The Jext Telez Black Drone Wasp is a germanium fuzz pedal and the maker's first original design, according to Premier Guitar's review1. It is a three-transistor circuit built around new-old-stock RCA 2N404 transistors, a part the reviewer noted is not especially common in fuzz designs1. Pedal of the Day, reviewing it in 2019, called it possibly the loudest pedal the site had encountered and said "this is a fuzz for the ages"2.
Sound and circuit
Premier Guitar's reviewer described the pedal as having "world-destroying, high-gain fuzz potency and a buzzy, sometimes sonorous, mostly menacing fundamental voice"1. The same review summed up the voice as a "Uniquely evil, brawny, smooth, and robust fuzz voice"1.
The reviewer heard echoes of several fuzz lineages in it: Sovtek Big Muff mass, Foxx Tone Machine octave complexity, and Fuzz Face top-end heat1. Those are the reviewer's comparisons rather than a claim of shared circuitry, and the pedal itself is an original design rather than a clone1.
Controls and build
The pedal keeps things simple with two knobs1:
The build is conventional and tidy: everything sits on a through-hole circuit board, and the input/output jacks and footswitch are chassis mounted1.
The Black Drone Wasp is Jext Telez's first original design. The maker's other pedals, such as the Canyon Climber, the Buzz Tone and the White Pedal, take their starting points from earlier circuits.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's review, published in September 2023, was positive on the pedal's voice and construction, giving it a street price of $259 at the time1. Pedal of the Day's 2019 review praised its harmonic overtones and midrange growl and called it "a fuzz for the ages"2.
Videos
Pedal of the Day
Mark Hentschel Music
Drums FX Pedals
Questions
Does the Jext Telez Black Drone Wasp use germanium transistors?
Yes. Premier Guitar's review describes the Black Drone Wasp as a three-transistor, germanium fuzz. The gain comes from three new-old-stock RCA 2N404 transistors, which the reviewer noted are not especially common in fuzz designs, and the frequency-cut sections of the circuit use Orange Drop capacitors.
Is the Black Drone Wasp based on a Big Muff or Fuzz Face?
It is Jext Telez's first original design, not a copy. Premier Guitar's reviewer heard points of comparison in it, describing Sovtek Big Muff mass, Foxx Tone Machine octave complexity, and Fuzz Face top-end heat, but the circuit itself is the maker's own rather than a clone of any of those pedals.
Can the Black Drone Wasp run on a 9V battery?
Yes. Premier Guitar's review notes that there is a 9V battery option alongside standard pedal power, so the pedal can be run without a power supply if you prefer.
Is the Black Drone Wasp the first original Jext Telez design?
Yes. According to Premier Guitar's review, the Black Drone Wasp is Jext Telez's first original design, meaning it is not based on an existing circuit the way some of the maker's other pedals are.
Sources (2)
- Jext Telez Black Drone Wasp Review, Premier Guitar, 2019-03-26
- Jext Telez Black Drone Wasp Fuzz, Pedal of the Day, 2019-05-29
