Wednesday, December 28, 2011

A Fuzz-Stainer of a Holiday!



Hopefully everyone (who celebrates) had a cool Christmas and a good time. And if you're not into the X-mas, I hope you at least had a great day on the 25th anyway!

So here's a nice Sam Ash Fuzz-Stainer from sometime in the mid 70s. Only 2 of these are known to exist, and even though this one was repainted with some red house paint, it still kicks much ass.
A mean, gating spitting devil fuzz with an awesome tone control (and an internal trimpot, not featured in the video, that controls the gate and adds a ton of different crispy buzzing tones).

check it, check it out!



thanks for watching!
-ed

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Audio Matrix Mini Boogee (1980)


Our friend Jerms just posted up another demo vid. of a mega cool (and rare) pedal, the Audio Matrix Mini Boogee.


The Mini Boogee was the first offering from B.K. Butler of what was to become his legendary Tube Driver pedal. It was a badass overdrive with fuzzy tendencies that, in 1981 when he received notice from Randall Smith/Mesa decided to change the name to the "Mini Matrix" so no legal toes where stepped on. The pedal lasted until 1984 when it took it's final incarnation as the Chandler Tube Driver.

There are technically 4 versions of the Mini Boogee, although all of them have the same pcb:
version 1: White Bud Box - No Wood Panels - "Mini Boogee" 1980
version 2: White Bud Box - Wood Panels - "Mini Boogee" 1980
version 3: Black Bud Box - Wood Panels - "Mini Boogee" 1981
version 4: Black Bud Box - Wood Panels - "Mini Matrix" 1981-1984



Pictured above is the Mini Boogee from my collection, exactly like the one in the video. Another road we will travel down more deeply in the future, but know that it stacks amazingly with other pedals/fuzzes! My favorite combination is probably the Maestro MFZ-1 (posted last week) going into the Boogee.
Pure Chunky Squelching Fire.


Thanks for reading!
-ed

Monday, December 19, 2011

Maestro FZ-1a Fuzz-Tone manual (1965)

Found this while lurking on the net and thought it was pretty cool.



This is the original manual that came with the Maestro FZ-1a Fuzz-Tone from 1965. I love seeing how they categorized fuzz and thought it was "supposed" to be used back in the day.


That's all for now.///
-ed

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Univox Square Wave


New Effeken video up!
and this time it's for one of my all time favorite fuzzes,
the Univox Square Wave SQ-150 from the mid-70's.

feel the grit///



Thanks for watching!
-ed

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Maestro MFZ-1


This Moog built, Op-Amp fuzz from the mid 70's kicks some serious ass!
Used extensively on the first couple Black Keys records, it has (re)grown some popularity, but surprisingly you can still find these behemoths for a decent price. The pedal itself is HUGE, it dwarfs some of the bigger EHX effects so you know its got some girth. Sound-wise it sits somewhere between a heavy overdrive and an IC-Muff with the gain rolled back a bit.
One of these days I will do a post on mine (if I can figure out how to take it apart!).

So enjoy the sounds, this video taken from youtube'r "MrFuzzLover"///



thanks for watching!
-ed

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Sekova FA-II Fuzz (1969)



Known by many in stomp circles as the "Sekova Wedge Fuzz", this late 60's Japanese chrome doorstop can pulverize with the best of em!

Sekova as a company is shrouded in some mystery, but a little investigation and logic point it's origins to one place...
From what I have gathered, the first Sekova branded pedal was a 3 germanium transistor, wedge-shaped fuzz that came about in the mid 60's. The very first version (Model No. 59 Distortion Box) was a straight clone of the Maestro Fuzztone FZ-1a, complete with the 1.5V battery. Its circuit went through at least one minor update in the years leading to its total makeover in 1969 when it became the version discussed here, the FA-II. This new Sekova Wedge Fuzz, closer in sound and build, seemed to take ques from the Shin Ei FY-2 circuit, dropping down to 2 transistors (although germanium, Matsushita 2SB173 - PNP) but graduating up to a single 9V battery. That FA-II circuit went through at least two more small PCB makeovers and component changes until finally disappearing into the haze of the mid 70's.


Looking through a catalog of Sekova pedals one quickly realizes that they were another tentacle of the Japanese FX monsters, Shin-Ei. Most of the Sekova branded pedals seemed to be clones of Western builds, such as the Big Muff (as well as many other EHX pedals). Others were merely rebranded Shin-Ei pedals like the Fuzz-Wah, the Uni-Fuzz and the Octave Box.

So where do these little wedge-shaped fuzzies fall into the fold? Well just as was the practice of the times, the Sekova Wedge Fuzz was also rebranded and resold under a few different names; The Apollo and Crestwood versions were FA-II's in disguise, while the Tele-Star branded pedal was the same as the earliest version, the FZ-1a clone (which was possibly made for the U.S. or UK markets?).


So even though most Sekova pedals appear to be either clones or rebrands, the FA-II at least stands alone as having a somewhat unique circuit. At one time I owned a Shin-Ei Fuzz/Wah, the one with 6 transistors not 8, and the fuzz was very similar in sound to the Sekova. They also had the same type of Attack control that acted as more of a clean-blend (similar to that of the Mosrite Fuzzrite) than actually increasing or decreasing the gain. The biggest difference was that the Fuzz/Wah had many different components (including silicon transistors) and was basically a Super Fuzz, minus a transistor or two, while the Sekova held steady with it's 2 germanium trannies and small number of parts. But they did sound strikingly similar...


Now, let's get down to it. The sound of the Sekova FA-II can be compared to a thick fuzzy, electrically charged Brick being thrown at your face. In simpler terms, it sounds like a blown out squarewave fuzz, with a big low end and gating razor-sharp high end, with a hint of upper octave. As was mentioned before it definitely has its roots in the Shin-Ei FY-2/FY-6 family, but would stand out in a blind taste test for sure.

Backing off the guitar's volume a little bit allows some actual dynamics to show through and seems to counteract the full-on squarewave blitzkrieg. As the Attack knob is kind of weird, like I wrote above, and acts more like a clean-blend than an actual Gain control, using your guitar's volume is really the only way to change the character of the fuzz tone. So the best way to play the Sekova is full on and full out! One thing that is unfortunate, like so many other Japanese pedals of the its time, the Sekova has quite the volume drop and struggles to reach Unity gain. So I guess you're just gonna have to leave it on...all the time.

OK, well thanks for taking another fuzzy adventure with us today. And I do apologize for the lack of posts these past couple of weeks. Been busy/lazy and all that junk.


here you gooooOOOO0000)))) /









("trace" pic taken from Simonm - thanks!)



for some further reading on these bastards check out this link:
Sekova Love



Thanks for reading!
-ed

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Maestro Universal Synthesizer System USS-1

Let's add this to the "pedals I will own someday!" category...
This is the Maestro Universal Synthesizer System, and it is really damn cool.




Thanks for Watching!
-ed

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Gemco Tonebender (1977)



So this oddity popped up on ebay today (still on there as of now) and it was so rare that I decided I need to snag the pics and post them here, for posterity. I have spread myself pretty thin lately with some recent pedal acquisitions so another $800 may not be the best idea right now!


I have a feeling this is a post I will have to update after consulting with a few fellow pedal nerds about what circuit it actually is (I'm guessing a Jumbo TB?) but until then, the one thing I noticed for sure is that it's the same exact enclosure used for the Dharma Sound pedals! Now that doesn't necessarily mean that they are related in anyway, but you never know? The knobs are the same too...

Ok, well this is going to end up being a "To Be Continued" post until I get some more info on the Gemco Tonebender, until them, please enjoy the (unfortunately small) photos.
and if you buy this pedal, please let me know what's up with it.







Thanks for Reading!
-ed

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Give that Thanks!


Today is Thanksgiving, if you are from the US, so I found it fitting to post this autumn pic of my favorite phase shifter of all time; the T.C. Electronic XII B/K Programmable Phaser.


From the mid 80's, the T.C. can do it all (dare I say, better than the Mutron Bi-Phase..?) so while you enjoy your swirly stomach and your psychedelic mid-day dreams, think of this little guy.


Thanks for reading!
and happy T-Day///
-ed

Monday, November 21, 2011

Sam Ash Fuzzz Boxx vs. Astro Amp Astrotone


So recently I lucked out and scored an original Astro Amp Astrotone from 1967. I sent the pedal out to my good friend Jerms and he made a comparison video between his Sam Ash Fuzzz Boxx and my Astrotone. Both were stamped as being made in 1967, the Astro from March and the Sam Ash from May. They have identical components (except the diodes) and boards, meaning both versions were built at the same time! There is also a version of the Sam Ash that is in the same casing as the Astrotone, which for some reason was made simultaneously as the wedge-shaped ones...

I'll get super detailed on the Astro in a later post, but for now here are some comparison pictures and a sweet demo video (showing that they sound almost identical!)







Thanks for watching!
-ed

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Jumbo Tone Bender - cool demo vid!


I love this demo.
even though it's kind of an ad for the new Sola Sound reissues, it's still pretty awesome at showing how great the original Jumbo Tone Bender is.

enjoy!



thanks for watching
-ed

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Royal Fuzz Box TF-1 / RF-1 (1969)



When entering into the world of vintage Japanese effectors, one can easily go insane from the amount of pedalage out there. First, you have to weed through all of the Shin Ei and re-branded Shin Ei pedals (which cuts off about 70% of everything made in Japan), once you have done that, you are left with a small number of what look like really cool effects, but there is either NO information about them, or the information out there is in Japanese! After hours of google translating, crafty net searching, and the great frustration of plain-old proximity effect, you can see how hard it is for a nerd like me to track down this Eastern gold. So imagine my surprise when I found this awesome Royal Fuzz Box in my home town of Nashville last week///


So what is this Royal Fuzz Box? you ask.
Well, it's basically a Shin-Ei FY-6 (Super Fuzz) that was a really early clone and NOT just another re-branding by the effects giant. Like I wrote earlier, it's hard to get exact and detailed accounts of how all of this went down since I am not located in Japan, but I will try and piece it together with the info I do have.

The Royal Fuzz Box was produced in the late 60's in seemingly very small numbers, and there are 2 versions. Although both have the same exact circuit and components, one is labeled as being made by the Royal Co., Ltd. and was given the code "RF-1" while the other was labeled as being made by the Thunder Electronics Co., Ltd. and was given the code "TF-1". I suspect that Thunder Electronics were the actual designers and original manufacturers of the pedal as the circuit board on both versions reads "TF-1" and not "RF-1". I would also assume that later on (or maybe for a different market/country) Royal branded their version with their label. Like I said, a lot of this is speculation, but it does make sense!


So the mini history aside, let's get into the pedal. For me, part of the lore of the Royal Fuzz Box is how cool it looks and how it functions. That all-black wide box with, an almost glowing, gold crown seems to whisper my name in the night. That big wedge-shaped enclosure and the slight crustiness of age just bumps up the cool factor even more! The other thing you may have noticed is the Tone Selection foot switch. I wish the original Super Fuzzes had this instead of just the switch on the side, as it really makes for a more useable pedal in a band setting. I know that later on the Ibanez Standard Fuzz incorporated this same foot switch style (maybe taking a cue from the Royal???), but for the time it was a cool update and mod to the original FY-6 circuit.


Wondering how it sounds?

Like was stated earlier, it is basically a Univox Super Fuzz, but it does differ in character as different components where used. There are a few demos online of original Royal's and they all show off the pedal pretty well. Compared to the grey Super Fuzz it has more splat and upper octave, and the overall GROWL is more apparent. It's like the SF's angry red headed little brother! I'm really liking it so far, and having that Tone foot switch is a cool added detail.

Well I'm not gonna go into it like crazy, but I will link you to a couple of demos:

Royal Attack!
Royal Attack!!
Royal Attack!!!

now, for your enjoyment_---_












Thanks for reading!
-ed

Thursday, November 17, 2011

oh no.


Saw this on ebay today and decided it was too awesome not to repost here.


Enjoy your day!
-ed

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Montarbo Sinfhoton


First, I just wanted to apologize for the lack of posts this week. It has been raining here and I haven't found a good setup for indoor pics yet/

So this past week I was able to score a couple amazing pedals, one being that 1967 Astro-Amps Astrotone, and the other, well if it's nice out on Friday you'll see!!!

OK, so to pass the time, let's check out this video demo again from our friend Ema.
This one is an Italian pedal called the Sinfhoton, which was made by a company called Montarbo. These first came out in 1968 I believe, but were made for a pretty long time after that (I need to do more research on that one obviously). It sounds like a Big Muff, but precedes the Muff by a year, and the circuits aren't really related to my knowledge.

so here you go, Italian awesomeness.


I don't own one yet... but I am on the lookout.



Thanks for watching!
-ed

Monday, November 14, 2011

Saturday, November 12, 2011

fOXX Tone Machine (1972)



The fOXX Tone Machine; not only is it the namesake of this blog, but it's quite possibly the THICKEST sounding fuzz on the planet!

The Tone Machine's furry history starts with it's release in 1971 by circuit designer and builder, Steve Ridinger; he was 19 yrs old... or so the story goes. The pedal featured a funky, fuzzy coat that came in a big range of colors (green, white, & U.S.A. versions being the rarest). It was only in production for a few years but was sold under other names and companies such as the "Ibanez Tone Machine", "Turtle Tone Machine", "Nashville Fuzzer", "Paraclete Fuzz Sustain", and the "Emmons Fuzz Machine". Emmons, generally a Pedal Steel company, also put out something called the "String Machine" which was basically 3 Tone Machines in 1 box!

In the early 70s fOXX put out some really cool pedals including phasers, wahs, and even a cool plugin overdrive; but the flagship and most legendary is still the Tone Machine fuzz! With it's misspelled labels and unique look, very fitting for the 70s, it was destined for greatness.


As there are too many Tone Machines variations to explore in (hopeful) future posts, let's not go into super crazy detail just yet. Also the history of fOXX and Ridinger are posted all over the net, so instead I am just going to talk about this Tone Machine, my Tone Machine/

I love it and it's fuzzy, carpet-like exterior.


If you have never heard a Tone Machine in the flesh, it can best be described as extremely thick and warm. It turns your strings into trees and your tone into an ocean...

The Tone Machine is broken up like this; 3 knobs for Tone, Gain and Volume, and a switch that goes from "normal" fuzz to an octave-up fuzz. The Gain knob, although it covers a wide range, doesn't really change the tone, like say a Big Muff's gain knob does. The Muff can go from warm overdrive to full on fuzz, whereas the Tone Machine goes from little baby buzz to nut-kicker FUZZ! The tone control is pretty cool though. Even at its highest setting, the treble isn't biting or annoying and somehow it still retains that thick low end. I tend to keep mine set around 10 o'clock, where you still hear the sizzling crunch of the highs, but it's pretty dark overall. When you engage that Octave-up switch it sends the fuzz into some foreign Eastern land, or something. Playing chords at this setting can produce some really obnoxious ring modulation effects that seem to zap my brain! It really reminds of the fuzz on FTB's "Satori Part II" (although I am sure that was some late 60's Japanese pedal).



This particular fOXXy example hails from 1972 and as you can see, is a fOXX branded version. It's the only one I have played, and even though I have seen a ton of gut shots with different looking components from this, I can't imagine all of the other "versions" sounding that much different. But you never know?

I will say that if you are someone who LOVES fuzz, then you should own a Tone Machine. It's one of those pedals where you plug it in and start writing tunes just based on that sound. Also, get bigger speakers >>><<<

OK, nuff said on this.
have at it!












Thanks for reading!
-ed