This is the Kazan "Kvaker". It was the first Soviet-era guitar pedal that I acquired. It uses a unique circuit which does not use an inductor. It has a Timbre control and a Level control. It's a fun one with a unique sound. It uses germanium PNP transistors. These were manufactured in the late-1970s.

To learn more about it and for access to schematic & instruction manual, CLICK HERE .

This the Kazan "Vibrato", which is a tremolo. It has a depth control that is controlled by the treadle. There is also a Speed and Level control. The circuit utilizes a mixture of germanium and silicon transistors. I like this one a lot, it's pretty cool. I don't use tremolo much but I like the concept this pedal is based on. These were manufactured in the late-1970s.

To learn more about it and for access to schematic & instruction manual, CLICK HERE .

Here is the Kazan "Booster". It is not we'd call a booster today, but rather a germanium transistor based fuzz pedal.These were manufactured in the mid to late-1970s. Evidently there was a three transistor version and there is also a four transistor version. I'm not sure why there are two different versions of the circuit. I attempt to figure that out on my web page linked below. In any case, all that the "treadle" does is switch it on/off. These were available in various colors with silver being by far the most common, with gold and blue variants being much less common.

For the three transistor version schematic, CLICK HERE .
For the four transistor version schematic, CLICK HERE .

Kazan is a city located near the Volga River, roughly 400 miles east of Moscow. It is the capital of Tatarstan. There were several different types of factories in Kazan at the time when these pedals were manufactured. During the course of my research I discovered a discussion on a Russian forum which stated that it was most likely the Kazan Plant Of Computing Machines (KZEVM) that manufactured these pedals, based on the stylized Tulip logo found on the pedal name plates. This plant was in operation from 1954-1994 and was under the control of the Soviet Ministry of Radio Technology.

However, the symbol for the KZEVM plant that can be found on 1980s "Idel" model reel-to-reel tape recorder (shown at left) does not match the logo on these pedals. I did find, of all things, a webpage about a flashlight that has this tulip logo on the side of the box it came in (dated 1988), which states it was made in factory "Kazan Computer EVM". With this evidence I believe that is indeed where these three pedals were made. So it appears that there was two different logos representing the same factory. It seems the tulip logo was used up to 1988 and the later one was adopted 1988-89. Finally after two years of occasional searching the mystery has been solved! An interesting side note is that apparently in 1960 field engineers from the KZEVM factory, using the first M-20 computer they designed and built, calculated the flightpath for Yuri Gagarin's historic achievement in 1961 - the first man to orbit the earth!

This the "Anita" fuzz-wah pedal which has a Level (fuzz) and Volume control. This circuit uses an inductor. To see the schematic CLICK HERE .

This and I believe the whole product line offered by "Riga" were manufactured in the very late 70s/early 80s.

This is the "Anta" fuzz. It's a straight ahead silicon transistor based fuzz pedal with a Level (fuzz) and Volume control. To see the schematic CLICK HERE . As with the Viola, all that the "treadle" does is switch the effect on/off.

This is the "Astra" wah-autowah-vibrato which has a Frequency and Level control. It is a silicon transistor circuit which uses an inductor. To see the schematic CLICK HERE .

This is the "Inga" fuzz-wah, which utilizes an inductor and has a Level (fuzz), Volume and Timbre (tone) control. To see the schematic CLICK HERE .

This is the "Inta" wah pedal, which is just a straight wah pedal with an inductor. To see the schematic CLICK HERE .

Here is the "Vita" fuzz pedal. It has a Level (fuzz), Volume and Timbre (tone) control. I'm not sure what the treadle controls, I assume it's for the fuzz level but have not been able to verify that. To see the schematic CLICK HERE .

Here is the "Viola" compressor-sustainer which uses a special IC chip. It has a Volume and Level control. All that the "treadle" does is turn the effect on/off.

To learn more about it and for access to schematic & instruction manual, CLICK HERE .

This is the Elektronika "B12-011". It is a multi-FX unit which has a wah, vibrato, phaser and compressor. To see the schematic CLICK HERE . To view the user manual CLICK HERE .

Note that even though it is labeled as "Elekronika" brand it was actually made at the Riga factory. The Riga factory logo is on the user manual so there's no doubt about it.

Riga is a city located in Latvia just below the Gulf Of Riga, which is part of the Baltic Sea. It took some serious searching but I have finally determined that manufacturer of these "Riga" guitar effects was the Rizhsky Semiconductor Device Plant, based on the unique square trademark logo that is stamped on the baseplates. This factory is referred to as "Alpha" on the instruction manuals that accompanied these various pedals.

This is the Venta-Elekronika "PE-11 Flanger". It is powered by a pair of 4.5V "planet batteries", which are essentially three AA batteries in one package. It sounds pretty good... seems to be on par with the ADA Flanger. It appears these were manufactured in the mid to late-80s. To see the schematic CLICK HERE .

This factory was established in 1962 and was located in Vilnius, Lithuania. This was their logo 1987-1989. Their main enterprise was microcircuits, electronic components and various kinds of electronic equipment.

This is the Elektronika "FL-01 Flanger". It's a table top unit similar in function to the Venta Elektronika "PE-11" but is powered by an external power source (220V) rather than batteries. To see the schematic CLICK HERE .

This is the Elektronika "EG-10 Equaliser". It is another table top type unit in a similar format to the FL-01 Flanger. It is also powered by an external power source (220V). It has 10 bands: 31Hz, 63Hz, 125Hz, 250Hz, 500Hz, 1kHz, 2kHz, 4kHz, 8kHz & 16kHz. I don't know if it's a graphic EQ or a parametric EQ. To see the schematic CLICK HERE . (Link currently inactive)

The symbol at left is what can be found on the nameplate on the bottom of these devices. This is the trademark logo for the Kherson Regional Production Plant in Dnipro, Ukraine which was established in 1956. The factory used this symbol from 1969 to 1990. It primarily produced semiconductors.

This is the Elektronika "Jet Fazer" which is a phaser-vibrato effect with a fuzz section. These were made during the 80s in USSR. The controls are Speed, Resonance, Distortion and Sustain. The switches have "Phaser", "Vibrato", "Mild" and "Rough" positions.

To download the schematic only CLICK HERE .
To see the instruction manual (minus schematic) CLICK HERE .

This is the Elektronika "PE-05 Flanger". The controls are Depth, Speed, Delay and Resonance. These seem to be rather hard to find. To see the schematic CLICK HERE .

This is the Elektronika "Fazer-2" which is a germanium transistor based phaser/vibrato pedal. The switch selects between the Phaser and Vibrato. Controls are Speed and Resonance (depth). There is a trim pot on the side that can be accessed with a flat head screwdriver which affects the tone. It is said to have a very nice warm tone. To see the schematic CLICK HERE .

This is the Elektronika "Compressor-Sustain(er)" which not so obviously is a fuzz pedal with some options rather than a proper compressor pedal. The "Sharp" switch gives a more extreme hi-gain mid frequency fuzz, keeping in tradition with Soviet fuzz pedals. The two controls (from left to right) are Distortion (gain of the fuzz) and Sustain (amount of sustain). These seem to be very hard to find. To see the schematic CLICK HERE .

This is the Elektronika "E-01 Equaliser". This is allegedly a parametric EQ, not a graphic EQ and is quite effective. There are six control sliders which include level, and five frequencies: 64Hz, 250Hz, 1000Hz, 3500Hz 125000Hz, each adjustable by +/- 12dB. It was offered in a blue or orange enclosure (possibly other colors as well). Apparently it requires a special external dual voltage power supply of 15V DC & 30V DC. There was also a stereo version of this which is basically like two of these stuck together. To see the schematic CLICK HERE (link currently inactive).

This is the Elektronika "E-02 Dual-Channel Equaliser". Not too much else to say about it, same features as the E-01 Equaliser. This one is a bit unusual for this time period because it has two channels. Also is apparently a parametric EQ. I have also seen these with a blue enclosure (there may be other colors as well). It has an internal power transformer with a 220V primary.

To see the schematic CLICK HERE . Still looking for a higher quality schematic on this one. This will at least give an idea of the circuit topology.

This is the Elektronika "Synchro Wah". It's a very unique autowah that is quacky and whooshy sounding. There are examples with blue, orange or green enclosures. The controls are Attack and Accent. To see the schematic CLICK HERE .

In WWII this factory, then called Factory No. 188, was producing munitions for the war effort. One curious thing about the Elektronika product line is that the same pedal can be found in three or four different colors. I'm not sure if that was by design or if it meant that a certain colored one meant that it was made at a specific factory. Design-wise, they were pretty sophisticated for the time, using silicon transistors and various IC chips. Allegedly the Soviets created the DA____ series IC chips for use in tape recorders, which can be found in some of the Elektronika product line and it is said that is why Soviet flangers are quieter than their western counterparts. Elektronika guitar pedals seem to have been one of the most ubiquitious "brands" in the USSR. Most of these pedals were offered in the early part of the 80s with a few of them being produced very shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union.

This is another very unusual and definitely rare pedal, the "Volna Autowah". It has a very unique and distinctive sound. I understand these were manufactured at the Novosibirsk Electromechanical Works, in Novosibirsk, Russia. To see the instruction manual and schematic CLICK HERE .

There is also a phaser pedal called "Spectrum". Apparently this is an extremely rare bird even in Russia! CLICK HERE for the instruction manual and schematics.

Here is the "Poltava", which in the west is a more well known fuzz-wah-vibrato. It's capable of some nice sounds. These were available in a few different colors; the least common variant is shown here. The vibrato (tremolo) has a speed control. These were manufactured in the very late 70s/early 80s. To see the schematic CLICK HERE .

Here is the "Ltava", which seems to be a hot-rodded Poltava with some additional features. It appears these were also offered in a few different colors.

Poltava is a city in Ukraine about 80 miles west of Kharkiv. Ltava is in this same area. The Poltava and Ltava were both made in the same factory. The logo at left is what can be found on the baseplates of both pedals. This is the symbol of the Poltava Electromechanical Plant, which was founded in October 1947.

This is the "EFFEKT-1". It is a fuzz-wah-vibrato with a speed control. It was one of the first successful guitar effects to be released in the USSR (1977-78). Many units were sold due to being inexpensive as well as the popularity of Jimi Hendrix and similar types of music. The "EFFEKT-1" and the other two "EFFEKT" products below were developed under the supervision of Alexander Evgenievich Maistrovich.

There was also a blue version of the EFFEKT-1. To see the schematic CLICK HERE .

This the "EFFEKT-3". It is a distortion pedal with a phaser released in 1983.

To see only the schematic CLICK HERE .
To see the owner manual (with schematic included) CLICK HERE .

This is the "EFFEKT-4". It is a fuzz-wah-autowah pedal with an envelope sensitivity control. It was released in 1983 and was apparently intended for use by bass guitarists. To see the schematic CLICK HERE .

The above pedals were made at the Moscow Electro-Mechanical Plant (SAM). SAM is an abbreviation for "Schetno Analyticheskie Machiny" (Calculating and Analytic Machines). The factory was located in the Krasnoselskaya area in Moscow, Russia. It's pretty close to the center of Moscow and was located very near to a large train depot in an industrial part of the city with several factories. Founded in 1923 as an industry that repaired typewriters, adding machines and cash registers. Later they transitioned to making counting and sorting machines. During WWII they produced over one million PPSH-41 and five hundred thousand PPS-43 submachine guns. Post-WWII they started manufacturing computers. The company was privatized in 1994 and came to an end in 2013-2014, culminating in criminal investigations, and most if not all of the factory buildings were demolished. CLICK HERE to see the SAM factory as it was in 2010.

This is the "SPEKTR-1", a very unusual fuzz-wah-vibrato. It uses a mixture of germanium and silicon transistors and has two types of fuzz. The vibrato speed and depth are fixed.

To learn more about it and for access to schematics & instruction manual, CLICK HERE .

This is the "SPEKTR-2", a fuzz-wah. It uses a pair of toggle switches that poke thru the treadle to turn on/off each function. To see the schematic CLICK HERE .

This is the "SPEKTR-3". It is a fuzz-wah-autowah with similar features to the SPEKTR-2. One of the treadles controls the volume and the other one is for the wah function. To see the schematic & instruction manual CLICK HERE .

This is the "SPEKTR-4". It appears to be a SPEKTR-3 minus the volume pedal but at this point in time remains unverified. To see instruction manual and schematic, CLICK HERE .

CLICK HERE to see the SPEKTR-3 and SPEKTR-4 in a consumer catalog from 1981.

Oryol is a city located about 200 miles south of Moscow. This factory manufactured radios, control computers and things along those lines as well as various other things made for the masses. The symbol for this factory is shown at left. An individual selling a SPEKTR-1 in Russia said it was made at Oryol plant Number 543. "Oryol" and "Orel" are one in the same on Google Earth.

This is the "Tesla AYZ 025". It is a very good sounding fuzz-wah with some interesting features, one of them being a frequency doubler. To see the schematic CLICK HERE .

This is the Tesla "Compressor-Sustainer" (AYZ 032). It is a compressor-sustainer pedal. To see the schematic CLICK HERE .

This is the Tesla "Attack Equalizer" (AYZ 031). It is a 2-band EQ pedal with a Bass, Treble and Volume control. To see the schematic CLICK HERE .

This is the Tesla "Equalizer" (AYZ 030). It is a 5-band EQ pedal with 80Hz, 200Hz, 500Hz, 1.5kHz & 4kHz frequency controls, and a Volume control. I don't have any other info on it at this time.

This is the Tesla "Over Drive" (AYZ 033). It is an overdrive pedal with a Overdrive and Volume control. It appears to operate on a 9V battery. It is said that it sounds similar to a Boss OD-1. To see the schematic CLICK HERE .

The formal name of this manufacturer today is TESLA a.s. and was/is headquartered in Prague. The company was established as Elektra in 1921 and renamed Tesla in 1946. Allegedly TESLA is an abbreviation from TEchnika SLAboproudá, which means "low-current technology". It appears that these pedals were manufactured a few years before the collapse of the USSR, so late 80s time period. TESLA manufactured various other electronic appliances and was in operation in that format from 1946 to 1991, at which time the business was privatized. There a few other products not shown here: AYZ-020 Volume-Booster, AYZ-026 Wah Booster and the AOS 192 "Studioecho-A".

Here is the "SIGNAL-1" phase shifter. This nice sounding phaser I think is truly a very rare Soviet-era guitar effect. I like the way it looks. The switches are not very heavy duty and are the same odd 12-pin DPDT push button switches that were used in the Univox Uniwah, SPEKTR-1 and some Elektronika pedals. Most examples I have seen date to 1982.

To see the schematic CLICK HERE . Still looking for a higher quality schematic on this one... not sure I'll ever find one but I'll keep trying! This will at least give an idea of the circuit topology.

Verifying where this was made was a challenge but I did find a post in a Russian forum that answered my questions. This phaser pedal was made in Plant "Signal" in the capital city of Moldava, Chisinau. This factory was established in 1961. The focus of operations was mainly on military communications systems, but they also occasionally produced consumer goods. In 1992 operations were suspended due to lack of orders. In 2011 a fire occurred in the former workshops resulting in the demolition of the former enterprise. In 2017 the factory was demolished. It was planned to be replaced with a multi-story residential building. In addition to making the "SIGNAL-1" phaser this factory also produced a keyboard called "SONOR". Beginning production in 1986, about 300 of them were produced before the fall of the Soviet Union. They also made two models of computers named "SINTEZ" around 1990. They made some toys as well.

This is another very unusual and positively rare pedal, the "TEMBRE-6". It definitely looks like a 70s creation and it almost looks like a toy, but despite how it looks, it uses a cast metal enclosure. In a way it's kinda cool. It is also weird in that it needs an external power supply unit in its own plastic & die cast enclosure. It utilizes an incandescent light bulb & dual LDR combo, which is for the wah function (although if one of these is bad it also affects the output of the fuzz circuit). It appears that the treadle moves a device which varies the amount of light hitting the LDRs. There is also an auto-wah function and vibrato. The date codes on the pots are from 1980.

You'll likely never cross paths with this one but it's included here for posterity. In fact, the serial number on this unit is 001. Perhaps it is a one of kind prototype? It was apparently advertised in "Radio magazine" in the New Products section in either the late-70s or the early-80s, but it's not clear if it's something that actually ever went into production.

This device is said to have been made in a military factory in Novomoskovsk. This contradicts the logo on the nameplate riveted to the bottom of the enclosure (shown at left), which corresponds to Volga Electronic Computing Equipment Plant. This is in a different region. I think they are just wrong about that. I often see this in descriptions of things for sale: "made in military factory at such and such place". It's half true as many (most?) factories served dual purposes: one being manufacturing consumer goods and the other, things for the military. Unfortunately this adds to the confusion of trying to determine exactly where something was manufactured as the military side of the factory was called one thing, and the factory that made civilian products another. So two different factory names referring to the same factory.

Here is another unusual and positively very rare pedal, the "TIMBRE-1". The user manual calls this one an "opto-electronic timbre modulator". It appears to be an opto-coupled wah pedal, and there is no potentiometer. HERE you can see the opto-coupler arrangement and the PCB. HERE is the schematic. The parts list is not real legible but at least that will give you an idea of the circuit topography. It is said to be mild sounding, not having a very strong wah wah effect.

This device is said to have been made in a military factory in Novomoskovsk. The factory "trademark" logo shown at left is what is inkstamped in white on the bottom of the enclosure (minus the circle). This plant was founded in 1964 and was referred to as "Plant Impulse". It is still in operation today producing radar, radio navigational equipment and radio remote control devices. The Tula region is also famous for the Tula Aresnal, manufacturer of Russian firearms of WWII and Cold War era.

This is an interesting little passive mixer named "Mix Hero" that is said to have been manufactured in Leningrad, Russia. Specifically, it is said to have been made at the "VNIIPRA" military factory in the early to mid-80s. This example is actually dated 1976. It has three inputs, three volume controls and one output. It seems like it may have been intended to be used in a music education environment but it could have had other uses as well. To see the instruction manual and schematic CLICK HERE.

There is not much info to suggest where this was made specifically but stamped into the metal bottom cover is "Plant N2373", which follows the new factory numbering system implemented by the KGB some time between 1965 and 1968. On an example from Nov. 1980 the factory is referred to as "N 134". Some plants in Moscow were at one time referred to as "VNII" or "NII" something, so the term "VNIIPRA" suggests to me that this was actually made in Moscow and not in Leningrad (today St Petersburg). Still searching for a little more info on this one.

Here is the "Atlant", which translates as Atlas. It is another very unusual and apparently quite rare fuzz-wah-volume pedal. I don't have much info on it at this time but the controls are a little unusual. There are two pots which are controlled by your foot, by sliding your foot on the ribbed "spindles" to turn them. Inside there is a gear attached to the potentiometers that turn a numbered gear which appears thru a window on the top, which indicates what setting you have it on. You can see that here HERE . These control the fuzz sensitivity and tone. The three "keys" at the top are very similar to the SPEKTR-1; you press them and it actuates a switch which is mounted on a bracket below these "keys". Big die cast enclosure built like a tank - it weighs 12 lbs! Apparently it operates on 12 volts. Still searching for a schematic on this one.

This mysterious device was made by a factory located in Kirovograd region of Svetlovodsk. I'm not sure if this was made in the same factory(ies) as the "Atlas" brand name known for manufacturing refrigerators and similar appliances. Looking at the construction and design of it, I tend to think it's possible. This factory is also referred to as "Svetlovodsk plant Calculator".

This is the "LEADER-1", which is a "guitar micro-synthesizer".

It has four effect sections, as follows;

Mixer: Guitar Level (dry signal), Sub-Octave, Octave and two "Rock Tones" (distortion).
Phaser: Depth and Frequency.
Controlled Filter: Start, Stop, Speed, Level and Resonance.
Modulator: Attack, Threshold and Attenuation.

It operates on a 220V power supply. They were manufactured in the 1980s and can create a lot of interesting sounds. To see the instruction manual and schematic CLICK HERE .

This is the "LEADER-2", which is a "guitar micro-synthesizer".

It has five effect sections, as follows:

"Tone Corrector", Flanger, Chorus, Solo, Rhythm

It operates on a 220V power supply. They were manufactured in the 1980s and can create a lot of interesting sounds. To see the instruction manual and schematic CLICK HERE .

This is the "ESKO 100", which is a Tape Delay + Fuzz/Vibrato/Octaver/Flanger. Wow that's a wild one! It utilized a tape delay circuit. It was apparently made in the early to mid-80s or so. It's capable of many interesting sounds which are actually quite musical. To see the schematics CLICK HERE .

There apparently was also a digital delay version of this unit, with the tape delay section omitted.

This is the "Artron ME-01", which is another "guitar micro-synthesizer". The one pictured is said to have been made in 1981. Controls and features of the four main effect sections are as follows:

RHYTHM/SOLO section: Guitar, Rock Tone, Spectrum and Turbo; COMPRESSOR section: Level, Attack, Restoring and Output; REVERB section: Level and Echo; CHORUS section: Balance, Brightness, Amplitude and Rate; OUTPUT section: Amplifier On, Output (Effect, Scale - min\max) and Turbo On.

Indicators are Control, Overload and Effect. Connections are Line Input and Output (Line, Phone, Amplifier). Dimensions are 420 x 360 x 115mm. Weight is approx. 5 kg. Pretty sure this one also operates on 220V.

That's all the information I have about it at this time.

The products offered by Formanta were the most sophisticated guitar effects I have seen from the USSR during the 1980s. Formanta is also well known for the "Polivoks" synthesizers made from 1982 to 1990. The factory was located in the Sverdlovsk/Kachkanar area, in central Russia. It's approximately 500 miles northeast of Kazan. Unfortunately these devices are powered by 220V, so to use here in the USA you would need a transformer in order to use them.

Here is the Estradin "EFFEKT-1" Flanger. It operates on 220V and has Frequency, Shift and Brightness controls. It is reported to sound something like the ElectroHarmonix "Electric Mistress". This example was made in 1987. To see the schematic and component layout CLICK HERE .

Here is the Estradin "EFFEKT-2" Phaser. It operates on 220V and has Frequency, Balance and Brightness controls. This example was made in 1990. To see the schematic and component layout CLICK HERE .

Estradin made some cool looking pedals.They look modern and certainly much more conventional than some of the kinda bizarre pedals from the late 70s & early 80s. Unfortunately they would be difficult to use in the USA due to how they are powered, via an internal power transformer with a 220V primary. The Zhytomyr plant "Electroizmeritel", in Ukraine, produced a wide variety of electrical appliances for both civilian and military purposes. Apparently production of these pedals continued on for a short time after the collapse of the Soviet Union. I believe the factory was located in central Ukraine.

This is the Elita "Ekspromt" compressor-sustainer. The drive section has Drive, Tone and Level controls. The compressor section has Sustain and Level controls. Each section can be turned on/off independently. The "compressor" is said to have quite a long sustain. Looking at the inside of the pedal there appears to be an LDR/LED combo inside, along with several IC chips. It operates on 15V DC. These were made in the late 80s up to about the early 90s. The example shown here is from 1993. Still hunting for a schematic on this one.

This is the Elita "Quasichorus". This stereo chorus has four controls: Frequency, Depth, Delay and Brightness. It is unique sounding, with two outputs which are out of phase with each other. It operates on 15V DC. These were made in the late 80s up to the early 90s. To see the schematic and component layout CLICK HERE .

Elita also made some really cool looking pedals. These were also made right around the time of the collapse of the USSR. Production continued on until 1993 or so. They look modern and certainly much more conventional than some of the kinda bizarre pedals from the late 70s & early 80s. The logo on the top side of the enclosure is still used by the present day business called Electrovimiryuvach, in Ukraine. This Zhytomyr plant, in English "Electric Meter", was founded in November 1956 on the squares of a former theological seminary, the buildings of which were destroyed during WWII. Fortunately these pedals are much easier to use in the USA due to having a DC jack, but they require an unconventional hard to find long plug (2.5mm) which is somewhat similar to the old DOD 1/8" tip positive plug. It shouldn't be too difficult to replace with another type of jack - the tricky part of it is that they require 15 volts although I have read they will operate on less, and doing so also makes them a little quieter.