Jen Harmon

70's box of boost/drive/fuzz - take your pick. It's a bit of both thanks to a pretty unique design. Well, other than being produced under a different name by Gretsch - Playboy.

On paper it looks like a screaming demon of a circuit, but those seven transistors aren't all gain stages so you're well within the sonic boundaries of a not-quite-fully-cranked Big Muff. Dialled back it gives some very pleasant crunch. Dial in the trimmer on the emitter of Q5 to get your perfect balance of gain vs gating.

The original cans are long gone, but we've tried it with a few commonly available BJTs and it sounds similar with all. We'll supply 2N5088.

Supplied with board-mounted pots with round shafts, so you'll need set-screw fitting knobs).

If you want the PCB without parts there's a link for that at the bottom of the page.

Partial kit: PCB, all board-mounted components, pots.

Full kit: As above, plus footswitch and appropriate daughterboard/components for your selected bypass type (see Downloads section for details of those), jack sockets, DC socket, battery snap, hook-up wire, LED.

Enclosure (pre-drilled) is only available with full kits, and will not take a battery. Knobs are not included.

Builds are only available with full kits including enclosures. Please choose appropriate knobs.

Inspired by: Jen Harmon / Gretsch Playboy

Difficulty: Medium

PCB size: 50 x 28mm

Knobs required: 3

Enclosure: 1590B

Direct Connect compatible (4 way)

Download the INSTRUCTION PDF