The LARAN DIY KIT is a build-it-yourself fuzz pedal, and the first DIY kit from Gorva Design, made in collaboration with Mask Audio Electronics of Pittsburgh1. Instead of buying a finished pedal, you solder the circuit together yourself from the parts in the kit. The circuit is a rebuilt Big Muff: Mask Audio Electronics says it "tears down the common muff and rebuilds it to be bigger and meaner"1.
What kind of fuzz it is
Mask Audio Electronics describes the LARAN as "a full-bodied fuzz packed with top-of-the-line Gorva audiophile components"1. The circuit topology is a MOSFET input stage that, in the maker's words, "slams two additional clipping stages"1. That gives it a wide gain range: the maker describes "an effect that can add up to a mild, crisp overdrive to full on 'Make amp go BRRRRRRRR' fuzz"1. At the low end of its range it overlaps with what overdrive and distortion pedals do, and at the top end it is a full fuzz.
The Big Muff connection
The Big Muff is an Electro-Harmonix fuzz circuit2, and it has spawned a large family of variants over the years. Writing on the Guitar FX Layouts technical blog, layout author Zach and commenters noted that "there's a lot of muff variants out there like the black arts pharaoh & LSTR, blackout effector musket, frantone sweet" and others3. The LARAN sits in that tradition: it takes the common Big Muff topology and rebuilds it rather than copying it outright1.
Who it is for
The maker positions the kit as "a premium kit suited to a range of people from first-time builders to experienced solderhands"1. That is an unusually broad claim for a DIY pedal kit: it is pitched at someone soldering their first circuit and at a builder who has finished many. The maker also credits Gabriel Searles for design work and Korey Bartos for video editing on the project1.
Videos
collector//emitter
Mask Audio Electronics
Questions
How much does the LARAN DIY kit cost?
Mask Audio Electronics lists the LARAN DIY KIT at a regular price of £98.00 GBP on its product page as of 26 October 2026. The price is given in British pounds by the maker, so the figure is stated as listed rather than converted to US dollars.
Is the LARAN kit suitable for a first-time builder?
The maker describes it as a premium kit suited to a range of people from first-time builders to experienced solderhands. That makes it one of the few fuzz kits pitched directly at beginners while still holding interest for builders with soldering experience.
What kind of fuzz is the LARAN?
It is a full-bodied fuzz built with Gorva audiophile components. The maker describes its range as running from a mild, crisp overdrive up to full-on fuzz, which means the circuit covers ground normally split between overdrive pedals and dedicated fuzz pedals.
Is the LARAN based on a Big Muff?
Yes. Mask Audio Electronics says the LARAN tears down the common Big Muff and rebuilds it to be bigger and meaner. The Big Muff, made by Electro-Harmonix, has spawned many variants over the years, and the LARAN is one more take on that circuit.
Who makes the LARAN DIY kit?
LARAN is the first DIY kit from Gorva Design, made in collaboration with Mask Audio Electronics of Pittsburgh. The maker credits Gabriel Searles for design work and Korey Bartos for video editing on the project.
Sources (3)
- LARAN DIY KIT, Mask Audio Electronics
- That Pedal Show, That Pedal Show, 2016-11-11
- Guitar FX Layouts: Mojo Hand Colossus Fuzz, Guitar FX Layouts (tagboardeffects.blogspot.com), 2015-11-18
