Old Blood Noise Endeavors Launch Expanded Version Alpha Haunt Fuzz

Just yesterday, and with an excellent accompanying Andy Martin launch demo, Old Blood Noise Endeavours introduced the new sort of ’Deluxe’ version of their already super-versatile Haunt Gated Silicon Transistor Fuzz Pedal. It is somewhat opportune, that the original Haunt is one of only two fuzzes remaining on my current ’Year of Fuzz’ pedal acquisition list. And this new feature-richer version has somewhat thrown a spanner into those considerations.

I’m not usually in favour of larger pedal enclosures unless they have 2 or more footswitches and are more of a multi-functional workstation type pedal. In this instance the Alpha Haunt inhabits a significantly larger enclosure - but comes with only the one footswitch - which to me is always something of an oversight / under-utilisation - they could surely have made one of the modes footswitchable or introduced some sort of treble boost into this for live playback versatility.

Regardless of those deliberations, it really is a sort of Fuzz Workstation Pedal I reckon - being blessed with 12 controls, versus the original’s 7. In fact the control topology is significantly different to the original.

The original Haunt has:
(reverb.com/item/11693803)

1. Volume
2. Fuzz
3. Gate
4. Mix - Dry Mix
5. Tone
6. Mode Toggle (sort of mid boost)
7. Low Toggle (sort of bass boost)

While the Alpha Haunt has:
(reverb.com/uk/item/13053935)

1. Fuzz Range - 2-way fuzz frequency range toggle - upper/lower
2. Master Volume - Overall Volume
3. Fuzz Volume - Fuzz Effect Volume
4. Enhance - Sort of Dry Mix
5. Fuzz - Fuzz Saturation / Fuzz Gain control
6. Gate - Gate / Compression control
7. Bias - Transistor Bias
8. LPF - Low Pass Filter
9. Low - Low Frequency Active EQ
10. Mid - Mid Frequency Active EQ
11. High - High Frequency Active EQ
12. LPF Toggle - Off | LPF1 | LPF2

So what you’re getting with the Alpha Haunt is one of the most tweakable fuzzes yet produced. It’s certainly the kind of thing I like, but I so wish it was in a slightly more compact enclosure - yet I can understand why it needs the current real-estate - just to comfortably accommodate all those controls.

I’ve been deliberating on this acquisition especially hard over the last 24 hours, deciding if I should get this over the more compact original version, whether I like this colourway etc... and the verdict is finally in! I have decided to get both - I’ll grab this more capable one now (ordered off Reverb.com), and then pick up the compact version a little later in the year from a local retailer most likely!