The Strymon Fairfax is a fully analog drive pedal with true bypass switching and mono input/output jack configurations. Inspired by the Garnet Herzog tube drive unit, its circuit layout miniaturizes a tube preamp, Class A power amp stage, output transformer saturation emulator, and a variable Sag control that scales from light compression to gated fuzz. Internal transformer-based power supply circuitry steps up standard 9V DC input to 40V DC internal operating voltage. Physical dimensions measure 4.53" D x 2.83" W x 2.33" H (11.51 cm x 7.19 cm x 5.92 cm), requiring a 9V DC center-negative power supply drawing a minimum of 500mA.

More Than A Drive Pedal

Fairfax began as an engineering experiment, initially inspired by the original Garnet Amplifiers Herzog® tube drive unit designed for Randy Bachman in 1965. Our analog guys decided to try and recreate all of the critical elements of a custom Champ-like tube amp circuit fully in the analog domain, but small enough to fit into a pedal enclosure (so it couldn’t use real tubes or an output transformer). 

The final design features a cleverly miniaturized tube preamp, Class A power amp and an ingenious custom circuit that emulates the saturation characteristics of the output transformer (which is absolutely vital to get the sound right).

There’s even a variable Sag circuit that behaves just like a real tube amp does. At low Sag values the behavior is mild and only slightly compressed, and at max values the JFETs can go crazy and unbias — which gates the signal — leading to spitting and chortling sounds more commonly associated with fuzzes.

In order for Fairfax to behave like a real amplifier it needed a massive amount of operating voltage, so a transformer-based power supply converts the 9VDC input voltage to 40V internally. This gives Fairfax the power that it needs for high headroom and amp-like feel, allowing for a wide range of tones. 

At lower Gain settings Fairfax can be sweet, gently pushing the input to your amp with additional harmonic richness, a touch of saturation and a flat frequency response. At higher Gain levels the sound becomes fully saturated, and that large range of gain on tap allows Fairfax to be used in nearly any setup imaginable.

Fully analog circuit.

True Bypass.

Mono in/out.

Dimensions: 4.53″ deep x 2.83″ wide x 2.33″ tall (11.51 cm x 7.19 cm x 5.92 cm)

Power requirements — maximum 9 volts DC center-negative, with a minimum of 500mA (power supply NOT included.)

Free 3-Year Warranty

In addition to the standard included manufacturer warranty, virtually all new products carry our exclusive, industry-leading, absolutely free Sound Pure 3-Year Warranty, which includes parts and labor. It's our way of adding real value to the personal touch our small, dedicated team brings to every purchase.

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