Fuzz pedals are very simple circuits but, perhaps for this very same reason, it's incredibly difficult to find THE one. The legend goes that guitarists can play hundreds of different fuzz and never settle on one, and indeed, this seems to be true for me regarding this pedal. Please, don't get me wrong, this pedal does sound amazing! The EQ makes it very flexible and the sound is deep and grungy enough, but it's just that I find it too polite for a fuzz. Compared to others, it's surely easier to dial a sound that cuts through the mix, clearly a plus for this pedal, however it lacks an important characteristic of Fuzz pedals in my opinion, the grittiness on the initial attack on the string. This means it has a more defined and less muddies tone for chords, but makes it less effective as a solo pedal. In fact, this "politeness" sounds to me closed to that of a vintage ProCo Rat than an actual fuzz, which seems to me a common characteristic of other Thorpy pedals I own. I will be returning mine, with some reluctance because it's a great pedal, but as it is, it's redundant in my setup and I really wanted a fuzz. If you don't own other fuzz, muff or rat-style pedals, I am confident you will like this, but if you are after this pedal to get that outstanding Fuzz sound (perhaps that of a Violet Head), I don't think this is it, unfortunately.
