Ananashead Effects' Main Fuzz: A clever built-to-order pedal inspired by the Fuzz Face

20 Dec 2019 by Jef |

5,0 / 5,0 | Approximate reading time: 2 Minutes

Ananashead Effects Main Fuzz pedal · Source: Ananashead Effects

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Barcelona-based Ananashead Effects has released a new pedal called the Main Fuzz, a dirt box with plenty of options – and all of them pretty filthy. It’s based on the classic Fuzz Face circuit, but with more tonal options than any vintage fuzz pedal could ever hope to muster.

A fuzz built to order

Each pedal is hand-built in Spain and you can order this fuzz in various iterations, depending on what you require. It’s available built-to-order in three distinct formats: germanium, silicon or hybrid Si-Ge.

Ananashead Effects Main Fuzz · Source: Ananashead Effects

Mode Switch

The control layout of Fuzz, Volume, Tone, Bias and Pre-gain is similar in layout to many modern boutique fuzz stompboxes.

However, this pedal also has a mode switch that allows the user to alter the voicing of the pedal from its classic Fuzz Face core tone. That combines with a low-pass tone knob that allows you to access a wide palette of tones, ranging from the Solasound Tonebender Mk 1.5 to more modern heavier fuzz tones.

The Bias control affects how much current goes to the transistors and can either push them hard or starve them of juice. This can give you plenty of scope for fuzz sculpting when combined with the Tone control. The Pre-gain is used to clean up the wet signal and makes the pedal more useable with wah pedals that often don’t play nicely with fuzz pedals.

Ananashead Effects Main Fuzz pedal gut shot · Source: Ananashead Effects

Boutique Fuzz

The Main Fuzz comes with true-bypass switching and has shielded inputs and outputs to prevent any annoying RF interference.

It also includes Alpha pots and switches, metal film resistors and caps. The pedal has a polarity-protected 9V DC input. All these little extra touches help put this into a different class to cheaper mass-produced fuzz pedals. This one should be a safe bet for high-volume playing and gigging.

RRP – EUR 110