Just Got My Analog Man Sun Face NKT

[chuckmoose]

I received my Analog Man Sun Face today with the normal gain NKT transistors, LED, Sun Knob and battery on/off switch, and I like it. It's definitely the fuzz for people who don't like fuzz, or like me, don't really understand fuzz. It's reasonably warm and smooth, and doesn't have outrageous high gain. With the guitar volume rolled off just a bit it breaks up in a nice distortion kind of way.

It has a full tone, not the usual thin low end and piercing treble of the other fuzzes I have tried. It stacks well with other pedals even the ones that usually respond badly to pedals with a lot of high end. The other overdrives tend to tame the fuzz factor.

Overall I am very pleased and hope to finally add some good fuzz tones to my music.

 

[Jahn]

Congrats! Yours has two added options I'd love mine to have, the LED and the fuzz/off knob. Methinks you have the best of the Sun Faces!

 

[FREELESSONSNOW]

Enjoy. I hope to add one of these to my arsenal.

 

[acwild]

If you don't want the fuzz sound and don't want to mess with your volume knob, try this setting on the Sun Face;

Volume knob - Max
Sun Dial - Max
Internal trim pot - Dial all the way back
Fuzz knob - Use your loudest pickup and adjust this knob back until the fuzz sound is gone.

I'm preferring this over my overdrives now and it goes well with everything. Absolutely my favorite pedal.

 

[chuckmoose]

Thanks acwild, I'll check that setting out. I haven't had a chance to play with the internal trimmer yet, but it is set up pretty well for my Strat right out of the box. I only have to roll the volume back to about 9 to clean it up.

 

[gatordoc]

Congrats! Yours has two added options I'd love mine to have, the LED and the fuzz/off knob. Methinks you have the best of the Sun Faces!

I would like to order one with the LED as well, but I thought I remember someone saying that the LED will really shorten the battery life with this pedal. Anyone know if this is true?

 

[chuckmoose]

I seem to recall AM saying the battery lasts about 5 times as long without the LED. Still, I bet a battery lasts plenty long. And he strongly suggests using the super cheap non alkaline batteries so cost is no issue. Doesn't seem like a big problem to me, and I like being able to see at a glance what is happening on my board. I have one pedal now without an LED and it drives me crazy.

AM also mentions the possibility of popping when bypassing the pedal due to the LED, but mine is as noiseless as any other true bypass pedal I have.

 

[wingwalker]

Very nice!

I love AM's NKT fuzzes.

In regards to the battery life, I have 2 NKT fuzzes...one with an LED one w/o...it definatly kills the battery sooner, a lot sooner but they battery still lasts a fair bit in the LED version...

 

[acwild]

Having hindsight now, I wish I ordered mine with the on/off option. Instead, I ordered the Virtual Battery. I didn't realize that the pedal wouldn't be set up for it and I had to make a shim so that I can keep the wire sticking out. It's really not practical so I'm gonna send mine back for the mod.

 

[Champ]

Does the Virtual Battery act the same as the cheap non-alkaline Mike recommends or does it change the tone?

 

[acwild]

Does the Virtual Battery act the same as the cheap non-alkaline Mike recommends or does it change the tone?

I've tried both and honestly can't say that I hear a difference. Mike mentioned that he could mod my pedal so that there would be a jack for the Virtual Battery so there's another option.

 

[PEImatrix]

Quick question, Which is the bias control? Is it the Sundial, or the internal. If one is a bias, what does the other one do?

Thanks, and congrats on the nice pedal.

 

[Champ]

I've tried both and honestly can't say that I hear a difference. Mike mentioned that he could mod my pedal so that there would be a jack for the Virtual Battery so there's another option.

Could that be because of the way you use it, your settings? I use it with a Pedal Power 2+ and the battery snap connector. I took a small round file and made a small recess for the wire to pass thru. Looks and works fine.

 

[chuckmoose]

Quick question, Which is the bias control? Is it the Sundial, or the internal. If one is a bias, what does the other one do?

Thanks, and congrats on the nice pedal.

The Sundial controls the bias and the internal trim pot controls the input level to the pedal.

 

[acwild]

Could that be because of the way you use it, your settings? I use it with a Pedal Power 2+ and the battery snap connector. I took a small round file and made a small recess for the wire to pass thru. Looks and works fine.

Absolutely. It could also be that I don't have the best ear either.
I've considered making a hole for the wire but I don't want to mess with the resale value. Although it's my favorite, I never say that I'll never sell anything. Do you have a picture or your mod?

 

[Champ]

Don't have a picture and not sure how to post one if I did. Just figure out where you want the wire to come out and with a small round file make a notch a little at a time until the wire fits snugly in it and so you can get the cover screwed back on. Works great.