The BLAMMO! Electronics P2P Buzz Tone is a fuzz stompbox that recreates the Jordan Boss Tone, a fuzz unit from the 1960s, in a modern pedal enclosure. Where the original was a small black box that plugged straight into a guitar's input jack, BLAMMO!'s version is a stompbox built in the point-to-point style on a custom turret board, with no printed circuit board in the signal path1.
BLAMMO! describes the resulting tone as having "a more mid-focused honk and grimy texture unlike the more common two-transistor type designs," and the pedal uses an asymmetrical clipping diode setup, which the maker says gives more even order harmonics, compression and bite1.
What the Jordan Boss Tone was
BLAMMO! has history with this circuit beyond the P2P Buzz Tone. The company also builds the Jordan Bosstone, a pedal recreation of the 1966 Jordan Boss Tone, and the P2P Buzz Tone continues that lineage in point-to-point form1.
How the P2P Buzz Tone is built
The construction is the selling point of BLAMMO!'s P2P line. The circuit is hand-wired point to point on a custom turret board, the style of build associated with vintage amplifiers rather than mass-produced pedals. BLAMMO! says of the approach, on the related P2P Tone Bender MKi, that it is "a P2P build style that keeps the signal traces extra short"2.
The parts list includes:
- Carbon composition resistors1
- Vishay axial capacitors1
- High quality low profile 3PDT footswitch1
- Hand stamped OEM style faceplate1
- Top mounted jacks1
The pedal also "cleans up" like a Fuzz Face when you roll back the guitar's volume knob, according to BLAMMO!, "but it isn't nearly as wooly"1. That cleanup behavior is a trait players associate with vintage-style fuzz circuits, and here it comes with a leaner low end than a Fuzz Face-type design.
Powering it
The P2P Buzz Tone runs on either a 9 volt battery or a standard pedalboard supply. The battery option disconnects at the input jack, so the battery does not drain when a cable is unplugged1. The DC input accepts a 2.1mm center negative plug, the same standard Boss-type connector most pedalboard power supplies use, and current draw is a light 3mA1.
The power input is center negative, the standard Boss type. A supply wired the other way around will not work. The related P2P Tone Bender MKi adds a polarity protection diode for extra safety2, so check the power supply polarity before plugging in.
How it differs from BLAMMO!'s other P2P pedals
BLAMMO! builds at least three pedals in this point-to-point style, and they trace different vintage circuits123:
| Pedal | Circuit lineage | Notes from the maker |
|---|---|---|
| P2P Buzz Tone | Jordan Boss Tone | Mid-focused honk, grimy texture, asymmetrical clipping1 |
| P2P Tone Bender MKi | Tone Bender MKi | Hand-wired point-to-point Tone Bender MKi, beefed-up power filtering and polarity protection2 |
| P2P Tone Bender MKii | Tone Bender MKii | Tuned for more sustain and output volume; ATTACK knob sweeps from a mid-focused bark with no gating to a singing fuzz3 |
All three share the same practical platform: true bypass switching, top mounted jacks, a 9V battery option and a 2.1mm center negative DC input123. The difference is the circuit each one recreates, with the Buzz Tone standing apart from the two Tone Bender variants as the only one chasing the Jordan design.
Where it comes from and where it is made
The P2P Buzz Tone is handmade in Portland, Oregon1, the same city where BLAMMO! builds its other pedals, including the Fuzz Banger. The maker's product page lists the pedal at $199.991.
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Questions
Is the BLAMMO! P2P Buzz Tone true bypass?
Yes. BLAMMO! Electronics lists the P2P Buzz Tone as true bypass, switched by a high quality low profile 3PDT footswitch. The same true bypass switching appears on the company's other point-to-point pedals, the P2P Tone Bender MKi and MKii.
What is the Jordan Boss Tone that the P2P Buzz Tone is based on?
The Jordan Boss Tone is a 1960s fuzz unit, originally a small black box that plugged directly into a guitar's input jack. Its simple circuit has been widely copied, by Dan Armstrong, Vox and Electro Harmonix among others, and it has inspired numerous clones and DIY kits.
Does the P2P Buzz Tone take a 9V battery?
Yes. The pedal includes a 9 volt battery option that disconnects at the input jack, so the battery is out of the circuit when nothing is plugged in. It also accepts a 2.1mm center negative DC power supply of the standard Boss type.
What power supply polarity does the P2P Buzz Tone need?
It accepts a 2.1mm center negative DC power supply, the standard Boss type. Current draw is only 3mA, so it is easy on a pedalboard power supply. A 9 volt battery is also an option.
Where is the BLAMMO! P2P Buzz Tone made?
It is handmade in Portland, Oregon, by BLAMMO! Electronics. The company's other point-to-point pedals, including the P2P Tone Bender MKi and MKii, are built in the same city.
Sources (3)
- P2P Buzz Tone, BLAMMO! Electronics
- P2P Tone Bender MKi, BLAMMO! Electronics
- P2P Tone Bender MKii, BLAMMO! Electronics
