Hello Sailor Effects creates a cool custom White + Red Burst Anchor-themed Hybrid Abbey Road 2-Transistor Fuzz for your truly
So you should recall that my very first HSE Pedal was the rnrmf guitarworks collaboration Xenomorph Transformer Fuzz - sporting 2 Germanium CV7351 Transistors. After I got that one, HSE’s Joe always wanted for me to have a proper handwired version of one of his 2-transistor fuzzes, but something with a unique spin to it - knowing that I have over 600 fuzzes in my reference collection, and near enough 90 Fuzz Face types already!
Joe kept this one under wraps right until the end - my only stipulation was that I wanted one of his Anchor decals on it - as I feel that is such a great symbol for his brand. While I probably should have taken that approach for the next probable Anchor Drive pedal project.
In any case - Joe told be that it was likely going to involve the colour red in some way - some sort of burst, and obviously my requested anchor decal. He also knew that I had a preference for compact enclosures - which ate up most of the deadline here - as the first editions of those that arrived were not up to Joe’s exacting specifications - and we had to wait several more weeks for the finally correct replacements to arrive.
If you’ve been following Joe’s store on Reverb.com - you will have seen a number of pedals go live recently in that cool sloped enclosure - including one wrapped in a really cool faux leather / leatherette finish I suppose. There was one with a London Bus decal, and another with the Abbey Road Sign decal - which is very cool for the Abbey Road Monikered fuzz (see montage below!). All of those had the same control topology and enclosure - but totally different look and feel, and unique internals too - as is always the case with Hello Sailor Effects pedals!
Controls - Volume, Fuzz, Tone Switch : Mid Focus, High Focus, Low Focus.
These Abbey Road fuzzes have a very simple control topology with a smart EQ switch - which switches in different input capacitors to focus on certain core frequency clusters.
I really love my own variety - while I would have been happy with both the Bus and Abbey Road Sign varieties too (in fact any of the above pictured ones). The colour of mine is a beautiful dark red burst onto white, with matched dark red chicken-head knobs. What you can't see in the picture is the really cool striations visible through the paint - a sort of carbon fibre style effect.
And onboard this particular Abbey Road Fuzz are one Germanium Transistor - a black glass bulb presumably Mullard - OC140, and a more typical Silicon BC182L Transistor - which is / was often used in Coloursound One-Knob Fuzzes and D*A*M Meathead types.
You get a very distinct slightly smoother fuzz output here - which sounds particularly great with both dials at around 3 o'c, and with the EQ switch in the Top - Mids position. That EQ switch makes this more versatile than most. And it really does sound pretty distinct. My own D*A*M Meathead is a similarly special Hybrid edition - and that features OC141 Germanium and BC109 Silicon transistors - so possibly the closest sounding one to my Abbery Road variant - while the Meatheads are always more heavy on the low-end - but there are some similarities with the two versions.
Interestingly this is the 4th Hybrid Fuzz I've had in - in short succession - this month actually!, it started with the MXR Hybrid Fuzz, then Spaceman Effects Charon Ge/Si Hybrid Fuzz, Loe Sounds BLow Hybrid Fuzz - and now we have this HSE Abbey Road Hybrid Fuzz too. All that means that I will have to do a 4-way comparison of those recent acquisitions!
So my HSE journey is at 60% completion for the first round as such - with the Abbey Road and Xenomorph Fuzzes added, alongside the Sky-blue Alice FreeRange. Meaning I have the HSE RangeMaster and Anchor Drive to go - where I will probably target the Anchor Drive first as I already have a RangeMaster onboard my FreeRange - and it makes sense to get in a different variety first.
Joe's HSE Abbey Road fuzzes are all brilliant - whichever Transistors you end up with - some are all-Germanium, some all-Silicon, and a handful are Hybrid like mine - but of course all unique and distinct! Those compact enclosure Abbey Roads have been so popular that I'm sure Joe will do more of those!
If you're after a fantastic sounding Fuzz Face - you really can't do better than a Hello Sailor Effects Abbey Road Fuzz - both dials have enormous range - and you always get pretty exceptional output - with loads of volume - exactly how I want it. And of course the EQ switch puts this above most else - while I would quite like the 2 Bias Trimmers accessible externally - possibly in the Venuram style - with holes drilled through the enclosure - side or rear edges!
There's loads of Joe's special circuit tricks here that do so much to enhance the nature and quality of his Fuzz Face types - and ensure superior output under all conditions - of course with that beautiful guitar volume cleanup as core to the dynamics of those. There's something extra specially satisfying about getting a Hello Sailor Effects pedal - where you know that you really do have the only one of that exact type! I keep saying it - but every single one is distinct in its parts makeup and look and feel - which is why HSE can be such a confusing proposition for those not in the know!
In any case this version of Abbey Road is pretty perfect as is - it really looks the part, and it certainly sounds the part! Note that the next HSE pedal drop will be at the Kempton Park International Guitar Show on 29th December - hopefully see some of you there!
If you can't make it to the show - keep your eyes peeled on Joe's Hello Sailor Effect Reverb.com Store where you will find the next batch/es of pedals - as with every pedal drop - I pretty much expect Joe to sell out on the spot! Most times I enter that store page - the shelves are literally mother Hubbard so you have to have luck on your side - and be super quick too!
Demos
12 Degrees of Saturation 2023 Compact Edition
