In tribute to recording legend Steve Albini's passing - here are 23 representatives of the Fuzz Format he helped popularise - the InterFax Harmonic Percolator HP-1

Controls - Drive (Secondary Gain), Output, Balance, Harmonics.

These used to pop up every now and again on Reverb.com, but I've not seen any for a long while now. A fairly typical extended range percolator - with 4 knobs. These have evidently been discontinued for a while now - and there are currently none about! Not my favourite form factor really - I prefer compacts and skinny-side up 1590BB units (Portrait vs Landscape!). Still sounds pretty decent though - if you can opportunistically get your hands on one!

Controls - Gain, Volume.

Dan's done a great job on this simple compact take percolator. Just the 2 basic controls here - logically labelled. Beautifully calibrated take with controls that gain-up quite quickly - most od the gain saturation happens in the first half of the sweep - after that it's mostly the degree of compression that rises. My sweet spot is around 10 o'c / 10:30 on the Gain dial! I of course have one of these - as mentioned in the intro.

Controls - Volume, Fuzz, Gain : Low / Hi, Diode : Ge / Si, Octave : Down / Up.

This custom boutique brand is new to me - they make several different distinct variants of the Bean Machine - in  lots of different graphic patterns and colourways - all really cool - but which vary wildly price based on the complexity of finish. The 3 follow-on switches are really cool here - which deliver gain range, Ge/Si clipping options and Up or Down Octaves - all in a really neat compact topology - I really like these - and wouldn't mind adding one to the collection, while it's not necessarily top tier on my acquisitions list - definitely worth consideration though!

Controls - Diodes (Bias), Density (Saturation), Output, Input.

A perennial Catalinbread favourite which has been on the catalogue for exactly 10 years now - since 2014. It comes in both Germanium and Silicon flavours, which have the usual transistor variant difference in output - Silicon tends to be more searing and strident, while Germanium is warmer and grittier! A really decent representative of the genre - that is generally well liked, while currently somewhat under the radar! Again definitely worthy of consideration.

Controls - Level, Voice :  Tight Crunch / Crunch with more Bass / Pseudo Octave Fuzz, Gain.

Another well-loved compact which is current in V3 iteration I believe. The cool differential for this one is the 3-way Voice toggle-switch - which largely controls the degree of low-end content, but also impacts the character and timbre of the fuzz output. This has come in a wider variety of different colourways over the years - there are some really cool variants out there if you're willing to hunt them down!

Controls - Tone, Gain, Volume.

This was generally well-received at its time of launch a few years back, while it obviously didn't sell particularly well (possibly art-work related). In any case it's no longer in the Dirty Haggard catalogue from what I can see. Still worth picking up if you find one at an appealing price point - all-in-all sounds pretty decent - possibly a little over-sized for the number of controls, but sounds cool regardless.

Controls - Compression, Diodes : Ge/Si, Symmetry (Diode Clipping) : Symmetrical > Stock Percolator > Asymmetrical, Output, Q2 Transistors : Ge/Si, Harmonics (Gain).

Great sounding, great looking properly extended-range percolator. I have and really rate this - as do many of my friends, this pedal does pretty well for Drunk Beaver - but is still somewhat under the radar. It's one of a number of my favourite Drunk Beaver types - which reminds me that I should do a rundown of my favourite Drunk Beaver pedals - so many greats on that roster. Drunk Beaver's Vitalii is really smart with his component selection - always picking up some amazing military spec components from Eastern Europe - vintage Polish, Soviet, and Ukrainian parts in particular - as well as some rare Japanese parts to on occasion.

Controls - Level, Diode : Off/On, Gain. - Level, Diode : Off/On, Gain.

Last time around I featured the 1590BB format of this pedal - with is how it was most typically manufactured. While right at the end seemingly a batch of compact editions was released - likely not more than 10 or 20 of those. Most of the ones you will find out in the wild are the original 1590BB variants - which occasionally turn up on Reverb.com. Fairly basic / standard take on the HP-1 - with the addition of a Diodes Lift - where you can switch those clipping diodes in or out. Obviously the rare compact variety is preferable here - but I've seen very few of those actually out and about in the wild. This brand has seemingly gone to ground to in the interim.

Controls - Level, Hi-Cut, Brutality, Harmonics, Blend, Germanium Diodes : Q2C / Off / Alt, Pre Amp : Bright / Norm / Boost, Hog Wild Footswitch, On/Off Footswitch.

This was one of the original percolator targets, and one which is still very high on my list. Every time I check they seem to be out of stock. I've been sort of stalking these on and off for a while - hoping to snap one up opportunistically. It will definitely happen some day, and is a touch of a mystery as to why it hasn't happened quite yet. At the time I was heavily considering this vs the EAE Dude Incredible - and was able to snag that Dude on pretty favourable terms at the time, so that variety won out then - but I always intended to come back around for the PigPile - it's just a question of when really. So much to like here - a really great extended take on this format - one of the very best for sure!

Controls - IVP Tube Voice Side } : Level, Hi/Lo Gain Switch, Gain, Bass, Treble; Percolator Side } : Diode Switch (More Compression), Harmonics (Gain), Balance (Level). Separate Footswitch to engage each Channel.

So I explained in the above PigPile text - that at the time I was heavily considering this alongside the PigPile - there were things I really liked about each - and I was able to snag the Dude Incredible at a discount - and that is often what helps determine priority selection. In fact there is a newer version of the circuit out - marginally improved - where I had already decided that I had to get a PigPile first - before I double down on the Dude - I still want one of the newer one - but it's just going to have to wait its turn. Everything John Snyder turns his hand to always turns out great - I own 3 of his pedals, including the original version of Dude Incredible - that's another area of the collection that still needs some work too - definitely need to add a few more John Snyder specials to the reference collection - that will happen too eventually - I have so many different priorities to juggle!

Controls - Balance, Harmonics, Capacitor 2 / Tone, Resistor 6 / Clipping Symmetry, Tonal Variations }  Resistor 1, Resistor 2, Resistor 3, Resistor 4, Resistor 1R, Capacitor 3, Capacitor 7, Diodes.

This was alas another ship in the night - which somehow managed to bypass me while actively out, now discontinued. This is an incredible experimental take on the percolator - which has the two main H/B controls, but then allows to dial in or out fully variably - certain key Capacitors, Resistors, and Diodes within the circuit- which each impact the Gain, Character, Timbre, and Tone of the pedal to varying degrees. This kind of thing is not for everyone - as you have to be a safecracker across so many dials when trying to dial in a particular sweet spot. Really a unique take on circuit bending - which tends to be usually done in a more binary or ternary fashion vs fully variable - so toggle-switches rather than potentiometers typically. For some this pedal will be a total nightmare to control as is often the case with pedals like this - there are not complete notes / instructions for every control - rather a licence to 'go explore' - which won't suit everyone! Would be cool to pick one of these up - if I ever come across one!

Controls - Harmonics, Balance, Clipping : Si / Ge, Ring Mod : On/Off.

This is another that's definitely on my acquisitions target list - I've been meaning to do a proper collaboration with my good friend Tim for many years now - it just hasn't happened quite yet. All his larger extended-range wedges are brilliant - and I of course need / want all of those. He has another compact Harmonic Percolator also on the roster - a slightly more streamlined edition - while this larger Utility Perkolator - is definitely the version I want. Featuring extra clipping options, and a selectable ring mod circuit. This has long been one of the perennial favourites from that roster, and is well worth consideration - this will surely happen some time in the not too distant future. I'm due to do an online site-visit with Tim - he's just extraordinarily busy these days. Tim and Paul Flattley are total road warriors in how many guitar evens they turn up to - not just in the UK - but on the European mainland too. You don't have to go to far to bump into Tim eventually. There's been a massive collaboration in the works for a while - certain things just needed to fall into place first - which has mostly happened now!

Controls - B (Balance), H (Harmonics)

As I mentioned in the intro - some weirdos still lust after the original over-sized format - which I consider way too impractical to include in this selection. If you really want the simple 2 x Sliders action of the original - then go for this Ghoib Electronik Clang Invasion instead - the topology is the same, but it's half the size of the original - at a standard vertical 1590BB enclosure size. It looks just like the original but is 100% more pedalboard-friendly!

Controls - Harm, Level, Clip : Germanium Diodes On/Off.

This variety is a little odd - since it's been in circulation for a while, and there's always one on Reverb.com when I look it up - but there are still seemingly very few demos for it still - only the one I could find - as above! This uses the Germanium 2N404 Transistor found in the original. Generally has pretty decent credentials - while there's really not much about it on the internet - for some peculiar reason - possibly just a low-key boutique build. On these sort of things - it's much to do with the pricing and availability of the device - and if the price is right then it's probably worth the gamble - if not there are equivalent and cheaper options about in any case. The fact that these seem to be regularly available surely has something to say about its quality - as it's been around for a while - and was one of the original 12 I featured back in 2019! And it sounds pretty decent in the demo.

Controls - Roast (Gain), Steam (Clean Blend), Volume, Clip : On/Off (Ge + Si Diodes).

American based in Germany - operating under the pseudonym Joe Doc - he has some really cool and unique takes on fuzzes in particular. And his percolator has exceptional credentials - using the exact same hybrid transistor pairing as the original - 2N404 + 2N3565. It has an interesting Clean Blend control, alongside the more typical clipping diodes options - albeit with Germanium and Silicon Diodes paired! This one is really well priced - and is kind of on the target list - there are other JDM Pedals that I still have my sights on which are probably slightly higher priority. If I ever make a concerted effort on percolator types - then this would surely be one of the acquisition targets - perhaps not in my immediate top tier of options, but pretty darn close!

Controls - In, Gain, Out.

I have a couple of great sounding Joe Gore pedals in the collection - so this one was definitely up for consideration at one stage. A relatively simple topology. At the time I had other targets that I preferred more, and I feel that's still kind of the case now. If I can get one opportunistically, then it may be worth a gamble - I know it's going to sound great, it's really just a matter of if I have other preferred varieties which are further up the priority list which tends to happen a lot! Definitely worth of consideration.

Controls - H (Harmonics), B (Balance), HP-2 Clipping : 70's / Absolute Destruction.

This is another which has been incredibly well-received over the years - and for which every batch sells out super quick typically. The magic here really is its dual Clipping selection. It's certainly a great sounding variant, but not my favourite form factor in orientation. I generally love the look of this pedal - including the rocker-switch. I would just much prefer it in vertical or even compact format enclosure. Most thought really rate and love this! We each have our own peculiar preferences for sure!

Controls - Harmonics, Deep : On/Off, Sputter, Clipping : Ge / Si, Balance.

I feel this one is probably the most universally acclaimed of all of these. Everyone seems to really love this variant, and indeed it's one of my key percolator acquisition targets. I would of course have preferred this in am ore compact enclosure - while I also really like top-mounted vertical BB size enclosure like this. There are legions of fans for the Hurts - which claim that it's the closest output profile you can get to the InterFax original. It's to the most extended range, but it is pretty distinct looking and totally sounds killer - it's a similar success story (on a lower scale) to the 1981 DRV - in that this is largely a one-pedal company - where the flagship pedal is 99% of the business. One of these has been on the cards for a while - it will surely happen fairly soon now - especially if I decide to throw some more focus on creating a Percolator Capsule Collection.

Controls - Level, Tone, Harmonics.

Another new brand to me, and one in this roundup which reminds me a little of the Cat Box Customs Bean Machine above - where both those pedals come in a wide variety of different colourways. This one has an additional Tone control - which is handy for sure, while on balance I might prefer the 3 extra toggle-switches of the Bean Machine - tough choice really! And this one has the price advantage!

Controls - Harmonics, Balance.

I have the Nine of Sword Tyrant Meathead type - which sounds amazing. And this is kind of that Land Devices format without the cool clipping section rocker switch. Nine of Sword pedals typically sound really great in a full-on sort of way - so you always get great sounding outputs. But I'm not particularly enamoured by this format / layout. This one has a huge pricing advantage, while there are probably others here that I prefer even at twice the price! Fantastic for those on a budget obviously.

Controls -  Balance, Harmonics, Input Depth (Tone).

Really elegant aesthetic on this one - simple graphic and beautiful shiny silver knobs. A classy 3-control take on the percolator - which additional tone-shaping via the Input Depth control. I see this flitting in and out of the Spruce Effects range, not sure if that's a fairly regular custom run, or whether this pedal has been finally removed from the roster and is discontinued possibly. A well-priced example well worth considering - looks really cool for sure - while there may be other more capable varieties out there - it really depends on what your expectations are. I typically lean into extended range, but compact format - which means that I have other priorities - while I certainly would not mind owning one of these!

Controls - Harmonics, Balance, Clipping : Ge / None / Si.

Vaderin seems to have 2 variants of percolator - the slightly louder enclosure SAF variety, and the more minimalist HP-X variety in numerous different colourways. You have the choice of fully in-you-face colours and graphics, or the more elegant patter of the HP-X. Possibly there are some differences in components, while for me the difference seems primarily aesthetic - do correct me if I'm wrong on that. This is another with the basic twin controls, but then with added clipping options. One of number here who are operating on a similar level. I guess it depends on what look and layout you have a preference for. For me there are other more interesting varieties here at around the same price point. Neither of the graphic variants deployed here appeal to me particularly, while there seem to be several of you that quite like the minimalist aesthetic of the HP-X variants.

Controls - Gain, Tone, Starve, Input (More Gain + Low End), Blast Level (Max Gain Level), 8-way Clipping, Level, Engage Fuzz Footswitch, Blast Footswitch (Max Gain).

And here is the 4th an final of my current percolator roster. The least changed pedal in Zander's recent compact range revamp - this has all he original controls intact, with just the tiniest circuit tweaks. For me the V2 is pretty much indistinguishable compared to the original - some of the other revamps included different controls, tone-stacks in particular, alongside some significant component and internal circuit routing updates. This is truly an outstanding full-flavour compact take on this format - and one with incredible range onboard. I do typically tend to prefer more maximalist varieties with added controls - and that's definitely what you have here - for supreme output shaping. I love the way in how the graphics and knob colours align too. One of my favourites here for sure.