Catalinbread releases Knight School Fuzz as a DIY kit

September 21, 2023 · 2 sources

Catalinbread released the Knight School Fuzz on September 21, 2023, as a DIY kit or a fully built pedal¹. The fuzz circuit is based on a Jordan Boss Tone fuzz, according to gearnews¹. Gearnews reported that the pedal began as an instructional device for a local pedal-building class taught by a local amp tech¹.

The pedal has controls for Volume, Gain and Bias²¹. Catalinbread says the Bias control loads the voltage from the supplied 9V down to just under 5V, which it describes as a leaner, smoother tone that many have compared to video game sounds². The maker also notes that if the Bias knob is maxed when the power cable is plugged in, the pedal will oscillate and provide synth and drone textures until the Gain knob is turned to stabilize it². Catalinbread says the Gain control is wired like a guitar's volume knob, so with the knob maxed the level of gain can be controlled from the guitar².

The kit includes a circuit board with everything labeled as to what part goes where². Catalinbread lists the 2N5088 transistor as doing most of the heavy lifting in the circuit, describing it as a medium-gain device, and includes 1N4148 silicon diodes². The maker also publishes a list of modifications, including swapping the stock A100K potentiometer, changing the 1K8 resistor that controls minimum bias resistance, the 2K2 resistor that sets gain at the Gain knob's lowest setting, and the two 100n capacitors².

Gearnews reported the kit at $85 under introductory pricing, normally $99.99, with a fully built pedal costing $50 more¹. Catalinbread specifies a center-negative DC power supply capable of 9 volts and at least .5mA of current, and warns that any other supply will damage the pedal, possibly beyond repair².