Fuzz Wars: Beetronics, Land Devices, Adventure Audio, Way Huge

Pedals and Effects is back with a long awaited entry to our fuzz war series! We got Beetronics from LA, Land Devices from the Bay Area, Adventure Audio from Rochester NY, and Jeorge Tripp’s Way Huge (also from LA). You know the drill, we run some riffs through the pedals, compare, contrast, and see what stands out. All’s fair in love and fuzz!

First, we got a bone to pick. Look, I’m not the inventor of A/B-ing or “Shooting out” effects pedals, but I see some YouTubers out there biting our “Fuzz Wars” name. I started Pedals and Effects six years ago, and it would benefit everyone if people came up with their own creative names. Heck, I’d be into what people came up with too. Enough YouTube drama, let’s get to the good stuff.

Photo credit: Adventure Audio

What’s in a name? Adventure Audio’s Dream Reaper fuzz is that and more, an adventurous and crazy take on fuzz. Individually handmade by a tight crew in Rochester, NY the Dream Reaper fuzz is just as much a crazy modulated feedback maker as it is a grimey fuzz pedal. It has a gate, so if you want your fuzz to only be heard when you’re playing it won’t make a peep in between notes (really quiet!). But you turn it up and it becomes this monster to wrangle in, it’s gnarly, it drones, turn your instrument into a synth and filter away!

Jeorge Tripps is at it again with the Conquistador fuzz! The Conquistador is a gated fuzz with a classic three knob setup: volume, tone, and fuzz. You might know what you’re getting control wise, but sound wise it is super gnarly, and dirty, let it rip!

If you’re familiar with Steve Albini’s musical career you’ve no doubt have heard his favored fuzz, the “Harmonic Percolator.” He uses it a bunch with Shellac, and Big Black. Land Devices (reppin’ the Bay Area) made a solid version of that fuzz with the HP-2. It’s no nonsense, two knobs, one switch and it gets you right to the good stuff. The switch on the HP-2 is diode clipping, for varying degrees of output.

The hive at Beetronics never ceases to amaze us and their Royal Jelly overdrive/fuzz combo is bound to get you buzzing. For when you need that extra push over the hill, the Royal Jelly takes it to 11. The “buzz switch” adds some high end to the fuzz side and you can blend both the overdrive and the fuzz. The Royal Jelly is a fantastic combo pedal, and their aesthetic is so on point with the beehive imagery and dope honeycomb circuit boards. These guys are taking it to the next level.

We always love seeing what people come up with. We’re all united together in fuzz, and yet each person and company brings something new, and unique to the table. It’s always dope to see what can be done, and we can’t wait to see what happens next. Those small boutique companies could be the next BOSS or Earthquaker Devices. Support your local businesses!

-Juan