My Mosrite Fuzz Rite

[fernieite]

Hi guys,

I'd like to get some opinions on my Fuzz Rite. In my other thread, someone said they thought it looked a bit funky. I bought it from a Kijiji or Craigslist deal about 13 years ago. I was living in Calgary at the time, and this guy lived about 45 minutes out of town.

Anyway, I thought it was a perf board germanium, but my memory was off. Here are some pics. I couldn't get the knobs off to take it a part and get photos of the top of the board, but my eyes can make out what looks like germanium transistors. It sounds really good! The slider on/off switch is a bit temperamental, but it does work...

If my memory is correct, I seem to remember it having 1965 dated pots, but I'll know for sure later when I get some more time to try to get those knobs off.

Experts please?

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[fernieite]

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[jreeves47]

looks like a modern one built with surplus parts but Nick is the guy with the most knowledge on fuzzrites

[Nick]

Yeah, looks like a 'NOS' Fuzzrite to me too. These were supposedly put together from old parts that Andy Moseley discovered, and he was selling them on eBay during the 2000s. I haven't seen that particular cap on the switch before (but I also haven't been looking very closely at silicon Fuzzrites tbh). It's interesting that the pedal has the germanium-era short knobs though. Even when Mosrite was making silicon Fuzzrites with the same boards that were much later used in yours, they'd moved onto using the uglier taller knobs. The pots could potentially be germanium-era as well, I think? It'd be interesting to see the date codes on them

Have we seen others that also don't have the ceramic cap on the back of the board? Paging Jerms/Devnulljp, maybe they know more about the post-Mosrite period...

[devnulljp]

Agreed, one of the ones Andy Moseley built recently with NOS parts.
The knobs should have been labelled V and T -- they used the volume and tone knobs from the guitars on the early Fuzzrites. The later tall ones were labelled 0-5
Yours has 2 of the short T labelled knobs.
Need to see the other side of the board too. To get the knobs off, slide a piece of cloth under the lip, wrap it a bit and yank upwards.

I lost the drive with all my old Fuzzrite pics on it, so going from memory here.

[fernieite]

Thanks guys. Ok, so the general consensus is that it's one of Andy Moseley's then. I'll probably just keep it if it's not a true vintage unit. It sounds really good.

The transistors are 15255-614 and 15255-619, I think. Are they germanium or silicon?

So, Andy Moseley and his brother Semie started Mosrite, and Ed Sanner came up with the circuit for the Mosrite Fuzz Rite for them. (Later Rosac) And in the 90s or early 2000s, Andy started building these Fuzz Rites with vintage surplus parts? Cool old bugger! Apparently, he died in 2013, at the age of 80.

Here's a few more photos of mine. (Damn, I broke the black wire off the battery snap moving things around! )

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[jerms]

yeah def an Andy built one… the old ones never had metal can transistors… i’m guessing this one is one of the last ones made because of all the wierd mix of parts on the board… i had one of these but it had the board with the masking tape on it and TZ82 trans.. carbon comp resistors and cap on the backside.

[fernieite]

Thanks guys!

Do you think those are germanium or silicon transistors? (they have an F logo stamped on them) Maybe Fairchild?

Approximate value for the pedal today?

Btw, the pots are vintage Centralabs, (134 6523 ) so the 23rd week of 1965.

[resynthesis]

Yes I think they are Fairchild too. My best guess from the markings I can make out is BF255 and 256 but they're JFETs (I think) so I doubt if I'm right

[fernieite]

Thanks. Actually, the transistors are 15255-614 and 15255-619, I think. (I had a pretty close look with a magnifying glass)