JSA Effects Blue Steel

An 18v Breaker style circuit, built with vintage parts and an additional 'Presence' control

In 2023 I had begun experimenting with vintage components. As with any time I find something new, I find myself trying it with every circuit I can think of, and it wasn't long before I playing around with the Bluesbreaker circuit again. It started with vintage components throughout, including the JRC072D which was a game changer for me - thicker, richer gain - but, of course, I couldn't resist making further changes. I swapped half the clipping diodes for MOSFET's to improve the dynamic response, added a charge pump to run the circuit at 18v internally (+/-9v), and added the presence control from the Prince of Tone

The end result is a phenomenal Bluesbreaker with more refinement, more output volume, and closer to an 'amp in a box'

As with all JSA pedal, the "Blue Steel" was built entirely from scratch, by hand, by one-man-and-his-cat in the heart of the UK. The circuit is enclosed in a handpainted 1590bs enclosure (the same small footprint as an EHX Nano pedal, but slightly deeper than an EQD/Walrus pedal) with comfortable fitting top mounted jacks

This is part of "Simon's Secret Stash Sale"; i built it for myself and have used it regularly over the years. As such there are some minor dings & blemishes to the paint, but they don't effect how it works or sounds