Check out my friend Eds website The Tone Machines Blog for more on the super fuzz and others!
I recently picked up a couple of vintage fuzz pedals to restore—a Univox Super-Fuzz and this Mica-Tone Deluxe Fuzz—from the same seller. Both had their share of issues, but with some help from my fuzz aficionado friend Ed, we determined that this Mica-Tone is likely from around 1970. The Mica-Tone Deluxe Fuzz is essentially one of the many rebadged versions of the legendary Shin-ei FY-6 Super Fuzz circuit—the same basic design that later became famous as the Univox Super-Fuzz. The Mica-Tone version was imported and sold by MICA (Musical Instrument Corp. of America) and is considered one of the more desirable Super Fuzz variants.
This one was truly a diamond in the rough. After a recap and re-soldering several loose wires, it came back to life and sounds fantastic. From there, I spent a lot of time on the cosmetic details to make it look as good as possible while preserving its vintage character.
I touched up numerous bare metal spots to provide some protection and help them blend in better visually. The pedal was also missing its feet, so I added a new set. To top it off, I created a replacement schematic based on period-correct examples to make the pedal look more complete and closer to its original appearance.
I’m really pleased with how this restoration turned out. It’s a great-sounding fuzz and a satisfying save for a piece of vintage gear that could have easily been overlooked.
Guitar-Restos 