Fuzz pedal

A pedal that distorts a signal far more crudely than an overdrive, squaring off the waveform and adding heavy harmonics and sustain.

The original designs used a pair of transistors to push the signal into hard clipping, and their character depends on how the circuit is biased and how it negotiates the low-impedance output of a guitar. Many respond differently to a buffer in front of them, going from a smooth, violin-like sustain to a sputtering, gated sound, which is why fuzz pedals are usually placed first in the chain. Controls are typically just fuzz amount and level.

Example: a fuzz at full settings into a slightly dirty amp turns a single held note into a long, blooming sustain with a thick, gritty edge.

Fuzz pedal

See also