Mirano - EF-1 - Exciting Fuzz

jrod · Post by **jrod** » 16 Sep 2010, 17:51

I found this on a Japanese web site. I'm pretty sure this is a Big Muff clone closely resembling this "factory" schematic: http://www.kitrae.net/music/10_15_75_Bi ... ematic.jpg. I see at least one pair of clipping diodes and it looks like another hidden behind one of the electros. At least one electro is 1.0uF and at least one ceramic cap is 500pF. I'll bet the large greenies are 0.1uF. I did not check the resistor values. This pedal is made in Japan, according to the site, in 1970. Transistors are metal can Matsushita 2SC539 × 4.

Discofreq also has some pics at his site: http://www.effectsdatabase.com/model/mirano/ef1

Enjoy!

mictester · Post by **mictester** » 16 Sep 2010, 23:54

jrod wrote:I found this on a Japanese web site. I'm pretty sure this is a Big Muff clone closely resembling this "factory" schematic: http://www.kitrae.net/music/10_15_75_Bi ... ematic.jpg. I see at least one pair of clipping diodes and it looks like another hidden behind one of the electros. At least one electro is 1.0uF and at least one ceramic cap is 500pF. I'll bet the large greenies are 0.1uF. I did not check the resistor values. This pedal is made in Japan, according to the site, in 1970. Transistors are metal can Matsushita 2SC539 × 4.

Discofreq also has some pics at his site: http://www.effectsdatabase.com/model/mirano/ef1

Enjoy!

You're right. It's a cloned Big Muff, or it might be the pedal that the Big Muff was cloned from! There were stories that the Big Muff was based on an obscure Japanese product. Perhaps this is it!

phibes · Post by **phibes** » 17 Sep 2010, 03:17

mictester wrote:You're right. It's a cloned Big Muff, or it might be the pedal that the Big Muff was cloned from! There were stories that the Big Muff was based on an obscure Japanese product. Perhaps this is it!

Now that would be some shit!

jrod · Post by **jrod** » 17 Sep 2010, 16:43

Wow, I've never heard that claim. That would crazy if it were!

theehman · Post by **theehman** » 17 Sep 2010, 16:59

mictester wrote:
You're right. It's a cloned Big Muff, or it might be the pedal that the Big Muff was cloned from! There were stories that the Big Muff was based on an obscure Japanese product. Perhaps this is it!

In all the years I've been collecting/repairing EH pedals this is the first time I've ever heard that.

Kitrae · Post by **Kitrae** » 17 Sep 2010, 19:59

I have never heard those "stories" either. An original circuit design coming from Japan in the early 70's? - not likely. Japan was huge into pedal knockoffs from the late 60s and all throughout the 70s. Bob Myer designed the first Big Muff circuit in 1969, and knockoffs started appearing as early as '71. The Sekova Big Muff is another Japanese clone from the early 70s. A guy from Japan emailed me pix of the Exiting Fuzz a few years ago, which I think are these same photos. He said it was one of the first Big Muff clones from around '72. According to him, Mirano/Ktayama made a lot of tape delays, pedals, and amps - all based on existing products. If anyone has any more info than that, let me know, as I have never found much else about this company.

John Lyons · Post by **John Lyons** » 17 Sep 2010, 23:18

Well at least the name is really cool!

mictester · Post by **mictester** » 18 Sep 2010, 00:04

Kitrae wrote:I have never heard those "stories" either. An original circuit design coming from Japan in the early 70's? - not likely. Japan was huge into pedal knockoffs from the late 60s and all throughout the 70s. Bob Myer designed the first Big Muff circuit in 1969, and knockoffs started appearing as early as '71. The Sekova Big Muff is another Japanese clone from the early 70s. A guy from Japan emailed me pix of the Exiting Fuzz a few years ago, which I think are these same photos. He said it was one of the first Big Muff clones from around '72. According to him, Mirano/Ktayama made a lot of tape delays, pedals, and amps - all based on existing products. If anyone has any more info than that, let me know, as I have never found much else about this company.

I have a "Sonic" "distortion / sustainer" that was bought in Japan in mid-1968, and appeared on a couple of tracks recorded in the Netherlands in late '68 and early '69. It's clearly a Big Muff Pi, using the usual four transistors, two pairs of clipping diodes, and a mid-scooped tone control with lots of range. It was obviously mass produced, as there are only about three values of resistor and two values of capacitor used throughout - where other values are needed, components are fitted in series or parallel as required. The three pots are all 100k, and mounted at the back of the box like the Mirano. The bypass isn't "true" bypass, but it has a DPDT footswitch. One side switches the output socket either to the input or to the board output, and the other shorts the "Sustain" pot to ground to silence the pedal when bypassed. They didn't care about the loading effect of the input of the pedal!

The next time I'm at my family's place in Amsterdam, I'll see if I can find it. It was last seen in a box of old musical gear in the loft, and had been discarded (as I remember) because the battery connector was missing - it was to be mended when I "got around to it"!. There are also a few other vintage pedals there, including a Schaller Volume Pedal that I used to use a lot, and original Cry Baby, one of my earliest Tonebender clones and a few other goodies. I'd forgotten all about this junk until the Mirano thread started, because the box described at the start of the thread looks very like a larger version of the "Sonic" box.

Kitrae · Post by **Kitrae** » 18 Sep 2010, 00:29

I would love to see pix of that one. You purchased it in '68, or someone else said they did? Post some gut shots if you find it.

Kitrae · Post by **Kitrae** » 18 Sep 2010, 00:35

John Lyons wrote:Well at least the name is really cool!

The Japanese were really good at naming products using English words weren't they?

phibes · Post by **phibes** » 20 Sep 2010, 03:54

Kitrae wrote:
John Lyons wrote:Well at least the name is really cool!
The Japanese were really good at naming products using English words weren't they?

Rig Ruff!

mictester · Post by **mictester** » 20 Sep 2010, 05:21

Kitrae wrote:I would love to see pix of that one. You purchased it in '68, or someone else said they did? Post some gut shots if you find it.

I'll be going over there in the next few weeks. I'll collect all the old gear and bring it home. As I remember, there are some real gems there!

mattpas · Post by **mattpas** » 09 Dec 2010, 20:52

mictester wrote:
Kitrae wrote:I would love to see pix of that one. You purchased it in '68, or someone else said they did? Post some gut shots if you find it.
I'll be going over there in the next few weeks. I'll collect all the old gear and bring it home. As I remember, there are some real gems there!

Did you ever find that old fuzz pedal?

DiscoFreq · Post by **DiscoFreq** » 10 Dec 2010, 09:22

I'd love to see that pedal, I never heard of a pedal with that name...

jrod · Post by **jrod** » 15 Jan 2011, 19:57

mictester wrote:I have a "Sonic" "distortion / sustainer" that was bought in Japan in mid-1968, and appeared on a couple of tracks recorded in the Netherlands in late '68 and early '69.

Mictester, did you ever find the Sonic distortion?

mictester · Post by **mictester** » 15 Jan 2011, 23:30

jrod wrote:Mictester, did you ever find the Sonic distortion?

I'm waiting to see my nephew - apparently he cleaned out most of the musical junk from the attic over there. The big prize he found (in his eyes) is a WEM Copycat in "perfect" condition! There was also a couple of old "Schaller" volume pedals and "a few odd boxes". When I get hold of the remainder of the old junk, I'll post some photos.

jrod · Post by **jrod** » 16 Jan 2011, 00:21

mictester wrote:
jrod wrote:Mictester, did you ever find the Sonic distortion?
I'm waiting to see my nephew - apparently he cleaned out most of the musical junk from the attic over there. The big prize he found (in his eyes) is a WEM Copycat in "perfect" condition! There was also a couple of old "Schaller" volume pedals and "a few odd boxes". When I get hold of the remainder of the old junk, I'll post some photos.

Looking forward to it. Thanks!

sinner · Post by **sinner** » 08 Apr 2012, 17:46

Any updates Chris?

Post by **digi2t** » 18 Jun 2023, 22:46

Haven't posted in a while, so here you go folks...

edkoppel · Post by **edkoppel** » 02 Jul 2023, 23:18

digi2t wrote: ↑18 Jun 2023, 22:46 Haven't posted in a while, so here you go folks...

Great photos! Thanks

Mirano - EF-1 - Exciting Fuzz [schematic]