DOD Carcosa

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114

Guitarist May 2017

DOD

he Carcosa is DOD’s take on silicon transistor-

based fuzz pedals from the 70s and has its origins

in the circuitry of the Maestro FZ-1S, although

its control options go much further than your standard

two- or three-knob vintage fuzzbox. When you first

dabble with the Carcosa, you need to choose an initial

sound with a two-way toggle switch. Instead of just

plain old Fuzz 1 or Fuzz 2, DOD’s designer Tom Cram

gets all literary on us calling the two modes Demhe and

Hali, names taken from Robert W Chambers’s The King

In Yellow book, as with the pedal’s name and graphics.

The curious naming of pots continues with Before

and After: Before is the fuzz amount, while After is a

bias control that changes the texture of the fuzz… And

therein lies the key to unlocking the pedal’s potential –

juxtaposition of those two knobs yields up a wide range

of fuzzy stylings. There’s also a Hi-Cut knob to get the

top-end in context and a standard Output level knob.

Sounds

The first thing to note is that the Carcosa has tons of

output and can be used as a clean or crunchy boost

before you start getting into the realms of fuzz. The

pedal has a natural voicing strong in presence to cut

through a band mix, with plenty more available in

that area by turning the Hi-Cut knob clockwise. Hali

is the leaner-sounding of the two modes with a tightly

controlled low-end, while Demhe comes across as

fuller-sounding in the bass and mids. The choice gives

you options to suit the type of amp you’re using or

whether you’re running it dirty or clean.

Turning up the Before knob and keeping After at zero

delivers an increasing amount of conventional smooth

fuzz/distortion: articulate, touch-sensitive and it cleans

up well with guitar volume. That would make the

Carcosa a good buy even if there were no After knob,

but turning up After is where the fun starts. It gradually

changes the nature of the fuzz: you hear an increased

top-end, then get into a more snarky, aggressive edge

and a clicky attack, getting less sensitive to dynamics,

and eventually morphing into sputtery/gated dying-

battery type sounds while remaining eminently

playable. The trick to finding suitable tones is via

juggling the knobs, but there’s a wealth of great sounds

from classic rock boost to ripping power-duo riffing.

Verdict

This is a versatile fuzz with sounds ranging from

smooth to very nasty at a very competitive price.

Tech Spec

ORIGIN: China

TYPE: Fuzz pedal

FEATURES: True bypass

CONTROLS: Before,

After, Output, Hi-Cut,

Demhe/Hali switch,

bypass footswitch

CONNECTIONS:

Standard input,

standard output

POWER: 9V battery or

9V DC adaptor (not

supplied) 100mA

DIMENSIONS: 70 (w) x

117 (d) x 53mm (h)

Sound Technology

01462 480000

www.digitech.com

DOD CarCOsa £89

DOD takes inspiration from the 1970s electronics – and literature –

and comes up with an interestingly named fuzz that’s bang up to date

Words Trevor Curwen Photography Joseph Branston

PROS Versatile range of sounds; good control over the top-end;

boutique quality without the price tag

CONS None really, although those who like a simple two-knob

setup may be perplexed by the knobs when dialling in a sound

Video demo http://bit.ly/guitaristextra

GIT419.peds_dod.indd 114 20/03/2017 14:58