9 of the Best Wren and Cuff Pedals

Controls - Volume, Tone, Distortion, Creamy Switch (custom shop), Mid-Flat Switch (custom shop), Clean Blend Knob (custom shop).

All of W&C's Muff types are superb - and this is another great take - this time on the Civil War Muff - so beloved by David Gilmour. One of the 3 Sovtek iterations of the Muff - and actually the exact same circuit as the Red Army Overdrive - where there was pretty much an equal mix of the first batch that were labelled Red Army Overdrive as were labelled Big Muff Π in that split colour design.

Again my preference is for Fully Modded Custom Shop edition - with the 2 extra switches and Clean Blend control.

In terms of configuration I've selected standard / default silver enclosure - but with White LED! Probably my next acquisition target after the White Elk!

Controls - Volume, Tone, Distortion, Tone Bypass Switch, Left Germanium/Silicon selector, Right Germanium / Silicon selector, 5 x Tone Stack Dip-Switches, 15 x Circuit Signal Routing Dip-Switches.

This was my very first W&C pedal from around 3 years ago - I snapped it up on first sight and should really put it in for another rotation or two as it's an amazing pedal - a circuit bender's delight really - where the Big Muff circuit is split up into several switchable element which you can enable or bypass as you wish - and with a choice of either Germanium or Silicon Transistors across 2 gain stages.

With everything stripped back in Germanium mode - you can get perfect original Fuzz Face tones - and with all gain stages active in Silicon a full-on Big Muff Distortion. Where depending on how you set the myriad dip-switches - every shade in-between. 

It's an ingenious pedal-design, but a little fiddly and not really for novices - also it desperately needs presets - as re-configuring those dip-switches time and again can be fiddly and frustrating.

I've often recommended that instead of the fully granular dip-switch approach - you could have a 12-position rotary selector - which would give you most of the key variants - that way you could have a large amount of the same versatility in just a more easy-to-use form factor.

As is - its a great Studio device that you can easily spend a whole day exploring. I did make copious notes at the time and highlighted the combinations that I liked best - but I've long since lost track of where those got to!

When I bought this early days - it was knowns as the De La Riva - so not sure what prompted the change to 'Forest for the Trees'. A pedal that every Fuzz-tweaker should own - really gives you a great understanding f the inner-workings of fuzz circuits too. Highly recommended!

Controls - Volume, Tone, Gain, Volume 2, Full Frequency / Treble Booster Mode Switch, Boost Level, Fuzz Footswitch, Volume 1-2 Footswitch, Treble Boost Footswitch.

J Mascis' overall 3rd Signature Pedal I believe which combines Ram's Head Muff with 2 Volume Controls and a Germanium Treble Booster. W&A exactingly recreated the Muff circuit from J Mascis' personal Ram's Head pedal - so this is the core to the J Mascis sound in one BB-size enclosure.

This was launched around the same time as the very different, but similar form-factor KHDK Unicorn Blood II Sludgy Octave Fuzz. I really liked the look of both - but could not decide between them - which confusion caused me to get neither - while funnily on seeing them again now - I still want both!

The Garbage Face is the epitome of an extended range Muff - and in this form factor - with 3 footswitches it's pretty unique! I'm sure I will still try to get both - while I think both may be sold out by now - so pristine second-hand market for me - at the right price of course!

Controls - Volume, Tone, Distortion, Creamy Switch (custom shop), Mid-Flat Switch (custom shop), Clean Blend Knob (custom shop).

This time around an exacting take on the Green Russian Sovtek Muff - again with my preferred full Custom Shop Mods.

I would go for standard Army Green enclosure - but with Yellow LED as pictured - could be persuaded to go White too! Each of these W&C Muffs is someone's favourite type of Muff - all sound superb really!

Controls - Volume, Voice (Clipping) : 2 x Red LED's / 2 x Mosfet Transistors + Germanium Diode, Gain, Lows, Mids, Highs.

One that I've had my eye on since it came out - it went straight in on the wishlist at the time - but has somewhat failed to reach the top of that list to-date. Hugely impressive 3-Band EQ Booster / Overdrive which internal Voltage Pump which takes things all the way up to 25V for a supremely live-wire of a Boost and Overdrive - able abetted by it's super versatile tone-stack.

W&C describes it as rather Fender-y in Up LED's mode, and somewhat Marshall-y in Down Mosfets + GE Diode mode.

For me just a superbly versatile textural overdrive - it's difficult to explain why this hasn't entered the collection yet - but it surely will some day!

Controls - Volume, Tone, Distortion, Creamy Switch (custom shop), Mid-Flat Switch (custom shop), Clean Blend Knob (custom shop).

The last of the Big Muff Custom Shop types - modelled after the Japanese Elk Super Fuzz Sustainar - which in turn is a take on the original Triangle Big Muff - but with a very unique EQ Stack that is capable of really bright top-end - while preserving the bottom-end at the same time.

Obviously the same sort of thing as the recent EQD Hizumitas which I already have and love. This is actually my very next W&C target - in Custom Shop Full Mods edition as all the other Muffs featured here are. For me this can only be in a White enclosure with White LED - exactly as pictured!

I will certainly try to get in a couple more W&C's this year - I'm always scanning for opportunities and discounts - while I feel I will have to pay out in full for my desired Custom Shop version here. Lots of my readers have and recommend this. And as I already love the Hizumitas - surely this is just a slightly different - expanded take on that (with the mods!).

Controls - Volume, Low-Cut, Fuzz, Bias Switch (custom shop), Anti-Buffer Switch (custom shop).

So onto the Fuzz Faces - where the default / standard issue of original Type I Germanium Fuzz Face is in Baby Blue. We Fuzz Face fans though know the originals were either Grey or Red - so for me the colour I have always associated with Germanium Fuzz Face is a Red Enclosure - as pictured here - with of course a Red LED for perfect symmetry.

There are only 2 external Mods available for Fuzz Face types - both selected here - the external Bias Knob, and Anti-Buffer / Impedance switch for easier pedal-board placement. I would also select the Tropical Fish Caps Mod - just because I seem to be partial to those - while I don't believe I need / want the Bass Face and Hybrid Mod options.

I like all my Germanium Fuzz Faces to have external Bias controls - as they are an additional Tone and Texture control for me really and a proper part of the total Fuzz Face experience!

Controls - Volume, Low-Cut, Fuzz, Bias Switch (custom shop), Anti-Buffer Switch (custom shop).

Exactly the same configuration as the Germanium Type I edition - this would seem to be the warmer / smoother Type III Silicon - or BC183 / 2N3904 types of Germanium-sounding Silicon Transistor.

Somewhat confusingly the default model colours are the inverse of what I would have them as - as I mentioned earlier - Red for me is always reminiscent of the early Arbiter enclosures, and Blue for me is Silicon. I guess the use of Red is supposed to evoke the warmer nature of the Type III Silicon Transistors as Blue is more typical BC108 or BC109.

In any case I've gone with Red for Germanium, and Blue for Silicon - the darker Blue variety that is, as I find the Baby Blue a touch insipid in this context. Of course with matching Blue LED!

So another perfect Fuzz Face pairing - while part of me would quite like this to be the more aggressive Type II variety - but all good really!