The Idiotbox Blowerbox is a distortion/fuzz pedal aimed at bass players as much as guitarists. According to the technical write-up on Guitar FX Layouts, it was "designed with recreating the classic tone of Blacky from the early Voivod albums," and the same source describes its range as covering "everything from a mild grind to full-on massive distortion"1. It belongs to the family of Rat-style distortion circuits, and sits alongside other Idiotbox designs such as the Idiotbox Redrum V2 and the IdiotBox Heavy Weapon, a dual distortion that combines the Blower Box and Dungeon Master circuits in one enclosure1.
What it does
The Blowerbox is a distortion pedal with a wide enough range to serve both instruments: the Guitar FX Layouts description calls it a pedal with "some wild distortion/fuzz tones for both, guitar and a bass"1. At the low end of its range it produces a mild grind; pushed further it reaches what the same source calls "full-on massive distortion"1. For bass players specifically, the Voivod connection is the point: the pedal was designed around the sound of Blacky's bass on the band's early albums1.
Circuit and how it differs from a Rat
The Blowerbox is described as a "Killer take on the Rat"1, but it is not a straight copy. Two details set the circuit apart:
- The JFET stage is "wired as an amplifier, not as a buffer, like it is with a standard rat," with an active tone control placed after it1.
- The circuit uses an LM308 opamp and a J201 JFET. The LM308 matters: in that configuration, "just about every other single opamp will squeel like a pig if tried on instead of the correct LM308"1.
For players who build their own pedals, Guitar FX Layouts published a verified stripboard (vero) layout for the Blowerbox in July 2014, based on a traced schematic by p.eat and later corrected with johnk's help. The layout was confirmed working, with the builder reporting "it sounds identical to the original"1. A few practical notes from that write-up:
- The tone pot uses a reverse log taper, which corresponds to a C characteristic1.
- The schematic shows Panasonic brand metal film poly caps in red; green mylars work as substitutes1.
- One builder used a DPDT switch to select between standard, no clipping, and asymmetrical silicon clipping, calling the asymmetrical option their favorite, and summed the circuit up as a "Killer take on the Rat"1.
The Blowerbox circuit depends on the LM308 opamp. Substituting another opamp in the same configuration is reported to cause squealing rather than correct operation1.
Related Idiotbox pedals
Idiotbox has built several other distortion designs, and the Blower Box circuit later reappeared inside the IdiotBox Heavy Weapon, a dual distortion/overdrive that pairs it with the Dungeon Master circuit in a single enclosure1. For a wider view of the category, see Distortion Pedals, Fuzz Pedals, and Bass Pedals.
Videos
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Questions
Is the Idiotbox Blowerbox good for bass?
Yes. The pedal was designed with recreating the classic tone of Blacky from the early Voivod albums, and the Guitar FX Layouts write-up describes it as having wild distortion and fuzz tones for both guitar and bass. Its range runs from a mild grind to full-on massive distortion, so it can sit anywhere from a light drive to a heavy bass voice.
How is the Blowerbox different from a Rat?
The Blowerbox is a take on the Rat, but the circuit differs in one important way: the JFET is wired as an amplifier rather than as a buffer, as it is in a standard Rat, with an active tone control after it. It also uses an LM308 opamp and a J201 JFET.
Sources (1)
- Guitar FX Layouts: Idiotbox Blowerbox, Guitar FX Layouts (tagboardeffects.blogspot.com), 2014-07-13
