vintage BJFe Candy Apple Fuzz (Elfa) #50

Candy Apple Fuzz (CAF) - From heavy gated fuzz to octave doubling fuzz and all points in between (released 28th October 2001). The very first CAF was called the "FUZZ 3" and was originally designed for use with a light humbucker and P-90's. Since then there have been three changes to the circuit, being:
1. After about 13 units were made the first pair of transistors were replaced with lower beta transistors.
2. The "Fuzz" control was modified to give access to fuzz at lower settings. This was suggested by session guitarist Sebastian Nylund who (a) wanted to get more synth-like sounds and (b) be able to lower the volume on his guitar to lower the fuzz.
3. After discussion with Teahead, who wanted to get the the perfect balance between gating and playability, another trimpot was added to allow a setting beyond what the "Nature" control could provide.
Some other individual pedal differences are:
- There is an early nitro, flat amber painted CAF that is in a narrow Hammond box - this was painted from the very last jar of paint and does not have a serial number but it is between #020 and #025.
- Serial number #001 is called "Green Apple Fuzz" (see note below).
- Serial number #032 is called "Tasty Apple Fuzz" (see note below).
- Serial number #122 has a slightly different paint job in that the top and bottom is red but the sides are white - the white 'skirt' is meant to show contrast and create a table surface, sort of. The pedal also has yellow text and an amber LED. There is only one CAF painted like this.
From the beginning the CAF was painted in see-through red with the first ones made in nitro and with black text. However, BJ thought that the sound of the CAF was such that it needed a shiny cherry red colour and the hard-to-read black letters were replaced with gold one to make the text easier to see. The backplate artwork is a snarling wolf's head (some early ones have red eyes and red teeth, like there is blood on them).