5.68 X 3.62 X 2.0 INCHES, 0.85 LB
The "Legends Of Fuzz" series is a collection of the most historic, rare and sought-after circuits in the world.
At JHS, fuzz pedals have been part of our range for over a decade. We've designed original circuits, reproduced classics, and seen the trend of fuzz popularity come and go. The "Legends Of Fuzz" series is our homage to the most important fuzz circuits ever created. This is our way of making sure the stories of these effects live on in the music you make. From the early days of fuzz in the London scene of the mid-60s to the ex-Soviet military factories of the 90s that brought the Big Muff back to life, fuzz tells a story, and that story includes guitarists like you. There's nothing more primitive than plugging your guitar into a fuzz circuit; it's raw, wild and so pure that it pushes the limits of what your instrument can accomplish. Tune into some fuzz and tune into sixty years of beautifully broken sound.
In 1966, a salesman named Ivor Arbiter saw the rising British rock scene demanding the fuzz effect. He decided that his company Arbiter Electronics* should join London's other guitar product companies and release its own version of this trendy sound. After seeing the circular base of a microphone stand, he had the idea of putting the effect in a similar round enclosure and giving it a face: two eyes made of buttons, a pedal nose and a mouth. brand label.
Thus the Fuzz Face* was born. That same year, an American guitarist named Jimi Hendrix arrived in London and adopted Ivor's design as his weapon of choice, and the rest is history.
The early years of the Fuzz Face* were manufactured using germanium transistors, but by 1969 germanium completely gave way to silicon devices and Arbiter never looked back. Hendrix himself preferred silicon versions over germanium because of their sonority, aggressive bite, and stability in environments where germanium proved inconsistent. The JHS Smiley is a sonically faithful recreation of what made those early silicon Fuzz Faces great. Several vintage units from my collection were considered and analyzed so we could be sure to perfectly capture the magic I love about that era.
The Smiley is clear and defined, straddling the line between distortion pedal and searing sustain, supporting the crisp lows and mids you'd expect from a vintage Arbiter unit. One of the most revered features of a good Fuzz Face* is its ability to clean up when the guitar's volume is turned down, and the Smiley does this effortlessly.
The controls are Volume and Fuzz. The volume sets the overall output level of the effect; go up and it gets stronger. Fuzz is the distortion control; The more you turn it clockwise, the more fuzz you create. On the side you will see a "Mode" control. Press this button to enter our very own “JHS mode”. This mode sends the Smiley into high gain/gated fuzz territory that you may never want to return from.
If you want a fuzz that covers the coveted classic tones, look no further. Legends like Jimi Hendrix, Jack White, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour and Eric Johnson have used this circuit on countless albums. Now it's your turn.
USES CENTER NEGATIVE 9V DC. CONSUMPTION 4MA. DO NOT USE MORE THAN 9V DC, OR YOUR WARRANTY WILL BE VOID.
THE SMILEY ALLOWS BATTERY OPERATION VIA A SINGLE 9V BATTERY. JUST LOOSEN THE TWO REAR SCREWS OF THE HOUSING AND THE BACK PLATE OPENS. INSIDE YOU WILL SEE A BATTERY CLIP TO INSTALL THE BATTERY.
CONTROLS
VOLUME - Controls the overall output volume. Left is less, right is more.
FUZZ - Controls the amount of fuzz. Left is less, right is more.
SWITCHES
MODE - This is our modification of the circuit. It triggers a gated fuzz sound.
JACKS
INPUT - If you look at the jacks above the pedal, the input is on the right. OUTPUT - If you look at the jacks above the pedal, the output is on the left.
Inspired by the silicon model of the first Arbiter Fuzzes era
POWER
Uses center negative 9V DC. Consumption 4mA Do not use more than 9V DC, or your warranty will be voided.
The Smiley allows battery operation via a single 9V battery. Simply loosen the two rear case screws and the back plate will open. Inside you will see a battery clip to install the battery into. Enjoy!