This is The Chug Box. A one of a kind guitar pedal build housed in an antique model train controller. The main circuit, activated by the “Engine” button, is a modified Green Russian Big Muff circuit. It features slightly lower-gain transistors and a few resistor value tweaks to better suit low tunings, somewhere between a Bass Muff and a Green Russian in tone. The"Breaker" a three-way toggle lets you switch between stock, LED and silicon clipping, and a “Horn” switch engages a Tone Bender-style mod for old school fun.
The “Transformer” button kicks in an octave-up circuit placed in front of the Muff. To my surprise, this ended up being my favorite sound on the entire unit - gnarly, chaotic, and nasty in a fun way.
Last but not least is the “Tunnel,” a reverb/delay section with controls for Depth (length), Decay (distance), and Attack (speed). It can run subtle ambient wash or go full on chaos with self-oscillating decay induced feedback.
I did my best to preserve the original aesthetic of the train controller, only adding labels where absolutely necessary. The new markings were applied using waterslide decals in the original font and sealed under several coats of matte clear. I even had my kids help “re-damage” the box afterward to keep the wear consistent. Now, every time I'm working on a pedal, they ask if they’re allowed to throw it around a little. (Usually, the answer is no.)
Thanks for checking it out. This was a blast to build.
Weston Maines
Hardware Fixations