Shin Ei Fuzz Wah

[dangayle]

This was the biggest mistake I've made, trading my vintage Shin Ei Fuzz Wah back when I was first getting into pedals. The guitar shop I traded it to ended up selling it that very day, and I've never seen it again

It had the two settings for the fuzz, a fatter muff-ish tone and a buzz-saw needles-in-your-eyeballs tone, and the intermodulation warble of playing a ♭5 interval was demonic, yet somehow angelic.

The wah was interesting also, in that it was voiced low. The high setting wasn't much different than if the wah was off, but rocking the pedal back brought out a growly, high end rolloff that I used very reliably as a tone control.

Does anyone know of a clone of this full pedal, the complete pedal or just the fuzz?

[bandofthieves™]

Basically a Uni-wah and a super fuzz.

[SUPROficial]

The most sonically accurate clone I've heard is the Wattson. I've had a bunch of original SuperFuzz pedals and they all vary from one to the other. Some have internally adjustable octave balance, others don't. I don't think any of the modern clones sound quite as wild and unpredictable as the best of the originals, and you can find loads of 'em on ebay under the various brand names they were sold under.
What does the Wattson sell for these days? $200?
You can still get clean originals for that kind of money, even though I still reel in bewilderment at the thought of paying more than $50 for one, I guess I'm still stuck in the 90s haha.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=150524900152

Originally Posted by dangayle

The wah was interesting also, in that it was voiced low.

If you want that sound, there are a lot of 70s Japanese inductor-less wahs that are pretty much interchangeable. You can still get more treble out of them by moving the pot around.

Originally Posted by bandofthieves™

Basically a Uni-wah and a super fuzz.

Some of the Shin-ei fuzz wahs had a fuzz that was a couple of transistors shy of a SuperFuzz. It is the 6-TR model, they have a lot less output volume, the fuzz is mushier and less satisfying but sometimes has a stronger octave. The one with the SuperFuzz circuit is the 8-TR. That's the one to look for, does amazing "talking robot" imitations when the wah is engaged.

[bandofthieves™]

Originally Posted by SUPROficial

Some of the Shin-ei fuzz wahs had a fuzz that was a couple of transistors shy of a SuperFuzz. It is the 6-TR model, they have a lot less output volume, the fuzz is mushier and less satisfying but sometimes has a stronger octave. The one with the SuperFuzz circuit is the 8-TR. That's the one to look for, does amazing "talking robot" imitations when the wah is engaged.

Thanks..

[dangayle]

Originally Posted by SUPROficial

Some of the Shin-ei fuzz wahs had a fuzz that was a couple of transistors shy of a SuperFuzz. It is the 6-TR model, they have a lot less output volume, the fuzz is mushier and less satisfying but sometimes has a stronger octave. The one with the SuperFuzz circuit is the 8-TR. That's the one to look for, does amazing "talking robot" imitations when the wah is engaged.

I remember specifically that the tech who fixed it for me remarked at the "awesome 6 transistor fuzz" that was in the thing.

And when the battery started dying, watch out! It was a spattery, gurgly mess

It looks like there is even a Shin Ei Fuzz Wah on eBay right now. (Thanks for the link, BTW)

Mine didn't say Companion on it, the badge only said Shin Ei. What I love is that they labeled the fuzz switch, because if you can't tell that the fuzz is on, you have some serious hearing problems

[bandofthieves™]

This was the last one I had.I have a recording of it through a 100 watter on stun somewhere..
http://www.effectsdatabase.com/model/pax/numberone
http://cgi.ebay.com/PAX-Pedal-Number...item20b52bb16d

[SUPROficial]

Originally Posted by bandofthieves™

This was the last one I had.I have a recording of it through a 100 watter on stun somewhere..
http://www.effectsdatabase.com/model/pax/numberone

I think that is yet another incarnation of it, these were Maxon not Shin-ei. Shin-ei licensed their fuzz circuit to Maxon and this produced the Ibanez Standard Fuzz and its various weird brand name relatives such as Mica, Marlboro, etc. The difference between the SuperFuzz and the Standard Fuzz (or "Fuzz Machine" as its many offshoots are named) is a FET input. The result is a brighter, buzzier, more evil take on the SuperFuzz with a VERY prominent octave.

You can tell 'em apart visually.

Maxon:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=150524900152
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Ibanez-5...-/170572729939

Shin-ei:
http://cgi.ebay.com/1970s-APOLLO-FUZ...-/150523804379
http://cgi.ebay.com/Shin-ei-Fuzz-Wah...-/310269072159

Originally Posted by bandofthieves™

I have a recording of it through a 100 watter on stun somewhere

Post it! Post it!

[dangayle]

Originally Posted by SUPROficial

Shin-ei:
http://cgi.ebay.com/1970s-APOLLO-FUZZ-WAH-OLD-STORE-STOCK-CLEANED-TESTED-/150523804379

That pedal is exactly what mine looked like, except with Shin Ei instead of Apollo on the badge.

And, OMG, $339.98 BIN? Ouch. I traded mine for like $30.

[mondo500]

I bought a clean Shin-ei exactly like the Apollo above a couple of weeks ago... $127.50. It's the 6-Transistor model; makes me think of Adrian Belew's Of Bow and Drum. An Aria Diamond fuzz-wah went for $127.50 a few days later, so I think that could be the going rate in Australia for such things. Seems more realistic than some of the wishful BINs around the place...

[edkoppel]

The version you are looking for is this one:


it's the 6-tr model.

branded as:
Companion
Apollo
Kent
Crestwood
Hohner
Pax
Sekova
Tempo

I have the Kent version. The output is low but the fuzz is really awesome. It's not like a superfuzz. It's similar but not the same.