Milestone Effects Crescent Fuzz - Hitachi 2SB77 Germanium Face Style 2SB 77

The Crescent Fuzz is a classic smiley-style 2-transistor fuzz derivative with usability tweaks, inheriting all its charms and quirks alike. This batch of the Crescent Fuzz features:

• Matched Hitachi 2SB77 germanium transistors
• Allen Bradley mil-spec carbon composition resistors
• Philips chicklet and electrolytic capacitors
• Bourns and Piher trimmers
• Alpha potentiometers
• Switchcraft jacks
• CIC 3PDT switch
• Powder-coated and UV printed enclosure

Each pedal is hand-crafted in Portland, OR in small batches and will vary slightly in appearance. I make sure all pedals from the same batch sound and perform as close to each other as possible.

This batch uses new old stock Hitachi 2SB77 transistors and produces medium-low gain fuzz sound at full with excellent sparkly cleanup when the volume on the guitar is rolled back. Compared to my standard 2N1303 model (also listed), 2SB77 has slightly lower gain and rounder/fatter/fartier sound. Cleanup is smoother and woodier. Check my other listings for different transistor options.

Power Source

Use 9V battery or isolated 9V DC power supply with negative center (standard polarity). Do not daisy-chain with other effects. Doing so may damage the power supply and/or the pedal. Keep the input jack unplugged when connecting or disconnecting the power source.

External Controls

Fuzz: Controls the amount of fuzz.

Vol: Sets the output volume.

Bias: Adjusts the bias voltage of the second transistor. Default bias is 12 o'clock.

Internal Controls

LED Switch: Removes the on/off indicator LED completely out of circuit in down position. Default is up (LED on).

Input Trim (white trimmer): Attenuates the input signal for less fuzz and better cleanup as turned clockwise. Default is fully counterclockwise (no attenuation).

Bias Offset (black trimmer): Shifts the range of the external Bias control. Default is marked.

If possible, keep the Crescent Fuzz first in the signal chain directly connected to the guitar. Placing it after a buffer will negatively impact the sound. The volume knob on the guitar is an extremely powerful tool for controlling the fuzz sound on the fly. Please note that turning the volume knob all the way down may cause the pedal to pick up radio frequencies. These are characteristics of the classic fuzz circuit that the Crescent Fuzz is based on.

The Crescent Fuzz is powered by germanium transistors, which are notoriously temperature-sensitive. Use the pedal at room temperature for optimal performance. The external Bias control can be used to compensate for moderate temperature changes, however the pedal may not sound good at extreme temperatures.

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