The Szczur
The Szczur [scht-oor] is my take on the classic late 1970s rodent-esque medium to high(ish) gain distortion circuit. You’ve heard it on countless recordings, and it’s been used by many different players over the years. I’ve kept all the features which gave the original unit its ferocious reputation: the ability to go from a fat gritty boost to a crunchy mid-gain sound, to all-out-gnarly-fuzz in one turn of the gain knob – not to mention the adjustable low-pass filter to flavour the sound.
My version lets more bass through at the front of the circuit, opening up the pedal’s sound. The asymmetrical clipping with the addition of a germanium diode beautifully fattens the sound out, along with a slight alteration to its iconic filter allowing for a smoother sweep.
While this unit doesn’t have the fabled LM308 chip, the aim was to create an affordable and reliable version (and not be duped into paying through the nose for questionable quality sets of NOS chips online.) The results of which CERTAINLY get the job done, and I think you’ll agree when you get the chance to play through one.
Features:
· Asymmetrical, germanium clipping that gives a fat, refined distortion tone
· True bypass switching
· Original artwork by Kalle Koskivirta
· All analogue circuitry, handbuilt in Glasgow, Scotland
· Lifetime warranty
Controls:
· Volume: controls the output of the pedal
· Gain: controls the pedal’s distortion
· Filter: controls the low-pass filter (turning it clockwise darkens and thickens the pedal’s sound, whilst going anti-clockwise brightens the sounds and brings out the high frequencies to help cut through a mix)
Power:
· 9v: 2.1 centre negative Boss-style barrel adapter (like most modern pedals) DO NOT RUN AT HIGHER VOLTAGE
· No battery – DC plug only
· Current draw: 2 mA