Ragemaster
Here's a variation on the old Rangemaster treble-booster pedal. My version is made with a new-production AC128 Germanium transistor. The hFE measurement for this transistor was 56.
If you haven't ever used one of these, the idea that it's a treble-booster is kind of misleading. I mean, it does do that. In fact, it's excellent if you have a JTM45 or an AC30 that sounds kind of, "tubby" or, "farty." It's how Clapton got his, "Bluesbreaker" combo to sound the way it did. Brian May used one on the early Queen albums. Of course, Tony Iommi used one right up until the late 70's. See, germanium transistors are little amplification devices and they aren't very good at it. So even though this isn't a fuzz pedal, it isn't clean, either. It distorts the signal as well as changing the tonal spectrum. At unity gain it will be a little gritty. If you use it as a volume-booster it will be more gritty. In my opinion, this is cooler than most fuzz pedals. It gives you kind of a cool, bright tone, but it also "pre-conditions" your sound so a slightly overdriven tube amp sounds more aggro without being obviously fuzz-toned. It's a very cool and subtle effect. I never owned one, but I've always been curious. Now that I've tried one I plan to build more of them.
I cut the board out of Garolite G10, so you know it will last forever. Then I stake the board with turrets and hand-wire the whole dealie right here in the Fool Audio Research World Headquarters!
It's got a DC input jack, but remember that this is a positive-ground pedal and you'll need a polarity adapter if you want to use it with a standard wall wart. Or you can use it with something like Fulltone FPS-2 that's set up for positive-ground.
You know it, you love it...the sound that Tony Iommi used to take you to the netherworld! Hand-wired for her pleasure! It's the Fool Audio Research, RAGEMASTER!
Ragemaster
Here's a variation on the old Rangemaster treble-booster pedal. My version is made with a new-production AC128 Germanium transistor. The hFE measurement for this transistor was 56.
If you haven't ever used one of these, the idea that it's a treble-booster is kind of misleading. I mean, it does do that. In fact, it's excellent if you have a JTM45 or an AC30 that sounds kind of, "tubby" or, "farty." It's how Clapton got his, "Bluesbreaker" combo to sound the way it did. Brian May used one on the early Queen albums. Of course, Tony Iommi used one right up until the late 70's. See, germanium transistors are little amplification devices and they aren't very good at it. So even though this isn't a fuzz pedal, it isn't clean, either. It distorts the signal as well as changing the tonal spectrum. At unity gain it will be a little gritty. If you use it as a volume-booster it will be more gritty. In my opinion, this is cooler than most fuzz pedals. It gives you kind of a cool, bright tone, but it also "pre-conditions" your sound so a slightly overdriven tube amp sounds more aggro without being obviously fuzz-toned. It's a very cool and subtle effect. I never owned one, but I've always been curious. Now that I've tried one I plan to build more of them.
I cut the board out of Garolite G10, so you know it will last forever. Then I stake the board with turrets and hand-wire the whole dealie right here in the Fool Audio Research World Headquarters!
It's got a DC input jack, but remember that this is a positive-ground pedal and you'll need a polarity adapter if you want to use it with a standard wall wart. Or you can use it with something like Fulltone FPS-2 that's set up for positive-ground.
You know it, you love it...the sound that Tony Iommi used to take you to the netherworld! Hand-wired for her pleasure! It's the Fool Audio Research, RAGEMASTER!