9 of the Best Mid-Size Fuzz Face+ Pedals

Controls - FUZZ } Level, Fuzz (Gain), Fuzz Footswitch; OCTAVE } Octave Down > Off > Octave Up (also Rotary Horn / Tweeter Level); MODULATION } Level, Mode: Rotary / Vibe / Wah, Depth (Wah : Standard > Auto Wah > Harmonic Wah), Rate, Footswitch, Fuzz / Modulation Order switch on top edge.

Robert Keeley's Hendrix tribute pedal includes all of Jimi's favourite flavours in one pedal - here in standard Silicon format - which Transistors I'm guessing are the same as the Silicons in the limited Hybrid variant - where the Silicon side is quoted as being 2N3565. The hybrid variant notes NOS Germanium transistors - but does not specify which ones. This is a pretty great mix of Effects in one box - and sounds suitably impressive with it. Perhaps there are other superior individual flavours of elements that can be found elsewhere, but I think this is the only pedal still that has you pretty much entirely covered for Hendrix in the one Box! A really smart execution for sure - where I still need to decide which variant of the pedal I should be hunting down - there are several custom editions of this pedal - including that highly elusive Ge/Si Hybrid edition. I've still to make up my mind as to which is the edition of this pedal that appeals the most to me - when I do - I will then of course need to find a reasonably priced one of those!

Controls - RangeMaster Si/Ge Toggle Switch (top edge), Bass ’B’ Mode Alternative Cap Toggle Switch (top edge), Volume, Input A, Bias A, Input B, Bias B, Fuzz / Gain, RangeMaster Input (left edge), Boost Level, Q1 : Ge/Si switch, Q2 : Ge/Si switch, Bass Level, RM Boost Footswitch, RangeMaster Range switch : Mid / Hi / Lo, Mode A/B Footswitch, Pickup Simulator : On/Off, Fuzz Footswitch.

Both Solarist pedals were / are pretty revelatory for me in several ways - the sheer variety of tones you can extract from the Fuzz Face + Range Master combination, and the genius of the switchable A/B Input Gain and Bias options, The fact that you can get 2 quite so different fuzz face voicings out of the same pedal at any one time. And it really sounds incredible every which way - pretty much in all combinations - a really fantastic achievement in engineering - just look at how neatly and densely packed those boards are!

Controls - Volume, Input A, Bias A, Input B, Bias B, Fuzz / Gain, RangeMaster Boost Level, RangeMaster Boost switch : On/Off, Q1 : Ge/Si switch, Pickup Simulator : On/Off, Bass Level, Mode A/B Footswitch, Fuzz Footswitch.

I felt compelled to hold onto the more streamlined Solarist Green edition too - which is the more recently updated of the two circuits, and has some interesting nips and tucks compared to the V2 variety - where it delivers quite a distinct timbre and tonality which is not exactly matched by the V2. That said - the V2 delivers far for more variety - across more vectors - but there is something quite compelling too for the Green version in how you can have the Boost default switched on for immediate activation / de-activation of both channels simultaneously. I tested both the pedals together for a very extended period - and some days I preferred the V2, while on other days the Solarist Green was delivering something a little extra special. It can actually be quite a tricky decision as to if you could only buy one! - while each of those definitely has its own advantages and strengths - it's not just as simple as being a lower-cost stripped back variety versus the more versatile and granular / expanded variant - there are a lot of nuances in-between and in some ways I struggled then to pick an overall favourite - in that I felt I did not want to be without either of those - I've used them both about equally since they landed!

Controls - Max Gain / Dip-Switch Bypass, Max Treble / Dip-Switch Bypass, Volume, Fuzz, Wrath (Degree / Speed of Oscillation), Sputter (Transistor Bias Control).

I really liked the MKIII version of the Fuzz God too - in its mini format enclosure, but found it somewhat fiddly to operate with the main tone / character / timbre controls coming via all those internal dip-switches - I would have preferred something closer to the Wren and Cuff DeLa Riva - with all those dip-switches externalised. While the MKIV mostly lets you control all the main stuff from the front facia - where you can deploy extreme biasing, oscillation and upper octave with ease. This Silicon variety really delivers a wide range of tones with a very significant degree of variation. I really love being able to switch in those different effects so easily. In some ways kind of like a slightly stripped down Monterey!

Controls - Volume / Output, Fuzz / Transistor Gain, Cleanup (same as guitar volume cleanup), Bias : 0.00 to 9.00, Mode : Classic / Raw.

This is kind of the simplest of the 9 Fuzz Face+'s featured here - with just a single footswitch, 4 knobs and single toggle-switch. While it's really quite potent and incredibly simple to deploy. Everything here works so intuitively and so exactly - the Bias Voltage display is genius, and it's a wonder we had not seen it before in this context. You get to know exactly how you're impacting the circuit's output - and can further tune it with the Cleanup knob. And if you want something Rawer and spittier - you can engage the Raw mode - which beefs up the gain somewhat too! A really classy pedal for sure with lots of variation - in a really smart form factor.

Controls - 2 x Fuzz, Bias, Volume, Input Gain, Color, Fuzz A Footswitch (BC183), Fuzz B Footswitch (BC109).

I now own 4 of SGFX's 'If 6 Was 9' Fuzz Face variants - which this combination pedal is based on. It combines the older BC183 and BC109 If 6 Was 9 editions - while I also own the limited Germanium edition of I6W9 - and the very recent massively updated BC183 If 6 Was 9 edition. I'm guessing we'll next see a BC109 or Germanium updated version of the If 6 Was 9 - and then we might see a massively updated Spanish Castle later on too! As is, this Spanish Castle combines the early BC183 and BC109 - which properly cover the key flavour variants of Fuzz Face. I always felt I owned enough of the If 6 Was 9 variants already - and could pair those individually together really well - without the need really to have both of those in a single box. It makes more sense if you don't have the 2 original compacts - great sounding fuzzes both - while somewhat overshadowed by the Solarist types here in this combination format, as well as the newer If 6 Was 9 BC183. At the start of this article I though I might still like to add this Spanish Castle variant also - but feel from an SGFX standpoint that I'm actually solidly covered already - and besides - I've never seen this pedal at an appealing enough price to make sense for me. Great though if you don't own any of the other SGFX variants.

Controls - Boost (Level), Range, Smooth (Impedance), Fuzz, Volume, Bias, Boost Footswitch, Fuzz Footswitch.

My very first one to land here - several years ago - and a magnificent combination of Fuzz Face and Range Master - with all the right controls. Somewhat outmuscled more recently by the Solarist variants - but still a great buy if you can get your hands on a well-priced pristine second-hand edition. The V1 limited edition AC128 powered Germanium Veteran is in some ways even more fantastic - if you can get your hands on one. Not many were made, and I don't think I've every seen one on Reverb.com - certainly not recently.

Thorpy is most definitely a master of fuzz - with his quite superb Boneyard Multi-Bender, Fallout Cloud Triangle Muff, and recent Tacit Blue Germanium Fuzz Face and Have Blue Germanium Rangemaster - which essentially split out the two sides of the original Germanium Veteran - with slightly different NOS Germanium Transistors though! For me I feel I have full classic fuzz coverage via those 4 Thorpy fuzzes I have in my reference collection. The Veteran has been discontinued for a while now - but is still a great buy if you can track one down!

Controls - Tone, Volume, Gate, Comp, Drive, Stab (Stability / Starve), Fat (9-position low-end rotary dial), Tone Bypass Footswitch, Bypass Footswitch.

This varian is relatively new - a very slightly lower cost version of the Fuzz Factory 7 (i.e. not hand-painted) - but still not available really outside of the USA. It costs a little too much for me to want to pay additional import and custom duties on that sum. So however much I would like one - it's never really going to be a reality until someone stocks or sells one in the UK. I'm still gunning for a Fuzz Factory 7 Vexter at some stage in the not too distant future. While I will undoubtedly get in Winnipeg Electrical Co's 7-knob Homework Series Fuzz variant long before that - in a considerably more cost-effective and more compact pedalboard-friendly edition of a 7-knob Fuzz Face. I definitely want to honour Zvex for being a pioneer in the Fuzz Face evolution - courtesy of its Fuzz Factory, Fat Fuzz Factory, and Fuzz Factory 7 pedal variants! While pricing here currently still remains as something of an impediment!