The Downbeat series of posts are my newsletter. It’s intended to keep you in the know for all things Riveter. From product drops to special projects to prototyping, get the latest happenings here by subscribing to my Substack publication and be sure to take a look at all of the Downbeat posts from here on out.
Pictured is the first batch of Mayfair fuzzes
The Countdown Is On: Big Release Imminent
For those who have been following me over the past few months, you’ll know that I’ve been chipping away at a very special Octavia style pedal for quite a while. I’m proud to say that we’re nearing the release of this pedal. Boards are in, parts are selected (for the most part), and finished enclosures are on their way. I’m expecting to have this one in production by the end of the month and have its release follow shortly after.
It’s been quite the ride with this one. There’s a variety of ways that bringing a pedal to market happens. Some fight you the whole way, others are perfect just the way they come. The Octavia has been a bit of both. Upon first glance, this pedal ripped! It sounded amazing right away. I could’ve boxed it up and sold it right then and there, but there’s this sort of last 5% that I needed to nail. I had original unit specs as well as the most reputable clones to test mine against. The last two things that I had to really chase down were the octave clarity and the artifact character when the pedal’s fuzz control was all the way down. In addition to that, it needed to have a certain interaction with the guitar’s volume and tone controls. This is where I spent the last several months.
The Tyco style Octavia is all about striking the balance between octave presence and fuzz. It’s really not meant to be anything like a true octave generator. Even the COB does a better job for an honest octave-up effect. Treat the Tyco more like a visceral 60’s fuzz with an octave-up artifact. It shines with its massive, aggressive, Hendrixian wall of sound. Where the COB and others sound a bit cartoonish, the Tyco is unapologetically raw and honest. With that in mind, I’ve been taking great care in selecting the right transformer, rectifying diodes and transistors to deliver that. It takes hours and hours of very careful listening.
I’m genuinely going for a clone here. I’ve tried to mod this thing. I’ve tried to put my own spin on it. But I ended up coming back to the stock spec each time. The best time spent was on packaging it in a way that musicians will find seamless to incorporate in their rig. It’s center-negative ground which means no more special adapters - just plug and play. The player can access both an octave-up and regular fuzz tones by an LED indicated foot switch, which really offers a lot of versatility and ease of use. I believe that, for many, this is the only fuzz you’ll need.
So What Else?
Lots of exciting stuff is happening. I’m moving all of my former builds to my stunning new enclosures. I. cannot. wait. In addition to the new enclosures, I’ll be moving my standard production builds to expertly designed printed circuit boards. PCB’s are kind of a bad word around these parts, but I’m not sure why exactly. I plan of fleshing this out in it’s own Substack post where I’ll go into more detail on my theory. For now, just know that these have been carefully created to mimic the original layouts of the vintage pedals to retain the same authentic tone you’d expect from a Riveter pedal. The massive upside is that I can make a much more consistent product with a lower noise floor. PCBs are actually more capable for a designer and that means a better player experience for you. No compromises.
Tier System
I’m not at all finished with hand-wired, custom made pedals. I’ll be introducing a separate tier for these builds with limited availability, premium vintage components, and customizable options. This is for the players who want the exact vintage replica cases, wiring layouts, specific transistors, etc. If you’re looking for a build where nothing is left on the table, this tier is for you.
Prototype City, USA
So many ideas, not enough life. I have loads of stuff in the works. After many requests, I’ve started working on a 2-in-1 opamp based drive pedal. We’re in the early stages on this one still. Think organic, amp-like light drive with surgical precision EQ.
I’ll be finalizing the Mayfair once and for all and moving towards getting those PCB’s ready to roll.
I also have a one-knob vintage style pedal series as well as a few preamp circuits on deck. Quite busy over here!
Riveter Infrastructure
The website is coming soon. You’ll have a unified source for all products and content shortly. I’ll be moving my e-commerce from Reverb to the website so you can order directly from me. You’ll be able to find links to all of my blogs and socials there as well!
Monthly Music Rec
Our Time In The Sun - Jeremie Albino
Jeremie teamed up with Dan Auerbach and Easy Eye Sound to make a modern soul classic. If you love American roots music, this record is a must listen. “I Don’t Mind Waiting,” “Baby Ain’t It Cold Outside,” and the title track “Our Time In The Sun” are my favorites.