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DIRTY BOY GERMANIUM PEDALS
A word from Alex Saraceno
Over the past few years, we have received countless requests from our hardcore fans for me to build them "Dirty Boy" amplifiers. Those amps were specifically designed for live performances. They were very costly and time consuming to build, since they operate on a different system that required seven separate transformers. I could not spend the time to build them and Blues' fans could afford the production costs.
Now that Blues is concentrating on doing T.V., Film, and recording sessions, he has switched to using smaller studio type amps. WHOA, What about his killer tone?
Well, the solution to that is simple. He has been using several pedals ( Stomp Boxes is you wish) that I designed for him to address just that. And good news... I can build enough to satisfy his hardcore fans that just need to have that tone, at a fraction of the price of what a "Dirty Boy" amp would cost.
What is cool is that you get to keep your current set up as well! You can hear Blues play several clips using those exact pedals, so listen away!!!! Clips for the Germanium Boy and Afro Fuzz were done with a $99 Squire Strat (stock) and $150 Sears Silvertone amp with 10" speaker!
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GERMANIUM BOY
A multi-frequency booster with a 12 position frequency selector and a gain function. It allows you to choose which frequency you choose to boost. That is very important since it helps marry your guitar with whatever amp you are using.
If your guitar is too bassy, choose a high frequency to boost. If you have humbuckers and you wish a single-coil sound, choose a higher frequency. If you have a single coil and want to fatten it up, use a low frequency. The same goes with the amp.
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This pedal can be used on a microphone for effects, bass guitar, keyboards, nylon electric, horns, digital mixes, the combinations are endless.
I build them with Germanium transistors that are about 40 years old and have smoth clipping, not with silicon transistors that have a tendency to sound like razor blades. Of course, I only have a limited quantity of those transistors so you may want to take this into consideration when ordering.
This pedal has been hugely popular with L.A. based studio musicians as well as Emmy winning producers. It is also great for live performances. These are true Bypass and have an insert for a 9-volt wall wart and have an LED as well for instant recognition.
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FUZZY BOY
I finally finished my work on the "Fuzzy Boy." This pedal has probably taken more time to perfect then any other one so far.
Let me describe the pedal for you. It is actually a full on psychedelia thing, totally reminescent of the early 60's bands.
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Imagine 2 totally separate sounding transistors and a blend pot between them. You can use transistor 1 or transistor 2 or blend them. Now we put a frequency selector in the front and we call it the master tone... At the output of each of those transistors we once again put a separate frequency selector. Mathematically that is 216 separate positions and were you to assume that there are 6 detents in each the volume and the blend pots, you would have then 7776 different combinations ( although I am sure there are some crossovers in there ) my point being that it is a total FACTORY of sound.
One of the great points of this pedal is that it is both a LIVE pedal as well as a STUDIO pedal. Once you find your favorite frequency setting, you mark it or remember it, and live that is the position that you would use as not to confuse anything. In the studio, where you have time to adjust, then you experiment and will find out that it is full of HAPPY ACCIDENTS.
As far as the sound, it can be much narrower then a wild fuzz since the clean signal sounds like it is re-introduced into the path and the notes are more controllable and defined. It also sounds kinda like a synthesizer or maybe like a weird sounding Kazoo but very cool. It can be totally over the top or totally mosquito'y.
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OCTO '59
I have designed yet another pedal for the new year. It is an octave fuzz.
This pedal is probably one of fattest Octave pedal on the planet. I always have been frustrated with the Octave Up pedals since they all sound so thin and the octave down pedals always get lost once the bass player starts.This pedal is unusual in more then one way.
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For one thing, you can control the amount of signal going in with a pot and when reduced, the pot also acts as a tone control as well. The other pot on the pedal is simply a volume so you can control the signal going in as well as going out. As like most of my pedals, I have added a 3 position frequency selector which adds flexibility to the pedal. And if that wasn't enough you will find a smaller knob that when turned one way will turn the pedal into a straight and smooth Fuzz pedal, and if turned in the opposite direction will only add 50% of the octave with any increment in between. This is a totally Germanium pedal which is extremely stable. One must listen to the individual Soundclips as well as the Octo '59 Rock song to realize just how much this pedal can do. Oh and I forgot to mention that the Blend / Fuzz is controlled by its individual foot switch. This pedal has been in planning for a long time and has received extended testing. I am totally stoked with this pedal and hope you will be as well...
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CANNIBAL BOY
This pedal is a very accurate and very flexible sustain pedal. Unlike the square wave fuzz, this is based on sine wave clipping. You have a frequency selector and also a tone control. This pedal utilizes 3 germanium transistors for the softest clipping available. This is a pedal that will best suit the recording artist that needs to have a solo "sit" in a track. A true professional instrument.
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These pedals are being used by many high profile guitar players. I chose not to list their names since I did not seek their endorsement nor did I discount the pedals. And, I value their privacy. I am hoping you will take my word for it. Please E-Mail me for prices.
These pedals are also available directly from:
PEDAL GEEK
(866) 505-4335 toll free - P.O. Box 356, New Hyde Park, NY 11040. www.pedalgeek.com
ROGER CORDELL / BIG CITY MUSIC
(818) 985-0855 - web: www.bigcitymusic.com - email: roger@bigcitymusic.com
AMP SHOP / BASS EXCHANGE
(818) 386-5500 - 13701 Ventura Blvd. Sherman Oaks CA. 91423 www.amp-shop.com
BANANAS @ LARGE
(415) 457-7600 - 1504 4th St. San Rafael, Ca 94901 www.bananas.com
VINTAGE GEAR
(323) 876-9862 - 7501 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90046 vintagegear@qnet.com
P.S. I will guarantee the pedals for a full year for any malfunction as long as no one has tried to fix it first.
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AFRO FUZZ
Loosely based on the fuzz face circuit with the addition of a 6 position frequency selector. It is actually a hybrid. Up front it has a Germanium transistor (40 years old, pulled out of early sixties Italian keyboards) for smooth clipping and followed by a high HFE silicon transistor for power. It is an exceptionally loud pedal. You can use it on any amp and it certainly will work well with any Marshall plexi-amp, or a Vox as well. This is the first fuzz pedal on the market that gives you that kind of flexibility. The best way to describe it is to listen to the clips that are posted. Once again, bear in mind that I only have a limited number of those transistors with the proper HFE.. |
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TONE BULLY
Thought I'd give you a heads up about my latest pedal that may interest you. It's called the " Tone Bully ". It's 2 pedals in one. |
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The first one is actually a treble booster like the Germanium Boy but with only 2 frequency selections, high and low and a gain knob. The second one is a sustainer with fuzz and volume. The first one can be used individually from the other and the second one can be individually from the booster.
What makes this pedal special is that you can use both the booster and the sustainer simultaniously. It then creates this super wide sound that will exceed any sound that you have ever heard from a single pedal. It is just not louder, but so fat without being choked and keeps all the characteristics that you would expect from a very accurate unit. This is similar to the sound of well known artists that believe in using more then one sustain effect at once but all wrapped up in one unit. Of course you can change the whole width of the sound by selecting the either High or Low position on the booster.
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BASS BULLY
Ok all you Bass Players, I haven't forgotten about you. There seems to be a hole in the marketplace for effects for the bass players, just like at one time there wasn't much available for left hand players. Hence I created the "Bass Bully."
To begin with, it has an EQ circuit built in the pedal which I feel is superior to the circuit included in most basic basses. Most basic basses have a capacitor to ground for tone control. This EQ is based on a blend of capacitance, and that alone is worth the cost of admission.
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The first position on the pedal is a Boost Feature. It does just that, boosts your signal and somehow adds a GLOW to your sound. This circuit is based on an INDUCTOR circuit like the wah pedals have. It is very cool. ( also worth the cost of admission )
The 2nd position on the pedal is a simple Fuzz. It is incredibly smooth and actually amazing since most of you know how difficult is is to fuzz a bass signal. Bass players have been forced to use guitar pedals up to now until the "BASS BULLY" arrived.
3rd position is like using 2 pedals in one. One is the Bass Boost, the other the Bass Fuzz. They are wired in series so the signal will go through the boost before getting to the fuzz so you can blend the two. Why you ask add a boost and a fuzz, well if you want that totally over the top, Farty 60's Sly and the Family Stone sound, there it is... You will have tons of fun with this pedal and it is beyond belief in the studio...
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BALL BUSTER
In short - The absolute perfect booster pedal for the front end of your vintage mid-gain amps such as Plexi Marshall, Orange, Hiwatt or Vox.
The new "Ball Buster" is the latest offering from Dirty Boy Pedals... It was conceived to be used to drive the front end of your old "one trick pony" amp and give you a whole new array of amazing and usable guitar tones.
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GAIN KNOB - When the pedal is first engaged you'll notice an instant 10db (approx.) of clean pure boost ... as the knob is turned clockwise the pedal starts to explode with gain and natural compression... When fully clockwise you'll find yourself in Fuzz territory.
TREBLE/BASS KNOBS - Both perfectly voiced for guitar. The TREBLE can go from that perfectly transparent sheen to that old British cut with a simple twist of the knob, always rich and solid without that paper thin brittle high end thing that most pedals have. When the BASS knob is counter clockwise it is flat... As you turn it clockwise you'll hear your signal get rich and lush in a matter of seconds. It has been voiced so that you only get the usable bass frequencies that actually make your guitar signal fatter... Not that typical woofy, flubby thing that just makes your guitar harder to play... Both of these knobs used in conjunction w/the H-M-L switch is where the fun begins...
H-M-L SWITCH - The H-M-L switch does for your guitar signal much like what a mastering engineer does for your CD (In order to make your CD tracks as loud and as punchy as possible, many mastering engineers will often get rid or "shave" unusable low end frequencies that just cloud up the mix and eat up the energy of the track...getting rid of the unusable bass frequencies will actually give you more bottom end) The H-M-L switch allows you to shave or get rid of those unwanted unusable bass frequencies that just make your sound muddy, tubby and hard to play. Once you have gotten rid of those unusable bass frequencies, use the Bass knob to add in the right amount of usable bass frequencies to help get that super-rich lush bottom end that is perfect for both the fattest of leads as well as keeping that "tight low end chord thing" going on for Rhythm. Just plug the Ball Buster into the bass channel of an old plexi and you'll understand what I'm talkin' about.
The Ball Buster is also true bypass so as to not alter your "bypassed signal" and can be used with a 9vdc power supply if desired.
We have finally posted a soundclip for the Ballbuster. I have decided to make it a song rather then individual position sound clips. This song really rocks and is a great representation of what the pedal does. For some reason, this pedal has been super popular with major guitars players that are playing large venues like Colisseums and Madison Square Garden. Once you hear the clips you will understand why...
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| Ball Buster Soundclip |
| Due the fact that it's a booster, we gave you a tune with the Ball Buster on all guitars.. |
| The Ballbuster Song |
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SEMYOUR DUNCAN "Tweak Fuzz"
The "Afro Fuzz" and the "Tweak Fuzz" are of the same design. The "Afro Fuzz" is hand wired and uses both a Silicon transistor and a Germanium transistor and are costly. The "Tweak Fuzz" uses 2 Silicon transistors and is only a fraction of the cost. The pedals were identically tuned and the "Tweak Fuzz" was created for a more cost conscious player thanx to the magic of mass production. Go to the Seymour Duncan Website for more info and a videos of Blues talking about and demonstrating the "Tweak Fuzz".
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| Coming Soon: Dirty Boy 'T' Shirts |
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| website by gonewest © Blues Saraceno |
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