Reeves Electro Darlington Flyer Fuzz | Strat Tones!
A debut that matters — Reeves Electro on the channel for the first time, with the pedal that started the Daughterboard Series. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
In this episode the Reeves Electro Darlington Flyer takes center stage — featuring the Giordano Guitars '60s S-Model, into the Benson Amps Monarch. The Effectrode Tube Vibe joins for the second half of the demo.
Reeves Electro is the work of Markus Reeves in Northamptonshire, UK — a builder best known for stunning point-to-point handwired designs with equally stunning enclosures. The Daughterboard Series is a new chapter: PCB-based builds designed, built, painted, drilled, and screen-printed entirely by Markus' daughter Izzy in their garden workshop. The Darlington Flyer is the first Daughterboard Series release, and Izzy is nailing it. Get on the Reeves Electro mailing list — these sell out extremely quickly: https://reeveselectro.co.uk
The Darlington Flyer is a single-transistor fuzz with two switchable transistor voices occupying the same circuit at different times — two very different tonal characters from a minimal control set.
The Darlington Flyer mode uses a 1979 Motorola MPSA013 Darlington transistor. A Darlington pair is an arrangement of two transistors in a single package wired in series — the output of the first transistor drives the input of the second, yielding extremely high current gain from a single circuit position. The sonic result is smooth, compressed, high-sustain fuzz — the MPSA013 tracks notes with a polished, violin-like quality at high fuzz settings and a singing lead voice as it cleans up.
The Bipolar Junction (BJT) mode uses a late-1980s Philips Silverface BC546 transistor — a standard single bipolar junction transistor that is fundamentally different in character. More open, grittier, slightly gated at the low end of the volume sweep, with less compression than the Darlington. Where the MPSA013 smooths and sustains, the BC546 bites and spits.
Two toggles complete the control set. The transistor selector (Darlington Flyer / Bipolar Junction) is on the right. The Fat Controller / Narrow Gauge EQ switch is on the left — Fat Controller is full range and bold, Narrow Gauge (Skinny) is a leaner, more forward voicing with reduced low end. Fuzz gain is fixed at the optimal level — Volume is the only knob. The optional Plexiglass bottom panel lets you see the beautiful internals.
🎛️ Reeves Electro Darlington Flyer: https://reeveselectro.co.uk/products/the-darlington-flyer-switchable-transistor-fuzz
🎸 Giordano Guitars: https://www.instagram.com/_giordanoguitars_/
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers
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🎸 Giordano Guitars '60s S-Model
🎛️ Reeves Electro Darlington Flyer | MPSA013 Darlington + BC546 BJT | Fat Controller / Narrow Gauge | Fixed Fuzz | Daughterboard Series
🎛️ Also: Effectrode Tube Vibe
🔊 Benson Amps Monarch
Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11
