Blackout Hehku

I recently wrote about the vintage fuzz from 70’s, which I got from my friend, and provided ahead to pedal collector. Promised my friend to build a clone for him. The layout is as following:

As it’s working with -9V, I slightly modified it to get it working with a regular Boss-type power supply. The needed modifications are reversed electrolytes and diode, nothing more. Because Carlsbro’s fuzz is actually a circuit clone of the MkIV, there is some additional modifications. The resistor between tone 2 and volume 2 is 120K instead of 220K, and the volume pot’s value is B200k instead of B100k. Transistors in my build are russian MP38A’s from the 70’s. Pure USSR NOS-parts together with germanium diode 1N034 bring tons of a mojo to this. I had minor difficulties in finding MP38A’s  pinout, so I’ll put it there in case somebody is in the same situation:

Finished this and connected it to my pedal chain. Believe me, this one has the sound the feeling! All the mojo combined with heavenly fuzz sound makes this overwhelmingly the best fuzz I’ve ever heard. I immediately turned the soldering iron back on, and created another one for myself. It moved to my pedal board permanently.

Talking about the pedal chain. Fuzzes with germanium transistors don’t like “seeing” anything before them. They need to be the first pedal in your chain. Otherwise there can be drastic impact in tone response. Well, of course this is something clearly depending on one’s taste. Feel free to experiment, but this is my opinion.

The name of this pedal is coming from the biker club I am connected to. It’s spealized in russian motorcycles, so how appropriate. The one I gave away is optionally operable with 9V battery. I don’t need it myself, so mine isn’t.