This Pedal's DNA
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Fuzz Transistors
NOS Texas Instruments BC183: Low-gain silicon transistors with a smooth response and natural cleanup. Known for their low noise and warm, balanced tone, they offer the closest sound and feel to germanium while maintaining the reliability of silicon. An ideal choice for fuzz.
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Overdrive Clipping Diodes
NOS ITT 1N3470: Comparable to the 1N34A but with a slightly lower forward voltage, these germanium diodes offer smooth, natural clipping with excellent touch sensitivity. Their response is a bit more open and clear, making them a great choice for articulate overdrive with vintage character.
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Overdrive Op Amps
JRC4580D – A BJT-input op amp with low input impedance, known for its warm mids and smooth clipping. Famously used in the King of Tone, it delivers punchy, saturated overdrive with a classic, expressive feel.
How to Use the ION PRO
Roll back your guitar’s volume knob to clean up the fuzz — the ION responds dynamically, just like a great vintage circuit. For best results, place it first in your signal chain, before buffers or other pedals.
The Bias knob adjusts the voltage to the second transistor, just like on a Sun Face. Turning it changes the character of the fuzz from smooth, sustained, and full when set lower, to gated, spitty, and more aggressive as you increase it. It’s a powerful way to shape feel, response, and breakup.
The overdrive side works great two ways: to use it as a boost, max out the level and adjust the gain to taste. To use it as an overdrive, crank the gain and adjust the level to taste.
Build Philosophy
Each UV Effects pedal is hand-assembled using through-hole components and carefully selected NOS silicon and germanium parts. Transistors are manually biased using fixed resistors for optimal performance, eliminating fragile trim pots.
The design is intentionally minimal, with no labels or graphics and only a logo. Controls are intuitive, enclosures are rugged, and every detail is focused on sound and reliability. These pedals are made to be played.
Disclaimer
UV Effects pedals are handmade, one at a time. Minor visual imperfections or surface marks may be present due to the build process. LEDs are epoxied in place and sanded down for durability and a low profile. Because they’re finished by hand, you may notice small imperfections such as air bubbles, surface marks, or slight color variations. These are cosmetic and part of the unique, handmade character of every build. However, these imperfections do not affect performance. Each pedal is built for tone, durability, and real-world use.
Because UV Effects pedals use traditional mechanical 3PDT footswitches, you may occasionally hear a pop when engaging the switch—especially in analog fuzz or overdrive circuits. This is usually caused by discharging voltage from capacitors. Cycling the footswitch a few times often reduces or eliminates the pop. In some cases, external factors like cables, power supplies, or other pedals can contribute. This is normal behavior for true bypass analog pedals and does not indicate a defect.
Due to the vintage-style nature of the fuzz circuit, some models may occasionally pick up nearby AM radio frequencies. This is a rare but well-known quirk of classic fuzz designs and part of the charm of vintage-inspired analog gear.
UV Effects pedals are inspired by classic circuits, but each design includes unique modifications, component choices, and voicing adjustments. These are not clones — they’re thoughtfully reworked designs built to deliver something new while honoring the strengths of the originals. Any mention of the Fuzz Face, Bluesbreaker, King of Tone, or Klon Centaur is for descriptive and comparative purposes only. UV Effects is not affiliated with any trademark holders, and all trademarks remain the property of their respective owners.