Ashton Audio Fuzzsilla

matta · 2009-04-06T15:11:25+00:00

Thanks CDee, I will post some comments there, but think the Beavis is great for prototyping and playing with circuits, though with a bit of ingenuity you can build your own protoboard and he even provides pin out for his to DIY one. Alan, thanks for the list, ALL of those are ones I had in mind, just hard, esp. in SA to keep stock of ALL of them, so deciding which to start off with. RE socketing, I think ALL opamps should be socketed, period! I mean even a more expensive tulip DIL8 socket is only around R4,00 at WORST, so there is no excuse not to, and as you shared it allows for experimentation as the different opamps do indeed... well... sound different! Right now I'm in the throws of finishing off my take on Fuzz Face pedal that will be sold as Fuzzsilla, and available as kit or finished unit (the commercial units will be power coated and silkscreened, but the PCB is identical between DIY and commercial). Fuzzsilla is pretty much a classic styled Fuzz Face but with few additions and enchantments.It is based around a pair of silicon transistors rather than germaniums, but unlike the later silicon reissues of the 70's uses modern silicon transistors that match the current gain of the old germs, giving a more pleasing fuzz tone. Silicons have advantages as they don't suffer the instability, heat and leakage problems germs do. I've also added power filtering as well as diode protection (incase someone accidentally plugs in the battery or power with the polarity reversed) and the 2nd transistor stage has a trimmer to set the BIAS so you can taylor the sound to taste, correctly Biased at 4.5V-5V, but can be under or over biased to your spec. There will also be an internally jumped 'tone' cap that will allow you to roll off some of the tops for a smoother fuzz sound, or jumper it out for a harder ice pick/wasp like quality. One addition I've not seen on Fuzz/Distortion Pedals (outside of the Zvex and one of the EH pedals) is a SAG or (IN)STABILTY control. SRV used to love playing his Fuzzes with old batteries, about 7V NOT 9VDC, it gave the Fuzzes a more compressed tonal quality and so I've added an series varistor into the power line so you can decrease the voltage to the pedal to achieve similar results, go too far and it with oscillate and splutter like a crazy... but sounds oh so good! Thanks again for all your feedback, looking forward to putting these projects into your hands! Cheers Matt

[deleted]

Brentcgp wrote Any progress Matta? I'm itching....

MIKA-the-better-one

yeh i am still waiting here too.......

matta

Got a call to say the boxes are ready for collection from powder coating today, after my last experience i sure hope they haves screwed anything up! Now I just got to do the silk screening as I have all the parts and PCB's for the first 15... now the question is, how long will the screening take... got to get on it.

Matt

[deleted]

matta

Boxes are being screened, been there a week and I'm hoping to get them back early next week, hoping that there are no problems!

matta

I present Fuzzsilla!

It has been a long time coming (over a year!) and it has been a very painful experience with blood, sweat and many tears.

It was my first experience at trying to make something completely within South African: metal work, powder coating, screening, local PCB fab etc, and it has only reinforced that doing many of these things abroad just makes fiscal and practical sense.

Deadlines shifted, goods were damaged, in some case irreparably, and I had to absorb the costs, which has been painful.

So where does that leaves us? Well Fuzzsilla is going to be a very limited release pedal, at this point only 14 will be made, with me keeping the 15th for myself. It is a truly unique pedal, nothing on the market like it, and very much boutique, from parts to finish.They should be ready for delivery in 2 weeks.

Most of them are already accounted for by prospective buyers, though there are a couple left on a first come, first served basis.

Cheers

Matt

nick

matta wrote I present Fuzzsilla!

It has been a long time coming (over a year!) and it has been a very painful experience with blood, sweat and many tears.

It was my first experience at trying to make something completely within South African: metal work, powder coating, screening, local PCB fab etc, and it has only reinforced that doing many of these things abroad just makes fiscal and practical sense.

Deadlines shifted, goods were damaged, in some case irreparably, and I had to absorb the costs, which has been painful.

So where does that leaves us? Well Fuzzsilla is going to be a very limited release pedal, at this point only 14 will be made, with me keeping the 15th for myself. It is a truly unique pedal, nothing on the market like it, and very much boutique, from parts to finish.They should be ready for delivery in 2 weeks.

Most of them are already accounted for by prospective buyers, though there are a couple left on a first come, first served basis.

Cheers

Matt

Congrats Matt! Looks great 8)

If we wanted to grab one of the few left, how much? PM if its against forum rules or whatever.

singemonkey

Looks phenomenal. Good choice on the yellow LED.

makepeace

If we wanted to grab one of the few left, how much? PM if its against forum rules or whatever.

Likewise for me too pleeeeeez. Looks radical.

AlanRatcliffe

I am so pleased it's almost here. Been awaiting mine with anticip...

FruitarGeek

makepeace wrote
If we wanted to grab one of the few left, how much? PM if its against forum rules or whatever.
Likewise for me too pleeeeeez. Looks radical.

Yea.. Price me up too please. It looks amazing.

needleshy

while you at pricing the peeps, do the same for me thx

FenderBender

Looks great Matt! Congrats! Would love to hear one!

singemonkey

With only 15, you can't throw them about. But have you considered seeing if burgerman666 on youtube would review it? He must be a lot of people's go-to guy for effects reviews on the internet.

makepeace

singemonkey wrote But have you considered seeing if burgerman666 on youtube would review it? He must be a lot of people's go-to guy for effects reviews on the internet.

or gearmanndude.

singemonkey

makepeace wrote
singemonkey wrote But have you considered seeing if burgerman666 on youtube would review it? He must be a lot of people's go-to guy for effects reviews on the internet.
or gearmanndude.

You gotta love gearmandude ?

kayDUB

Fuzzsilla looks really great Matt! (supprised you could fit it in with your cooking exploits ? )

Alan Ratcliffe wrote I am so pleased it's almost here. Been awaiting mine with anticip...

aarrrgh! Alan you got me here! Its driving me crazy! Please finish the sen...

matta

I'm a family man these days, cooking and gardening come above pedals it seems, LOL!

Thanks everyone for the kudos and well wishes, give me a few days to get back to your all, I'm doing a massive studio install tomorrow.

Cheers

Matt

Dinosaur-Snr

Hey Matta

Have you thought of designing any other pedals. The Fuzzsilla looks AWESOME. ? Could you give me an indication of the price of one?

matta

First one left out the door, serial #2, bought by none other than blues master Dan Patlansky.

Dan kicked around the proto a bit and fell in love with it and was an early adopter. He has gone through countless fuzzes costing 5 times what Fuzzsilla does and called last night to say, 'You nailed it!'. He said it is finest 'Fuzz Face' type pedal he has owned and gives him the tone he as been looking for, straight up fuzz that goes from subtle to rip roaring and all the shades in between. A large part of this was the custom pots I had made with the correct rev log tape with an nice even fuzz sound over the throw of the pot.

I, as I'm sure many others do, have much admiration for Dan and his tone/playing, so count myself blessed to be a part of that.

Incidentally the first 10 units are built, 9 have already been sold, one left in this batch, the last 3 will follow in a week.

Cheers

Matt

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