Freaky Stone, a freakily awesome bass overdrive with vintage sound flavor based on germanium transistors.
Description
Freaky Stone, a freakily awesome bass overdrive with vintage sound flavor based on germanium transistors.
Paul McCartney, John Paul Jones, Gene Simmons, Paul Simonon, Lemmy, Steve Harris, Duff McKagan, Tim Commerford. A few names of the bass players with special playing style, but most of all a special sound timbre of the bass with a big impact on me and still do have to this day. They all have different, unique flavors, but the common point is that they used lightly or roughly cracked amps.
This special cavalcade of flavors inspired the creation of the Freaky Stone pedal. I wanted to make a versatile pedal with the basic character of germanium transistors, giving the pedal a kind of vintage feel. So the Freaky Stone is a character pedal designed specifically for bass players, which you can also use as a preamp, overdrive, or fuzz.
A box that incorporates two separate full Germanium based circuits. The signal chain is Rangemaster into a Fuzz Face that combined with each other, virtually it can give you the perfect old-school bass amp sound with lots of tweaking options.
A planned Limited Run of 50 units made with hand selected NOS transistors. The production of the transistors used in this pedal stopped decades ago. Specially matched together for this unique sound for bass I was aiming for.
Because the input of germanium transistor circuits is highly impedance sensitive, if you use the Freaky Stone pedal with an active instrument or connect it to an instrument with active electronics, the pedal will sound different from a passive bass guitar. This manifests in sound so that the sound will be more trebly. This is not a malfunction; it is a characteristic of germanium circuits. Feel free to experiment and open the gates to new unknown sound characters for you.
About The Circuit
The Left side marked with Orange light
Circuit based on the Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face built around two extremely rare low gain NOS Russian military Germanium transistors. Extended with special controls for the adventure in the overdriven or fuzzy bass flavors.
The Right side marked with White light
Modified classic Dallas Rangemaster booster circuit built around an ultra-rare vintage NOS Russian military Germanium transistor. Two additional control knobs described in the following and a two-way internal micro switch that sets how much bass leaves the output, giving you the possibility to fine-tune the circuit with the Fuzz Face in the left side or the next pedal in the signal chain.
Basically it is an equalizer based on germanium transistors. This side gives the pedal the real vintage base taste.
Level
The Volume control for the Fuzz Face side. Due to the carefully selected transistors and the internal bias option, it will be louder than a standard FF circuit.
Boost
This is the Gain and the Volume in the same knob, just like in the original one knob table top version.
Gain
From clean Germanium preamp sound to full on tube like overdrive, it’s everything there to be set with this knob. Use it wisely! You can turn the pedal with it into a weapon of sound destruction.
Low
You can use it to adjust the bass range frequency of the circuits input. Handle it with care because it can unleash a beast quite quickly.
Fat
At fully anti-clockwise the Bass is minimum, to avoid the flabbiness in the sound. Tight overdrive or distortion depending on the gain setting. Gradually add more Bass when turned clockwise. With both effects On, also acts as a secondary Gain control for the fuzzy preamp sounds. Among other things, this is the secret weapon of the Freaky Stone pedal.
High
Reverse treble cut with more highs when dialed clockwise. Useful addition not only to fine tune the treble content of the boost side, but to dial out the inherent noise of the Germanium circuits when both sides are active.
Internal Bias Trim Pot
With this internal knob, you can turn the clean drive character of the FF ide into the characteristic fuzzy filth you can hear on the records of your favorite bassists. Feel free to experiment with it!
Internal Body DIP Switch
Sets the bass content of the output of the boost side. If you want a slightly less body to the bass sound, turn these two switches Off!
