Fuzz Unit #1 is a hand wired point to point Tone Bender MKI tuned for a slightly gated / raunchy fuzz tone. Made famous by Mick Ronson's usage on the early David Bowie stuff. One of the first fuzz pedals ever made (next to the FZ1a, which it is based on).
My version stays true to the original by using NOS germanium transistors hand selected for gain and leakage plus carbon composition resistors, and a P2P build style that keeps the signal traces extra short. New high quality Spague/Vishay capacitors are used to unsure a tight response and long life of rockin' in the free world. A beefed up power filtering section cleans up more of the muck and noise from cheaper power supplies plus a polarity protection diode safeguards the main circuit from damage if an incorrect power supply is used accidently. Lovingly built by hand into a pedalboard friendly enclosure with top mounted power and input / output jacks.
Just two controls; VOLUME is controlled by the leftmost knob and the one on the right is ATTACK, which is basically the gain control. Dialed to the left yields a skronky / lightly gated fuzz sound with early breakup and little sustain. Cranking it right reveals a meaty n' raw fuzz tone with good sustain and mid frequency character.
- True Bypass
- NOS MP38a germanium transistors
- Sprague/Vishay Capacitors
- Carbon comp resistors
- High quality low profile 3PDT footswitch
- OEM style faceplate
- Top mounted jacks
- 9 volt battery snap (disconnects at the input jack)
- yellow LED
- Copper hammertone 125b enclosure (4.8 x 2.64 x 1.58")
- Accepts 2.1mm center negative DC power supply (standard Boss type)
- Current draw 3ma