121: The Idea of Mojo

Embedded.fm · 14 Oct 2015 · 1h 01m

What this episode covers

Fran Blanche of Frantone, who has been designing and selling guitar effects pedals for 21 years, explains the analog electronics behind distortion, compression, and time-domain effects like flanging. She details the use of bucket brigade chips for analog delays and op amps like the JRC 4558D, discussing how component selection and circuit topology influence tone. Blanche argues that the 'mojo' of vintage gear stems from the visceral, imperfect nature of analog physics, contrasting it with the deterministic perfection of digital emulation.

Mentioned

Companies
Frantone, Mammoth Electronics, Electro-Harmonix
Chips
JRC 4558D, Bucket Brigade Chips
Also
Les Paul, Toni Fisher

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