from gut-punch BC183 to
warm NKT275. Being the
tone hound he is, Analog
Man only sources NOS or
extremely high-quality new
transistors, once that stock
is out, it’s done. I decided
to choose the BC109 silicon
transistor, as it’s close to
the classic BC108 but it
just gives a little bit more
of everything. A fuzz is
incredibly temperamental
about placement in the
chain and proximity to
buffers, so I tried placing
it on its own. While the
sound was admittedly a bit
dark, placing it before the
Analogman Buffer added
a nice lift to the high end.
There are quite a few
options for the SunFace, but
I got the most basic of basic;
clock face graphics with no
nine-volt adapter, LED, or
bias knob— real vintage!
There are only two controls,
Volume and Fuzz, which can
yield a whole range of tones
if used right (or “wrong”,
depending on what the
player is after). This fuzz is a
dense and bright blanket of
glassy grit; everything about
it feels right, from the DIY
aesthetics to the beautiful
torrent of silicon-fueled
screams that come out of
this thing. Like many vintage
fuzzes, this pedal is reactive
to the guitar’s volume knob,
and while still remaining
bright, it will tame itself to
a trebly crunch. Backi