The Buzzaround — With Custom Artwork

I can’t believe I haven’t posted this yet!

Last Autumn, I was asked if I could make a Buzzaround. I’d heard of them, and even heard a clone once, but it didn’t click what a special pedal it was at first. Then I remembered, this was the box used by Robert Fripp of King Crimson and a few others.

Alas, it was made by Baldwin-Burns for only a very short time in the mid-’60s, and is extremely rare on the open market.  Luckily, schematics and photos of originals are available, and some good friends of mine even sent me some of the hard-to-find transistors used in the originals.

One last challenge was the artwork. I asked the new owner if he had a preferred theme and he shot me some artwork by the same artist who did the cover of their vinyl-only EP.  I dug the critter so much I did the box in white powdercoat and matched the font and border to the colors, then gave it maximum area on the box.

See the results for yourself:

It now wears blue knobs to match the font, but I unfortunately took pictures before I had them on hand.

The sound? I love it. It’s everything a fuzzface wants to be, running from gently pushed distortion to full on grind.

The response I got was:

Hey Chris. Your pedal is kicking my fuzzface's butt, and I really dig my
fuzzface. The buzz is a lot creamier and smoother, but again much more
dynamic then i thought it would be with the volume knob. getting really
nice harmonics out of it also. have regulated my fuzzface as more of a
hairy rangemaster and using the buzz as my full on fuzz.
cheers!
T

Good to hear that it has found a spot on that pedalboard. I feel good when I know I’m making something that works for the musician above all else.

If you enjoy vintage tones like this, definitely check out Tony’s band, The Mag 7 and keep an eye out for their shows in the Chicago area. They’re evolutionary, improvisational, emotional,  and powerful — the type of Rock and/or Roll that’s best heard live. The way Rock and/or Roll should be.