FAL (future audio limited) treble booster revisited

[pinkjimiphoton]

was contacted by a gent across the pond named David Fraser who has one of these rare birds.  i asked for gut shots, and he delivered them, including the instructional paperwork that came with it.
curiously, his FAL didn't use the oddball battery that mine was supposed to use (i forget what, its in the paperwork tho) and always had a 9v battery snap... so apparently they changed the design a little at some point.

anyways, here's some pron
















i've asked dave to take a look at the electros etc so we can be sure of the values, i forget if we ever actually figured this out a decade ago when i first posted about this cool but weird little circuit.

i still have it, and i love it. sounds great as a front end for some fuzzes, really makes them sing.

anyways... have fun

[Steben]

Wasn't the FAL the right arm of the free world?  (being Belgian Du-uh)

[Electric Warrior]

curiously, his FAL didn't use the oddball battery that mine was supposed to use (i forget what, its in the paperwork tho) and always had a 9v battery snap... so apparently they changed the design a little at some point.

According to the paperwork it used a VT4 battery, which is a PP4 equivalent. It's a 9V type, but with larger snaps than a PP3. The battery snaps in the gut shots you posted sure look like they've been replaced.

If there is enough space inside the pedal, wiring up a little adaptor can be a good option to keep a vintage pedal original. PP4 snaps are still available as PP7 and PP9 batteries use the same snaps.

[anotherjim]

I'd forgotten FAL made other things. My first bass rig was a FAL 50w amp and a Selmer Goliath 1x18" cab. The FAL 50 was like... pass me another pair of 2N3055's - these suckers are fried! Happy days.

[iainpunk]

Wasn't the FAL the right arm of the free world?  (being Belgian Du-uh)

they are one of the most perfect firearms ever build, i have shot a rhodesian one with the Helbeck device, it really negates the main problem, muzzle climb.

I'd forgotten FAL made other things. My first bass rig was a FAL 50w amp and a Selmer Goliath 1x18" cab. The FAL 50 was like... pass me another pair of 2N3055's - these suckers are fried! Happy days.

was it so poorly designed that the 3055's died? that sucks

what is the schematic on that device? is it a rangemaster clone with an odd transistor?

cheers, Iain

[anotherjim]

There was something about the 3055's back in those days which I believe got fixed but they didn't like getting hot. My next amp was a HH IC100 and that too lost its 3055's once (and took both drivers in my Acoustic 215 cab with them).