Lockjaw Compressor

73 Effects doesn't normally do anything subtle, what with the crazy fuzzes and delay pedals with a million knobs. However, sometimes you just need something to add sustain, give your clean notes a bit more "snap" or to even out the transients in your picking. You know - subtle. The Lockjaw compressor does just that. Based on the tried-and-true Ross circuit, it's pretty straightforward, with Level, Compression and three-way Recovery controls. The recovery switch gives you more control over how quickly the compression lets go of the note you just played. It's useful to dial in just the right feel for fast country chicken-pickin' or shreddy metal wankery. Updates on the old Ross compressor include true bypass switching, metal-film resistors for lower noise and a 9v adapter jack. Lockjaws are available for $149 and a standard 4-week lead time.

Without further delay: Introducing the Echo Lab

This one has been in the works for literally years. Back-burnered since about 2011, the Echo Lab finally makes its debut. The Echo Lab is an analog-voiced digital delay and reverb pedal that provides about 600ms of delay time and modulation for a chorus effect on the repeats. Some might call it "tape warble" but there's no tape in here so I'm not calling it that. Either way it sounds cool. You can dial in everything from a quick slapback to cascading repeat feedback that can cause seizures. The modulation will add a hint of chorus or warped seasickness with a flashing rate LED to help you keep an eye on things. The reverb is based on the Accutronics BTDR-3 digital brick that gives everything from a dark room to a bright cavern. With a mix, tone and decay control you have more control over your reverb than you probably ever thought you needed. You can cut the dry signal, so all you get is the reverb. Great for volume swell-like effects. Loads of potential here. Traditional reverb and delay or freakout noise machine- its all in how you twiddle the knobs.

Echo Labs are available for $275, lead time is standard 4 weeks. 

Pipeline Update

Hey folks, two developments:

The Super-Fuzz has been around a while now and has been housed in two different enclosures; the big brick-sized 1590PI, and the wedge. The company that supplied the wedge is no longer in business, sadly. In response to a few requests for a smaller enclosure, I will be offering the Super-Fuzz in a 1590BB enclosure -4.67" x 3.68" x 1.18" (119mm x 94mm x 30mm) but without a battery. This one will be 9v-jack ONLY. Keep an eye out for an example coming soon. If you absolutely, positively must have a battery, it'll have to be a brick enclosure.

Also, the eternally-delayed Wee Heavy Overdrive is still in the pipeline, soon to make its debut. Imagine a pedal based on the DOD 250 with lots more gain and punch, combined with a dirty JFET-based boost. It's really two pedals in one, and covers a very wide range of light overdrive to obscene filth. 

Thanks for stopping in and hope to get some new pedals out in the fall. 

-Bryan

Super-Fuzz zerstort Deutchland

73's been going international lately - first I sent the Panic Attack to the Netherlands, now Germany gets a taste of the Super-Fuzz. Thanks to David Oppermann who commissioned this custom-finished Super-Fuzz. Metal-flake blue with the big brick enclosure, which may be making a comeback since the wedge enclosures are no longer available. Anyway, if you're flying over Germany and see a big crater in the ground or people running/screaming in terror, the Super-Fuzz did it. Deutchland uber alles...

The Panic Attack

Panic attacks are periods of intense fear or apprehension that are of sudden onset. Yeah - sudden onset after you turn it on. This is the Panic Attack Fuzz, another unrefined and quite impolite octave-up fuzz like the Super-Fuzz and Antimatter. This is a custom build going out to Ton in the Netherlands. His neighbors are going to hate this.

It's based on the vintage Foxx Tone Machine fuzz with a footswitchable feedback loop that sends its already filthy output back into itself to create an infinite loop that causes unspeakable things to happen. Keep the kids and old ladies away - don't want any panic attacks, ya know. 

here's the sloppy demo video. Laney AOR 50 amp and a two-humbucker Partscaster.  

Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated

Hey - a custom build has just been commissioned - a Foxx Tone Machine clone with a footswitchable feedback loop, similar to the Antimatter. Very cool pedal now in the works!

I've taken a lot of time off for work, house, amp repair, guitar builds, lots of crap. It's time to get 73's groove back. Stay tuned.

Section VIII - what the hell is that noise?

When Mike from Brooklyn commissions a pedal, it's never ordinary. The Section Eight is an analog octave pedal that features three octave notes along with the normal. One up, one down and two down, each individually controllable. It's based on the old and rare Pearl Octaver. Mike will be adding this to his Sonic Fiction live sci-fi-spaceship noise looper rig so if you hear random weirdness coming from the Brooklyn area, it's probably the Section Eight.