Spaceman Sputnik II

The Spaceman Sputnik II is a limited-edition all-germanium fuzz pedal from Spaceman Effects, built around vintage Soviet transistors and hand-soldered in Portland, Oregon¹. Released in 2017², it takes the circuit of the earlier Spaceman Sputnik and expands it with a second mode and additional controls, giving one pedal a very wide spread of fuzz voices. Spaceman describes the range as "smooth, gritty, vintage, modern, thick, thin, buzzy, bassy, splatty, sputtery, noisy, buttery, controlled or very much out-of-control"¹.

Only 100 units were made, starting with 66 Black Edition pedals, and the maker's page lists the Sputnik II as sold out¹. It carried a list price of $499.00 to $599.00 USD¹.

What it does to your sound

The Sputnik II is built on the original Sputnik circuit, starting with the same germanium transistors but with slightly different specs, and adding a second mode plus further additions¹. Pedal of the Day's reviewer summed up its reach in Regular Mode as "sounding like pretty much any fuzz you can think of, with some new original tones thrown in for good measure"³.

The second mode, Drift, is where the pedal departs from conventional fuzz. Pedal of the Day describes it as "chaotic and corrupted overload fuzz like you've never heard before": loud, buzzy and hard to control³. For players who want a fuzz that can misbehave on demand, Drift is the draw; Regular Mode covers the more usable end of the spectrum.

The original Sputnik, reviewed by Pedal of the Day in 2014, already ranged widely on its own. Its Range knob went "from a sweet, crisp clean boost, all the way up to some of the most outlandish fuzz sounds you've heard yet," in reviewer Mike B's words⁴. The Sputnik II keeps that breadth and adds the second mode on top.

Controls and connections

Every parameter gets a full-size control knob, and the pedal sits in a custom USA-cast aluminum enclosure with an engraved vinyl faceplate and a red jewel indicator light¹. Input resistance is 40k Ohm¹.

The EXP / Control Voltage jack is a 0 to 5V DC TRS connection, protected against over and reverse voltage, so an expression pedal or an external control voltage source can drive the pedal remotely¹. See expression pedals for how these connections work in a signal chain.

How it differs from the original Sputnik

The original Spaceman Sputnik was itself a rare pedal, with only a couple hundred made⁴. The Sputnik II uses the same germanium transistors with slightly different specs, plus what the maker calls a few tweaks and additions, and many of the other parts differ but are of the same or similar value, including many vintage and rare parts⁵. The practical differences for a player are the second mode, the expanded control set, and a larger enclosure: the Sputnik II measures 6.5 inches wide, 4.79 inches deep and 2.48 inches tall, and weighs 1lb 9 ounces¹.

History and versions

Spaceman Effects made its name on small hand-built runs, and the Sputnik line follows that pattern. The original Sputnik appeared in a run of a couple hundred units⁴; the much larger Sputnik II followed in 2017², in a run of 100 units that began with 66 Black Edition pedals¹.

The line continued after it. The Sputnik II starts with the same germanium transistors as the much-loved original Sputnik, but with slightly different specs and slight tweaks, and many of its other parts are different but of the same or similar value, including many vintage and rare parts¹⁵.

What reviewers said

Spaceman says that within the Sputnik II lies a plethora of fuzz tones, from smooth, gritty, vintage, modern, thick, thin, buzzy, bassy, splatty, sputtery, noisy, buttery, controlled or very much out-of-control, with full-size control knobs for every parameter¹.

Of the original Sputnik, Mike B at Pedal of the Day wrote that it was "producing fuzz-tastic sustain and tone for days"⁴, a baseline the Sputnik II was built to extend.

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