The Analogman Sunface NKT275 is a germanium fuzz pedal built in the Fuzz Face style, using PNP NKT275 germanium transistors. It is hand-built in the USA by AnalogMan in small gold boxes, and the company describes it as better quality than almost any other Fuzz Face clone you will find1. On That Pedal Show, the germanium NKT275 version of the Sun Face was presented as the same pedal as the NKT Red Dot variant2.
How it behaves
Germanium fuzzes live or die by how they clean up, and the Sunface NKT275 has a good report on that score. Builders who have worked with the circuit say the sets "clean up great as well," meaning the pedal responds well to the guitar volume pot1. The pedal also carries a CLEAN trim pot, and Analog Mike explains its job directly:
"This trim pot acts just like turning down the VOLUME knob on your guitar, to clean up the fuzz."
That trim pot is the practical difference between a Sunface and a two-knob Fuzz Face clone: it lets you preset how much the fuzz backs off when you roll your guitar volume down, rather than leaving that to the transistor pair alone1.
Transistors and versions
The NKT275 is a PNP germanium transistor, and the circuit is not locked to it: any PNP germanium can be used as an alternative to the NKT27513. Transistor gain varies between sets, and one builder working with white dot NKT275 sets measured them at around hfe 40/60 and found that was where the circuit started to sound right in most positions1.
- Analogman has offered a High Gain version of the Sunface as an option, at an additional $751.
- The published circuit layout was revised on 13 March 2014 to use a common single turn trimmer1.
- One builder who used MP16B and AC125 transistors in the circuit reported liking it much more than the silicon version1.
Enclosures
The Sunface's look has changed over time. Analog Mike says that "in 2012 we started using a brighter, shinier gold box for the smaller Sunface pedals"1, so a brighter gold enclosure points to a smaller Sunface from 2012 or later. For powering on a board, the Z VEX power plate is reported to fit these 2012 cases well1.
The Sunface NKT275 is a positive ground effect, so builders considering the circuit are advised to use a negative voltage inverter for power1. That is a normal trait of PNP germanium fuzzes but worth knowing before adding one to a shared power supply.
Videos
Pedal Pawn
vadlasletta
bolehfx
Questions
Is the Analogman Sunface true bypass?
Yes. Analog Mike describes the Sunface as true bypass, saying that like all of the company's handmade pedals, when it is off it does not alter your sound at all. That matters on a pedalboard because a fuzz that loads or colors the signal when switched off changes the tone of everything after it, and the Sunface is built to stay out of the path when it is not in use.
Can you use other PNP germanium transistors in a Sunface?
Yes. The Sunface NKT275 uses PNP germanium transistors, and any PNP germanium can be used as an alternative to the NKT275. Builders discussing the circuit note that transistor gain varies a great deal between sets, so the character of a build depends on the pair fitted. Analogman has also offered a High Gain version of the Sunface as an option.
Does the Sunface clean up with the guitar volume knob?
Builders who have worked with the circuit report that it cleans up great and works well with the guitar volume pot. The Sunface also carries a CLEAN trim pot that Analog Mike says acts just like turning down the volume knob on your guitar, to clean up the fuzz, so you can set the cleanup point on the pedal itself as well as from the guitar.
Is the Analogman Sunface a positive ground fuzz?
Yes, the circuit is a positive ground effect, which is typical of PNP germanium fuzzes. That is why builders working on the circuit consider using a negative voltage inverter for power. For a player it means power arrangements deserve care, and it is one of the practical differences between germanium PNP fuzzes and more common negative-ground pedals.
Where is the Analogman Sunface made?
The Sunface is hand-built in the USA in small gold boxes. Since 2012 the smaller Sunface pedals have used a brighter, shinier gold enclosure, according to Analog Mike, so the look of the pedal can tell you something about when it was made.
Sources (3)
- Guitar FX Layouts: Analogman Sunface NKT275, tagboardeffects.blogspot.com (Guitar FX Layouts), 2012
- That Pedal Show, That Pedal Show, 2017-12-12
- Guitar FX Layouts: EHX Germanium Overdrive, Guitar FX Layouts (tagboardeffects.blogspot.com), 2014-09-17
