Lauren Audio B100 Fuzz
Lauren Audio returns to the channel with the B100 Fuzz — a germanium fuzz derived from the preamp card inside a Neve recording console. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
In this episode the Lauren Audio B100 Fuzz takes center stage — featuring the Prisma Guitars Mattsonia with Lollar Standard Wind Imperial PAF Humbuckers and Emerson Custom Treble Bleed and Wiring Kit, into the Benson Amps Monarch via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander with the Echo Fix EF-X3 Chorus Echo.
Also on the channel: the Lauren Audio Aerocomet (UREI 1176 preamp).
The story behind James's approach at Lauren Audio is consistent across all his designs: find a piece of pro audio studio gear that imparts a specific coloration and character, understand why it sounds the way it does, and build a guitar pedal that delivers that quality — then push it further than the original hardware ever could. The B100 is based on the Neve B100 preamp card found in the 1053 console channel strip, the predecessor to the now-legendary 1073. When researching the B100 module, James found that the circuit topology was similar to a two-transistor fuzz. Starting from that discovery, he carried over unique circuit elements from the original Neve design that aren't typically found in fuzz pedals — creating a circuit that has the width, compression, and warmth of a vintage fuzz with the cut and focus of something more modern.
This batch uses 2N404A germanium transistors — auditioned and matched per build. Carbon film 1/2 watt resistors paired with polypropylene film caps for classic tone and fast, responsive feel. A high-grade bipolar MUSE capacitor is the only electrolytic in the audio path. Internal bias trimpot for dialing in the sweet spot or compensating for temperature effects.
Three controls: Input (affects low end — lower Input tightens and brightens, higher Input thickens and warms), Gain (affects mids and highs), Output (makeup gain stage). This three-way interaction functions as a pseudo-EQ — no dedicated tone knob is needed because the Input and Gain controls reshape the frequency character of the fuzz as they're adjusted. Explored thoroughly across the demo: warm fuzz at unity (02:21), reduced Input for brighter character (03:57), Output cranked for amp-slamming (05:17), all the way to all knobs maxed (11:44).
🎛️ Lauren Audio B100: https://www.lauren.audio/products/b100-fuzz 🎸 Prisma Guitars: https://www.prismaguitars.com 🎸 Lollar Pickups: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-pickups 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers
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🎸 Prisma Guitars Mattsonia | Lollar Standard Wind Imperial PAF Humbuckers | Emerson Custom Treble Bleed + Wiring Kit 🎛️ Lauren Audio B100 Fuzz | Neve B100 Inspired | 2N404A Germanium | Input / Gain / Output | Internal Bias 🎛️ Also: Echo Fix EF-X3 🔊 Benson Amps Monarch | Boss Waza TAE
Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 12
