Die-hard tone nerds get pretty wrapped up in minutiae these days. For instance, in fuzz-freak circles it doesn’t take much provocation to start a debate over whether the silvery sustain of NKT275s transistors or the raunchiness of silicon BC108s is the key to the perfect Fuzz Face.
What’s easy to forget is that a pair of these legendary transistors doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have a great-sounding pedal. Quality control, execution, and a circuit designer with a great ear are still crucial, and little touches like individual testing and pairing of transistors—no matter what the type—can be the difference that sets a fantastic fuzz apart from the crowd. French effect builder Buffalo FX understands that equation, as demonstrated by the Germanium Fuzz—a limited-edition, new-old-stock-transistor-fueled, classically voiced fuzz that could make a lot of die-hards think twice about how essential vintage specs truly are.
Buff Buffalo
The Germanium Fuzz is housed
in a taller-than-average rectangular
enclosure that looks as
much like a space-age pyramid-building
brick as a circuit enclosure.
Aside from the wah on my
board, the Germanium Fuzz is
the tallest effect of the batch.
The size may be a bit awkward
to get used to if you’re accustomed
to slimmer profiles, and
it might complicate your tricky
heel/toe maneuvers between
effects unless you’re sporting
size 13s. Part of the reason for
the tall case is the cool, side-mounted
9V battery door that
enables you to switch out a battery
in seconds. There’s also a
9V barrel adapter on the opposite
side, although it requires a
dedicated supply that’s center
negative—like many vintage
fuzzes, the Germanium Fuzz is
a center-positive circuit, which
means daisy-chaining it with
other center-negative effects
may damage the unit.
Four controls dial in the Buffalo’s many flavors of sputtering, popping bliss. F controls the amount of fuzz. P controls the amount of pre-gain. L (level) uses a reverse-taper potentiometer, meaning the resistance tapers as you turn the pot clockwise—an effect a lot of audio engineers consider much smoother and more natural. B (bias) enables 3.5–8.5V of bias adjustment, which is useful because germanium transistors are notoriously susceptible to natural variables like temperature fluctuation. So a simple clockwise twist to this knob can give the pedal a bit more jump if it’s feeling flat, while a counterclockwise turn can coax a dying-battery effect.
Horns of the Beast
With a Fender Twin Reverb
at the end of the line, pre-gain
around 2 o’clock, fuzz at
maximum, and bias around
noon, the single-coils in my
Danelectro Innuendo produced
a heavy, bulbous lead
that wasn’t too hairy. Going up
against the wall of sound from
a full band can require bumping
level to around 2 o’clock to
cut through the mix for leads.
And a bias increase helps you
maintain cutting levels while
lending a glassy, Gilmour-ish
wail. The smoother pickups
in my Fender Stratocaster did
an even better job of highlighting
the tone-shaping
versatility you get from the
bias control—they summoned
smoothly screaming “Saucerful
of Secrets” tones, walking the
line between hairy and crystalline
in the way that sets a good
germanium fuzz apart.
Ratings
Pros:
Quality craftsmanship. Classic Fuzz Face-like
tones. Bias control adds extra flexibility.
Cons:
Somewhat pricey.
Tones:
Ease of Use:
Build:
Value:
Street:
$225
Buffalo FX
buffalo-fx.com
In a quieter setting, I paired the Germanium Fuzz with a Fender Pawn Shop Special Excelsior amp. At half volume, the 13-watt Excelsior gets very saturated without breaking up entirely. Increasing the Buffalo’s pre-gain and bias to around 3 o’clock and backing off the level just a touch inspires a much nastier disposition that’s perfect for spiting forth lead tones soaked with the Nuge’s foul-mouthed swagger. Rolling off the guitar’s volume eases the Buffalo into a cool overdriven tone that’s very nearly clean but still potentially explosive, depending on your attack.
The Verdict
The Buffalo FX Germanium
Fuzz is a beautifully musical
pedal that conjures the sounds
and feel of a really nice Fuzz
Face. It’s also exceptionally well
built, with thoughtful additions
(such as the bias control) that
make the sound much more tailorable.
The new-old-stock B175
transistors will raise the eyebrows
of some germanium purists, but
the circuit is dynamic, smooth,
and responsive beyond question—with the excellent control
and range of buzzsaw tones
that drives vintage hounds to
spend whole paychecks on an
original Fuzz Face. If you like
big, ’70s-style leads and boomy
Big Muff tone isn’t your cup of
tea, the Germanium Fuzz is an
alternative that’s classic and individual
all at once.
LR Baggs Align Reverb Acoustic Reverb Pedal
The Align Series Reverb was built from the ground up to complement the natural body dynamics and warmth of acoustic instruments that we love so much. The circuit seamlessly integrates the wet and dry signals with the effect in side chain so that it never overwhelms the original signal. We shaped the reverb with analog EQ to reflect the natural voice inherent in acoustic instruments. Additionally, the tone control adds versatility by sweeping from warm and muted to open and present. The result is an organic reverb that maintains the audiophile purity of the original signal with the controls set in any position.
Epiphone Firebird I
When Gibson debuted the Firebird I and Firebird V in 1963, the design was as innovative as it was radical. Like the Flying V and Explorer, the Firebird seemed Martian—or at least like a work of futurist art, with its offset body shape, extended lower and upper bouts, reverse headstock, and through-body neck.
Firebirds came in three versions: The single-pickup Firebird I, the two-humbucker Firebird V, and the three-pickup Firebird VII, with the latter two featuring a Vibrola tailpiece, trapezoid inlays, and neck binding. The first time I saw a Firebird in action, it was in the hands of Johnny Winter, who gave no quarter as he ripped conflagrant solos from its fretboard, but Brian Jones, Clapton, Allen Collins, Paul Stanley, and Phil Manzanera also helped make the model a legend. Original ’60s Firebird V’s sell for as much as $35,000, and reissues peak at nearly $10,000 for the Gibson Custom Shop’s ’63 Firebird V. That’s a lot of dough to look badass on stage. But now, Epiphone—in collaboration with Gibson’s Custom Shop—has taken high-quality reissues of the 1963 Firebird I and V into a more affordable realm. They’re still pricey for an Epi’, at $1,299 and $1,699, respectively, but undeniably brimming with panache.
“I was surprised by how sweet and heavy Gibson’s Firebird Mini Humbuckers sound. There is nothing mini about their tone.”
An’ a I, an’ a V
Our review Firebirds arrived impeccably set up, with action low enough for speed, but high enough for slide—my comfort zone, coincidentally. They are handsome guitars too. The I is finished in gleaming cherry, while the V is decked out in vintage sunburst and a shiny Vibrola tailpiece.
The necks are the not-so-secret weapons on these models. They are 9-ply mahogany and walnut (original Firebirds have a 5-ply neck), sandwiched between mahogany wings, but both guitars are still fairly light. The I is 7 1/2 pounds and the V weighs about 9 pounds due to the additional pickup and bridge hardware. There are 22 comfortable, medium-jumbo frets, which allow easy navigation and elegant bends, a Graph Tech nut, dot neck inlays on the I and trapezoids on the V, a classic Gibson-scale neck length of 24 3/4", and an Indian laurel fretboard. The banjo-style Kluson Planetary tuners, as well as the reverse headstock, take time to get to use to, but contribute to the instruments sleek, clean lines. The Firebird I’s electronics are simply a master volume and tone, with CTS pots and Mallory caps inside, in service of a warm-to-cutting single alnico 5 Gibson USA Firebird Mini Humbucker. The V offers more ways to shape your tone: The Vibrola is cool and vibey and there’s a classic four-dial Gibson control set (also routed through Mallory caps and CTS pots), a 3-way pickup switch on the lower bout, and a pair of those Gibson USA Firebird Mini Humbuckers.
Epiphone Firebird V
Trial by Firebird
I was sure I would prefer the Firebird V playing experience, because I am typically a neck-pickup player, but both guitars revealed sonic charms through Carr Vincent and Telstar amps running in stereo, my vintage Marshall Super Lead, and a Positive Grid Spark.
Low-action setups on both accommodate everything from campfire chords to screaming single-note playing past the 12th fret, with the perfectly smooth fret ends and comfortable neck making it all a pleasure. The neck broadens to 2 1/4" at the body, from 1 3/4" at the nut, making it easy to hit high notes accurately. But what really excited me, besides how artful these guitars look, is the power and sound of the pickups.
I was surprised by how sweet and heavy Gibson’s Firebird Mini Humbuckers sound. There is nothing mini about their tone, whether slashing and growling through the Marshall or pouring thick honey out of the Carrs. And through the Spark, a highly pleasing snarl and juicy warmth were all on tap. Despite my predilection for neck pickups, I became really excited by the Firebird I. The simplicity and elegance of its look, streamlined controls, clean surface, and light weight made the I a joy to play, especially with the treble rolled to near-zero. There, early Clapton-esque tone was a cinch to find, and for blues and pseudo-jazz-licks (the best I can muster in that genre), the warmth and clarity were delightful. Despite its basic construction, the Epiphone Firebird I is assuredly more than a rock machine.
Sure, having the addition of a neck pickup on the Firebird V provides a wider selection of tones, but the voices achievable on the I were no less winning and, honestly, I could not find any pickup-and-dial configuration on the V that sounded all that different or better than those available on the I. But, ah, a Vibrola is a very nice appointment—not just for its grand appearance, which is like some antiquarian treasure, but for the subtle bends its enables. If atmospheric guitar tones from the Ventures to Hermanos Gutiérrez are your passion, you’d want the Vibrola, which stays remarkably in tune, given its relatively primitive design.
The Verdict
Make no mistake: With their uncommonly proportioned offset bodies and reverse headstocks, guitars like the Epiphone Firebird I and V require time to get acquainted. But if you’re unafraid to stand out from the crowd, these instruments will serve you visually and sonically. Both play well and offer a good scope of vintage tones—from aggressive to dark maple sugar—with simple dial adjustments. And while many other Epiphone models sell for less, these well-crafted copies of original Gibson designs provide custom-shop or boutique-builder quality at a much lower price. PG
