The Fuzz You've Never Seen

Back in the early 2000s, my dad and I got into DIY pedal kits (mainly fuzz). It taught me a lot about the inner workings of pedals and how just one component change can have a huge effect on tone. After trying 100s of fuzz pedals over the years, I always come back to the "Black Box".
The specific kit is the Boutique Late 60s Fuzz Face from General Guitar Gadgets. tinyurl.com/y5...
It adds a Bias and Contour, which are very helpful for humbucker-lovers like myself. We also made a Rangemaster, Colorsound One Knob Fuzz, Octavia and Tone Bender but that's a story for another video.
If you have a soldering iron, check out General Guitar Gadgets, Small Bear Electronics and Build Your Own Clone. I'd recommend putting at least one kit together, it's a great learning experience and you walk away with greater appreciation for those who actually design the circuits, not to mention something you've built with your own hands.
Thanks for watching!
Follow me on Instagram: / pdxandyguitar
Twitter: / pdxandyguitar
Website: andydemos.com/
Amp: Wang Music Designs - Pulsar Reverb www.wangmusicd...
Guitars: Gibson Custom CME Les Paul, G&L Legacy
Pedals: GGG Boutique Late 60s Fuzz, Hamstead Ascent Boost
Recording Gear: Universal Audio Apollo 8 QUAD, OX Amp Top Box, Royer R-121
Strings: Stringjoy Signatures tinyurl.com/St...
Cables: Sinasoid Sable & Sliver patch cables tinyurl.com/Si...

[@PhilLament]

All in favor of "Andy's Tone Nuggets" becoming a thing? Aye!

[@nimblebutler]

Loving the “unscripted” Andy!

[@mykhedelic6471]

But scripted Andy is fine, too, as well as block.

[@RobertNolan]

@@mykhedelic6471 I prefer Wingdings Andy best

[@Smart-Alex]

That is so incredibly cool that you and your dad had the same interests. My dad and I didn’t and now he’s gone.

[@ctsilva45]

this is awesome, Andy. I've gotten into pedal building this past year and I love it. now, I can own pedals that are too rare or way out of my price range by taking the time to build them myself. I wouldn't have been inspired to even try if it wasn't for all of your demos with amazing pedals that I could never afford. it means a lot coming from you that you endorse guitarists tinkering away at DIY projects. hopefully, some of the other viewers will be inspired to try building kits and tagboards/veros.

[@AndyDemos]

Thanks so much, Chris! I'm happy to hear you're enjoying it!

[@wreckoningday]

Fulltone 69 "clone". Great sounding fuzz face that has a lot more range than a standard FF. The transistors make a huge difference which makes it your own pedal and not really a clone! Great sounding build Andy!!

[@Sep45]

With all the effects pedal knowledge you've acquired it'd be cool see you start your own company. I'm sure you could produce an excellent line of pedals. Have dad build them!

[@182jUlieN44]

Andy did build pedals when he worked for fulltone!

[@brianmoffet7237]

That was fun! I love a good backstory. And as a fanatical homebrewer ... I always love to hear a DIY pedal. Now go build a tube amp.

[@AndyDemos]

My dad built a JTM-45 from Metro Amps about the same time. I don’t have the time these days for building amps or even pedals haha!

[@nwamacman]

Andy messing around is better than any music out today ...

[@joetoe9207]

You present with class and I learn a lot in a short time. High praise from one guy! Tx!

[@cb24203]

Just a heads up for anyone wanting to build the NPN version of this pedal: The General Guitar Gadgets build layout diagram for the “boutique late 60s NPN” has a small error that I don’t think has been corrected yet. Just make the sure the status LED has the positive (long) leg going to the PCB and the negative (short) leg going to the footswitch. The build doc layout has it accidentally reversed and I don’t think it’s been corrected. The schematic has it correct.

[@thatfellarosto]

Do I need to solder anything with this kit?

[@cb24203]

@@thatfellarosto everything.

[@joetoe9207]

Omg, this is such a cool story!!! Class plus. Very cool, man! You come by what you do honestly. Great story!

[@briansatterfield]

I love how you seem to go from totally fuzzed out to very clear and musical. Great job showing this off and as always love hearing you play. I've got my first DIY pedal and just need to dive into it.

[@TheOneandOnlyAP]

Love those gritty clean tones on the G&L with the volume turned down!

[@AndyDemos]

Yes, it cleans up way better than any other S type. Must be a treble bleed mod!

[@mrfrontranger7911]

Whoa Tone nuggets black box rules

[@wgb01001]

If you could somehow mod it so that the bias control ran on an expression pedal, you’d have everything you need under the sun for drive tones! Roll it back for crisp OD, full on for amp-exploding fuzz, and use your volume knob for clean tones, a la Pete Townshend (Live At Leeds). Maybe just a boost pedal after the fuzz for solos if you need more volume, but this pedal into a tube amp is all you’d need.

[@brianpatrick6102]

Lovely. The Leeds fuzz from BYOC is another great one. Kit Rae's Big Muff page (forgot the site name)has a good instruction on how to make pedal graphics. Dig.

[@Tanzi24]

Wonderful sounding pedal! The bias and contour controls really vary the sound and make for a versatile Fuzz Face.

[@EricMerrow]

Sounds great man!!!

[@jimivibes609]

Great stuff Andy, I also play fingerstyle, adore fuzz and make gear demos... so I really appreciate this❤

[@pjmtry7]

Love it when it's personal!

[@user-wv5gv3dw5u]

That pedal sounds HUGE

[@eljoel89]

Haha. Wang. Funny enough, I've been looking at Fender Princeton amps lately, but I was sad they don't seem to make a version that steps down the power. This has a fully adjustable wattage.

[@sickb2200]

That's one killer pedal...or pedal killer, however you want to look at it.

[@flux1968]

I just got a Tonebender MKII kit from GGG. Since I just jumped into the world of DIY pedals, I'm just hoping it even turns on.

[@50Something]

Dude, the off board wiring is tricky and good soldering technique critical. Dive in, it's a trip to build classic fuzz circuits

[@markhammer643]

Aw jeez. I have SOOOO many projects on the go that need finishing, and so many things I promised to fix for friends, and NOW you provoke my curiosity about this circuit? Can I blame the delays on you when my friends ask what's taking so long? That is a *really* nice sounding fuzz. I had followed MIke Fuller's advice on hfes of 80 and 120 for the two transistors, but this is a cut above. Lovely throaty wooly tone.

[@AndyDemos]

The Toshiba are nice, I put one in my 69 when Fuller was running out of good NKTs around 2006 (can't remember which Ge is where) buy it is still amazing even if only "half mojo".

[@tomsonkolson9007]

Oh, so You build like the best Fuzz pedal out there, using an DIY kit, it sounds huge, cleans up the best way possible, was cheap and it’s not that a big deal for You, right? Well, Andy Martin, You just have proved (again) Your greatness and what a humble person You are. Hats off to You and Andy’s dad 🙂🔥❤️🕺👊

[@mrfrontranger7911]

We do have fun Thats the point right? Thankyou

[@tomsonkolson9007]

Mr Frontranger having fun is the most important thing! Only good things are being created from fun 🙂

[@mrfrontranger7911]

Thankyou 🙏

[@hrlarson]

General guitar gadget is a fantastic resource and what I understand what got a few of todays builders started.

[@danielpirone8028]

Great video Andy - more like this as you can!

[@zosojstro]

Excellent demo!!

[@markhammer643]

Well. I perfed one up today, following the GGG schematic, using a 2SA49 (hfe around 58) for Q1 and a 2SB175 (hfe just under 160) for Q2. Cleaned up well, but didn't sound *nearly* as good as yours. No "wool" unless I was using it to drive an amp in distortion mode. Mind you, I didn't test for leakage. Also my first time using a 2SA49 in that application. I probably needed to install a socket for Q1 to try out different transistors. Tomorrow.

[@gilibertopaparauchas5959]

It sounds astounding

[@scomu9742]

loved that vid!

[@maedereszynski174]

for my tweaking enjoyment ;)

[@mr_guy661]

Sounds so diverse, like an anologue Fuzz Factory or something, mad!

[@TheFarout69]

I love building fuzz and drive pedals.

[@jaimedolcesinnersole]

Incredible!

[@JustPlaneStupid69]

Nice.

[@demantoid418]

Thanks this was nice.

[@bouzoukiman5000]

Hey, man! What germanium transistors did you use? Thanks! Love your vids

[@jazzmoon77]

Love this

[@dezionlion]

Killer!

[@InGrindWeCrust2010]

FYI Small Bear is closing shop at the beginning of 2022 😭

[@willwolfinger2770]

When are we getting Andy Pedals?

[@eddie341]

Where can I get the black box already built? Not much of a solderer (?) here

[@digiwaves]

Man, that put hair on my tongue!

[@AndyDemos]

Hahaha! Happy to help🤘

[@bradbaldwin7991]

OG

[@macklu7571]

My big away from this video is you using your foot to turn the bias knob.

[@methyod]

god bless ggg

[@whitneybord2582]

i built one....still have it.........

[@Gaant]

"69" Nice.

[@BCEpedals]

Picking with the thumbnail has always made a sharp uncomfortable sound to my ears..

[@AndyDemos]

Feel the same about picks! ✌️