Magnetic Effects Buzzer UVB-76

The Buzzer UVB-76 is a limited-edition fuzz pedal from London-based builder Magnetic Effects, released on August 8, 2016. It is a clone of the Baldwin Burns Buzzaround fuzz with two additions: a master control and a polarity reverse circuit. Premier Guitar's announcement describes it as "a punchy, fierce fuzz with excellent tone and definition," and says "the Buzzer delivers excellent fuzz tones that sit sonically somewhere between a Tone Bender and a Big Muff."¹

What it does and how it is controlled

The Buzzer carries a trio of carefully selected and tested NOS germanium transistors, the transistor type the original Buzzaround-era fuzzes were built around. Its added master volume control lets you explore the tones from the higher settings of the Balance control at a more manageable volume, which is the practical difference between this pedal and the vintage units it copies.¹

The pedal is true bypass with top mounted jacks and a DC power input, so it sits cleanly on a pedalboard without the awkward side-mounted jacks of many vintage-style fuzzes.¹²

Power: a charge pump solves the germanium problem

Vintage germanium fuzzes often need a positive-tip supply, which rules out sharing a standard pedalboard power supply. The Buzzer adds a charge pump acting as a polarity reverse circuit. This enables you to run the pedal on a standard 9V DC center negative adapter and to daisy chain it with other pedals.¹

Where the Buzzaround came from

The Baldwin Burns Buzzaround is a 1960s British fuzz. TONEHOME describes its circuit as "extremely close to the 3-knob Tone Bender circuit,"³ and Jed's Pedals calls it "the classic Baldwin Burns Buzzaround fuzz from the mid to late 60's."⁴ The design circulated widely: Guitar Pedal X notes that "Baldwin Burns then somewhat copied the circuit for their own Buzzaround Fuzz" from the Harmonic Generator circuit.⁵

fuzzboxes.org documents a single "Baldwin" fuzz box found in the United States, believed to be a prototype for an American version: "This unit runs from a lower supply voltage, but the basic schematic is based on the British model." Surviving Buzzarounds carry serial numbers spanning from 6134 to 7993.⁶

What reviewers said

gearnews.com's Jef, writing on August 10, 2016, summed the pedal up this way:

The white chicken head knobs stand out easily against the Buzzer's black casing, which Jef noted as a practical touch when looking down at a board mid-set.²

Related Magnetic Effects fuzzes

Magnetic Effects built several other fuzzes around the same period, each a take on a classic germanium circuit: the Solar Bender, a Tone Bender MKII-style fuzz; the White Atom, a hybrid germanium/silicon fuzz; and the Black Moon, a limited-edition Fuzz Face clone. For the wider family, see the Fuzz Pedals page.

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