The Chaosmic Fuzz pedal that we reviewed and demoed last year was the first offering from Rabbit Hole FX, and since that initial effect, they’ve added a couple more to their lineup, one of which we are going to check out today. The ‘Merkin Fuzz is totally different from its big brother, but features some fun options and separate volume controls, which can be super-useful in the world of fuzz. Let’s see what this...
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We are suckers for aesthetics here at Pedal of the Day, and today’s pedal just jumps right out at you (plus it look sweet in a group of pedal, too). A collaboration between the crews at SolidGoldFX and The Tone Mob, the Model 001 Fuzz Generator is an aluminum fuzz masterpiece, a pedal that is expressive both visually and sonically, and one that’s sure to make you take a step back in wonder the moment it’s engaged....
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Mmmmmm…..Fuzzzzzzz….. We’re hooked here at POTD, which is why we were once again super-excited for today’s featured pedal to show up on our doorstep. The Primary Fuzz is Plasma Pedals’ take on the classic Fuzz Face circuit. With a broad range of sounds available, both vintage and modern, this thing slices and dices any mix that stands in its way, and makes your amp come alive as well. Let’s check...
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A lot of times, you can tell if you and a pedal are going to gel from the first minute or so of playing it. Today’s featured pedal took us about 8 seconds before we knew it was a keeper. The White Widow Silicon Fuzz comes to us all the way from Brazil, and it was well worth the wait. Based on a special version of the Big Muff Pi from the late ’70s, this one has a couple more options and tones than its classic predecessor....
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Those of us that love fuzz can’t help but dig those old, vintage effects pedals of said genre. Problem is, more often than not, they’re hard to maintain, and modern improvements on their original components and design are as tempting as ever. Which brings us to today’s featured pedal – the 1861 Fuzz. Modeled after the Civil War-era fuzzes of the early ’90s, the crew at Vick Audio has made a delicious nod...
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Fuzz pedals are everywhere these days, right? But so what?!?! They’re awesome, and we love checking out new ones in any way, shape or form. Today’s featured beauty comes to us from Wright Sounds in Portland, OR, and is a take on a rare and not-well-known classic fuzz from the past. The Fuzz-Stang MkII adds in an extra control knob from the original, and features more fuzz than you’ll know what to do with. The Sam Ash...
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Some effects pedals are created to strictly do one thing: make noise. Today’s pedal is not just a fuzz, not just a distorter of sound, not just an eardrum blaster, but a little box of noise-infused noise, with a light dusting of noise on top. Loud Loud Loud is the best way to describe the Fūzwami Fuzz from Friday Club Pedals, although that is not all it can do, as we shall find out. The controls on the Fūzwami are labeled...
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We reviewed a pretty cool pedal here at Pedal of the Day a while back, from a manufacturer in Germany, and while we couldn’t read the labels on the control knobs, we discovered that it was a great piece of gear nonetheless. Well, we’re back at it again, and today we’ve got another pedal from our German friends Orion Effekte. The De Luxe Motor Fuzz is a great little fuzz pedal with a bunch of options, tones and fuzzy...
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Every pedal company strives to have their pedals be easily recognizable – whether it’s colors, shapes, design, graphics…the list goes on, but you want to make your mark. The guys at StoneFly Effects have most definitely accomplished that feat, with their crazy array of graphics, enclosure sizes, control knob placement and more, and today’s pedal continues in that realm. The Two Headed Werewolf is a fuzzy,...
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The Supercollider Distortion/Fuzz we reviewed from Earthbound Audio a little while back was an absolute beast in a box, so we were hoping for more of the same when we opened up and plugged in the Centurion Fuzz. Well, turns out our dreams came true, as this thing also falls into the “beast” category, but with more fuzz focus and wooly, gritty tones. The Centurion is a 2-transistor fuzz, which has been built utilizing bc108...
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We can get behind any good fuzz pedal around here, so we were pretty stoked when the cats over at Way Huge Electronics sent over their Havalina™ Germanium Fuzz for us to check out. Featuring a basic three-knob control configuration, this fuzz does what a good fuzz pedal should do: produce copious amounts of fuzz. With a hint of old-school Tone Bender fuzz sound found within it, this is a fun fuzz that will get you groovin’ with...
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Last fall, we reviewed an incredible fuzz pedal from Retro Mechanical Labs, the Electron Fuzz Custom, and it really rocked our faces. Recently, Johnathan at RML made a special, potentially one-off version of this pedal called the Mini, featuring a gorgeous wooden enclosure and a rare, vintage voltage meter. We knew we had to have it, and the result is one of the most beautiful pedals we’ve had the pleasure to lay our eyes on....
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One of my guitar heroes, Nels Cline, is a super effects junkie, like many of us, and I always liked how diverse and cool his rigs have been over the years. He’s also gotten me to try out numerous pedals, and today’s featured pedal is one that I wanted to get my hands on as soon I could after seeing his Rig Rundown. Having reviewed the Stardust from Crazy Tube Circuits, I wanted something a bit heavier and crunchier, and...
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The gang at Fairfield Circuitry are well-known for creating new and exciting pedals, so we were super-stoked when we teamed up with them and they sent us our first pedal for review, the Four Eyes Fuzz. Having reviewed their Barbershop Overdrive and Meet Maude Analog Delay pedals so far, we were excited to test out their take on a fuzz pedal, and it did not disappoint. Containing three parallel JFET fuzz circuits driven by a voltage...
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Sometimes when you review a particular pedal, you get to do a little research and discover another pedal in the process. The flavor of the day today focuses on the classic Shin-Ei Super-Fuzz FY-6 pedal, which was produced from 1968 until the late 1970s. Our featured pedal today not only made a long journey to us via India, it also has the innards and homage that make it an excellently-modified version of an awesome vintage effects...
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I had heard of Crimsontone Amps before, but until recently, was unaware that they also made pedals. Needless to say I was super-stoked when they sent a couple of pedals over to review – the amps look so incredible, I’m sure the pedals are no slouches, either. Well, my assumptions were all confirmed the minute I sat down and plugged in the Rosso Fuzz, the first of two pedals that arrived that day. The Rosso is a...
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Sometimes during this crazy pedal review hobby I have, I come across a pedal that is super-unique and unlike anything I’ve yet come across, and today’s review is for a pedal of just that nature. Retro Mechanical Labs are known for the crazy awesome fuzz and drive pedals they produce, but the Electron Fuzz Custom is an entirely different beast than most fuzzes I’ve heard to this point. Boasting numerous control knobs...
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The first version of the Silver Rose Mega-Fuzz from Devi Ever garnered much attention from fuzzheads everywhere, and has been a sought-after pedal for some time, especially due to its ties to Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins. With a couple tweaks and an updated design/layout, the new version of the Silver Rose is a mammoth of a fuzz, and is able to create basically any fuzz sound you could want, plus some you haven’t even...
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Way back when we first started Pedal of the Day, one of our first pedal donators was Happy Valley Analog out of Chattanooga, Tennessee. I loved the simplicity of the first incarnation of their Jurassic Fuzz pedal: simple controls, a great space-saver for your pedalboard, but it didn’t lack the balls that you want a good fuzz to have. Well, they took that schematic and beefed it up a bit, adding another control for more sonic...
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Devi Ever FX has been one of the leading companies in effects pedal fuzz now for years, especially since our friends Dwarfcraft Devices bought them a few years ago. I have reviewed a number of their pedals here on POTD (Big Distortion Sound Machine, God Zilla, and I love each one differently every time they appear on my doorstep. One of my favorites is the Soda Meiser (it’s one of Nels Cline’s as well), and just when I...
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When a pedal can do more than one thing, perform more than one function, and make more than one killer tone, that’s pretty much an automatic “win” in my book. It also helps when it sounds awesome, and it just so happens I have found another pedal to put on my list. The Battering Ram Overdrive + Fuzz from Wounded Paw Effects is a 2-In-1 pedal, combining overdrive and fuzz, obviously, but this pedal has a tone of...
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I’ve had a bunch of fuzz pedals come in for review recently, and they all have been sounding so good! Cheers to everyone making incredible fuzz pedals, as I think that’s a sound that is never going to get old. One of these such builders is Ryan from Big Game Pedals in Chicago, a small company with a good lineup of gear, and the awesome Nothing Is Dead Fuzz we’re going to take a look at today. This fuzz is...
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There’s an age-old debate about Silicon versus Germanium transistors in fuzz pedals: which sounds better, which produces a truer fuzz sound, and which is an overall higher quality and better product. The fine folks at Center Street Electronics may have finally put an end to the debate, and just made an awesome fuzz pedal with BOTH transistors inside – the Rasputin Fuzz. The setup for the Rasputin is fairly simple: a Fuzz...
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I dig it when I get to review a bunch of pedals from the same builder all at once, and the crew over at 6 Degrees FX is making some pedals that I am going to have a lot of fun testing out, the first of which is the Millie Fuzz. This pedal just looks cool, like some kind of race car from the mid-70’s, and it’s a big, thick piece of metal, with nice big knobs and easily accessible footswitches. Not to mention is sounds...
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Well, here’s another incredible fuzz pedal from Devi Ever. The God Zilla is a side-by-side octave fuzz pedal, which means there are 2 separate circuits feeding this beast, and you may use them as individual effects, or combine the two for a powerhouse wall of fuzzy awesomeness. Plus, it looks wicked rad. The left bypass switch controls the first gain channel, which is actually Devi Ever’s GZ (Goddess Zero) Fuzz, and...
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The Darkest Driving Overdrive pedal from Fuzzrocious Pedals is a tank, with more options than you’ll know what to do with, and a plethora of distorted soundscapes to play with until the cows come home…and then a little bit more. 3 footswitches, 3 toggles and 4 control switches might seem a bit daunting at first, but once you get the hang of this beast, it’ll blow you and everyone who encounters it right out of the...
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Wow. This fuzz is a fuzz + a fuzz…times 38. I love the Z.Vex enclosures, great for fitting easily onto any pedalboard, and built like a Mack truck. The Fuzz Factory has become a fuzz staple on many boards around the world, so I figured I should probably try it out and see what it could do. 5 knobs for a fuzz looks a little complex, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll have a blast dialing in your fuzz tones. The Gate...
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Well, this is a big, badass beast. Plain and simple. I love that Walrus Audio thought to put a Fuzz and a Tremolo in the same pedal, because they really do go together, if you think about it. Not to mention the layout and options are fantastic, and the design is impeccable. Plus, it has JOYSTICKS! I’m getting sucked back into playing Super Mario Bros. on my first Nintendo Entertainment System in the mid-’80s…without...
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Based on the ’73 Ram’s Head circuit, the Billy Goat Fuzz from PB&J Pedals is a huge beast trapped in a small enclosure. Great goat graphic, solid, sparkling and shiny enclosure and the wiring looks really nice on the inside. Simple setup and design, but this little monster can really drive your guitar’s signal – let’s check it out! Like I said, a simple layout is just what the doctor ordered: 3...
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The RAT TAIL is based on a pedal based off of the ProCo RAT – Fuzzrocious modded it to be made towards the low end of the sound spectrum for bass players to be able to use the pedal as well. Depending on the version this pedal comes with a slew of features. Mine per say has a V (volume), F (tone filter), D (distortion), and two red knobs label 1 and 2. These two red knobs in conjunction with the D knob allow you to dial in the...
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I’ve gone through a ton of Fuzz, Overdrive and Distortion pedals looking for THAT sound. Most Fuzz pedals are just too noisy, static sounding. The OD’s and Distortions only sound good to me on one setting. Not a lot of useful variations. Find a sound I like and nail it down. Not much variety. Until I saw the Velvet Fuzz by Wampler. I could tell by the videos on line that this was not going to be a one trick pedal. I think...
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The Fuzz of Doom! The Sequel 6 from Midnight 30 Music is a faithful recreation of the Lovetone Big Cheese. Lovetone produced many great pedals over the years, and one of the most sought after was the Big Cheese fuzz. From the blistering riff from The Edge on U2’s Discotheque, to the alt. country guitarists looking for that spaghetti western type of tone, this circuit delivered. What M30 has been able to do with this version, is...
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Godlyke, Inc. is pleased to announce the release of the Maxon Fuzz Elements – seven new models designed to reproduce the classic and unique sounds of the World’s most desirable vintage Fuzz pedals. Using modern software technology, Maxon has modeled and mapped the complex elements that make up the core sounds of these legendary effect units, reproducing them using advanced analog circuitry that is both accurate and stable. Each Fuzz...
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The Terminal Destructive Fuzz Device is the newest and nastiest fuzz from Akron, Ohio dirt merchants EarthQuaker Devices. And it is ever filthy. Based on a heavily modified JAX design, EQD’s entry into the world of gated, voltage-starved, blown-out, zipper-and-velcro fuzzboxes brings a level of sonic precision and reliability to a segment of the fuzzscape typically dominated by temperamental and complicated pedals in...
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Bob Feldman Shin-ei Austin, TX USA www.shin-ei.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been playing guitar since 1965. That’s fifty-three years! Damn!! I had friends from school and the neighborhood that played guitar and other instruments. They got me interested in playing. I tried trumpet for about a New York minute but fell right into the guitar and haven’t put it down since. Who have...
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Andy Greene Escape Plan Pedals http://www.escapeplanpedals.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve played music for pretty much my entire life. I got my first guitar, a miniature steel string acoustic, when I was 5. I learned simplified versions of most of the standard position major chords and a few minor chords and would try to put on concerts for my family. I really got interested in...
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The Octave effect genre adds a layer of sound to your tone that can turn heads and perk up eardrums in any musical situation. Whether it’s an up or down (or mix of both) octave, it will beef up you tone and add dimension to any song, riff or lead part you’ve got. Today, we’re visiting with our friends at Asheville Guitar Pedals once more, to check out their simple but simply rad Analog Octave Up effects unit…...
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Today’s pedal is both brand new and not…if that can make any sense. The now-resurrected and much-revered Octave Clang from Death By Audio is BACK, bringing its unique sound along with some new improvements and sonic options to the table. As usual, this DBA unit isn’t for everyone, but it should be, ’cause it is WICKED AWESOME… In the decade since it disappeared, Death By Audio revisited the original Clang...
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Today, we’re heading back into the wonderful world of Keeley Electronics, with one new-ish pedal and one brand new creation, both coming out of the Overdrive camp. The Muse Driver sees Keeley collaborating with guitarist Andy Timmons once again, while the Noble Screamer harkens back to classic, battle-tested drive tones. Each of these pedals have modern options, a wide spectrum of sounds and that superb Keeley build we all know...
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(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!) Guitar Tricks presents A Look at the Vintage Pedal Market By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer, the original platform for online guitar lessons. Vintage pedals are so popular that many modern manufacturers attempt to replicate them so there are more to go around! Not only do some pedals...
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“Dirty in a good way!” Today’s pedal, the Analog Music Company SHSL (So High So Low) Filter & Preamp, is based on the high-pass/low-pass filter inspired by an MS-20 filter and a Moogerfooger preamp. This combination of two classic circuits yields some strange and wonderful tonal creations, getting super weird at times, but in the very best of ways. The control section is extremely sensitive as well, so...
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A couple weeks back, we had the opportunity to check out our first effects pedal from Voodoo Lab, the Superfuzz. Impressive, to say the least, was this unit, and we couldn’t wait to see what joys the next one held. Today, we bring you the Giggity Analog Overdrive + Preamp, a massive, amp-pushing beast that sweetens your tone and your mind…let’s see what this one can do! Grab a Giggity from Sweetwater:...
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The Norris Fuzz was a surprisingly amazing 2-knob fuzz we saw from Alaskan-made MMK Electrics a few months back, and we’re excited to bring you another super-fun and tonally-powerful pedal from them today. The Red Cream Soda is a wide-ranging overdrive and distortion unit, with eye-catching graphics and bold, tone-shaping sound. Sometimes, three knobs is all you need to completely transform your rig, and that is most certainly...
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We’re super excited for today’s complete PEDAL LINEUP: that’s right, we’re taking a look at ALL 5 newly released ROSS Electronics effects! In collaboration with Josh Scott and JHS Pedals, these five units bring back the flagship pedals (and one brand new creation) from a company responsible for some of the best vintage effects out there. Coming full circle and releasing this new group of effects, ROSS brings...
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Our third effects unit from All-Pedal takes a wild left turn from their previous 2 pedals we have reviewed, the Macrodose Envelope Filter and Love Machine Octave Fuzz. Inspired by the sounds of the ’80s, and made in collaboration with glam metal band Steel Panther, the 1987 Delay Distortion brings classic sounds of a decade long past right into your living room, practice space or gig. This delay and distortion is a fun one,...
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Hi, I’m Josh Gardziel, I’m from Halifax West Yorkshire (UK) and I play guitar in L.O.E (Last Of Eden) Facebook: https://facebook.com/weareloemusic Instagram: https://instagram.com/weareloemusic Twitter: https://twitter.com/weareloemusic Bandcamp: https://weareloemusic.bandcamp.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I have been playing guitar for 21 years. I started when I was 14 which...
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So, there are distortion pedals, and then there are DISTORTION PEDALS. Today’s featured effect, the Beautiful Noise Effects Exploder Distortion Device, clearly falls into the latter category (whatever that is), taking what you thought you knew about dirt pedals and smashing all expectations into oblivion. Sound too harsh? Well, if that’s the case, you should probably stop reading and go play a nice, quiet melody on your...
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(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!) Effects Pedals for the Guitarist Who Has It All By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer, the original platform for online guitar lessons. If you’re a guitarist who has moved beyond beginner guitar lessons, you might have all the standard guitar effects pedals you’d need. Now you may be...
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(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!) How Can Pedals Improve Your Guitar Playing? By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer, the original platform for online guitar lessons. Many guitarists use effects and pedals for emulating the playing of other songs. Whether it is just bedroom practice, beginner guitar lessons, or on-stage...
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(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!) How To Get The Most Out Of Your Pedals By Steven Kendzorski for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer, the original platform for online guitar lessons. I have GAS, and it’s bad. GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) is a common ailment among new guitar players, triggered by tone-envy, causing them to spend every...
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