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Retro Mechanical Labs

I am usually easy to contact when not working with power tools or finishing projects. I always do my best to get back to you as quickly as possible.

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johnathan
February 1, 2024
EFC Heathkit Precision

Electron Fuzz Custom Heathkit Precision sn# 1182

Price: $449

This item has sold

Domestic shipping: $free
International Priority Shipping: We cover half of international shipping on this box!

**International shipping charges are estimated. We will invoice you for the shipping once we can determine the exact cost to your country. Feel free to message us with any questions.

Only one available. If you try to purchase it and PayPal won’t let you the unit has sold. I will be back on Monday to update the website.

This unit requires a 9volt power supply with a negative tip. It should be able to deliver at least 150mA. I recommend the Truetone 1Spot, click this link to view.

This item has sold

EFC Heathkit Precision

For your consideration. A vintage Heathkit Precision vacuum tube volt meter converted into an Electron Fuzz Custom pedal. This is the standard pedal version. Quite aggressive. A serial numbered ID tag is mounted on the right side indicating it is an authentic member of the RMLfx family.

Two jumbo toggles have been added. One to switch to the x1000 screaming distortion (left side), the other works as a bypass (right side). Another jumbo LED glows to indicate power is connected. The two fancy knobs are the “Hurt” and “Pain” controls. The two lower knobs are the volume and the “Feedback noise”. I will include an card that defines the functions.

This is intended to be a studio piece and is not “Stompable”. But it can sit comfortably on a table for alternative styles table top performances and live in your studio as a secret weapon.

The knobs are all original. In the center is a new toggle switch for the low cut. The meter has a good response and at full volume hovers around the zero’ed center.

Size is about 8″x5″x5″ accounting for the handle and the bezeled meter face.

This light military green vintage box with original knobs and glowing jewel garnered to turn some heads and invoke questions about what it is. As always we do our best to keep the original form without drilling a bunch of holes and ruining the classic feel. While the patina of this box shows its age the unit has been cleaned and restored to the best of our abilities.

This unit is designed to ether sit upright or lay on its back.

In/Outs and power (9volts negative tip) are on the left side of the box. Print is laser etched.

More about the Electron Fuzz Custom Pedal:

The Electron Fuzz “Custom” is an extremely high gain distortion. Seriously, normal volume setting is at about 10% of its full output potential. Two gain/tone controls “Hurt” and “Pain” give a variety of tone textures and a feedback noise loop can be adjusted to add a very gritty almost 8-bit sound or a squelching scream. (Great for droning or well crafted solos and recording). The extra stomp switch adds 2 more additional gain stages and a boost of high end to the sound. Best of all the distortion oscillates when notes are held adding a new level of expression.

Here is a great demo video from the “Pedal and Effects” youtube channel featuring Alessandro Cortini of NIN, Sonoio and Modwheelmood.

Please read the brief history of the Electron Fuzz here.

[list_circle]Things I personally enjoy about this pedal:

  • Fuzzy to crunchy tones
  • Wide range of possible textures and character
  • Expressive distortion oscillations
  • Feedback noise loop for unusual sound design
  • Extremely high gain for recording direct to your DAW
  • Use with guitars and keyboards
  • VU meter responds to your playing

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The red LED on the radio tower switches on when boost mode is enabled. A convent way to know where you are when playing.

• Knob controls:

A unique approach to tone control…

Hurt: Controls the gain of 3rd gain stage. Lowering the gain will also reduce low end.
Pain: Controls the gain of the 2nd transistor gain stage. Lowering the gain will reduce high end.
Output: Volume/saturation. Take some of the edge off the mix or crank the pain and hurt all the way for a big, dirty, crunchy fuzz.
FB Noise: On/Off adjusts the amount of feedback in the circuit for noise making. Creates a weird octave mod fx.

• Switch controls:
Low cut toggle: Cuts the low end for a slightly less bassy more gated sound.
x1000 gain: On left stomp switch. This takes your sound through an addition 2 transistor gain stages and pushes the electrons way past 11! The booster switch adds a loud and dirty, thrash crunch to this versatile pedal. Incredible for feedback noise and FX textures. Can cause the parasitic frequency oscillation but sounds awesome while playing.
True Bypass: Lets you play through the pedal.

• Meter: Responds to your playing, and reflects first gain stage transistor distortion. Illuminates when active.

***All purchases done through Paypal. Units are always shipped ASAP. Please note when purchasing from eBay shipping charges may be vary.

****International shipping can vary. Typically I will credit back any difference when your unit is ready and I am able to verify exact shipping to your specific location.

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johnathan
July 10, 2023
EFC Retro #1000

Electron Fuzz Custom Retro with vintage Sprague TEL-OHMIKE panel in custom red oak box

Price: $799

Only ONE in stock.

Domestic shipping: $free
International Priority Shipping: $50-$75

Requires a 9volt power supply (not included) that can supply at least 150ma of current. Negative tip. I like the 1 spot.

**International shipping charges are estimated. We will invoice you for the shipping once we can determine the exact cost to your country. Feel free to message us with any questions.

This item has sold.

***Please read: I wanted to do something special for our 1000th box. It’s a commemorative milestone in RMLfx history. Never expected we would end up building this many custom boxes. So for your consideration here is a one of a kind one off distortion pedal.

The original Sprague TEL-OHMIKE TO-3 unit was in an old beat up metal box so I crafted a solid vintage style box out of red oak. No plywood or particle board. The entire box weights a little over 7 lbs. We added a nice leather handle thats fully functional. About 13.75″ wide by 10.5″ tall.

**This is a high gain distortion circuit. With guitars (At its max settings) you might get feedback oscillation depending on the pickups you’re using. However that feedback does not exist when using this with synths and drum machines. So while there should be plenty of usable settings with guitar and bass I recommend this for studio and experimental use. Live situations may be unruly.

The front of the panel shows its age with lots of nicks and scratches. This was a 1950s unit so you’re looking at 70+ years of age. The plastic cover over the center dial is warped and yellowed. Old adhesives mark the surface of the panel. Original knobs are set on the potentiometers. The on/off toggle turns the unit off. The “paper-mica” switch adds a diode symmetrical clipping.

We cleaned it intensely but left the residue marks to keep that vintage patina. In/Out jacks placed on the lower left hand side so the unit can sit upright in your studio. The old tube is back lit with green LEDs when the circuit is active. When the x1000 toggle is engaged additional red LEDs are added to the mix. The giant knob in the middle is the feedback oscillation. One of the defining sounds of the EFC pedal series.

I will laser etch a legend card that clearly defines each knob and switch.

The internal circuit is our Electron Fuzz Custom “Retro” high gain distortion. Unlike the standard smaller pedal it has a cleaner parallel mix (knob left of “selector”). The “Bleed” as its called is there to mix in some fidelity after you’ve distorted and compressed your signal. There is an additional “original out” that taps the EFC circuit before the internal mixing circuit. The vintage meter is also fully functional.

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johnathan
July 22, 2022
EFC Flyback Model 98

Price: $599

Zero in stock.

SN# 1022

Domestic shipping: $free
International UPS Shipping: $80-$120

Requires a 9volt power supply (not included) that can supply at least 150ma of current. Negative tip. I like the 1 spot.

**International shipping charges are estimated. We will invoice you for the shipping once we can determine the exact cost to your country. Feel free to message us with any questions.

This item has sold.

***Please read:

For your consideration. This museum piece is a vintage 1950’s “Flyback Transformer Tester Model 98” box by the Kirby Products Corporation. It is equipped with a standard Electron Fuzz Custom pedal inside of it.

The box holds a very large vintage meter that responds to your audio signal. The box is all original. We only had to add a couple of holes to accommodate the hardware. A jack plate for 1/4″ ins/outs is installed on the right side of the box. We take great care to not mess up the original look, feel and design of the test equipment we modify.

Inside we are using all vintage 2n3568s dome transistor in the signal path. This gives the pedal a “tighter” more “focused” feel and sounds different than the standard design.

The box can be set safely on your studio desk in the upright position without tipping, but can also be set face up. Sorry, no stomp for bypass.

This is meant to be a studio piece. A secret tool that adds unique character to your tracks.

The large “Short Test” toggle engages a diode clipping mod (not on the standard pedal). This reduces the gain and turns the signal into a compressed fuzz tone. The two lower knobs are the tone controls “Hurt” and “Pain”. One reduces high frequencies, the other low frequencies. However the unique design of the Electron Fuzz pedal is not fixed. So by changing the tone controls you’re actually changing the dynamic gain stages of the circuit.

The large jewel glows while the pedal is active. A toggle switch (lower left) will engage the true bypass when in the up position.

The upper knob next to the power LED is the output volume. The “Calibrate” knob is the feedback oscillation control. If you’re not familiar with the EFC series pedals this is one of the defining characteristics of the pedal. It’s there for noise making and can sound much like an oscillator that can be turned all the way down to a pulse.

Below that are two toggles, one to cut low sub frequencies, the other to engage the “x1000” circuit. An additional set of gain stages that GREATLY increase the distortion.

The dimensions are 9″ wide x 6.75″ tall x 4″ deep.

And if for reference this is what the standard version of the Electron Fuzz Custom looks like:

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