best when it is first in your signal chain, even in front of your wah-wah pedal, but feel free to experiment.
The Fuzzfather also carries a full lifetime warranty. If it breaks anytime during my lucid lifetime, I will repair it or replace it free of charge.
N.O.S. Parts List:
Mallory 20uF electrolytic capacitor
Phillips 2.2uF electrolytic capacitor
Allen Bradley carbon composition resistors (all positions)
Mullard 10n tropical fish capacitor
Russian Transistors Q1 = MP20B or P416B, Q2 = Q2GT402B
Reviews:
“Holy s**t man! Another winner! It is a nice balanced fuzz face…not too wooly, but still nice and fat!” ~ A.B. – Halifax
“Really cool Doors and Santana tones…” ~ P.G. – Houston
“The Fuzzfather is one of the cleanest looking builds I’ve ever seen…it sounds great! ” ~ M.S. – Boston
“HOLY CRAP JOE! What a box! I’m in love with it all! What a beast!” ~ K.S. – Regina
