{"product_id":"lichen-fuzz-overgrowth-tenth-anniversary","title":"Lichen Fuzz Overgrowth - Tenth Anniversary","description":"\u003ch1\u003eLichen Fuzz Overgrowth — 10th Anniversary Edition\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2016, we released the original Lichen Fuzz Overgrowth. It wasn't our first pedal, but it was the first one that really felt like Spruce Effects. Combining two classic germanium circuits, the Fuzz Face and Rangemaster, into a single pedal, the LFO became our first flagship and helped shape the direction of the company.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTen years later, we're bringing it back.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere's another reason this anniversary is particularly special to us. Our daughter Owyn was born in December 2016, the same year the original LFO debuted. Somehow, they're both turning ten this year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe thought it would be fun to get her involved, so Owyn drew the tree artwork for the enclosure and designed the artwork for the box. She also picked out a special knob combination we're calling \"Owyn's Choice.\" And yes, there will be pink. Select if you dare. For those feeling a little more adventurous, \"Brian's Choice\" will feature an assortment of random knobs, mostly NOS and one-offs from our collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's pretty cool to revisit the pedal that helped get Spruce off the ground with a little help from someone who's been growing up alongside it. We considered interviewing Owyn about what it's like growing up in a household full of guitar pedals, but ultimately decided against it. We suspect her review would be...critical.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Lichen Fuzz Overgrowth 10th Anniversary Edition stays mostly faithful to the original circuit, with a few minor refinements and some modern conveniences. The original LFO already featured vintage NOS germanium transistors, but for the anniversary we've taken the component selection a whole lot further, incorporating vintage capacitors and resistors throughout the build. We've spent a considerable amount of time tracking down these parts, and this seemed like the perfect excuse to put them all together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Fuzz Face side delivers everything we love about germanium fuzz: thick saturation, touch sensitivity, and that wonderful cleanup when you roll back your guitar's volume. The Rangemaster is a classic germanium treble booster with an added Depth control that lets you sweep from the traditional, cutting treble boost to a much fuller, bass-heavy sound. Both circuits can be used independently or stacked together for a wide range of tones.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor this edition, we've put together a pretty ridiculous collection of vintage components. It's involved digging through old boxes of forgotten electronics, tracking down obscure parts from sellers all over the world, and occasionally buying a whole pile of stuff just to get a handful of the things we actually wanted. Much of this stuff dates back to the 1960s and 1970s, with a few later Soviet-era oddities thrown in. Here's some of what made the cut:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHand-selected vintage germanium transistors for the Rangemaster circuit. The first 30 pedals feature Mullard OC44s. Subsequent pedals may feature other carefully selected vintage germanium transistors depending on availability. Every selection is individually tested, biased, and auditioned.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVintage Japanese, Soviet, American, and European germanium transistors for the Fuzz Face, individually tested, selected, biased, and auditioned for each pedal. We cannot tell you how big the reject pile is.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNOS Allen-Bradley carbon-composition and vintage carbon-film resistors.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVintage Mullard tropical fish capacitors.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVintage Philips electrolytic capacitors.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWe've spent a lot of time experimenting with different germanium transistor combinations for the Fuzz Face. These old devices can vary wildly, even between two examples of the exact same transistor. We start by measuring gain and leakage, but the real test is how they sound and respond in the circuit. Every combination gets biased, played, and adjusted by ear until we're happy with it. The exact transistors may differ from pedal to pedal, but the goal is always the same: a fantastic-sounding germanium fuzz with great dynamics and guitar-volume cleanup.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite all the vintage components, the LFO is designed to work with standard 9V DC, center-negative pedalboard power supplies. The circuit incorporates modern power filtering to help keep noise under control, without sacrificing the character of the original design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eA note about germanium\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGermanium transistors are notoriously sensitive to temperature, and these old circuits can behave differently depending on their environment. Every LFO is carefully biased before leaving our shop, typically at an ambient temperature of around 70°F (21°C), but temperature changes can affect the sound, response, and guitar-volume cleanup. Occasionally, you may need to readjust the bias to get things sounding their best.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoth circuits have internal bias adjustments for anyone who wants to tinker. These are intended for fine adjustments, and we recommend avoiding either extreme of the trimmers. We'll be posting a video showing how to check and adjust the bias, what the internal controls do, and what to expect as temperatures change. We'd encourage watching that before making any adjustments of your own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eProduction and shipping\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe anniversary edition is a limited release, primarily because of the availability of the vintage components. Many of these parts haven't been manufactured in decades, and sourcing them in usable quantities isn't particularly easy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first 30 pedals are completed and ready to ship. Additional pedals are already in various stages of production and will be completed as orders come in. Please allow 1–3 weeks for shipping, depending on order volume and vintage component availability. We appreciate your patience while we give each pedal the individual attention it deserves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery pedal is individually assembled, tested, and dialed in before leaving our shop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's been a lot of fun revisiting one of our earliest designs, especially with ten more years of experience behind us. We're grateful to everyone who's supported Spruce Effects over the years and helped us get to this point. Whether you've been here since 2016 or you're just finding us, thanks for being part of it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Spruce Effects","offers":[{"title":"White\/cream","offer_id":67796183416909,"sku":null,"price":349.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Owyn's Choice (probably pink)","offer_id":67796183449677,"sku":null,"price":349.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Brian's Choice (NOS and weird stuff)","offer_id":67796183482445,"sku":null,"price":349.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0261\/1059\/1053\/files\/IMG_1976.heic?v=1792019192","url":"https:\/\/spruceeffects.com\/products\/lichen-fuzz-overgrowth-tenth-anniversary","provider":"Spruce Effects","version":"1.0","type":"link"}