The Roland AD-50 Double Beat is a combination fuzz-wah pedal, originally released in 1973 and built from 1973 to 197912. It is one of the funky Japanese 1970s fuzz-wahs, doing double duty on fuzz and wah filtering in a single unit13. The fuzz section is unique and was never released separately from the wah, so the AD-50 is the only place that circuit exists2. Today the pedal is rare3.
How it works
The circuit runs in two stages. TONEHOME describes the first stage as having a fairly good sound, which is a lot like a Fuzz Face, followed up by yet another gain stage to push it into distortion1. Players familiar with fuzz pedals will recognize that two-transistor first stage approach.
The fuzz side offers three tone selections, described as quite different from each other1. One of them, the square wave mode, is full-frequency with heavy clipping and low dynamics, which Aion FX calls the classic fuzz tone2.
"There is no tone control other than these three fixed modes."
The wah
The wah can be used with or without the fuzz engaged.
- Fuzz wah: the wah filtering on top of the fuzz stage
- Plain wah: funk wah with no fuzz1
TONEHOME's verdict on the wah side is mixed:
"The wah function is nothing spectacular, tarnished by a slight volume drop when engaged."
That volume drop when the wah is engaged is worth knowing if you are comparing the AD-50 to a dedicated wah pedal1.
Context in Roland's 1970s lineup
The Double Beat belongs to a run of 1970s Roland combination pedals, alongside the Roland AF-100 BeeBaa Fuzz and Treble Booster and the fuzz-into-phaser Roland AP-7 Jet Phaser. A schematic for the AD-50 Double Beat is available via TONEHOME1.
Videos
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tommypachi
Questions
Can the Double Beat be used as a wah without the fuzz?
Yes. TONEHOME describes the pedal as letting you kick in the wah and either run fuzz wah or plain old funk wah with no fuzz, so the wah works on its own as well as combined with the fuzz section.
Does the Roland Double Beat have a tone control?
No. According to Aion FX, there is no tone control other than the pedal's three fixed wave shape modes, which are the three fuzz tone selections. Those three selections are described as quite different from each other.
Was the Double Beat fuzz ever sold separately from the wah?
No. Aion FX notes that the fuzz section is unique and was never released separately from the wah. The only way to get that fuzz circuit is in the combination AD-50 unit.
Is the Double Beat circuit like a Fuzz Face?
The first stage is. TONEHOME describes the first stage as having a fairly good sound that is a lot like a Fuzz Face, followed by yet another gain stage to push it into distortion territory.
Sources (3)
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME
- Argus Silicon Fuzz / Roland AD-50 Fuzz, Aion FX, 2021-07-02
- Whitney Petty, Stompbox Book (stompboxbook.com), 2019-08-02
