The Shin-ei Companion FY-2 is a discontinued fuzz box which was made by the Shin-ei company in the 1970s in Japan. FY-2 pedals are considered a rarity, and can be occasionally found on eBay.
Contents
Different versions were made, most used silicon transistors. These had a Tone switch added which lowered the volume. The sound from these was the so-called classic chainsaw buzz.
An earlier version - ultra rare- used Germanium Transistors. These did not have the tone circuit and therefore had a very loud output. The circuit lent itself to a natural gating making the unit rather quiet, even when playing the noise floor is quite low. The sound from these is very rich, fluid and thick. Creating classic fuzz/buzz and brass tones. The fuzz control when increased did not change the volume to much, this makes it good for a clean / fuzzy adjustment via the guitar volume output.
Sound
The FY-2 is well known for its raw, distinctive, gated fuzz. There are two knobs on the pedal:
FY-2 Users
Notable musicians who have used the FY-2 include: