Bass effect used on Exit Music (radiohead)

[ethniccheese]

Does anyone that has heard the song "Exit Music" by radiohead, have any idea what fuzz/distortion effect is used on the bass?  If you haven't heard it don't worry about it, it's a pretty neat effect though.

[Arno van der Heijden]

I read somewhere that he uses a shin-ei fuzz, but I don't know exactly what model.

[Arno van der Heijden]

Did some research:

"Out in America we pick up loads of stuff from second-hand stores, funky old pedals. We've got a great fuzz pedal ­ the bass on Exit Music, the distorted bass at the end was a 60's Japanese fuzz pedal that I picked up in LA. It's a great pedal. 60 bucks for this thing ­ you put it on a guitar and it sounds like Telstar.

http://www.totalguitar.co.uk/print.asp?ID=189&type=ART

I found some other articles on the net with the same purport. None of them mention exactly what fuzz it was, altough I'm pretty sure I read somewhere about the Shin-Ei thing. I just can't find it right know.
I did find some references to the Companion fuzz which is supposed(?) to be the same thing.

[ethniccheese]

ha!  You are the man!  I have searched forever for what he used and have found nothing.  He is kind of secretive about that stuff...  Now to build one!  

[Rodgre]

I just breadboarded the Shin-ei/Companion fuzz schematic that I found somewhere out there and there seems to be something major wrong with the schematic. I got no audio out of the circuit and it seemed to be shorting the battery as that puppy was hot enough to cook on.

Anyone else try it? Get it to work?

Roger

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

http://www.green-fuz.freeserve.co.uk/fy2_circ.html

If that is the circuit, I can't see anything wrong, at a glance.

[Rodgre]

Maybe my problem is that I tried to do it with 3904s? I tried it on a breadboard, since it's such a simple circuit.

I'll try it again tomorrow and see what happens.

Roger

[Rodgre]

You know, it must have been my breadboard. I just breadboarded two circuits, not using the way that I wired the power for the shin-ei and it worked great. Finally did an Uglyface and it was ridiculous. Might have to put that one on the pedalboard!

Roger

[bwanasonic]

...Finally did an Uglyface and it was ridiculous. Might have to put that one on the pedalboard!

Roger

Ooh, ooh! I REALLY want to make one of those! I am working through some easier stuff to get my chops up (green ringer, GeFF, RangeMaster, etc.) . I think someone should try to market a commercial version.

Kerry M

[Arno van der Heijden]

BTW here's another version:

http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/ShinEi_Companion_Fuzz.gif

[Rodgre]

I just looked at the schemo really quickly, but I seem to recall that Shin-Ei designed what would become the Super Fuzz circuit that Univox and just about every other asian fuzz is based on. This schematic might be similar. I looked at it for ten seconds though...

Roger

[Rodgre]

Nope. Not a superfuzz circuit. I figured that switch did a tone select like the S.F. which it might, but the gain staging is different.

I'm curious as to what it sounds like. The other FY-2 circuit didn't exactly "nail" that "Exit Music" tone when i breadboarded it. It was kind of dull (not very bright) sounding.

Roger