- Build Rating
Many of us here are constantly trying to up their build game; and for me right now, that means venturing into the world of 1590A builds. In my case it's not a matter of freeing up real estate on my board (at least not yet), but a simple yearning to improve my skill set and try something new. So what do we have here then? My first two 1590A builds, which both happen to be one knob fuzzes.
When @Feral Feline mentioned in my Green Ghetto build report thread that Small Bear was now selling the Fuzzdog One Knob Fuzz, it brought back a fond memory. We all remember that first pedal we built that was a success and actually worked, and for me, it was the Fuzzdog One Knob. When I was first starting out, I wasn't ready to dive into the treasure trove that is PedalPCB; I knew I needed to start with a kit; the idea of simply buying PCB's, sourcing components, and drilling my own enclosures seemed quite daunting at the time. So I ordered the One Knob kit from Fuzzdog with a 1590B because I knew cramming everything into a 1590A as a beginner was way out of my league. But after @Feral Feline's comment, I decided to dig the One Knob out, as I hadn't used it in awhile. Then I had an idea: although I wasn't ready for a 1590A build back then, I certainly am now. Thus, I undertook the challenge of rehousing this bad boy. I used the drill template from the older version of Fuzzdog's Fuzzpup general build document (which I highly recommend as a general 1590A drill template), and it turned out to be not so much of a challenge at all. I did need to slightly bend the pot legs in order for the board to fit over the Lumberg jacks, but that's the only out of the ordinary thing I had to do.
This One Knob Fuzz is a Colorsound clone, and boy is it thick and meaty. The knob is simply a volume control, and it sure can go big and loud. If the idea of a simple yet killer one knob fuzz interests you, look no further. Perfect project for a newbie (although I'd stick to a 1590B if you're a beginner). The enclosure is a powder drop from Love My Switches in Ford Blue. Definitely a cool and useful pedal. Right now I have it positioned behind my Catalinbread Soft Focus (the only pedal on my board that I didn't build), as I've been in a Shoegazey mood as of late.
Next we have the Sheepylove Chrysomallos, a Mythos Golden Fleece clone that @szukalski threw in as a bonus board in the "gift basket" I ordered from him. I used the aforementioned drill template again but had a little more trouble getting this little guy to fit than I did with the One Knob, and I actually somehow broke a pot (a first for me) in the process. I ended up using a Fuzzdog breakout board, as the Sheepylove one wouldn't fit. However, everything came out well in the end.
Like the One Knob this is a cool little pedal but they are vastly different. The Chrysomallos has more range but doesn't get as thick and loud as the One Knob; I kind of think of it as a "Fuzz-lite" in comparison. The knob on this one is also just a simple volume control, and I think it sounds best dimed out while using your guitar's volume knob to adjust the amount of volume/gain you'd like. For the Ge diode I went with a D9E, which turned out to be a good fit. I used another Love My Switches limited edition enclosure in gold, but am quite disappointed with this one, surprisingly. For $14, I was expecting something a bit more shiny and brilliant, but honestly the Tayda gold enclosures look just as good.
To sum things up, I'm definitely looking forward to undertaking some more challenging 1590A builds. If anyone has any suggestions for one, please let me know. And as far as one knob fuzzes go, I highly recommend looking into one. Say/think what you will about Josh Scott, but he definitely got at least one thing right: everyone needs a one knob fuzz.
Thanks for reading, and again, I'd love to hear suggestions for any future 1590A builds.
When @Feral Feline mentioned in my Green Ghetto build report thread that Small Bear was now selling the Fuzzdog One Knob Fuzz, it brought back a fond memory. We all remember that first pedal we built that was a success and actually worked, and for me, it was the Fuzzdog One Knob. When I was first starting out, I wasn't ready to dive into the treasure trove that is PedalPCB; I knew I needed to start with a kit; the idea of simply buying PCB's, sourcing components, and drilling my own enclosures seemed quite daunting at the time. So I ordered the One Knob kit from Fuzzdog with a 1590B because I knew cramming everything into a 1590A as a beginner was way out of my league. But after @Feral Feline's comment, I decided to dig the One Knob out, as I hadn't used it in awhile. Then I had an idea: although I wasn't ready for a 1590A build back then, I certainly am now. Thus, I undertook the challenge of rehousing this bad boy. I used the drill template from the older version of Fuzzdog's Fuzzpup general build document (which I highly recommend as a general 1590A drill template), and it turned out to be not so much of a challenge at all. I did need to slightly bend the pot legs in order for the board to fit over the Lumberg jacks, but that's the only out of the ordinary thing I had to do.
This One Knob Fuzz is a Colorsound clone, and boy is it thick and meaty. The knob is simply a volume control, and it sure can go big and loud. If the idea of a simple yet killer one knob fuzz interests you, look no further. Perfect project for a newbie (although I'd stick to a 1590B if you're a beginner). The enclosure is a powder drop from Love My Switches in Ford Blue. Definitely a cool and useful pedal. Right now I have it positioned behind my Catalinbread Soft Focus (the only pedal on my board that I didn't build), as I've been in a Shoegazey mood as of late.
Next we have the Sheepylove Chrysomallos, a Mythos Golden Fleece clone that @szukalski threw in as a bonus board in the "gift basket" I ordered from him. I used the aforementioned drill template again but had a little more trouble getting this little guy to fit than I did with the One Knob, and I actually somehow broke a pot (a first for me) in the process. I ended up using a Fuzzdog breakout board, as the Sheepylove one wouldn't fit. However, everything came out well in the end.
Like the One Knob this is a cool little pedal but they are vastly different. The Chrysomallos has more range but doesn't get as thick and loud as the One Knob; I kind of think of it as a "Fuzz-lite" in comparison. The knob on this one is also just a simple volume control, and I think it sounds best dimed out while using your guitar's volume knob to adjust the amount of volume/gain you'd like. For the Ge diode I went with a D9E, which turned out to be a good fit. I used another Love My Switches limited edition enclosure in gold, but am quite disappointed with this one, surprisingly. For $14, I was expecting something a bit more shiny and brilliant, but honestly the Tayda gold enclosures look just as good.
To sum things up, I'm definitely looking forward to undertaking some more challenging 1590A builds. If anyone has any suggestions for one, please let me know. And as far as one knob fuzzes go, I highly recommend looking into one. Say/think what you will about Josh Scott, but he definitely got at least one thing right: everyone needs a one knob fuzz.
Thanks for reading, and again, I'd love to hear suggestions for any future 1590A builds.
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