The Dirty Sock Effects Transistoriser is a silicon fuzz box from Sidney, Australia, built around two of the most underrated silicon fuzz circuits of the late 1960s and early 1970s: the Shin Ei FY-2 and the Mosrite Fuzzrite. Where those vintage designs were famously one-note, the Transistoriser adds a Texture control, a Thick/Thin bass switch and a much healthier output stage, so it covers everything from spitty low gain drive to blown-out silicon fuzz1.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Fuzz | Amount of "fuzz". Turning it down can get into overdrive territory, and turning it up gradually increases the pedal's fuzziness. |
| Texture | Blends in an extra transistor stage, which introduces more upper harmonics, gain and a little extra fuzziness. |
| Thick/Thin switch | Alters the pedal's bass response, helping you tune it to your guitar or bass and amp setup. |
| Volume | Amount of output level. |
The Fuzz knob has a very broad range, from spitty low gain drive to a blown-out silicon fuzz when turned all the way up1. The Texture control is the pedal's main departure from its vintage inspirations: it blends in an extra transistor stage for an extra layer of gain which tends to emphasize upper harmonics1.
The Thick/Thin switch changes the tone's lower-end content. The Thin setting sounds a lot tighter and cuts low end, while the Thick setting reintroduces low end and works better on bass guitar, so the pedal can be tuned for bass as well as guitar1.
Output level and power
Unlike many vintage fuzzes that struggle to get to unity gain, the Transistoriser has plenty of output level, with unity gain sitting at a little under 4 on the Volume control1.
The Transistoriser takes standard (Boss style) 9VDC center negative power, with a 2.1mm barrel. Do not run it on anything other than that supply specification1.
Where it came from
The Transistoriser is inspired by pioneering silicon fuzz designs of the late '60s/early '70s like the Shin Ei FY-2 and the Mosrite Fuzzrite1. The Shin Ei FY-2, also sold as the Companion Fuzz, is a fuzz circuit that independent builders still trace and modify today1. Dirty Sock Effects takes those two vintage voices and adds the Texture stage, the bass response switch and the stronger output level as modern updates for versatility2.
Paolo De Gregorio of Delicious Audio summed the pedal up this way:
"Overall it’s a very versatile silicon fuzz box capable of some really unique fuzz sounds that haven’t been explored by other modern fuzzes, with some familiar tones in there too!"
All Dirty Sock Effects products carry a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects and normal wear and tear1.
Videos
Dirty Sock Effects
Happy Mag
collector//emitter
Questions
What does the Texture knob do on the Transistoriser?
The Texture knob blends in an extra transistor stage, which introduces more upper harmonics, gain and a little extra fuzziness. It layers a second stage of gain on top of the main fuzz circuit, emphasizing upper harmonics, so you can dial in how much of that extra bite sits over the basic fuzz voice.
What does the Thick/Thin switch do?
The Thick/Thin switch alters the pedal's bass response, helping you tune it to your guitar or bass and amp setup. The Thin setting sounds a lot tighter and cuts low end, while the Thick setting reintroduces low end and works better on bass guitar.
Does the Transistoriser work with bass?
Yes. The Thick/Thin switch is there to help tune the pedal's bass response to your guitar or bass and amp setup, and the Thick setting reintroduces low end and works better on bass guitar, according to the pedal's product coverage.
What power supply does the Dirty Sock Effects Transistoriser need?
The Transistoriser takes standard, Boss style 9VDC centre negative power with a 2.1mm barrel connector. Do not run it on anything other than that supply specification.
Is the Transistoriser a germanium or silicon fuzz?
The Transistoriser is a silicon fuzz. It is inspired by pioneering silicon fuzz designs of the late 1960s and early 1970s, like the Shin Ei FY-2 and the Mosrite Fuzzrite.
Where is the Dirty Sock Effects Transistoriser made?
The Dirty Sock Effects Transistoriser hails from Sidney, Australia, where the company builds its pedals. All Dirty Sock Effects products carry a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects and normal wear and tear.
Sources (2)
- Dirty Sock Effects Transistoriser, Delicious Audio, 2023-08-24
- Guitar FX Layouts: Shin-Ei FY-2 Companion Fuzz with mods, Guitar FX Layouts (tagboardeffects.blogspot.com), 2014-03-25
