# Fairfield Circuitry Barbershop



## closetmonster. (Nov 26, 2009)

Hey folks, I picked up a Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive a few weeks ago, to replace a Dano Fab-Drive I have had on my pedal board for nearly 5 years. Now I am realizing that the Sparkle Drive doesn't quite give me to full overdrive sound that I need for some songs, so I was cruising the interwebs and found this little gem:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyYhqm8_ih0" target="_blank">[video=youtube;VyYhqm8_ih0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyYhqm8_ih0[/video]

Does anyone have any experience with Fairfield? They're Canadian built and owned which I like.

Plus that enclosure is just begging for a custom paint job.


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## ElectricMojo (May 19, 2011)

Hey,
The Fairfield is REALLY an amazing pedal.
It's one of the greatest ODs I've played.
It's extremely versatile, you can use it for anything from a Clean Boost to a Distortion/Fuzz.
I seem to find new textures and ideas everytime I plug it in.

The demos on the Internet don't fully do justice to its greatness, these vids give you a slightly better idea of its capabilities:
4 ways to use The Barbershop - YouTube
The Barbershop Overdrive - YouTube

It's really a shame that the Barbershop isn't more known and talked about, but it's certainly my favorite OD.
I don't want anyone to think I'm saying this because I have them at the shop.
Actually, I loved mine so much that I ended up contacting Guillaume Fairfield to carry his effects at the shop.
They're really incredible pedals!


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## closetmonster. (Nov 26, 2009)

Yeah, I am really liking the transparency that they achieve in the videos.
I was thinking it might be neat to run the barbershop into the sparkledrive to achieve a cascading overdrive effect.

I find that a lot of Canadian effects get overlooked for more massproduced, widely advertised American effects.
That's the way it goes I guess.

Well, I guess it's decided then. The Barbershop it is.

Thanks, ElectricMojo!


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## Jeff B. (Feb 20, 2010)

IIRC traynorgarnet on this forum has/had one and may be able to provide some firsthand insight to it. Lots of people speak quite highly of it and Guillaume is quite clever in his circuits designs and layout. 
I'd say go for it.


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

I purchased a Barbershop from a forum member on a whim and it's become my favourite overdrive pedal. I use it as a lead boost for my dirty amp setup and run that way it is very transparent.

For recording I use it as my dirty pedal ahead of my clean Champ clone. It won out against several other contenders while tracking some songs a few months ago. To my ears it has a very unique flavour to it.

Certainly not a one trick pony.


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## Tarbender (Apr 7, 2006)

Next to my Timmy, it's the most used pedal I have. Can't say enough nice things about it.


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## closetmonster. (Nov 26, 2009)

Thanks for all the help folks. I have decided to purchase a Barbershop from ElectricMojo.

I'll post pics of my new setup once the pedal has arrived.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I've met with Guillaume and his brother Olivier on several occasions (they're over in Gatineau, not far from here). Both true gentlemen. Olivier is more demonstrably interested in synthesis than Guillaume, but I think it would be fair to say that Guillaume approaches pedal design more from a synthesis basis than many others do. I don't know if it was a deliberate marketing subtext, rather than a simple cost-effective choice in method, but certainly the use of stamped legending bespeaks an approach that is refreshingly practical.


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

Jeff B. said:


> IIRC traynorgarnet on this forum has/had one and may be able to provide some firsthand insight to it.


Check out this thread: http://www.guitarscanada.com/effect...ave-ever-heard-goodbye-attenuators-pedal.html

It is an amazing pedal. I still really like what it does to the high end. It is still transparent (you don't get the "oh, I just turned on a pedal" sound that totally changes your amp) but it does something nice to the highs. Not a direct replacement for my Timmy, but still great and in the same family of pedals.

TG


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## b-nads (Apr 9, 2010)

I went to Moog today with plans to buy a compressor. I brought my Timmy along because the guys hadn't tried one out yet. After I went through every comp in the store with nothing really getting what i wanted, I plugged in the Timmy for a run. While playing it, Andrew brougt over this distressed looking grey box and told me I had to give it a try. I played it for two minutes nd bought it on the spot - simply the sweetest sounding od I've ever heard. I have mine rolled back to 9:30 on the gain, 1:30 on the sag, and just above unity on the volume. It livened up my amp so much I have it on all the time for a little rounder, fuller, sweeter sound with a hint of hair on it. I was planning to sell Timmy...then I used it to boost the BSOD - oh my dumble God! This pedal is an instant classic, IMHO. Unbelievable sounding.


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## ElectricMojo (May 19, 2011)

Glad you're liking the BarberShop b-nads! It's an amazing pedal!


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

b-nads said:


> This pedal is an instant classic, IMHO. Unbelievable sounding.


 I actually just received mine from ElectricMojo (good deal-nice guy) and I am suitably impressed. I love this OD and its scaled down appearance. Right now I'm in the honeymoon phase but I'll report back in about 3 months to let you know if it's still in the chain.


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## b-nads (Apr 9, 2010)

If it isn't, I'll buy it off you for a back-up;-)


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

b-nads said:


> If it isn't, I'll buy it off you for a back-up;-)


No problem. If for some reason I don't want it anymore you officially have "dibs".


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## Clean Channel (Apr 18, 2011)

I also just purchased a Barbershop! It arrived yesterday, and I've only had about 30 minutes with it thus far, but I'm pretty blown away. Wonderfully transparent, and very natural sounding/feeling. 

My dirt section is already pretty stacked between my Empress Multidrive/Blackout Effectors VSTwosome/Mojo Hand Copperhead, but I've been missing having a dedicated low-gain OD in my chain. Looks like the Barbershop is just what I needed!

Like Intrepid, I'll hold my tongue until some months have passed, then check back in.

...just a quick update: I had a bunch more time with this pedal today, and boy oh boy, I'm sold! At one point I was completely lost in playing, and it suddenly occurred to me that 'something' was sounding really darn good. At that point I remembered that the whole reason I picked up the guitar was to test out the Barbershop, and sure enough there it was, working it's gentle OD magic into my private musical nirvana!


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## closetmonster. (Nov 26, 2009)

Paying for mine to come in the mail tomorrow! 

Getting really antsy waiting for my pay to come through, being that I have an empty spot on my board for it!

Will post up some vids of it in my pedal chain when she finally gets here.


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## zurn (Oct 21, 2009)

I've been listening to some videos of it on youtube, does anyone else hear a little of the velcro'ish sound of a Superfuzz in there? I had a MJM China fuzz that had that sound, it took it way over the top but still.


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## Clean Channel (Apr 18, 2011)

zurn said:


> I've been listening to some videos of it on youtube, does anyone else hear a little of the velcro'ish sound of a Superfuzz in there? I had a MJM China fuzz that had that sound, it took it way over the top but still.


When you roll down the Sag, it does get some fuzz-ish tones for sure. I really like the in between range where the OD just gets a little (uhm, don't know what to call it here, so forgive me for my vague nomenclature...) sloppy/flabby/'brown'. 

Also, the pedal is absolutely stellar as a light and transparent OD, which is why I got it. All of those other tones (there are an *amazing* variety for a three knob pedal) are all bonus and sound killer.

The Barbershop is just an awesome pedal; love it!


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## switters (Dec 19, 2011)

I picked up a barbershop a few years ago, I'm guessing maybe 2008/2009 or something. Used it for a little while during the honeymoon period, but it didn't really stick, found it almost 'harsh' sounding. Always played with humbucker guitars. Pulled it out once in awhile to play around with the fuzzier sounds it can make, but wasn't really feeling it too much. Never sold it just because there was something I remembered in there when I bought it, and just couldn't find it again (I compared it to pretty much every OD they had at Lauzon). 

Recently got my first telecaster, so was playing through all the gear with the tele to see how things sounded. Now 'my' tone is the tele into my diamond compressor into the barbershop. It gives me this big, thick, greasy rhythm tone that just oozes out of the amp (maz 38NR or princeton reverb). The compressor gives just the right bit of squish and eq to really make the barbershop sing. 

This pedal does glorious things to the sound of this tele. And with a Retrosonic 808 on the other side of it, I'm all set.


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## closetmonster. (Nov 26, 2009)

So my Barbershop came yesterday, and after having some time to play around I am very impressed. Not only at the way it sounds alone, but the way it interacts with my other pedals. I'll really have to wait till rehearsal next week to see how it all works at high volumes, but she's a great sounding unit

I did a little demo, not the greatest quality but it shows the Barbershop interacting with my other pedals:

[video=youtube;-ZI3iDe2YV4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZI3iDe2YV4[/video]

Big ups to ElectricMojo for hooking me up


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## ElectricMojo (May 19, 2011)

Hey,
I'm happy you're liking the Barbershop, cool video!
Enjoy!

I've been running 2 Barbershops on my board recently, the tones are out of this world.


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## Clean Channel (Apr 18, 2011)

I've been loving my barbershop! 

I got it because I wanted a really transparent light-medium overdrive, which it does beautifully. But I never expected I would fall so in love with all of the sag tones! I'm using it for that more than anything else right now!


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## closetmonster. (Nov 26, 2009)

I know, I am loving it! I have been using my clean boost before, and the sparkle drive after it, so I can hit the clean boost for a heavier overdrive sound, and the sparkle drive to get a cascading overdrive. It works very well for me given that the drive channel on my amp is absolute rubbish.

I am playing a gig in 2 days, and am very excited to use this baby on stage.

If anyone wants to check out my band, you can see some of our videos at: The Symphony Tree | Facebook


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## ElectricMojo (May 19, 2011)

closetmonster. said:


> I know, I am loving it! I have been using my clean boost before, and the sparkle drive after it, so I can hit the clean boost for a heavier overdrive sound, and the sparkle drive to get a cascading overdrive. It works very well for me given that the drive channel on my amp is absolute rubbish.
> 
> I am playing a gig in 2 days, and am very excited to use this baby on stage.
> 
> If anyone wants to check out my band, you can see some of our videos at: The Symphony Tree | Facebook


Hey,
How was the gig?
How did you like the Barbershop on stage?
Hope everything went well for you guys.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

Guillaume is a good friend of my sons and I can vouch for his company here in Gatineau Quebec. Small shop but very busy making some of the best pedals on the market.
You can e-mail him at Fairfield Circuitery and he will answer you personnaly.By the way,the company logo was created by my son ( shameless plug) LOL.


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