Distortion (fuzz) unit for electric guitars

Distortion, or fuzz effect, units are almost as old as the electric guitar itself. The unit described in this article produces soft clipping, which gives an effect reminiscent of that produced by valve amplifiers. Soft clipping means merely that the signal is not permitted to exceed a certain voltage level. Most listeners feel that soft clipping produces a much more musical sound than hard clipping (in which the tops of the positive and negative signals are chopped off). The unit is intended to be inserted between the guitar and its amplifier.