Xploration • Curation • Recommendation
My Farmer Factory Colombeta Fuzz has just landed - a quite superb 2-Stage Germanium / Silicon Transistor-Switching Fuzz with 4 diverse killer Transistors onboard
Key Points
Farmer Factory Colombeta Fuzz: a 2‑stage Germanium/Silicon transistor‑switching Fuzz with four Q1/Q2 combos (Ge+Ge, Ge+Si, Si+Ge, Si+Si). Controls: Level, Fuzz, Bias Ge. Designed by Sebastien.
Transistor set: Q1 — Ge Mullard OC41 / Si Motorola 2N2905A; Q2 — Ge Mullard GET114 (also referenced GET113) / Si Siemens BC307. Ge+Ge is a standout; hybrids (Ge+Si, Si+Ge) excel; Si+Si is usable with adjustment.
One of six Farmer Factory fuzzes owned; comparable Ge/Si switchers: DanDrive Austin Pride (NTE103/NTE123), Expresso FX (CV7351/CV10806), incoming Talisman Deluxe Face Blender (2N3053/BFX84). Sold on Farmer Factory Reverb store, go for €250 and equivalent. No demos yet.
One of these has been on the cards for a while - I really like this type of Ge/Si Transistor Switching Fuzzes - essentially a switchable hybrid Fuzz Face variant with 2 sets of Germanium and Silicon Transistors onboard that you can set :
Q1 | Q2
Ge + Ge
Ge + Si
Si + Ge
Si + Si
So 4 different Transistor Variations out of such a circuit. The Colombeta is the third I have of this type of circuit - and it has the most diverse set of Transistors - with every one of the 4 ones onboard being wholly individual and distinct, but still beautifully complementary and complex sounding - the pattern is usually to have those in pairs, so that both of the Germanium Transistors are the same and both the Silicon ones are too.
My first Ge/Si Switching Fuzz was the DanDrive Austin Pride in 2019 which has pairs of NTE103 Ge and NTE123 Si Transistors onboard. And then in 2020 I landed a custom Expresso FX Germanium/Silicon Fuzz with a pair of MilSpec CV7351 Ge and CV10806 Si Transistors onboard.
And later this month at the Brighton Guitar Show, I’m due to pick up my 4th variant (already secured!) - a Deluxe Face Blender from Talisman Audio which pairs up 2N3053 Ge and BFX84 Si Transistors onboard - so there will eventually be individual articles on each, and a final roundup for one of my 4-of-a-kind articles! Needless to say - each of these is different, all with very different Transistor selections onboard, and different circuit variations. Where this is a circuit genre I really love!
All my favourite Fuzz Masters are Master Transistor Wranglers too - with an exceptional ear for tone, and an unerring skill in picking out and matching up the most complementary of richly textured transistors.
Farmer Factory's Sebastien very much designs fuzzes aligned to my own sensibilities - they're entirely unfettered and fully unleashed for that fuller, richer and more complex, more harmonic of flavour profiles.
The Colombeta is my 6th Farmer Factory Fuzz - which journey started back in March of 2023 with Sebastien's original 2-knob take on the Fresh Fuzz, since then I have added a 3-Knob Pep Box, a 3-knob Turret-style Fresh Fuzz, a Harmonic Generator Fuzz, and a Horny '66 Fuzz in striking swirly hot pink enclosure. All quite superb!
So the expectations are always super high for one of Sebastien's creations.
And he never lets me down!
Controls - Level, Fuzz, Bias Ge, Q1 : Ge Mullard OC41 / Si Motorola 2N2905A, Q2 : Ge Mullard GET114, Si Siemens BC307.
Sebastien really is an exceptional Transistor Wrangler - and this Colombeta has his favourite arrangement of Transistors - which is a very unusual grouping indeed, but where each of those perform so well together.
I typically lean more into the Germanium side of things, and the Ge + Ge combination is blisteringly good - as are each of the Ge + Si and Si + Ge hybrid combinations - with the lead one a little preferred, The Si + Si combination is my least preferred but still sounds fantastic - while you do need to adjust the controls somewhat for that.
Mostly I just have all the dials at around 3 o'c - you can hear with the Bias when you hit that rich vein of harmonics around that spot! Sebastien is always breaking the mould - and here he has another genius inflection in mixing up such a diverse cast of transistors to such a great effect!
These are proper full-fat Fuzz Pedals for proper Fuzz fanatics - who love the exotic timbres and textures of wholly raw and richly harmonic fuzzes. There's another group which always feels the need to soften the output with an overdrive or similar - while for me I live for these full on visceral textures. Another quite superb confection!
I really lucked out with this one, in snagging Sebasitien's favourite variant / arrangement of this circuit.
These are only relatively occasionally available on the Farmer Factory Reverb.com Store - where they go for €250 and equivalent which is an excellent price for this level of quality!
Sebastien's ear for tone means that all his fuzzes sound superb but you should be on the look our for when there is another one of these Colombeta Fuzzes on the store - with that combination of OC41 + 2N2905A + GET113 + BC307 Transistors.
Initially I wasn't sure about the combination of sparkle green enclosure and dark red knobs, but I've grown to really like it. Another tour de force for Farmer Factory Effects, my selection of Sebastien's Fuzzes is shaping up very nicely now.
I've often called Sebastien / Farmer Factory - the Basic Audio of France - he really consistently puts out the most amazing of fuzz pedals - and all 6 of mine are superb - you should keep a firm eye on his Reverb.com Store - same as I do!
Alas there are no demos yet for this pedal - you will just have to take my word for it. Just check out how fierce the Horny '66 sounds and extrapolate from there!
