TONECOLATOR PCB

Tone Alchemy – TONECOLATOR – The Ultimate Harmonic Percolator DIY PCB

Delve into the sound of one of music’s most enigmatic and revered effects with the Tonecolator, a DIY guitar effects PCB based on the Interfax Harmonic Percolator. This project is your key to unlocking the famously raw and dynamic fuzz tones favoured by producer and musician Steve Albini.

The original Harmonic Percolator is a rare and mysterious fuzzbox, renowned for its unique character. The circuit passes pleasing even-order harmonics while taming the harsher odd-order ones, resulting in a tone that is rich and musical. This PCB meticulously recreates the specific component values found in Steve Albini’s personal unit, a version many builders and players prefer for its smoother and more controlled, yet aggressive, fuzz character.

Unlike traditional fuzz circuits, the Percolator uses a distinctive pairing of a PNP Germanium transistor and an NPN Silicon transistor. This design not only creates its signature sound but also allows it to be powered by a standard, negative-ground power supply.

Controls:

• Harmonics: This is the input gain control, adjusting the amount of signal hitting the fuzz circuit. Its effect is very interactive and responsive, much like using your guitar’s volume knob to clean up the sound.
• Balance: Controls the overall output volume of the pedal.

Specifications:

• Professionally fabricated double-sided PCB with a plated-through-hole design.
• An exact recreation of the highly sought-after “Steve Albini” circuit variant.
• Designed to fit a 125B enclosure.
• Uses one PNP Germanium transistor (like the original 2N404A) and one NPN Silicon transistor (like the original 2N3565).
• Available in a stunning Red.

Package Contents:

• 1x Tonecolator Main PCB (Red)
• 1x Footswitch Daughter Board PCB (Red)