Reeves Electro Darlington Flyer Switchable Transistor Fuzz

The Reeves Electro Darlington Flyer Switchable Transistor Fuzz is a fuzz pedal built around a simple idea: one fuzz circuit, two transistors, and a switch that chooses between them. Instead of stacking two transistors in the circuit the way a classic two-stage fuzz does, the Darlington Flyer runs a single transistor fuzz that is switchable between two very different sounding silicon devices¹. Guitar Pedal X has long described it as "Dual Natured," one pedal with two distinct fuzz voices².

It was the first release in Reeves Electro's PCB-based Daughterboard series, built entirely by Izzy Reeves of Reeves Electro, a builder based in Northamptonshire, UK, and first released in August 2023²¹. The pedal sits in a trapezoid blue enclosure¹.

One fuzz, two transistors

The core of the pedal is the transistor pair. In the very original version, the two transistors were a 1979 Motorola MPSA013 Darlington and a 70's Micro Electronics ME4003². Delicious Audio describes the split the same way: the MPSA013 Darlington gives smooth and compressed sustain, while the early '70s Micro Electronics ME4003 gives a more open, gritty tone with a slightly gated character¹.

A second toggle, on the left, delivers two levels of "fatness," so you can shape the voicing on top of choosing the transistor¹.

Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson, reviewing the related Etched Edition, summed up the appeal of the format³:

How it differs from a Fuzz Face

A Fuzz Face runs two transistors fixed in one circuit. The Darlington Flyer instead uses a single transistor fuzz stage and lets you swap the transistor itself, which changes the whole character of the fuzz rather than just its gain. On the sound of the Darlington side, Guitar Pedal X notes¹²³:

So the comparison is one of feel: the Darlington position reaches toward Fuzz Face territory but with a smoother edge, while the bipolar position goes somewhere a Fuzz Face does not, toward gated and gritty textures².

From the original to the Point-to-Point variant

The Darlington Flyer has been revisited more than once. In March 2025, a limited Etched Edition of the Dual-Natured Fuzz appeared, with only 10 made; it kept the Motorola MPSA13 as the first transistor but replaced the original ME4003 with a Philips BC546 Silver-Face³². For that 2025 edition, the pair was the 1979 MPSA013 Darlington and a 70's/80's Philips Silverface BC546².

In October 2026, Izzy Reeves released her first Point-to-Point circuit: a new variant of the Darlington Flyer Switchable Transistor Fuzz, hardwired point-to-point rather than on the vintage PCB style construction used by the Daughterboard Series pedals². Point-to-Point wiring is said to give it a touch more heft².

The Point-to-Point variant keeps the same control layout: a Transistor switch labeled Darlington Flyer / Bipolar Junction, an EQ / Voicing control labeled FAT Controller / Narrow Gauge (Skinny), and a Master Volume (Fixed Fuzz / Gain)². On its sound, the BC546 Bipolar Junction side "delivers a somewhat rougher Gated and Gritty Output"².

Videos

Click to load

Click to load

Click to load