Dunlop Band Of Gypsys FFM6

ManualsBrandsDunlop ManualsDistortion PedalsEffect Pedal

DUNLOP JIMI HENDRIX BAND

OF GYPSYS FFM6

£104

DOD ENVELOPE

FILTER 440

£89

Experience the tonal majesty of Jimi’s mysterious fuzz

Push the envelope with this Radiohead-approved ﬁ lter

FUZZ

fans will know

Dunlop already

has a Hendrix Mini Fuzz Face, but

for this incarnation, its team of

pedal profs aimed to pinpoint the

tone from the white-knobbed red

Fuzz Face that fuelled Hendrix’s

playing at Woodstock, Berkeley

and the Band Of Gypsys shows at

the Fillmore East.

Circuit-wise, the FFM6 is very

different from Hendrix’s

previously preferred BC108 silicon

transistor Faces, with a more

aggressive tone based on an octave

up-less Octavio. Although it still

possesses its predecessor’s chunky

mid kick, the FFM6’s highs are

more piercing with a bridge

pickup. More saturated, ﬂ utey

tones are on hand from a neck

FOR

most players,

envelope ﬁ lters – and

their groovy brethren, auto-wahs

– will be forever associated with

funk, thanks to their quacky snap,

controlled using picking dynamics.

However, for players of all genres,

the 440 is one of the most eagerly

anticipated reissues in the DOD

line, thanks largely to its use by

Jonny Greenwood on live versions

of Radiohead classics such as

Paranoid Android.

For those not familiar with

envelope ﬁ lters, let’s explain

those controls: level adjusts the

sensitivity of the envelope; the

higher the sensitivity, the lower

the signal required to activate

the ﬁ lter. Range controls the

frequencies affected by the ﬁ lter’s

pickup, not to mention some

ripping octavia ﬂ avour in note

decay and unison bends, too.

Although there’s enough gain

to ape more modern fuzz textures,

à la Jack White or even Smashing

Pumpkins at a push, the FFM6

doesn't offer a lot of clarity with the

fuzz knob up; it’s better to use the

volume to boost your amp for tasty

drive-meets-fuzz lead tones. Since

the pedal’s input is low impedance,

rolling your guitar’s volume knob

back to eight cleans it right up, too,

no matter how high the gain.

If you’re just after a vintage fuzz,

the regular Hendrix Fuzz Face is

still our fave all-rounder, but for

hardcore Jimi fanatics, this is the

real deal: just add Strat.

Michael Brown

movement; the further clockwise

you go, the higher the frequencies

swept. New for this reissue is a

voice switch – in the up position, it

delivers the classic 440 treble pop,

but switching it down emphasises

bass frequencies for keyboard-

like tones.

It’s hard to resist digging in for

funky stabs, and the 440 has a rich,

pronounced sweep. Think outside

the box, though, and you’ll ﬁ nd

plenty of other creative uses, such

as utilising the level control to dial

in ﬁ ltered chord decays and

dynamic ﬁ ngerpicking. There are

no subtle wah textures; the 440 is

all about in-your-face ﬁ lter

goodness, with a host of intuitive,

faithfully recreated tones.

Michael Brown

FEATURES

SOUND QUALITY

VALUE FOR MONEY

BUILD QUALITY

USABILITY

OVERALL RATING

SUMMARY

FEATURES

SOUND QUALITY

VALUE FOR MONEY

BUILD QUALITY

USABILITY

OVERALL RATING

SUMMARY

Photography: Joe Branston

92 WINTER 2014

DUNLOP/DOD

REVIEW

TYPE: Envelope filter pedal

CONTROLS: Level, range, up/down switch

SOCKETS: Input, output, power

BYPASS: True bypass

POWER: 9V battery, 9V power supply

CONTACT: Sound Technology

01462 480000 www.digitech.com

TYPE: Fuzz pedal

CONTROLS: Volume, fuzz

SOCKETS: Input, output, power

BYPASS: True bypass

POWER: 9V battery, 9V power supply

CONTACT: Westside Distribution

0844 326 2000 www.jimdunlop.com

TGR261.gear_halves.indd 92 11/7/14 10:20 AM