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NEW

Strymon Fairfax Class A Output Stage Drive(FRFX)

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$199.00
SKU:
FRFX
UPC:
0852571008660
Availability:
Order by 3:00PM EST for same day shipping.
Shipping Weight:
1.00 LBS
Shipping:
Free Shipping
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Available now at Northeast Music!

 New Release from our friends at Strymon!

 

Fairfax isn’t really a distortion pedal. Instead, it’s a complete miniature amplifier in 100% analog form, based upon a little-known device from the 60’s that powered a number of classic rock anthems. 

The sound and feel is extremely tube-like, with added harmonics and saturation coming from a clever circuit that emulates the critical behavior of a tube amp’s output transformer. It’s a drive pedal that feels completely natural to play, retains the natural sound of your guitar, and glues notes together in a truly organic way.

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). And we can verify the sound is right here at Northeast Music!

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.

Killer code only sounds killer when it’s hosted inside of an ideal analog environment, and even though we’re primarily known for our DSP prowess, our stuff wouldn’t sound the way that it does without our strong analog team.

The analog guys are always coming up with interesting designs, so we’ve launched the ‘Series A’ line of pure analog pedals to give them an outlet, with Fairfax being the first in the line. 

The designs you’ll be seeing in ‘Series A’ are intended to offer something different from traditional Strymon offerings, with no MIDI, USB, firmware or digital processing. These will be pedals that are unabashedly analog, which means it could get really interesting! Keep an eye out for more ‘Series A’ pedals as we go forward. We at Northeast are very excited with the release of this series! Strymon always delivers in our books!

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Shipping

We can ship to virtually any address in the world however our Website is optimized for USA sales. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.

When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.

Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based as well as Distance based and now Dimensional weight based (the actual size of the shipping box) . The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound. Please note that some shipping companies ship by Box Size

We ship primarily through UPS, but can also ship through the United States Postal Service or FedEx at the buyer’s request. For any Worldwide shipments we use UPS or USPS. The shipping price you are charged covers transit, insurance, proper packing, and tracking. If you prefer another shipping method please let us know so we can accommodate your needs. In the event of damage in transit we will help facilitate a claim with the shipping company to ensure full refund.

Returns Policy

We offer a 72 hour approval period on all guitars, amplifiers, and pedals from the date of purchase for in store transactions or date of delivery for internet orders. This approval period is for the buyer to make sure that the instrument is in the condition and originality we advertised. In the event of any return the buyer pays all shipping and insurance costs, both to and from, as well as any other fees associated with the transaction.

You should expect to receive your refund within 2 business days of us receiving your package from the return shipper. This time period does not include the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (1 to 3 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

PLEASE CALL US FIRST at (570) 909-9216 If you need to return an item, You can then simply login to your account, view the order using the "Complete Orders" link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.

For logistical reasons we are unable to accept returns or cancellations on any item that was special ordered. All returns must be approved by phone or email and must be returned in the exact condition they left our store. Any item returned not in the same condition it left our store is subject to a 20% restocking fee at our sole discretion. For logistical reasons we are unable to accept returns on any transaction involving a trade, both in store and online. Unauthorized returns will be refused and returned at customer's expense. Please know we go to great lengths to ensure with 100% confidence that you are getting the exact item you purchased in the condition and originality described. We strive to earn your business.

Layaway

We offer a 60 day layaway program for all items in our store. A 20% non-refundable deposit is required and hold the item for up to 60 days. In the event of layaway cancellation, the 20% deposit will be forfeited.

Accepted Methods of Payment

Cash, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, PayPal and Wire Transfer. If you have any questions regarding payment please ask.

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