Ain't Afraid Cancer-Fighting Fuzz

This is an extremely simple (but beefy!) circuit, so you can hear the quality of every single component.

This is a dynamically responsive, 1-knob fuzz.  Experiment with your pick attack for unique tones!

• Based on the 2N3904 transistor


• Germanium aluminum-can 1N34A diode for 70's warmth


• Modern clipping diode to add more grit and versatility


• Designed to break up on pick-attack on single-coil pickups


• Goes crazy on humbuckers


• Play with your guitar volume knob and pick-attack to change how the pedal reacts

This is the same pedal design we built at Southern Girls' Rock Camp and TN Teen Rock Camp where Jessi Zazu was a counselor

10% goes toward Jessi Zazu Inc., a 503(c) charity.  They are doing awesome work with children and young adults' music education and youth empowerment.

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When I taught soldering at the teen rock camps this past Summer, I thought “What would be a great lifetime pedal?”  A vintage-style one knob germanium fuzz was the first thing that sprang to mind.

I wanted something any genre could benefit from and that kids could enjoy but–as they get older–also grow into and find how nuanced the sound could be from a simple pedal they built.  The circuit is simple and the transistors and clipping diodes do all the heavy lifting here.  You can really hear how each individual component augments the sound.

I’ve used the 3094 transistor and 1N34A diode to get a warm vintage fuzz, and paired that with a modern silicon 1N4148 clipping diode to improve attack and add a more modern response.

This is a classic early fuzz that is extremely responsive to pick attack. Even though the fuzz tone gets pretty nasty, this one isn’t for doom… it’s all about dynamics!

That said, if you use a lot of distortion, try putting this pedal in front of a heavier fuzz and listen to how it livens up your board and adds extra edge to those harder-hit notes.

Vary your pick-attack and guitar volume settings to get a wide range of fuzz tones.  A single phrase or lick can sound completely different just by changing your attack.

It’s really great for single-coil pickups, but it’s also awesome if you play through a humbucker using a lot of dynamics (sorry rhythm guitarists, this one is probably best for your lead player).

10% of the profit goes toward the Jessi Zazu charity, helping youth music education and cervical cancer charities. Details at www.jessizazu.org.