Wem Rush Silicon Pep Box

[Ro_S]

I like playing detective.

[Ro_S]

In my opinion, someone decided that there was money to be made in reissuing a stompbox that can be photographically and aurally associated with some big 60s names. And along the line it was decided that to inject some boutique mojo it would be built on tag board. And for some reason, yet to emerge, it was decided that a classic 60s garage fuzztone circuit (the Fuzzrite) would be put in there - using the layout that's available online - who's gonna notice? People noticed and now smoke is being blown into the argument like it's a 1980s made for TV courtroom drama. That's what it smells of to me anyway...

I feel your cynicism is unfounded.

Charlie Watkins, the founder and owner of WEM, is a personal acquaintance of the builder of the official re-issue of the Pep Box.

To my knowledge, PCBs have never been used in any of his [Sharptone FX's] production models. Point-to-point hand-wiring, including on tag-board, is a common trait of the builder's pedals; it is not particular to the Pep Box re-issue.

In respect of the circuit, I shall post about that separately, shortly. But, as I indicated previously, the circuit photograph I posted previously was incorrect.

[Ro_S]

Please note that the gut shot I posted above the other day may not have been the correct image. Sorry about that! I shall post again as soon as I can to clarify things.

As promised, I said I'd post again to clarify things about the circuit...

As I stated shortly after I posted it, the gut shot photo I posted was erroneous. The circuit used in the official Pep Box re-issue that is currently being distributed (by me) is not that circuit. As the authorised and sole distributor (since May), I can say this with absolute confidence. I don't have a photo of it at present to post. But I can see that it is a two (silicon) transistor circuit, and that it is point-to-point handwired on tag-board. The builder advised me that he had access to several old circuit schematics relating to the original Pep Box and he experimented with these. He felt that the circuit of the original 1965/66 production model lacked definition, so he re-engineered it to sound better.

[Ben79]

That's right Scooby, someone, some malign individual, managed to swap the photo of the real circuit with one of a tag-boarded Fuzzrite inside the same enclosure! How did he do it? Why did he do it? Who is he?

And why have the videos on Youtube featuring this circuit mysteriously disappeared!

ZOINKS!

Find out in the next thrilling episode!

[Ro_S]

That's right Scooby, someone, some malign individual, managed to swap the photo of the real circuit with one of a tag-boarded Fuzzrite inside the same enclosure! How did he do it? Why did he do it? Who is he?

And why have the videos on Youtube featuring this circuit mysteriously disappeared!

ZOINKS!

Find out in the next thrilling episode!

The stock of official Pep Box re-issue pedals which I'm now distributing have the same circuit as one another, but that circuit is not the Fuzzrite circuit which you allude to. They've been inspected. The enclosure cannot be identical.

As for so-called "mysterious disappearances": loads of the builder's online material (e.g. website, Facebook, Youtube channel) is no longer available because he longer handles the distribution or sales of any of his pedals generally.

Maybe it was the janitor.

EDIT: P.s. I have a copy of the promo video that was shot for the builder for that model I'm distributing. I've looked at the that video again: nowhere does it show a gutshot. (Once I finish re-doing the video, I'll post it on YouTube.)

[ghost_effects]

wow missed all this!
Here is what Mr Sharptone emailed to me a while ago...

"My version of the wedge pepbox is a prototype never put into production and the original circuit blueprints i obtained from Charlie Watkins/Pepe Rush. It is completely different from any known pepbox, that's why it is so popular and is my best selling pedal to date, especially with Americans, they go crazy for old British stuff."

[Chankgeez]

"... especially with Americans, they go crazy for old British stuff."

New British stuff too.