I have the parts on hand to build a single ZYS overdrive pedal, and would like to "pre-sell" it here, if possible. It will differ from previous versions of the ZYS I've built in two ways:

  1. The pedal will be built using a PCB I bought from General Guitar Gadgets (GGG), rather than the BuildYourOwnClone.com (BYOC) board I've used previously. The BYOC boards weren't available for a period of time, and I really wanted to try the GGG board to check it out. Though layed out a bit differently on the PCB, the circuit itself is EQUIVALENT, and it's a really nice quality PCB. I expect no tonal difference whatsoever between pedals built on the BYOC and GGG boards.

  2. I've updated the clipping section design to use a pair of MOSFETs for the "Cool" clipping mode, replacing the germanium diodes I used previously. The MOSFETs give the same kind of smooth and bluesy clipping signal character, but without the very substantial volume drop that the germaniums give. I've upgraded my personal ZYS to this design and am extremely satisfied with it. FWIW, the highly regarded Fulltone Fulldrive 2 pedal uses MOSFET clipping, along with some other pricey boutique pedals.

Because of part cost increases, I've raised the price of the ZYS by $10 to $210. However, since this unit will be the first to be built with the GGG board and MOSFET clipper design, I'll offer it to Fretters here for $179, a 15% discount. I'll let the rave reviews of the ZYS that have been posted here by Robert, Spudman, Tone2TheBone, Oldguy and others speak for themselves with regard to the tonal capabilities of this highly modified Tube Screamer-derived overdrive. All I can tell you is that (1) yes, $179 is quite a bit to pay for an overdrive pedal, and (2) you won't be disappointed by what you get for your hard-earned money!

For those of you unfamilar with the ZYS, it features 3 different clipping modes, normal and high gain settings, three different bass rolloff frequency settings, and a socketed IC set-up with four different opamps, including the legendary TS-808's JRC4558D chip. More of the gory details available HERE.

So why not take some of that tax refund check and stake a claim to your own little corner of sonic paradise? :