The Cat Box Customs Bean Machine is a boutique fuzz pedal built on the Harmonic Percolator circuit, the two-slider fuzz box that Guitar.com's Richard Purvis described as "an unwieldy-looking fuzz box with two slider controls"1. The Bean Machine takes that circuit and adds a few twists of its own, wrapped in a hand-painted enclosure. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio, who covers the pedal on his site, called it "a gorgeously colorful, hand-painted boutique take on the Harmonic Percolator"2.
Where it comes from
The Harmonic Percolator is the fuzz format that recording legend Steve Albini helped popularise, and Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson rounded up representatives of the format in tribute, with the Bean Machine among them4. Cat Box Customs builds the Bean Machine as a variant of that circuit rather than a straight copy, changing component values and adding toggles to expand what the original could do23.
The builder makes the pedals one at a time, and the finish reflects that. As he put it: "I drip them with alcohol inks and spray them with varnish by hand, they're not perfect and will naturally wear with time"2. Guitar Pedal X notes that the Bean Machine is made in several distinct variants, in lots of different graphic patterns and colourways, priced by the complexity of the finish4.
Controls and diode options
The original Bean Machine keeps the Volume and Fuzz knob layout of the Percolator variant it is based on, and adds three toggle switches23.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume knob | Output level3 |
| Fuzz knob | Fuzz amount3 |
| Diode clipping toggle (3-way) | D310 Ge / none / Schottky BAT41 options2 |
| Second toggle | Changes component values for pseudo octave up/down2 |
| Third toggle | More/less intensity2 |
The three-way diode clipping selection is the heart of the tonal options: germanium D310 diodes, no diodes at all, or Schottky BAT41 diodes, each giving the clipping stage a different character2.
Power
The Bean Machine has no 9V battery clip. It runs on a Boss style 9V power supply only, so it needs a standard adapter on your board rather than a battery2.
The Bean Machine V2
The V2 looks like an update in the name, but Cat Box Customs presents it as a deluxe version of the original rather than a simple revision3. It keeps the two original Volume and Fuzz knobs on the top left and center, and keeps the three-way diode clipping selection, now listed with Germanium/none/Silicon options3.
The headline addition is a second footswitch. A new Feedback circuit activates a feedback loop that, in the builder's words, "will make the pedal go haywire"3.
| Bean Machine | Bean Machine V2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Knobs | Volume, Fuzz3 | Volume, Fuzz (kept from the original)3 |
| Diode clipping | D310 Ge / none / Schottky BAT412 | Germanium / none / Silicon3 |
| Second footswitch | No | Yes, Feedback loop3 |
What reviewers said
Delicious Audio's De Gregorio pointed readers to a demo of the original, calling it "a truly rocking video of it, we added it to our articles about the best Harmonic Percolator-inspired fuzz pedals"2. Guitar Pedal X included the Bean Machine among representatives of the Harmonic Percolator format in its tribute piece4.
On build quality, the builder stands behind his work: "You shouldn't ever have any issues with my build quality but I'll fix it if there is something, catboxcustoms guaranteed"2.
Videos
collector//emitter
ambienttrash
Eric Merrow
Questions
Does the Cat Box Customs Bean Machine take a battery?
No. The Bean Machine has no 9V battery clip and runs on a Boss style 9V power supply only, so plan on a standard center negative adapter rather than battery power.
What is the difference between the Bean Machine and the Bean Machine V2?
Although the V2 is presented in the name as an update, Cat Box Customs describes it as a deluxe version of the original rather than a simple revision. The V2 keeps the original Volume and Fuzz knobs and the three-way diode clipping selection, and adds a Feedback footswitch that activates a feedback loop.
What does the Feedback footswitch do on the V2?
The Feedback footswitch activates a feedback loop that, in the builder's words, will make the pedal go haywire. It is a second footswitch added alongside the original bypass switching on the V2.
What diode options does the Bean Machine have?
The original Bean Machine has a three-way diode clipping selection with D310 germanium, none, and Schottky BAT41 options. The V2 keeps a three-way diode clipping selection with Germanium, none, and Silicon options.
Where is the Bean Machine made?
Builder Paolo De Gregorio makes the Bean Machine by hand in Columbus, Ohio, in his basement. The pedals are hand-dripped with alcohol inks and sprayed with varnish by hand, and Guitar Pedal X notes they are made in several distinct variants with different graphic patterns and colourways.
Sources (4)
- Zander Circuitry Cafetiere review: A brilliantly tweakable take on the InterFax Harmonic Percolator, Guitar.com, 2022-06-14
- Cat Box Customs Bean Machine Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2023-02-24
- Cat Box Customs Bean Machine V2 Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2022-10-05
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-05-13
