“The Mesa Boogie of fuzz pedals" Back in 2007 I was fortunate to come in contact with a Baldwin Burns Buzzaround, the collector kindly enough offer me the loan wrote the above quoted text in a correspondence. It made little to no sense to me until I actually heard the pedal in action. Subtle, demure and timid it is not. The tonal complexity and the magnitude of the available distortion is nothing short of exhilarating. In 2008 I was given another highly generous offer to inspect a further vintage Buzzaround. The research conducted on these two pieces gave birth to the D*A*M Fuzzaround in August 2008. The project consisted of approx 50 pieces that were sold exclusively via the D*A*M forum.
9 years later - The D*A*M Buzztronix ZZ.1. A further four vintage pieces studied and scrutinized, the understanding of the process further expanded. That research condensed absorbed then juiced to extract this new incarnation. The Buzztronix is a premium quality compact reproduction created using a faithful construction style and technique. At the core of the circuit are three British made NKT (Newmarket Transistors Ltd.) germanium devices. These components are diligently tested for continuity, superior performance and a honest conveyance of the nostalgic brutality that is the Baldwin Burns Buzzaround.
A few words regarding control. If you are unfamiliar with the Buzzaround circuit type the first thing you should be aware of is that the circuit has no actual master volume control for the output level. Means of volume boost or volume attenuation is mainly achieved via the 'Balance' control. This is in actuality is a bias control for the transistor situated in the Q3 position. By limiting or increasing the voltage supply to Q3 the overall output level is either boosted or decreased. This odd arrangement works well though different settings on the dial subtlety alter the texture of the effect as well as altering the overall volume level. I am making an assumption here that this control was originally designated as such being that it balanced the effects of the 'Timbre' control upon the circuit. The Timbre control is in essence your tone control but this too has an effect on the overall output volume. Mainly being that higher treble settings have diminished output levels compared to that of bass side of the control. Once this union between the two controls is understood the functionality is quite simple in operation. Lastly, the 'Sustain' control is grounded to earth so in its lowest position no signal will pass what so ever. Other than this quirk it functions as one would expect.
Information
Dimensions: 120x85x35mm Finish: Polyester powder coat Power Supply: PP3 battery Controls: Sustain, Balance, Timbre Construction: Tag board Transistor selection: NKT 2XX series
