Thursday 6 December 2012

Carlsbro Suzz

Once again. This one has surprisingly little info around the internets. Seems like a nice alternative for Distortion+. Nice, simple build anyway.

Ad text from fmogearshop (also check the photos there):
Here's a vintage Carlsbro Suzz from the seventies. The name seems to imply that this would be some sort of fuzz pedal, don't you think? Alas, the circuit has more in common with an MXR Distortion + really. So if you're expecting some sort of nasty fuzz, you may be in for a let down. But if you look at it in the proper context, as more of a basic distortion, then it's not too bad at all. Add to that the collectibility of those funky enclosure Carlsbro pedals and you may have yourself a winner.



11 comments:

  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3TU374HcKA
    There won't have been a Suzz AND a Fuzz will there?

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    1. Totally diffent layout in the pedal mentioned above.

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    2. Yup. Carlsbro Fuzz is just rebranded tonebender, while this is presumably Carlsbro original...
      +m

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  2. Seen a few of those on eBay and think i might even have put a bid on one before it went for silly money.
    Could be intersting to give it a go later today...

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  3. Built and Verified. Has a nice crunchy tone, not too far away from OD 250. Built with LM741CN and used a polarised 1uf tant cap. subbed the b470R for a B1K without problems, however using B20k for the sustain control operated in reverse (as expected) and also had no real sweep (all the the gain was in the last 5% of rotation). Thanks.

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    1. Cool. That was fast! I'll fix the sustain. I might have just read the schematic wrong and/or assumed it was 1 to ground.

      Hmm. Behaviour of the sustain sounds odd. That could be worth a mod to use 5K pot and place 15 or 18K resistor in series with the lug 3. Haven't build this myself, but either way can't say for sure if that's how it's supposed to work :)
      +m

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    2. ...and i've fixed the numbering on the sustain lugs.
      +m

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  4. I've posted some photos of my suzz PCB on FSB, the original enclosure was lost before it was given to me but the circuit worked ok until a friend fried it and tried to fix it. It sounded very much like a DOD OD250...including being quite noisey.

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  5. I have a few questions. Can the gain pot be a liner style pot or does it have to be a log pot. im having problems getting it to work the one thing i do notice is that with no power source plugged in the pedal still works but the sound is very muffled when it is on. is that suppose to happen. if you could help me i would really appreciate it. thank you.

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    1. the pedal doesn't work its self without power plugged. i men't that an almost bypassed sound comes through the amp.

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  6. Hi , just found you via a search on the 'Suzz Phase' a pedal/box I was given years back ... it seems like a prototype model , it has the Suzz font in pink on the front ... but looks like no other i've seen ... it has 4 knobs and 5 switches ... the laft part is Fuzz and the right Phaser ... inside it has always had 2 lose wires with no obvious signs as to where they come from ... I was hoping your schematic might help me out but no luck ... does anyone know about the pedal i'm talking about ?? if so do they know of a schematic to help get it working 100% the phaser works at the moment ....well the last 50% of the depth and speed function ...... the fuzz works if the input is loud enough but when i flick some switches I can hear german radio broadcast ;)))))) any info welcome !!

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