Greer Amps TarPit Fuzz

There are certain times in every effect freak’s life, when you sit down with a pedal, any type of pedal, really, and once you hit that bypass switch, your ears, eyes and fingers instantly perk up, and your brain sort of says “Whoa!”, maybe even with a little Keanu Reeves overtone. Now, while there are many, many brilliant pedals out there to explore, as we know, there are those rare gems that just have IT, whatever that happens to be, and IT may also vary from person to person, depending on a bunch of differing circumstances and opinions. For me, the TarPit Fuzz from our buddy Nick and Greer Amps is one of those pedals, and I would like to share my findings about it today.

Sustain, Tone and Volume are the three basic controls found here, but they provide a range of tones and mix-and-match options that is really quite impressive, for such a simple-looking pedal. The Volume pedal has plenty of output on tap, for sure, but was also wired to get fatty sustains and bold fuzz tones at lower volumes, if need be, making it an even MORE useful knob than on most fuzzes, or pedals in general, for that matter. The Tone knob has a good bit of range, too, able to go from down-and-dirty, low-end, chunky riff-induced fuzz sounds to bright, shiny, shimmering fuzz that will really liven up your amp, and anyone in a mile’s vicinity’s eardrums as well. The Sustain control I truly love, and will get low, nasty, squelchy and weird when turned down, and brighter, clearer, more-useable tones when cranked past noon, with oodles of sustain, and allowing the user to slice and dice any mix in its path, with gorgeous blankets of fuzz, with slow, buttery fades after that final note or chord has been played for the evening.

Great for punchy, fat leads that last for days, or chunky, heavy-but-clear rhythmic sounds, the TarPit is one of those pedals that really has to be played to be believed (but don’t let that stop you from watching the video below, please!). This is one of those no-nonsense, sit-down-and-rock pedals you always hope for, with a simple layout and enough options to keep you busy for years. We’ve reviewed a lot of Greer Amps’ pedals since we started Pedal of the Day, and they just keep getting better and better, seriously. I’m not sure why this would be, but if you really have not made the effort to try out any of their gear, go to their website, pick one and rock it out. Nick is a true innovator in this industry, and I’m excited to see what comes out of Athens, Georgia next.