FUZZ PEDAL
Hold And Drag
Hold And Drag
The Fuzzpedal project was born out of my love for Jimi Hendrix and his iconic fuzz-driven guitar tone. As a guitar player, I wanted to replicate that sound but found commercial pedals too expensive, often exceeding $200. To solve this, I borrowed an original fuzz pedal from a neighbor and reverse-engineered it to create my own cost-effective variant.
This custom fuzz pedal uses two NPN germanium transistors, chosen for their crucial role in delivering the classic fuzz tone. The pedal features standard input and output jacks and is powered by a nine-volt power supply, just like traditional guitar pedals. Unlike many commercial models, my design omits a bypass switch, keeping the effect constantly active, with an LED indicator showing its status.
The pedal offers two adjustable controls via ten-kilohm potentiometers: one for volume and one for fuzz intensity. It’s housed in a 3D-printed enclosure, giving it a durable and compact form factor. Despite its simplicity, the pedal faithfully reproduces the original sound, with only a slight increase in noise, which adds to its character.
The circuit was entirely hand-soldered onto a prototype board, demonstrating a hands-on approach to DIY electronics. The pedal not only sounds remarkably similar to the original but also serves as a practical and cost-efficient alternative, showcasing my ability to replicate and adapt classic designs for personal use.
