Crimson Device

Project overview

Germanium overdrive that goes from a gritty treble boost, reminiscent of the Rangemaster, to a rattling overdriven sound reminiscent of a vintage Plexi turned to 11.

Introduction

One of the things that got many of us into this amazing adventure of pedal building is for sure the possibility to get in our hands many of those pedals that are almost impossible to get, like the legendary Klon or the KOT, and it’s a long waiting list. Among these, we can include the Crimson Device, a rare germanium overdrive inspired by an original creation by EQD currently discontinued.

This circuit’s anatomy is pretty simple; it starts with a JFET buffer that goes into a germanium transistor, two hard clipping germanium diodes, and a straightforward filter that reminds me of the one present in Proco’s Rat. The result of this combination is an open-sounding overdrive full of harmonics and raw grit that goes from raspy Rangemaster tone in the lower gain settings to the grit of a vintage Plexi when the Drive knob is maxed out.

This device works equally as well, with both humbuckers and single coils cutting through the densest mixes.

Controls

• Gain
• Tone
• Level

For further analysis on this circuit take a look at this thread on Free Stomp Boxes Forum.

For any technical questions regarding this build don’t forget to check out our Facebook Group and our forum at Free Stomp Boxes.

Crimson Device – Building Docs
Crimson Device – Drilling Template