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.

Product Update - Discontinuing the Antimatter

With two new pedals on the horizon, I'm taking this opportunity to discontinue the Antimatter as a regular production pedal. It was the first 73 Effects production pedal yet only three were ever made.

The Wee Heavy Overdrive is almost ready to launch, and look for the 73 Effects Old-School Wah soon. The OSW is based on the ancient Vox Clyde McCoy wah, with some cool features like a three-position sweep range, a switchable output buffer to play nice with fuzz pedals, and a fixed-filter mode. I'm also winding the inductors by hand. You will like it. You will want one.

Stay tuned!

Mike!

73FX's first customer Mike from Brooklyn paying a visit to the Galactic Headquarters.

Things that make ya go 'Wah"...

Stay tuned for the 73 Effects Old-School Wah.

Goin' out in a Phase of glory.

Just finished up a custom phaser for an old friend Mark "Fin" Foster. It's a script-logo Phase 90, so now Mark can get his 70's EVH on.

Product Update

I'm deep into two custom builds right now - an Octave pedal and a Phaser. I'm also finishing up Wee Heavy #001. Since my sinister plan to enslave the world's population of monkeys and have them build my pedals has been shelved, any regular production pedal orders will be delayed a bit longer than the 4-week lead time. Contact me for an update prior to ordering. Thanks!

Super-Fuzz sighting...at a Delaware Hooters.

Chuck Kuzminski has Super-Fuzz #002 on his board. Check out Chuck and his band Chasing Thea in the Wilmington DE area. or chek out Chuck's store at www.ckuzguitars.com

Terror Alert Red!

Michel Laugier is set to destroy the Pocono mountains with his new Super-Fuzz, #011. Call the cops! He's also entering the DIY and boutique effects world with the Glass Bikini, a clear plastic pedal enclosure. Stay tuned to www.glassbikini.com for more info. Thanks Michel!

Who ordered the coolest Super-Fuzz yet?

 Bill Ruby did. #012 - Custom paint and enclosure, but same filthy beast on the inside.Thanks Bill!

 

here are #007 and #012 together - the last two with the big brick enclosure. 

 

Everything you ever wanted to know about 73 Effects

Here's my interview with effectsdatabase.com. 73 Effects Brand Interview

Vintage Overdrive - one-off custom pedal

I've been doing a bit of custom work lately so here's a great example. This is the Vintage Overdrive - a DOD 250-based overdrive with a separate dirty boost. It's a 70's grey-box 250 spec with more gain and switchable clipping diodes.

This pedal is one of one, custom-built for Steve "Vintage" Vlaminck of Media PA-based R3. (http://r3band.com/) . I like it so much I'll be adding it to the official roster as the Wee Heavy Overdrive. Stay tuned.  

Super-Fuzz goin' way down south

73 Effects has hit the Sunshine State. Thanks to Bruce Pyes of Ft. Lauderdale FL for being the latest Super-Fuzz customer and the first with the new PCB version.

How about a little fire, Scarecrow?

Announcing the latest addition to the 73 Effects roster - the Wicked Witch. Take a dirty transistor boost and shove it into a vintage Clyde McCoy wah-wah circuit and you get a solo/lead boost pedal that just flat-out screams. The boost control adds grit and volume while the "Heel-Toe" control lets you adjust the wah sweep so you can leave it in one spot- think Mick Ronson or Michael Schenker's tone.  The range switch gives you three sweep ranges from screechy treble to woofy bass. Somewhere in there you will find the sweet spot that will cut through any mix. It works magic for a sterile lead tone on a solid-state amp and makes tube amps spit fire. You have been warned.

The Wicked Witch was developed with Johnny Wator of The Last Vegas - gig tested, tweaked, and refined until it was...well, wicked. The fun starts with a dirty diode-clipped transistor boost that kicks the gain, sustain, and harmonics up a notch. The rest  is pure vintage McCoy - a real wah circuit that features a Sabbadius Soul inductor, the most accurate replica of the ancient Vox halo inductor we could find. Add some NOS Mullard Tropical Fish capacitors and BC109B transistors to complete the trip back in time. True bypass switching and a 9v adapter jack bring it into the 21st century.




















The Wicked Witch is available with a four-week lead time for $160 plus shipping.

Super-Fuzz spotted at Summerfest - Milwaukee WI.

The Last Vegas killing it at Summerfest in Milwaukee, WI on June 10. Check out the Super-Fuzz at Johnny Wator's feet. Can't miss that big red box.