Description

Ivan Mazepa is my take on the fuzz part of the Soviet Poltava Fuzz-Wah pedal. It is a hybrid (Silicon/Germanium) fuzz with nothing in common with classic fuzz circuits like Fuzz Face/Tone Bender/Fuzz-Tone. With modern components but vintage Soviet transistors (Si KT315A/B and Ge GT310B, same as in the original Poltava pedal), it gives unique distortion/fuzz sounds and less noise than vintage units. The original Poltava pedal had only two controls: Volume and Tone, and Ivan Mazepa extends those and adds external Bias and Gain pots, as well as Big Muff (which works pretty well with a bass guitar) style tone stack on the toggle switch. If you are looking for some cool and unique fuzz, Ivan Mazepa is exactly what you need.

Controls

Greatness (Volume) - effect output level. Unlike other vintage fuzzes, it has plenty of volume on tap available.
Resistance (Gain) - controls the amount of distortion. Original Poltava had it as an internal trimmer; around 1-2 o'clock is the unit's setting from my collection.
Diplomacy (Tone) - the balance between bass and treble.
Liberty (Bias) - adjust 2nd gain stage biasing, changing the character of fuzz; around noon is the setting of the Poltava unit from my collection.
Tone stack toggle - switches between classic Poltava Fuzz and Big Muff-style tone stacks.
LED brightness trimmer - placed on the PCB trimmer allows you to adjust the status LED brightness.

About the name

The Ivan Mazepa pedal is named in honor of the renowned Hetman of Ukraine, a pivotal figure in the nation's history. This pedal is based on our Poltava Fuzz-Wah circuit, establishing a direct connection to the historic Battle of Poltava. It was near this city that Ivan Mazepa, in a pivotal moment, allied his Cossack troops with the Kingdom of Sweden in their fight against the Muscovite army, cementing his legacy in the fight for Ukrainian sovereignty.