Cusack Music Project 34 Selenium Preamp & Overdrive

Project 34 derives its name from the atomic number of selenium, which is 34. This element is significant to the pedal as it features a selenium rectifier, an old technology dating back to the early 1930s, before the widespread use of germanium. Selenium rectifiers were commonly employed in vintage amplifiers such as Fender tweeds until they were replaced by modern silicon rectifiers in the 1960s, primarily to eliminate the characteristic "sag" associated with selenium and tube rectifiers.

Jon Cusack, drawing from his experience as an amp repairman, had acquired some 60-year-old selenium rectifiers. These components intrigued him, leading to the creation of a limited run of 20 Screamer Fuzz Selenium pedals, which quickly sold out. Despite the rarity and expense of selenium rectifiers—roughly ten times the cost of comparable germanium components—Cusack persisted in his search for a supplier, eventually securing a source to produce the Project 34 pedal.

The Project 34 pedal defies easy categorization; it can function as a boost, preamp, compressor, or light overdrive. Yet, its defining feature lies in the unique character imparted by the selenium rectifier at its core. Rather than the typical sizzle of diodes and transistors when overdriven, the Project 34 evokes the subtle sag and tonal nuances reminiscent of a small tube amplifier. Its sonic profile is akin to the warm, organic qualities one might hear when listening closely to a speaker driven by a tube amp.

In essence, the Project 34 pedal represents a marriage of vintage technology and modern innovation, offering guitarists a distinctive tonal palette that harkens back to the golden era of tube amplification while embracing the sonic possibilities of the present day.

https://cusackmusic.com/

All backing tracks written, performed, mixed & mastered by Ryan Plewacki unless otherwise noted.

Guitars:
Seuf Guitars OH-19 & OH-20: http://bit.ly/SEUFGUITARS
‪@HarmonyGuitars‬ H-74 (1964)
Heritage Guitars - H-535: http://bit.ly/HERITAGEGUITARS

Amp:
Benson Amps Monarch Reverb +: http://bit.ly/BENSONAMPS
Henry Amplification Pasadena Rose: https://bit.ly/henryamps

Additional Effects:
Line 6 DL4 MKII: https://www.zzounds.com/a--3979288/it...

Recording Rig:
Universal Audio Apollo X16 https://www.zzounds.com/a--3979288/it...
Manley Force https://www.zzounds.com/a--3979288/it...
Universal Audio 4-710d https://www.zzounds.com/a--3979288/it...
Golden Age Pre-73 https://www.zzounds.com/a--3979288/it...
Warm Audio EQP-WA https://www.zzounds.com/a--3979288/it...
Tech 21 SansAmp RBI https://www.tech21nyc.com/products/sa...
Drawmer DL241 https://www.drawmer.com
Vintage DBX 160A (pair)
Yamaha HS7 Monitors https://www.zzounds.com/a--3979288/it...

Guitar Amp Mics:
AKG C 414 XLS https://www.zzounds.com/a--3979288/it...
Cascade Fathead https://www.cascademicrophones.com
Avantone CV-12 (room mic) https://www.zzounds.com/a--3979288/it...

Vocal Mic:
Sennheiser MKH 416 https://www.zzounds.com/a--3979288/it...

0:00 In the Mix
2:00 Introduction
3:47 Single Coil Overdrive
8:05 Humbucker Preamp
10:44 Closing Thoughts

#demosinthedark #guitarpedals #guitar