The Jed's Pedals Bittern Fuzz is a DIY fuzz kit built around a double fuzz design: a fuzz face stage fed into a Shin-ei Super Fuzz circuit. Jed's Pedals says the pairing achieves an excellent output that cuts through the mix. The circuit was traced from an original by one of the company's forum members and has been A/B tested against the original pedal, according to the maker's product page1. It sits in the fuzz family alongside other Jed's Pedals builds like the Shakes and Baby Yoda.
What the circuit is based on
The Bittern stacks two classic fuzz ideas in one box. The first stage is a fuzz face, the second a Shin-ei Super Fuzz circuit, and Jed's Pedals describes the result as a double fuzz with output that cuts through the mix1. The company is careful about lineage: the kit "compares to the Anasounds Bitoun Fuzz", and the page states there is no endorsement or approval from any manufacturer1.
The layout was traced from an original circuit by a forum member, and Jed's Pedals says it has also been A/B tested with the original1.
Controls
The original pedal this is traced from had only two knobs and, in Jed's Pedals' words, "a plethora of internal trimmers". For the kit, the company altered that design to use fewer trimmers and more knobs on the outside of the enclosure1. You will need 5 knobs for the kit, and the maker suggests skinny sized ones to fit1.
Building it
Jed's Pedals calls this a medium difficulty kit1. The company says the kit features its DIY friendly layout and board design, a detailed PDF build guide, top quality parts, and the availability of a build support forum1.
The kit is sold in several versions, so you can buy as much or as little as you want to source yourself1:
- PCB Only: just the plain PCB
- PCB & Components
- PCB & Components & Offboard parts
- Full Kit
- Full Kit & Drilling
A pre built option is also offered. Pre Built Kits have a 1 to 4 week build time, and Jed's Pedals applies a 12 month warranty: if the pedal develops a fault, the company asks buyers to get in touch1.
Questions
Is the Jed's Pedals Bittern Fuzz a kit or a finished pedal?
The Bittern Fuzz is sold by Jed's Pedals as a DIY project, with versions ranging from a plain PCB up to a full kit with drilling. A pre built option is also offered, with a 1 to 4 week build time and a 12 month warranty covering faults that develop after it arrives.
How hard is the Bittern Fuzz kit to build?
Jed's Pedals describes it as a medium difficulty kit. The company says the board uses a DIY friendly layout, ships with a detailed PDF build guide and top quality parts, and that a build support forum is available if questions come up during the build.
What is the Bittern Fuzz based on?
It is a double fuzz circuit: a fuzz face fed into a Shin-ei Super Fuzz circuit. Jed's Pedals says the layout was traced from an original circuit by one of its forum members and has been A/B tested against the original. The company notes it compares to the Anasounds Bitoun Fuzz, with no endorsement from any manufacturer.
What enclosure does the Bittern Fuzz kit use?
The circuit fits inside a JP125B enclosure, which Jed's Pedals says gives the finished pedal a nice neat finish.
How many knobs does the Bittern Fuzz need?
The kit needs 5 knobs, and Jed's Pedals suggests skinny sized ones. The original pedal this is based on had only two knobs and a large number of internal trimmers; the kit design was altered to use fewer trimmers and more knobs on the outside.
Sources (1)
- Bittern Fuzz, Jed's Pedals (jedspeds.co.uk)
