The BuGGFX Raincoat is a small fuzz circuit from effects builder BuGGFX, sold as a bare PCB for DIY builders through PedalPCB. PedalPCB files it under overdrive, distortion and fuzz at once, and the circuit genuinely straddles those categories: the Guitar FX Layouts blog, which analyzed it and published a stripboard layout in July 2017, could not pin it down either. The PCB was previously known as the PedalPCB Poncho Fuzz1.
"Is it an overdrive that does fuzz? A distortion that does overdrive? A fuzz that does it all? We have no idea. All we know is, it's a Raincoat; the Raincoat."
Volume, Tone and Sustain
The Raincoat is a three-knob pedal. PedalPCB's product page describes the controls as follows1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Controls the output volume |
| Tone | Controls the tone |
| Sustain | Controls the amount of gain |
The Tone control is not a conventional filter placement. According to the Guitar FX Layouts analysis, the tone is a treble cutter placed after the recovery stage, instead of a basic low-pass/high-pass filter before it4. For a builder, that means the knob rolls off brightness at the end of the circuit rather than shaping the gain stages themselves.
One builder report from 2019 is worth knowing before you build: a builder using BC549C transistors reported the sustain cutting off, sounding like a noise gate set too early, describing the result as "nice and fuzzy but it sounds like a gate is set far"4. If your build gates early, the transistor choice is one place to look.
How the circuit works
The Raincoat has no clipping diodes at all. The Guitar FX Layouts analysis states plainly that there are no clipper diodes, so the fuzz character comes from the transistors themselves rather than diodes shunting the signal4. It is also not an octave fuzz, though with the Sustain control cranked you get hints of an upper octave4.
On transistors, builder Alltrax74 used 550C types and planned to compare them against 549C, while mirosol noted no notable difference is expected among Muff derivatives4.
The vero layout and its corrections
Guitar FX Layouts published a stripboard (vero) layout for the Raincoat on 26 July 20174. The layout needed correcting after builder reports, and on 6 August 2017 mirosol posted a corrected version4. On 10 August 2017 Alltrax74 confirmed the corrected layout works, reporting:
"Verified, you can tag it. It sounds very nice and works very well with the guitar volume."
So yes, there is a verified vero layout, provided you use the corrected version from 6 August 2017 onward4.
Getting a PCB
PedalPCB sells the Raincoat PCB for $8.00 USD3. The board is designed for a 125B enclosure with top-mounted jacks1. Back in 2017, BuGG also mentioned having a box of unused PCBs for the circuit available through PedalPCB4.
There is also a related product: the BuGGFX Raincoat Module for Jackson Audio FUZZ, a PedalPCB module that puts the Raincoat circuit into the Jackson Audio FUZZ modular fuzz pedal. It uses 0805 SMD component footprints for easier assembly, and PedalPCB notes it is not manufactured or distributed by Jackson Audio5. Its build documentation was listed as coming soon as of October 20265.
Videos
BuGGFX Pedals
Trey Xavier
Questions
What was the BuGGFX Raincoat called before?
The PCB sold by PedalPCB as the BuGGFX Raincoat was previously known as the PedalPCB Poncho Fuzz. Same circuit, different name on the product page.
Does the BuGGFX Raincoat use clipping diodes?
No. The Guitar FX Layouts analysis of the circuit found no clipper diodes. Instead of diode clipping, the tone control is a treble cutter placed after the recovery stage rather than a basic low-pass or high-pass filter before it.
Is the BuGGFX Raincoat an octave fuzz?
No, it is not an octave fuzz, but with the Sustain control cranked you get hints of an upper octave, according to the Guitar FX Layouts write-up. At lower gain settings it sits somewhere between overdrive, distortion and fuzz.
What enclosure does the Raincoat PCB fit?
The PedalPCB Raincoat PCB is designed for a 125B enclosure with top-mounted jacks. The board itself measures 1.95 by 1.95 by 0.5 inches and weighs 0.3 oz.
Where can I get a Raincoat PCB for a DIY build?
PedalPCB sells the Raincoat PCB for $8.00 USD as of October 2026. BuGG also mentioned having a box of unused PCBs for the circuit on the Guitar FX Layouts blog in 2017.
Is there a verified vero layout for the Raincoat?
Yes. Guitar FX Layouts published a stripboard layout in July 2017, corrected a missing cut between the Q3 and Q4 bases in August 2017, and a builder verified the corrected layout as working on 10 August 2017.
Sources (5)
- BuGGFX Raincoat, PedalPCB.com
- Blue Shoe Gai Pan Distortion, PedalPCB.com
- Blues Lawyer Overdrive, PedalPCB.com
- Guitar FX Layouts: BuGGFX Raincoat, tagboardeffects.blogspot.com (Guitar FX Layouts), 2019-04-02
- BuGGFX Raincoat Module for Jackson Audio FUZZ, PedalPCB.com
