In this article, we’re going to be discussing and reviewing the best fuzz pedals of 2023.
Whether you are a tone purist that highly appreciates classic fuzz tones from the ‘60s and ‘70s, or you just love the rugged rhythm tones from the punk and grunge era, you need a fuzz pedal on your pedalboard to shape your sound. For decades, it was hard to imagine a proper guitar sound without a fuzz pedal and things haven’t changed much up to this date.
The only thing that’s changed is that the offer is much better now. The genuine fuzz tone has remained, but engineers managed to overcome the flexibility and reliability issues that characterized these pedals back in the day. As a result, the market is full of excellent stompboxes, so we’ve decided to make our selection of the best fuzz pedals and help you make the right choice.
What Is A Fuzz Pedal?
Simply said, a fuzz pedal is a pedal with a built-in fuzz effect. The fuzz effect is usually considered the most extreme type of distortion, characterized by hard clipping and waveforms that rather look like squares than waves. As a result, you get a heavily distorted signal, full of overtones and extremely rich with harmonics. The fuzz effect was established back in the ‘60s and since then, it’s been one of the essential parts of a guitar signal chain.
Today, the fuzz effect is used in various guitar styles. Vintage tone seekers see it as an integral ingredient for their solo work, while punk and grunge guitarists use it to make the most rebellious rhythm sections. The offer of fuzz pedals in today’s market is great and most product offer not just great sonic quality, but also a high level of flexibility and overall versatility.
Best Fuzz Pedals
ZVEX Effects Fuzz Factory
Available On Amazon – Check Current Price
Instantly recognizable by its colorful aluminum housing, the ZVEX Effects Fuzz Factory is one of the craziest fuzz pedals around. It doesn’t replicate any vintage unit, nor sound similar to any other pedal of this type. Instead, it offers a unique range of fuzz tones, which go way beyond classic 60’s fuzz. With this pedal, you can dial anything from radical fuzz to intermodulating oscillations, to shortwave radio, to velcro and octave-like fuzz.
The heart and soul of this pedal is its unique circuity, with 2 old-stock ’60s germanium transistors. Although very compact in size, the pedal packs five knobs in total, for full control of your sound. Besides a classic volume control, there is the Gate knob, which lets you set the right amount of noise that comes after the note. The Compress knob lets you control the attack, while the Drive control lets you engage the desired amount of distortion. Finally, the pedal features the Stability knob, another useful control for controlling the fuzz type, feedback pitch and other aspects of this effect.
The pedal features compact dimensions and will fit any pedalboard. What’s also worth mentioning is that it consumes less power than most other pedals of this type, with a current under 3 mA. The pedal feels sturdy and well-built, so there is no doubt it would serve you well for a long time.
Who Should Buy This Pedal?
The ZVEX Effects Fuzz Factory isn’t a typical fuzz pedal, so it’s rather a choice for players who look for something unconventional but still with a wide array of sounds to dial.
Boss FZ-5
Available On Amazon – Check Current Price
The Boss FZ-5 packs classic sounds into modern housing, thanks to the company’s well-known COSM technology. This technology lets you recreate some of the legendary fuzz sounds from the ‘60s and ‘70s, which were the golden era of this effect. With just a bit of knob playing, you can get well-known sounds we learned from Maestro FZ-1A, Fuzz Face, and Octavia.
The FZ-5 is a versatile pedal, with a lot of tone-tweaking options. At the same time, it remains super simple, with just three knobs on it. Of course, one of them is reserved for Level, while the smaller one in the center lets you choose between the three aforementioned fuzz types. Finally, there is the Fuzz knob on the right side, accompanied by the Boost function, so you can make your fuzz sound even more aggressive.
Basically, the FZ-5 is a 3-in-1 pedal that packs three fuzz effects into the company’s well-known housing that characterizes other Boss products as well. The pedal is super-sturdy and feels extremely durable, just like any other Boss product. The layout is familiar, so you may count on a compact and rectangular design, which would fit any pedalboard with ease. The pedal runs on a 9V power supply, which is sold separately, or you can use a single 9V battery.
Who Should Buy This Pedal?
This pedal is a perfect choice for anyone who looks for a mix of classic fuzz tones. It is a highly beneficial unit in the way that it packs three fuzz types into a single housing, so you won’t have the make plenty of room on your pedalboard to get plenty of effects. Finally, the pedal features quite an attractive price, which makes it a natural choice for anyone with a limited budget.
Wampler Velvet Fuzz V2
Available On Amazon – Check Current Price
When classic meets modern, you get a pedal like Wampler Velvet Fuzz V2, which proved itself as a quintessential fuzz pedal that lets players utilize both classic fuzz and a modern fuzz-like distortion. That’s because this analog pedal features completely independent circuits, so you can easily engage the type of fuzz you prefer.
At the same time, the overall layout remains super simple. This pedal features a compact size and features just three knobs, while the small toggle switch lets you select one of the two aforementioned fuzz types. The Tight mode engages fuzz-like distortion, while the Big mode brings a genuine Fuzz effect with plenty of compression. The pedal also features three knobs, for additional tone shaping. Of course, Volume is one of them, as well as the Fuzz knob that helps you engage the right amount of the effect. Finally, there is the Brightness knob, for additional tone-shaping flexibility.
Despite the respectable functionality, the pedal comes in a compact package and fits any pedalboard. It’s also good to know that the pedal features true bypass, which means that your tone won’t be altered in any way when the pedal is disengaged. The pedal runs either on one 9V battery or a 9V power supply, which is sold separately.
Who Should Buy This Pedal?
This pedal is designed for professionals and all other players who play various styles and, therefore, are in need of a versatile fuzz pedal that can cover everything from classic fuzz to modern fuzz-like distortion.
JHS Pedals 3 Series Fuzz
Available On Amazon – Check Current Price
The JHS Pedals 3 Series Fuzz is an affordable yet highly capable fuzz pedal that offers a wide array of fuzz tones combined with simplicity and easiness of use. You can see a typical JHS housing design, which brings a minimalistic appearance and just a couple of controls. Still, don’t be fooled by the pedal’s simple layout, there’s a lot under the surface.
The pedal features just three knobs and two of them are quite typical for a fuzz pedal – Volume and Fuzz. The third, the Bias knob, makes the difference, as it offers a pretty impressive range of tones you can dial, from classic chainsaw-sounding solos to modern grunge chords. If that’s not enough flexibility for you, don’t worry. There is also a Fat toggle switch that, when engaged, thickens up the signal even more.
Despite the affordable price, this JHS unit offers pretty impressive sound quality. It is a fully analog pedal, so a true bypass is included as well, to preserve your original tone. The minimalistic design looks very nice, while the housing seems sturdy and very durable, promising years of successful exploitation. The pedal runs on a 9V DC power supply, which isn’t included in the price.
Who Should Buy This Pedal?
The combination of versatility and affordability makes this pedal a natural choice for all those musicians who want a wide array of fuzz tones but don’t want to spend a lot of money. The price tag makes it perfect for beginners, and the sound quality makes it great for more demanding guitarists.
EarthQuaker Devices Hoof V2
Available On Amazon – Check Current Price
Inspired by the iconic Russian Muff fuzz pedal, the Hoof brings the classic fuzz tone and adapts it to modern standards in the industry. The core of its amazing combination of sound quality and flexibility is an interesting hybrid circuity that combines good old germanium and modern silicon transistors. Such a combination takes the best from the fuzz effect and adds a nice dose of smooth sustain, with plenty of overtones.
The overall design is rather simple and there are just four knobs, all typical for this type of pedal. Besides typical Fuzz and Level knobs, there are also Tone and Shift controls, which offer an extra range of tone shaping options, whether you need to boost your fuzz tone or you just want to shape your mid frequencies.
The EarthQuaker Devices Hoof V2 is a premium pedal for many reasons, starting from the fact that this is a fully analog pedal, with a dry signal path and true bypass that keeps your tone preserved. Furthermore, the pedal features soft-touch switching, for seamless operation. The pedal runs on a 9V power supply (sold separately), and it’s also great to know that this manufacturer gives a lifetime warranty.
Who Should Buy This Pedal?
If you love old-school Big Muff pedals, you will love this one even more, because it offers the classic sound enhanced with modern features that significantly improve functionality and flexibility.
Dunlop Band of Gypsys Fuzz Face Mini
Available On Amazon – Check Current Price
Many guitar players used and still use fuzz effect but no one has ever come close to Jimi Hendrix when it comes to making memorable guitar solos. Of course, Jimi’s specific skillset is the main reason but there is also something about the legendary Band of Gypsys fuzz tone, which seemed to be forever lost for a long time. However, things seem different these days, thanks to Dunlop’s new iteration that comes in a smaller and more practical package.
This pedal is the recreation of the iconic fuzz tone that Hendrix used for years. Practically, Dunlop engineers took the legendary Octavio Fuzz and cut the octave-up function. That narrowed vintage sound was tweaked to offer a more aggressive fuzz that perfectly replicates Jimi’s legendary tone. What’s also impressive is that this pedal comes in a very compact package that will fit any pedalboard pretty easily.
The pedal is not just compact but also features a very simple layout with just a couple of knobs, so dialing great tones is super-easy. The pedal features just Volume and Fuzz knobs, as well as a classic footswitch and On/Off LED indicator. Also, the pedal features a true bypass that keeps your tone preserved. Also, it’s good to know that you can run Dunlop Band of Gypsys Fuzz Face Mini either on batteries or a power supply, which is sold separately.
Who Should Buy This Pedal?
Whether you are a passionate Hendrix lover or you simply need a good-old vintage fuzz effect in compact housing, this is the right pedal for you. It sounds great, it’s simple to use and it comes with a reasonable sticker price.
JHS Bender Fuzz Pedal
Available On Amazon – Check Current Price
JHS founder Josh Scott is responsible for many amazing guitar pedals and the 1973 MK3 Tone Bender is certainly one of them. It was one of those pedals that shaped the guitar tone, as it was used by so many renowned guitarists back in the day. However, the pedal was far from perfect because, despite the great sound quality, it had many reliability issues.
The new JHS Bender Fuzz pedal keeps the original 3-germanium-transistor design but solves reliability issues, so musicians can finally enjoy the iconic sound without the hassle. The pedal offers not just familiar sound, but familiar design and controls as well. With Volume, Attack and Tone knobs, it’s pretty easy to dial the legendary tones, while the small Mode button on the side brings extra flexibility and fulfills your needs for mid-frequency bump and gain boost.
The pedal can run either on batteries or a power supply and we particularly like its vintage housing design, which is made from a custom wedge-shaped bent metal that seems sturdy and durable. The pedal features true bypass and doesn’t affect the signal chain in any way while disengaged.
Who Should Buy This Pedal?
As a re-creation of the iconic pedal from five decades ago, the JHS Bender Fuzz Pedal seems like a natural choice for tone purists and all those players who search for authentic vintage effects in a modern package, free of reliability issues.
Death by Audio Fuzz War
Available On Amazon – Check Current Price
Whether you need ultimate fuzz, fuzz-like distortion and overdrive, or just a simple boost, the Fuzz War is here to overflow you with an impressive array of tones. This pedal looks cool and sounds even better, thanks to its analog circuity that offers lots of flexibility in a combination with great sonic features.
This hand-made pedal features super-sturdy housing that looks like it can last for ages, while the knobs aren’t any less impressive either. There are three control knobs in total, all typical for a fuzz pedal. One of them is a typical Volume knob, while the Tone control serves as a multi-curve shaping filter, with a lot of EQ flexibility in a single knob. Finally, the Fuzz knob lets you engage the right amount of fuzz, so you can dial pretty much anything from a mild boost to full-throttle fuzz.
The pedal is compact and lightweight, despite the sturdy housing, while it’s also good to know that it runs either on batteries or a power supply, while the current usage is just 1 mA. Of course, there is a nice status LED indicator, as well as a true bypass, which will keep your signal chain tone intact when the pedal is disengaged.
Who Should Buy This Pedal?
Despite its being advertised as a pedal that offers an insane amount of fuzz, it is actually much more than that. This is a very functional and flexible pedal that covers a wide array of distorted sounds, which makes it appropriate for a wide range of guitarists.
Our Number One Choice
We like a modern iteration of classic fuzz pedals and the EarthQuaker Devices Hoof V2 does that in an amazing way. It brings the legendary Russian Muff tone and combines it with enhanced functionality and flexibility. All that comes in a simple layout with intuitive controls, which means that there is no learning curve in the case of this pedal. It sounds great, it’s versatile and it‘s easy to use, which makes it our first choice.
Our Premium Choice
The Wampler Velvet Fuzz V2 is an elegant-looking pedal with premium sonic and build quality. It sounds great but it is also very flexible, offering two separate analog circuits for two completely different fuzz types. The tone-shaping possibilities are great, while the simple three-knob design makes it super-easy to use. Such a combination of sonic quality and smooth operation makes this fuzz pedal a proper premium product.
Buy On AmazonBest Value For Money
Many pedals on this list come with numerous amazing features, which enhance flexibility and overall functionality. The JHS Pedals 3 Series Fuzz does the same thing but with a significantly lower price compared to most competitors. At the same time, it doesn’t sacrifice sonic qualities for the sake of affordability, which is enough reason to consider this pedal the best value for money.
That concludes this full buyers guide on the best fuzz pedals. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions regarding the products you have seen in this article. Check out our other guitar buyer guides such as the best synth pedals.
Here at Guitar Effects Pedalz we also provide full reviews of the best online guitar services so you can learn guitar online with our Guitar Tricks Review.
Last update on 2023-10-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API