Puzzle Effects – a quirky new concept for boutique effects
The missing link for effects pedals?
4,8 / 5,0 | 
Puzzle Effects are unique puzzle-shaped stompboxes that can fit together and be powered via a single power input. They’re the brain-child of French boutique pedal builder Florian Leca and are currently in the prototype stage. It certainly is an interesting concept, and not just a quirky design.
Puzzle Effects
I reached out to Florian Leca in Toulouse, France to ask about Puzzle Effects and find out the idea behind the series, along with plans for the future of the concept. Apparently the pedals have been a year and a half in the making, starting life as a DIY project during free time. So far, three working prototypes have been developed, fuzz, distortion, and tremolo.
You can see pictures of the Gold Digger, Silly Fuzz, and Cloudy Tremolo prototypes throughout this article.
Puzzle Effects protoypes · Source: Puzzle Effects
Jigsaw Pieces
Each pedal interlinks with another just like a jigsaw puzzle. And because each unit has contacts on its sides that allow the guitar signal and power to run through, there’s no need for any cables in-between the pedals. This also means you can put the pedals in any order you desire to create your tones.
Puzzle Effects Gold Digger, Silly Fuzz and Cloudy Tremolo prototypes · Source: Puzzle Effects
Prototypes
The enclosures are 3D printed and the effects schematics being used are all clones of popular effects, just to see if the concept works and then further develop the designs. The working prototypes appear to be performing well, and with no signal loss. And have started to gain popularity on social media.
Puzzle Effects protoypes using contacts and interlocking shapes · Source: Puzzle Effects
Puzzle Effects custom PCBs · Source: Puzzle Effects
Boutique Designs
I love the aesthetic and idea of these new pedals, and really hope the project moves beyond prototyping and into production soon. Florian is aiming to keep these boutique effects somewhere under the €120 mark each, so that potential buyers can own more than one and make their own effects chains. Each pedal will be hand built in France, possibly with aluminium enclosures, with more effects joining the range over time.
We’ll keep you informed of any further developments with Puzzle Effects. If you’d like to contact Florian directly, simply follow the link below. As ever, if you are working on any cool new guitar gear or prototypes, do share it with me here at Gearnews.
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One response to “Puzzle Effects – a quirky new concept for boutique effects”
Appearance set aside… this is not a clever idea…at all:
If you want to swap pedals you got to unplug/re-plug the cables, just like with regular stompboxes.
Simple magnets would’ve done the trick way better than the puzzle shape (while being more discrete and easier to manipulate).
Also, as for all of these concepts, you are stuck with one brand… otherwise it’s just a weird stompbox with an annoying shape for the board.
(lastly… 3D printed plastic… won’t step on it too hard if I were you… Annnnd 1 power cable for all pedals: say hello to noises).
This tries to fix something that isn’t broken while introducing more problems on the way.