fuzzface

Small Supro-inspired simplicity leads to growling, raunchy, bad-attitude drive tones and lead sounds with venom.

Dynamically responsive. Sounds a lot like a little amp made enormous when used with bigger amplifiers. Great build quality.

Some players wonā€™t dig the midrange focus here.

$215

Skreddy Skunk
skreddypedals.com

4.5
5
5
4

Most of the pedals I play that are built by Skreddyā€™s Marc Ahlfs feel like the product of a lot of deep listening and diligent research. They always seem to go a layer deeperā€”more detail, more authentic, and just more moving when you plug in and play loud. That certainly goes for the new Skunk Drive Model 1606, a simple, straight-ahead stomp designed to add vintage small-Supro sounds and dynamics to a playerā€™s crayon box. Skunk nails a sort of sound, feel, and responsiveness that strongly evokes Supros and other low-wattage classics. And it can transform the sound of a high-headroom amp while retaining a very organic sense of touch.

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MXR aims for the Goldilocks zoneā€”striving for a just-right blend between silicon and germanium transistors.

Impressive blends of the most appealing characteristics of germanium and silicon transistors. Guitar volume responsiveness remains largely intact.

Players seeking more extremes might look elsewhere.

$169

MXR Hybrid Fuzz
jimdunlop.com

4
4.5
4.5
4

Fans of vintage fuzz pedals will probably debate the merits of germanium versus silicon transistors and circuits until the last zinc-carbon battery on the planet finally fades and dies. So, rather than pick one or the other, MXRā€™s new Hybrid Fuzz uses both types of transistors with the intent to blend the best of both worlds.

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If filthy fuzz is your game, this cheeky stomp may well be your future Hall of Famer.

Cool variety of extreme/deviant fuzz tones. Nice dynamic capability at low gain settings. Fair price.

High gain settings can sacrifice articulation and introduce susceptibility to radio-frequency interference.

$139

Acorn Amplifiers F#%k Face
acornamps.com

4.5
4
4
4.5

What's with the cheeky name and graphics on Acorn Amplifiers' F#%k Face? Long story short: In 1989, the Fleer baseball-card company "accidentally" printed a short-lived card featuring Bill Ripken (Hall of Famer Cal Jr.'s less-known brother), hoisting a bat with "Fuck Face" scrawled on its butt. Besides being funny, the tie-in is that F#%k Face is inspired by the famous round 2-knob fuzz favored by Hendrix, Gilmour, and Eric Johnsonā€”only it ups its progenitor's gain ante with three stages of filth courtesy of three 2N3904 silicon transistors.

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