{"product_id":"strymon-fairfax-class-a-output-stage-drive","title":"Strymon Fairfax Class A Output Stage Drive","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eMiniature Marvel\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eUnlike many units we associate with gain and overdrive, Fairfax isn’t really a distortion pedal. Instead, it’s a complete miniature amplifier in 100% analog form, based upon a little-known device from the 60’s that powered a number of classic rock anthems.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe sound and feel is extremely tube-like, with added harmonics and saturation coming from a clever circuit that emulates the critical behavior of a tube amp’s output transformer. It’s a drive pedal that feels completely natural to play, retains the natural sound of your guitar, and glues notes together in a truly organic way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Story\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eFairfax was inspired by the original Garnet Amplifiers Herzog® unit designed for Randy Bachman in 1965. Bachman wanted the sustain of a cello for his electric guitar, so he started running the speaker output of a small combo amplifier into the input of another larger amplifier while chasing that sound.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eUnfortunately that scenario has a tendency to blow up the combo amplifier (sometimes in dramatic fashion!), so Bachman enlisted Gar Gilles to design a device that would behave in a similar way but not actually catch fire. Gar’s design ended up being a small tube amp based around a 12ax7 and 6v6 tube, with a built-in speaker load so that it wouldn’t blow up. The result is the classic sustaining lead sound from songs like “American Woman” by The GuessWho.\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eMore Than A Drive Pedal\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eFairfax began as an engineering experiment, with the goal being to recreate all of the critical elements of the original circuit fully in the analog domain, but small enough to fit into a pedal enclosure. With JFETs in place of the tube stages and an ingenious custom circuit that emulates the characteristics of the output transformer (which is integral to the sound), Fairfax delivers the real-deal performance of the original unit, without the need for a 250V tube power supply.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThere’s even a variable Sag circuit that behaves just like a real tube amp does, by dynamically varying the amount of available current to the preamp and power amp sections independently, based upon how much signal is being sent to the power amp and how hard the guitar is played. At low Sag values the behavior is mild and closer to a solid state rectifier, and at max values the JFETs can go crazy and unbias - which gates the input - leading to spitting and chortling sounds more commonly associated with gated fuzzes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eIn order for Fairfax to behave like a real amplifier it needed a ton of operating voltage, so a transformer-based power supply converts the 9VDC input voltage to 40V internally. This gives Fairfax the power that it needs for high headroom and amp-like feel, allowing for a wide range of tones.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eAt lower Gain settings Fairfax remains sweet, gently pushing the input to your amp with additional harmonic richness. At higher Gain levels the sound can become angular, compressed and much more aggressive depending on the guitar that’s driving it, and the large range of gain on tap allows Fairfax to be used in nearly any setup imaginable\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eWorks The Way You Need It To\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eBecause it’s based upon a tube amp design, Fairfax plays well with all different types of amplifiers and amp modelers. The creamy sustain brings something new to both clean and naturally dirty amplifiers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eWe’ve even included an internal jumper that determines the power up state, so if you plan on using Fairfax with a pedal loop switcher you can choose to have it turn on automatically when powered up. This saves you the step of turning the pedal on manually every time, which is a lifesaver on a dark stage or with a complex setup.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Controls\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe Level Control sets the output level for the pedal. Lower settings send less total output signal to your amplifier, no matter where the other two knobs are set.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe Drive Control determines the amount of preamp gain. Working in tandem with the Level control, you can determine precisely how you’d like to drive your amplifier - with a bunch of crunch dialed in, as a clean boost, or anything in between.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe variable Sag control allows you to fine-tune the behavior of the Sag circuit, where the amount of Sag is dependent on both the level being sent to the power amp section and on your playing style. It’s fully dynamic, meaning that light playing may not change the sag\/compression character much at all even at high settings, while digging in hard with big strings might produce more artifacts even at much lower pot values.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe Bright switch determines the high frequency contour. With the switch set to ‘Off’ high frequencies are attenuated somewhat, smoothing out the frequency response. Set to ‘On’, the high frequencies are left untouched, giving you a brighter response with more treble.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eSeries A\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eKiller code only sounds killer when it’s hosted inside of an ideal analog environment, and even though we’re primarily known for our DSP prowess, our stuff wouldn’t sound the way that it does without our strong analog team.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe analog guys are always coming up with interesting designs, so we’ve launched the ‘Series A’ line of pure analog pedals to give them an outlet, with Fairfax being the first to be released.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe designs you\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e’\u003c\/span\u003ell be seeing in ‘Series A’ are intended to offer something different from traditional Strymon offerings, with minimal use of MIDI, USB, presets or any other type of external modern enhancements. These will be pedals that are unabashedly analog, which means it could get really interesting! Keep an eye out for more \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e‘\u003c\/span\u003eSeries A\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e’ \u003c\/span\u003epedals as we go forward.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eFeatures:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"p1\"\u003eComplete tube amp circuit fully recreated in 100% analog\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"p1\"\u003eCustom analog circuits recreate multiple tube stages and the critical output transformer\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"p1\"\u003eInput voltage converted to 40V internally via galvanically isolated power supply\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"p1\"\u003eControls for Drive, Level and a variable Sag control\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"p1\"\u003eBright switch allows fine-tuning of the high frequency response\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"p1\"\u003eWide range of natural sounding and tube amp-like gain for maximum versatility\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"p1\"\u003eSag circuit allows mild Sag effects at lower settings and spitting and gated sounds at max\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"p1\"\u003eRequires 9DVC at 500mA\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eSPECS\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"p1\"\u003eCircuit - analog\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"p1\"\u003eBypass - true bypass\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"p1\"\u003eAudio - mono\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"p1\"\u003ePower Supply - 9VDC (typical 2.1mm center negative tip)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"p1\"\u003eCurrent Draw - 500mA\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Strymon","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53404078702922,"sku":"15571","price":2599.0,"currency_code":"SEK","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0927\/9910\/7402\/files\/strymon-strymon-fairfax-class-a-output-stage-drive-1209219073.jpg?v=1765360573","url":"https:\/\/tgt11.com\/en\/products\/strymon-fairfax-class-a-output-stage-drive","provider":"These Go To 11","version":"1.0","type":"link"}