Jamie Muir's SuperCool Pedals imprint delivers really smartly engineered creations - including this super versatile Deluxe '77 Fuzz Blender OpAmp / IC Muff

Many know of my obsession with the Blakemore Devices Deus Ex Machina - which still remains elusive to my grasp. I came very close to snagging one last year - but I was seemingly just a split second too late in hitting the buy button - and I missed out once more. Those pedals only spring up once every couple of years (not many were made!).  I reached out to Blake Hickey - who was originally keen to make just one more for me - but he them got cold feet and is now seemingly ghosting me - so I need to wait for one of the already existing once to be make available once more - and at the right price!

When I first caught sight of this ’77 Fuzz Blender - with its Clean Blend, Mid Hump option and Asymmetrical clipping - I felt this one would surely sound every bit as good as a Deus Ex Machina - although they’re still very separate and distinct devices - with slightly different core functions and different control topologies and clipping options even. But some at least superficial similarities too!

I felt for sure that I would be able to create the most satisfactory and richly detailed harmonic textures - which is exactly what this SuperCool ’77 Fuzz Blender delivers in spades. It has the most exquisitely complex harmonic texture - from a relatively mild distortion. Especially in Mid-Hump and Asymmetrical playback modes.

Controls - ’Cigarette’ push button : UP Symmetrical / DOWN Asymmetrical, Flavour toggle : UP for Hump / DOWN for Scoop (Stock Muff), Tar (Sustain), Smoke (EQ / Filter : < More Bass | More Treble >), Level, Blend (Clean > Wet Blend).

I have several more expansive OpAmp Muffs - mostly which have a higher gain range, but none really that deliver quite such beautiful harmonic textures. The nature of that richness and super long sustain is very unique. It’s not quite the Tone Bender -esque sounds that the Deus Ex Machina delivers - but rather something more open-pored / less dense - but still so richly harmonically textured.

For my preferred setting - this ’77 Fuzz Blender sounds so exotic - it doesn’t really sound like a Muff any more - but something rather more evolved!

For the record I own around 110 diverse Big Muffs of every core type, including around a dozen OpAmp / IC types - and this ’77 Fuzz Blender is pretty unique up against all of those! Obviously more like a Muff in its Scooped / Symmetrical state, and something far more exotic in Humped / Asymmetrical state!

For my preferences - I have the white ’Cigarette’ button pushed IN / Down for ’Asymmetrical’ clipping mode, and the ’Flavour’ switch in the Up / Hump position, and then Tar (Sustain) at 3 o’c, Smoke (EQ) all the way wound back, Level @ Max, and Blend @ 2 o’c. The resulting output is wholly glorious on the bridge pickup. For me it has that lively bloom and ebb and flow of the very best fuzzes - here with the most exquisite harmonic artefacts.

There will be those that will prefer it as a more stock sounding scooped Muff - while the appeal for me is all in that evolved and enriched harmonic texture you get with the Mid Hump and Asymmetrical clipping - really glorious sounding.

The volume is about right on the device - you can fairly easily reach unity level, while I would prefer for it to have a little more in reserve - otherwise this is a perfect devices for me. I love all the Camel Cigarette brand echoes - while I advocate against smoking - the theming here is really ingenious - including the main Artwork obviously, Cigarette top button, and Blue Filter Tab - really beautifully executed all-round!

Note that there is also a Jr 3-knob version of this pedal - which removes all the more interesting options for me - the Clean Blend, Mid Hump, and Asymmetrical clipping - which is fine for those that want a more traditional sounding Muff - but for me - those are all the things that make the ’77 Fuzz Blender so really special.

The ’77 Fuzz Blender is $199 from the Super Cool Webstore, and Reverb.com Store, while being £195 courtesy of UK Affiliate Modesto on Reverb. 

There are a number of other Supercool pedals that catch the eye - including the Barstow Bat, Zig-Zag Analog Chorus, Thneed Klone, and 800 Preamp (presumably a JCM!),

I’m delighted to have the ’77 Fuzz Blender in my reference collection - it scratches that Deus Ex Machina itch a touch - meaning I can cool off the search for that for a while now!