R2R Electric & Waterslide Time-O-Lite Fuzz / Fuzz Face Shootout! / GeFace Deluxe & Ge Distorter NKT
R2R Electric returns with something genuinely one of a kind — a Waterslide Guitars collaboration, a three-way fuzz face shootout, and the most unique pedal enclosure I've ever seen. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
In this episode the R2R Electric x Waterslide Guitars Time-O-Lite Fuzz takes center stage — alongside the R2R Electric GeFace Deluxe (AC107 Ge) and the R2R Electric Ge Distorter NKT (NKT72U/NKT278) — featuring the Fender Custom Shop 1960 Journeyman Relic Stratocaster with Curtis Novak Strat-V High Wind (Neck + Middle) and Curtis Novak Strat-TB (Bridge), Emerson Custom S5B Blender 5-Way Wiring Kit and Treble Bleed, into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. The Gig Rig bufferless switcher handles seamless pedal switching between the three fuzzes throughout.
Follow R2R Electric: https://www.instagram.com/djlavalamp/ R2R Electric mailing list: https://www.r2relectric.com Follow Waterslide Guitars: https://www.instagram.com/waterslideguitars/ Waterslide Guitars: http://www.waterslideguitars.com
Grab an Emerson Custom Treble Bleed: https://emersoncustom.com/products/2017-treble-bleed-circuit-volume-mod?sca_ref=6282128.5O9h8BhMpG
Emerson Custom Strat 5-Way Blender Kit: https://emersoncustom.com/products/s5b-blender-5-way-strat-prewired-kit?sca_ref=6282128.5O9h8BhMpG
The Time-O-Lite is a collaboration between R2R Electric (Chris Vincent, @djlavalamp) and Waterslide Guitars — a run of 25 units built into genuine vintage darkroom photographic light timer enclosures, the kind used in film developing labs in the 1950s and 1960s. The enclosures are original hardware, sourced and converted into guitar pedals filled with NOS 1950s and 1960s OC44 or AC107 germanium transistors (this video features the OC44 variant). Steampunk aesthetics that are genuinely vintage, not manufactured to look vintage. Each of the 25 units is unique.
The shootout format puts three distinct NOS germanium transistor voicings directly against each other using The Gig Rig's bufferless switching — essential for fuzz face circuits, which are extremely sensitive to any buffered signal preceding them. Three different transistor families, three distinct characters:
Time-O-Lite (OC44 in this video, or the AC107 variant that I will eventually own as well 😉): The OC44 is the transistor used in the original 1966 Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face — full, warm, musical. The AC107 is the transistor Chris Vincent uses in the R2RGeMaster — sweeter top end, slightly more complex harmonic character. Both are NOS 1950s/60s stock.
GeFace Deluxe (AC107): Chris's standard GeFace Deluxe build — AC107 transistors in his faithful Fuzz Face circuit with NOS passive components throughout. Period-correct paper-in-oil and mylar caps, Allen-Bradley and Piher carbon comp resistors, vintage CTS potentiometers.
Ge Distorter NKT (NKT72U/NKT278): Newmarket NKT transistors — the transistor family used in many of the earliest British Fuzz Faces and Tone Benders. The NKT72U and NKT278 have a grittier, more aggressive character than the OC44 or AC107 — more snarl in the upper midrange, less rounded bloom.
The rapid fire comparison section at 14:26 puts all three side by side on identical settings for the most direct transistor character comparison on the channel.
🎛️ R2R Electric: https://www.r2relectric.com 🎸 Curtis Novak Pickups: https://www.curtisnovak.com 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers
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🎸 Fender Custom Shop '60 Journeyman Relic Strat | Curtis Novak Strat-V (Neck + Middle) + Strat-TB (Bridge) | Emerson Custom S5B Blender + Treble Bleed 🎛️ R2R x Waterslide Time-O-Lite (OC44/AC107) | R2R GeFace Deluxe (AC107) | R2R Ge Distorter NKT (NKT72U/NKT278) | All NOS Ge | Point-to-Point | 25 Units Only 🔊 Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" | Boss Waza TAE | The Gig Rig Bufferless Switcher
Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 12
