The Drunk Beaver Secret Sauce is an analog fuzz pedal built around the classic Harmonic Percolator circuit, the rare and sought after 1970s fuzz associated with Steve Albini. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes it as their take on that circuit, designed to Steve Albini's Percolator specs but with a unique transistor set and features that greatly extend the limited range of the vintage unit1.
Where the original Harmonic Percolator had just two knobs, the Secret Sauce keeps those two and adds more, along with toggle switches that let you choose germanium or silicon parts for both the transistor and the diodes. Delicious Audio called it one of the most versatile pedals of this kind on the market2.
An extended-range Harmonic Percolator
The Harmonic Percolator is a rare and sought after classic fuzz from the 1970s, known for its cutting midrange and asymmetrical clipping character. Delicious Audio notes that players seek it out for exactly that sound, and that modern builders offer it in more roadworthy form5.
Drunk Beaver's approach is not a straight reproduction. The Secret Sauce keeps the two knobs from the original, Output and Harmonics (the gain control), and integrates two more, Compression and Symmetry, which Delicious Audio says greatly extends the limited range of the vintage unit2. The pedal also carries a buffered pickup simulator in front of the circuit, which RockBoard's PedalPedia says allows the fuzz to be used anywhere in a signal chain without losing its tone, a real advantage over many vintage-style fuzzes that need to sit first after the guitar1.
Delicious Audio included the Secret Sauce in its article about the best Harmonic Percolator clones and evolutions, describing it as a Ukrainian fuzz that greatly extends the limited range of the Harmonic Percolator, making it one of the most versatile pedals of this kind on the market6.
The controls and switches
The Secret Sauce carries two knobs from the original circuit plus two of Drunk Beaver's own, and a pair of toggles for the active components2.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Harmonics | Gain, one of the two knobs on the original Percolator2 |
| Output | Level, the other original knob2 |
| Compression | Delivers a more compressed fuzz sound2 |
| Symmetry | A blend of symmetrical (left) and asymmetrical (right) diode clipping; at noon you get the closest setting to the vintage unit2 |
| Q2 toggle | Selects germanium or silicon for the transistor2 |
| Diodes toggle | Selects germanium or silicon diodes2 |
The component choices are where the Secret Sauce departs most from the vintage circuit. Drunk Beaver used NOS Soviet germanium 1T320B transistors (the 1T marking indicates the military version) alongside a silicon BC307, selectable via toggle switch, plus an NOS GT404B germanium. For clipping you can select germanium (NOS Soviet D311) or silicon (BAT85) diodes, and choose the compression and clipping symmetry level1. A reviewer's unit came supplied with two Soviet germanium transistors, the GT404B and 1T320B, and one universal silicon BC307B31.
Guitar Pedal X's reviewer, Stefan Karlsson, shared his preferred settings: both switches set to germanium, Compression dialed back, Symmetry at either extreme, Output at 2 o'clock and Harmonics at 3 o'clock3.
What reviewers said
"Great sounding, great looking properly extended-range percolator. I have and really rate this"
In the earlier review, Karlsson wrote that Drunk Beaver was quickly turning into his go-to supplier for cool extended-range fuzz circuits3.
Drunk Beaver and its other pedals
Drunk Beaver pedals are released in small limited batches, typically around 20 to 40 units per drop. A pedal you see referenced may already be sold out from its latest run.
Videos
Mind the G.A.S.
Riffs and pancakes
Eirik Stordrange
Questions
Is the Secret Sauce a Harmonic Percolator clone?
It is a take on the classic Harmonic Percolator circuit rather than a straight clone. Drunk Beaver says it was designed to Steve Albini's Percolator specs but with a unique transistor set and extra features, including selectable germanium or silicon transistors and diodes, a Compression knob, a Symmetry knob, and a buffered pickup simulator in front of the circuit.
Which Symmetry setting sounds like the original Percolator?
With the Symmetry knob at noon you get the closest setting to the vintage unit, according to Delicious Audio. Turned to the left the knob blends toward symmetrical diode clipping, and turned to the right toward asymmetrical clipping, so the extremes move away from the vintage sound in opposite directions.
How much power does the Drunk Beaver Secret Sauce draw?
The pedal runs on 9V DC with a center negative plug and draws 4mA, according to Drunk Beaver's product page. That low current draw makes it easy to run alongside other pedals on a typical power supply.
Who designs Drunk Beaver pedals?
Drunk Beaver pedals are designed by Vitalii Bobrov, who Guitar Pedal X's reviewer described as his go-to supplier for cool extended-range fuzz circuits. The Secret Sauce was designed to Steve Albini's Percolator specs but with a unique transistor set and features.
How much did the Secret Sauce cost?
Guitar Pedal X listed the Secret Sauce Fuzz at $200 USD in May 2024, at the time describing it as a great sounding, properly extended-range percolator that the reviewer owned and really rated. Drunk Beaver pedals are typically released in small limited batches.
Sources (6)
- Secret Sauce by Drunk Beaver, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Drunk Beaver Secret Sauce Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2022-01-05
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2021-12-14
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-05-13
- New Pedal: Fredric Effects Silicon Harmonic Percolator, Delicious Audio, 2025-07-15
- 9 Best Harmonic Percolator Fuzz Clones & Evolutions In 2023, Delicious Audio, 2023-05-03
