Solid Gold FX has released a JEN Jumbo-inspired fuzz pedal, the Imperial MkII.
The Imperial MkII is not an exact Jumbo clone, leveraging a silicon transistor instead of germanium. It also incorporates a more contemporary noise gate for keeping the high noise-floor in check. While the original also came with a gate, the brand said time and component drift affected their stability.
Solid Gold FX adds that the Imperial MkII employs its high impedance JFET preamp, therefore allowing it to sit willingly anywhere in your signal chain and work consistently on synth, guitar, bass, and more.
Control-wise, the Imperial MkII consists of sliders to manage tone, fuzz, contour, and volume, along with individual LEDs to show the bypass state and noise gate operation.
JEN Elettronica was an Italian manufacturer who also built stompboxes for Vox, Sound City, and Dallas Arbiter, among others. The Jumbo Fuzz was their take on the EHX Big Muff, which carried sliders and is voiced for a slightly more midrange in the style of the Ram’s Head Muff.
The Imperial MkII retails for $199. You can hear it in action with the demo video, or check out the Solid Gold FX website for more details.
