Before you read on, go ahead and listen to “Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones. That prominent, wooly, textured sounding guitar harmony line is the first fuzz pedal recording to go on to become a hit song. It’s gnarly, owing to the positively rudimentary circuit in the Maestro Fuzz-Tone he used to create it.
Even before that, the particular sound of the fuzz pedal charmed guitarists and continues to do so today, just as with the venerable overdrive pedal. For thick, saturated tones through to searing jet sounds, read on to learn about the best fuzz pedals on sale today.
Why you would choose this one: You’re seeking classic fuzz tones with the ability to back off a bit for chiming leads.
Way back in 1966, Arbiter Electronics Ltd. (later called Dallas Arbiter, the most famously known branding) released the original Fuzz Face. It used relatively unstable germanium transistors, which changed character as the temperature around them changed. Nevertheless, the pedal formulation still provided the most reliable form of the fuzz effect to date, and became one of the primary tools for Jimi Hendrix.
When people say fuzz, this is probably the first thing that comes to mind. The original run ended in about 1977, and was later reissued in 1986 through 1990.
In 1993, Dunlop took over and reissued the original Fuzz Face. The company calls it a “meticulously faithful reproduction,” though to be clear, they’ve reproduced the later silicon units, not the true original germanium ones. (A germanium Fuzz Face Mini is available, however.)
That means that the fuzzy character is retained, but it’s not quite as muddy as the very first units. Controls are boiled down to the simple Volume and Fuzz. Oh, also: power must be delivered by a 9 volt battery.
Used Fuzz Faces from just about every era are a constant presence on Reverb, which could either save you some money or cost you a lot more depending on which one you opt for.
Why you would choose this one: You need both sludgy lows and biting highs with plenty of brutality in between.
As if to illustrate the flexibility of the simple fuzz circuit, the Fuzz War is quite a different beast when compared with the Fuzz Face. This modern, destructive fuzz is meant as a full-bore wall of distortion that far exceeds the relatively humble capability of its predecessor. This is among the most savage of fuzzes, capable of thick sustain with surprising range.
Controls again include Fuzz and Volume, but the Fuzz War adds a Tone for shaping the harmonic content. Turning the Tone knob results in a distinct shaping thanks to the multi-curve filter housed within. This is the template for modern, brutal fuzz.
If you want even more choices about how you die (by audio), you could consider their Apocalypse, which offers five different types of fuzz and distortion.
Why you would choose this one: The punishing lows of other fuzz pedals have made it so you can’t cut through the mix. This pedal will solve that issue and deliver more tones on top of that.
As with the next item on our list, the Team Awesome Fuzz Machine combines silicon and germanium resistors for the optimal blend of tone and reliability. The TAFM is perhaps more in the spirit of the Fuzz War above than, say, a Fuzz Face, being a thoroughly modern, brutal fuzz that is equal parts low-end power and singing sustain.
With many fuzz units, the square wave chaos can translate to lost pick attack. In this pedal, the circuit is designed to preserve that attack with enhanced high end presence to go along with the punishing low-end.
There are more controls here, too, to suit your specific needs. The first is Input Gain, which changes the amount of gain pre-fuzz. When the Clean Boost switch is down, the Input Gain is roughly equivalent to saturation. When the Clean Boost switch is up, it combines that saturation with overdrive on the clean signal. It also inverts the phase of the fuzz, so that you can effect phase cancellation for octave-type sounds.
Fuzz controls the amount of fuzz, while Fuzz Volume the level. Shape alters the EQ, and there’s a Clean Volume knob to blend your original signal, which can boost significantly above unity. Finally, there’s a Mids Toggle switch, in which the down position scoops the mids and the up position boosts them according to the position of the Shape knob.
Why you would choose this one: It’s the best fuzz ever. Just sayin’. (It also works well with any pickup type anywhere in your chain.)
Tonal madman Jamie Stillman has spent years trying to create the perfect fuzz, evidenced by just how many EQD sells. This year, he unleashed upon the world his vision for what that might look like and it looks like this.
There is but one control on this pedal: Bias. The knob has a center detent at Stillman’s idea of the perfect setting, which is jet-like and full with the volume just above unity. As you back it off, the output is decreased and you get some of those splattery fuzzy tones. Increasing the Bias cleans up the pedal and tightens everything as it also gets louder. This is very reactive with your guitar’s volume and tone controls for all the variation you’ll need.
Other fuzz options from Stillman and his band of shadowy cohorts include:
Why you would choose this one: You like your fuzz a little darker with some variance on either side.
Similar to the TAFM, the Swollen Pickle gives you an abundance of controls. It contrasts, however, in that preservation of the pick attack isn’t paramount here. Instead, this is a muddy, wooly fuzz box that goes from bass-y and gated to brash jet sounds.
The various controls include a Loudness for level, Sustain for gain, and Filter to control the tone shape. Two external trim pots further modify the tone, with Scoop cutting the midrange frequencies and Crunch acting as compression.
Two internal trim pots include a Clip which varies the overall fuzz character from smooth to open and Voicing, which changes the extremity of the Scoop knob.
Why you would choose this one: You’re looking for something a little different than most fuzz circuits available today.
Similar to the Fuzz Face, the Karma Suture gets its roots from a pedal created long ago. Devised in the 70s by Wisconsin-based electronics repairman Ed Giese, the InterFax HP-1 Harmonic Percolator fuzz combined components in an unusual way, resulting supposedly in a signal that produces only even-numbered harmonics, which we hear as being pleasant and satisfying. This again requires the combination of silicone and germanium, but this is an especially particular configuration, which Catalinbread have seen fit to resurrect to excellent effect.
Unlike the original version, which only had sliders for Balance (volume) and Harmonics (fuzz), this pedal is controlled by four knobs. The typical fuzz control is split into the Density knob, which roughly translates to the tone, and the Diodes knob, which controls the amount of clipping.
Input changes the amount of your guitar signal being fed to the fuzz circuit, while the Output knob controls the volume. There’s a lot of range in this pedal, from high-headroom overdrive to ultra-thick overload.
Why you would choose this one: Extreme flexibility and experimental tones are needed.
If you want to get really crazy, try on this ultra-flexible Zvex fuzz. The knobs let you control Volume, Gate, Compress, Drive, and Stability. Just about every fuzz sound imaginable exists in this tiny box somewhere. Again using germanium resistors to achieve that classic, heavily fuzzed sound, this pedal can deliver anything from tight, light fuzz to crushing distortion.
This is the vertical version, following on from the original horizontal layout. I used one of these for awhile and found it extremely inspiring. Every time you turn a knob, it seems like a whole new version of the pedal reveals itself. This is especially good for people who use multiple guitars and amps as there’s a setting that will work with almost any combination.
It can get really wild, too. The lower the Stability, the more out-of-control your feedback, which will deliver soaring, experimental sounds that other pedals struggle to duplicate. This is the screen-printed series, which saves you about $100 off the hand-painted versions.
Why you would choose this one: You’ve tried everything else and are ready to approach the void.
With the Haunt, you get five knobs, for Volume, Fuzz, Gate, Mix, and Tone. In addition, you get two switches: Mode lets you choose between two combinations of silicon transistors, while Bass adds a boost to your low frequencies.
Because of the inclusion of different transistors, this pedal gives you a far greater range of distorted tones than a lot of the big names offer. The raw and messy end of this pedal borders on the psychotic, which is fitting, given the graphic design. If you’re stuck in a rut with the normal stuff, give this one a try.
Why you would choose this one: Multiple clipping diode and EQ possibilities allow you to tailor to your setup.
This is one of the more flexible fuzzes on the market without veering into super crazy territory. While most fuzzes try to pin down one sound – usually a particular vintage one – this is about using the control set to dial it in for your guitar and amp setup.
Controls include Level, Tone, and Fuzz, the last of which is the gain knob. There are also three other controls: the Mode switch chooses between three different diode arrangements to give you three distinct voices. The Bass knob cuts the low end, which can help tame the flubbiness with some pickups. Internally, there’s also a gate trim pot to give you sputtery fuzz if you want it.
Walrus make a few other fuzz options, as well. First, their Janus trem fuzz, which we put on our best tremolo pedals list. They also make the Kangra Filter Fuzz if you want to get really weird.
Why you would choose this one: Fuzz with novel clipping options paired with amp-in-a-box tonality.
This offering from Wampler pairs two fuzz circuits with a Plexi-style amp-in-a-box circuit for a unique take on the genre. Rather than just being a pure fuzz pedal, you get more of a tailored, particular sound that still has some tweakability.
Controls include Volume, Fuzz, and Brightness, which is meant to tame any shrill highs or help you stand out in a mix, depending on your needs. The Big/Tight switch selects between the two clipping options. On the Big setting, it’s a full-fat fuzz that responds to your guitar’s volume knob. In the Tight position, it’s more compressed and closer to a distortion.
Why you would choose this one: You want the sound that helped ignite an obsession without paying for a vintage unit.
This fuzz is based on that most recognizable of fuzz tones, the sound of the Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz Tone played by Keith Richards. It’s a searing, even grating-sounding thing, but like a treble booster, will help you cut through a mix and add interesting texture. While you can occasionally find the vintage unit on Reverb, it usually costs $400 or more – and that’s with issues.
Of course, this modern recreation is a true bypass pedal with modern power requirements. The Volume and Attack controls match the vintage version and make operation simple.
Obviously, EHX make one of the most ubiquitous fuzzes of all time, the Big Muff. It’s…not quite a fuzz, though, so we thought it deserved its own post, where we collected the best Big Muff clones.
Why you would choose this one: It’s a totally different kind of vintage fuzz.
Like many other fuzz pedals currently in production, this offering seeks to recreate a vintage unit, bringing it up to date with better reliability – both in terms of performance and availability. This one is a recreation of the Lovetone Big Cheese, a briefly-made pedal from a briefly-in-business company that a lot of players you like love. Vintage units sell for upwards of $1,000 used, so a very usable version for under $200 is a steal.
This is a perfect remake, so the controls mirror that of the original and include Volume, Tone, and Gain, as well as a three-way mode switch. In the Off position, the tone stack is removed, disabling the Tone control and running it wide open. Position 1 is a Big Muff type of thing; Position 2 is a mid-boosted sound; and Position 3 is a gated, splattery fuzz.
JHS also make the Mini Foot Fuzz, which is more of an original design with a few nifty features.
