Fuzz Face Style Fuzz Pedals

Hendrix is most synonymous with the Fuzz Face, and his original weapon of choice was the Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face pedal. Used in some of his most famous recordings, including the renowned performance of the "Star-Spangled Banner" at Woodstock, it's fair to say that this unit was an absolute game-changer.

The Fuzz Face is known for its grainy, spitty sound; akin to an amp that is pushed near its breaking point. While original and time-honoured Fuzz Face pedals feature germanium transistors, most modern iterations boast silicon transistors that are more stable and consistent-sounding. Although the latter are tonally similar, they are considered to emit a more aggressive sound with more treble.

Currently, the Fuzz Face name belongs to Jim Dunlop, and they create multiple different versions of this pedal to appeal to different players. With full-sized, old-school models available, Dunlop also produce mini versions that take up far less pedalboard real-estate.

Japanese premium pedal brand Vemuram also build their own fuzz boxes, loosely based around the traditional Fuzz Face circuit. Hand-wired and projecting gorgeous fuzzy tones, these pedals are for the players that are particularly serious about their sound.

However, at the other end of the spectrum, the likes of TC Electronic and Mooer create their own Fuzz Face-style pedals that are not only affordable, but also super-compact!