FUZZSTAINER Unknown...

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Since 2013 I've had these photos saved on my computer from an ebay auction that sadly I missed. Three grainy images showing what looks like a homemade pedal, called the "Fuzzstainer" (not to be confused with the Sam Ash Fuzz-Stainer we wrote about HERE), with a seemingly simple 2 transistor circuit. 

As you know by now I'm a sucker for this stuff 😂 and not even totally sure why I'm posting this, as it's almost 100% a DIY project someone whipped up in the early '70s, but hey, why not?!

So here it is, the mysterious and unknown FUZZSTAINER:

Thanks for reading!

-ed

Cosmosound, The Italian FX Wizards

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I recently came across this great two-part article/interview on the history of Cosmosound; an Italian brand mostly known for their Fender Blender styled pedals.

It's pretty cool to see how connected all of the older Italian brands were, and all the insane products they produced in the 70s and 80s!

So check it out here at the Classic2Vintage Blog:

Cosmosound Part 1

Cosmosound Part 2

Thanks for reading!
-ed

The Dharma Sound Distorter Has Landed...

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After nearly 20 years of searching, I finally found myself the highly coveted Dharma Sound Distorter! 

It arrived this morning after a somewhat arduous journey from the UK, and is currently being drooled over by myself as I write this.

There is not a ton out there about really any of the Dharma Sound pedals. The most common one, the Phaser (which we discussed HERE way back in 2011) is still quite rare itself. But there was actually an entire series; including the Warper, Extender, Sweeper, and the Eliminator, just to name a few.

I have been collecting info and old adverts over the years, but there's still a lot to learn before I dive in with a full and detailed post on this.

The big thing to know is that it's quite clear after seeing the original Orange pedals from the 70s that Dharma Sound was the manufacturer; as they were literally the same designs, just with a different paint job. But we'll discuss that much more in a later post...

For now, let us all bask in the glory of this awesomely rare bird. Thanks for coming along on this ridiculous ride, as always!

-ed

Super Fuzz Lab Check 1969

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So WITH IT! So NOW! So FAR OUT!

A few years back I came across this interesting/hilarious article about the Univox Super Fuzz from an October 1969 issue of Science and Electronics magazine.

It's pretty funny to see how the raw and completely gnarly sound of a Japanese octave fuzz just blew the mind of the author (and most likely anyone else who plugged one in for the first time).

So read through this if you feel like completely nerding out today. It's a fun look into the theory of distortion from late 60s rock musicians and electronics geeks...

Thanks for reading!

-ed

Beatsound Distortion Booster (Distorsionador)

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So I was originally going to make this post a huge data dump of cool stomp box ads from '70s Argentine Rock & Roll magazines, but as I was going through everything one specific pedal caught my eye more than the rest...

This is the Beatsound Distortion Booster:

After doing some more digging I discovered what this magical triple-knobbed beast was all about. 

It appears to be a Big Muff (kinda) with an additional footswitch/circuit that kicks on even more sustain. (So a Muff + Compressor maybe?) At least that's what I think may be going on here. 

*Nerds please let me know what you think in the comments.

I did find more photos (*big thanks to all the owners of this media :) and even a video demo!

So I apologize for adding yet another pedal to your "must find or I'll literally die" list, but be assured that I too am feeling the pull of this monster.

Alright, now for your pedal porn//

So as these are still a bit of a mystery to me, if any of you out there happen to have additional information, or you have owned a Beatsound Distortion Booster; please reach out to me via Email or Instagram.

thanks for reading!

-ed

The Cult of Sekova Big Muff

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The early 70's Sekova Big Muff is a bit of a "Holy Grail" for vintage pedal collectors. Finding out for the first time that there was a Japanese version of the Triangle Muff was like finding out that your favorite song as a kid was just a cover by an even better band!

In its gorgeous red paint finish, boring but somehow super cool font choice, and that 'Shin Ei' footswitch staring right back at your soul, the Sekova Big Muff is legendary piece of Fuzz history...

Today, whilst nerding-out online, I came across this video from fellow pedal collector, Yuichiro Hosokawa of Cult Pedals, doing a demo of his personal Sekova Big Muff. Also, the first half of the video shows some of his unbelievable collection (that I may be a bit envious of).

check it out below//  *Skip to 7:13 for the demo

 

For way more on the history of the Sekova Big Muff, check out our big article HERE! 

Thanks for watching, 
-ed