Xploration • Curation • Recommendation
4 of a Kind - Superior Germanium and Silicon Transistor Switching 2-Stage Fuzzes
An adventure that started back in September of 2019 and culminated at this year’s July Brighton show!
I was very lucky to snag one of the very last Austin Pride editions with the classic pairing of Germanium NTE103 and Silicon NTE123 Transistors. I acquired mine during the peak of Dan Querner’s ’Fabric Wrap Era’ with really colourful designs. Later models are much more single block colours than patterned fabric - although various tolex and textured finishes are now used - I really liked ...
2 quirky and unique green circular enclosure superb sounding Mode-Switching Fuzzes - the Blue FX Devices Piluxx, and Talisman Audio GP7 Soviet Gas Mask Canister Fuzz
So I’ve reviewed both of these within the last fortnight - they were both picked up at the relatively recent Brighton Guitar Show, while I had ordered the Piluxx just a day or two after the Leeds Pedal Show which took place 3 months earlier!
I always see things in terms of patterns, and the Piluxx was already in the bank as such - when I spotted the GP7 - and had to have that one too!
Both of these have very unique and unusual re-purposed enclosures, and both are fantastic sounding Mode...
Talisman Audio's glorious point-to-point Deluxe Face Blender delivers exceptional full-fat vibrant Germanium and Silicon Fuzz Tones, one of the very best of its kind
As I mentioned in my recent GP7 Fuzz review, this Deluxe Face Blender was a little more immediate and full-on for me, and somewhat surprisingly - where I typically favour the Dual Germanium combination for these kinds of devices. Here my favourite combination is the Ge OC140 on Q1, combined with the Silicon BFY50 on Q2 - those two Transistors deliver my favourite textures and harmonics!
The pedal comes in a handsome deep blue enclosure, and the facia looks fantastic, but somewhat pales when...
2026 July Pedal-Chain Update - Episode VII - Tremendous Tremulations
Another month filled with strong releases! Too many for me to cope with in short order. I’m still waiting for my Chase Bliss Big Time to land - and Strymon goes ahead and launches the Timeline MX - which is of course also on my list. AC Noises launches its killer Continua, just shortly after I landed my Purr-ting in a similar category. And Native Audio launches the killer In The Water - not too long after I landed my Hotone Verbera. All pedals have specific target slots, and I always want to ...
Talisman Audio makes excellent use of a Soviet GP7 Gas Mask Canister to house its superior all-Soviet 2-Stage Ge/Si Transistor Switching Fuzz
So the enclosure and Transistors are period correct Soviet varieties - direct from the Cold War era! Moreover the Germaninum Q1 Stage makes use of a Sziklai pair of Germanium Transistors to exceptional effect.
Below you can see the actual GP7 Gas Mask - with said green canister on the side. I’m sure the Russian engineers would not have expected those to eventually end up as musical devices. Fantastic quality on the mask - with those brass insets - looks a bit sci-fi to me! ...
Highlights from the 2026 Brighton Guitar Show and FX Expo at Brighton Racecourse
This post has been a long time in the making - 3 days solid - with just a few hours of sleep overnight! I feel it might be my best coverage yet - for a nigh perfect show.
This time around pretty much everything went of perfectly - I was out the door very early in the morning - and at the Brighton Racecourse by 07:45! Phil had set up his Pedal Patch stand the night before - as had Paul from Flattley Pedals, and my good friends Wub from Ritual Devices and Rob from Timber Tones has just recently ...
