The fOXX Down Machine was a wah-wah pedal designed for bass guitar, made by Ridinger Associates Inc of Chatsworth, California, in the early 1970s. TONEHOME describes it as "presumably the first Wah Wah designed for bass," and the pedal carries a 1974 date with a retail price that year of $69.95 USD1. Guitar Player's Dave Hunter likewise lists the Down Machine as "a bass wah-wah"2.
A wah-wah designed for bass
Wah-wah pedals sweep a filter across the signal, and most were voiced with guitar in mind. The Down Machine was built around the bass guitar instead, which is what makes it notable in the history of bass pedals and of wah-wah pedals generally. TONEHOME's claim that it was "presumably the first Wah Wah designed for bass"1 positions it as an early, purpose-built option for bass players who wanted the effect without losing low end.
Reliability and repair
The Down Machine has one well-documented weakness. According to TONEHOME, "for unknown reasons the capacitors had a strong tendency to dry out fast," which is why "working units are pretty scarce today"1.
The capacitor fault is the reason most Down Machines stopped working. TONEHOME describes it as one that "would have been an easy fix"1, so a non-working example is not necessarily a lost cause for a player comfortable with basic component replacement.
The scarcity is not only a matter of electronics. TONEHOME notes that "during the 80s and 90s - before people became aware of how good these Down Machines really are - people trashed their non working pedals"1, which thinned the supply of units further.
Questions
Who made the fOXX Down Machine?
The fOXX Down Machine was made by Ridinger Associates Inc, a company based in Chatsworth, California, in the early 1970s. The pedal itself carries a 1974 date. TONEHOME describes it as presumably the first wah-wah designed specifically for bass guitar.
How much did the fOXX Down Machine cost when new?
The 1974 retail price was $69.95 USD, according to TONEHOME's product page for the pedal.
Why do fOXX Down Machine pedals stop working?
For unknown reasons, the capacitors in the Down Machine had a strong tendency to dry out fast, which stopped the pedals from working. TONEHOME notes that working units are pretty scarce today as a result.
Is the fOXX Down Machine hard to repair?
No. TONEHOME describes the capacitor fault as one that would have been an easy fix, though many owners discarded their non-working pedals before realizing how good the units were.
Are fOXX Down Machines rare today?
Yes. TONEHOME says working units are pretty scarce today, both because of the capacitor problem and because during the 1980s and 1990s, before people became aware of how good these Down Machines really are, people trashed their non-working pedals.
Sources (2)
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME, 1974
- The Foxx Tone Machine Was the Fuzz of Choice for Peter Frampton, Billy Gibbons, and Adrian Belew, GuitarPlayer (www.guitarplayer.com), 2021-11-15
