David Greeves pretty much Reinvents the Classic Fuzz with his effortless and innovative Great Eastern FX Focus Fuzz

First the sad news - that only 250 of this cool Hybrid Focus Fuzz will be made, and most of them are already heading out the door - so you need to react very quickly if you intend to get your hands on one of these - while there are a handful still in stock at International dealers - but going incredibly fast.

The limited numbers are down to parts scarcity and how many of those transistors David could get his hands on. In fact 3 metal can transistors are utilised here, 2 x BC107B Silicon and 1 x Soviet MP238A Germanium. Where the first Hybrid pair is arranged in Darlington fashion - for a more expansive gain range, and the final transistor is used as a sort of RangeMaster / Treble Booster adjacent circuit which hones and sharpens the pedal’s EQ Focus  / Frequency output.

The 3 Unique Controls :

• FUZZ - simultaneously adjusting both gain and bias voltage, the FUZZ control allows you to dial in the desired amount of compression, sustain and breakup (Bias / Gain 3).
• LEVEL - Sets overall output level. Even with FUZZ and FOCUS controls at minimum, there is plenty of volume available to push your amp (Master Volume / Gain 1).
• FOCUS - A unique proprietary control that delivers a tuned gain boost to the front of the circuit, changing both the frequency pushed and the amount of gain as you turn clockwise. The end result is a uniquely powerful and effective control, ranging from fat, fuzzy sustain at one extreme to cutting and incisive bite at the other (EQ / Gain 2).

How this pedal renders is pretty incredible - as even with FUZZ and FOCUS fully dialled back - you still get a gorgeous sort of Mid-gain fuzz - just with the LEVEL Control. I tend to start with this dial fully maxed out - and both of the other dials essentially ’off’ / fully CCW.

The second dial I then tackle is the smart FOCUS control which sounds fat and vintage style when fully dialled back, and then kind of reduces the low-end as you dial it up, and simultaneously pushes the Gain and sharpness / brightness of the pedal - going more towards a modern output as you dial it CW. I actually seem to like it best at around 10 o’c - while another fantastic aspect of this fuzz is that all positions of this and the FUZZ dial render fantastic usable and musical tones.

Finally I start to add in the ’FUZZ’ 3rd gain layer - where that knob adjusts Bias and Gain simultaneously - impacting Compression, Sustain and Breakup. My favourite setting for this knob is also at circa 10 o’c - so my first 3 default ’preset’ settings are :

• Level at Max, Focus and Fuzz fully CCW
• Level at Max, Focus @ 10 o’c, Fuzz fully CCW
• Level at Max, Focus & Fuzz @ 10 o’c

Unity for Level alone is around 2 -3 o’c for me. So that dial mostly operates between 3 o’c and Max for me. While the other 2 dials enjoy full range of movement  - even though I do prefer them set in their respective left hemispheres.

The end result of all of this is the most effortlessly easy to deploy fuzz - somewhat reminiscent in that regard to the Fjord Fuzz Berserk II - while that is an all-Silicon 2 x Transistor affair - and the Focus Fuzz is a Hybrid Transistor type with added Treble Booster style circuit - both are totally effortless to deploy and render a range of superior tones - while each is entirely distinct and original too!

The other pedal that comes to mind is Formula B’s Fuzz Rangers - which similarly houses both 2-Transistor Fuzz and RangeMaster in the same compact enclosure - while again that is an entirely Silicon circuit, and doesn’t have those added Multi-Function Parameter Controls that the Focus Fuzz does - while it’s still a pretty decent fuzz in its own right.

The Focus Fuzz is a really gorgeous sounding classic style fuzz with phenomenal granularity and extended range. The way it works via layering up those in effect 3 sort of Gain Stages is totally unique. For most fuzzes when you turn the ’Fuzz’ knob fully CCW you get nothing - let alone a gorgeous sounding Mid-Gain Fuzz voicing.

Many players struggle with Fuzz and for those that do - this is the perfect onboarding and gateway experience for that genre. I think it’s a must-have for all fuzz fans really - genuinely a different animal, and I’m delighted to own one myself!

These are priced at £249 - which seems eminently reasonable in the circumstances. David has temporarily suspended new orders so he can catch up on his backlog - where you may need to check Dealer Availability, or else hit the Great Eastern FX Notify Me Function - to be alerted when orders are open again.

This is such a fantastic fuzz that it’s a real shame that only 250 players will be able to get their hands on one - these are golden for sure! Note also that it’s unfussy about where it sits in the chain - making it about the friendliest fuzz you will ever get your hands on!