BOSS FZ5

November 2009 Guitarist 121
FUZZ Pedals £59-£275
EffEcts
The Bottom Line
We like: Authentic vintage
fuzz sound
We dislike: Expensive; no
power adaptor socket; no LED
The Bottom Line
We like: Build; tonal range;
easy battery access
We dislike: Size and shape
might be an issue for some
GUitarist ratinG
GUitarist ratinG
A
s our feature (see p62)
explains, Hurst designed
one of the very first British
fuzzboxes, the Tonebender,
back in 1965. This is an accurate
reproduction of the original
metal cased Mk I, endorsed and
signed by Gary, and hand-built
by JMI in a limited run of 50.
Sounds
With three Germanium
transistors doing the business,
this is a real mid-sixties vintage
fuzz that hits the tonal spot just
right fat, rich and detailed,
with bags of sweet sustain
making you want to turn the
knobs up and play.
Verdict
It’s got that sound, and it’s a
collectors item invest in one if
you can afford it!
R
oger Mayer was Hendrix’s
effects guru and his Axis
Fuzz was developed in 1967 to
give Jimi an additional series
of tonal colours. The Voodoo
Axe’s starting point is the Axis,
but it features tonal tweaks to
suit modern music styles.
Sounds
This is a classic tactile fuzz
with loads of sustain and good
note articulation. There’s
plenty of gain for boosting an
amp and a useful tonal range,
with a Fatness control that
tightens up the bottom end,
sounding great on lower string
riffage and dropped tunings.
Verdict
A very classily engineered
pedal with a very usable range
of sounds.
Gary Hurst
Tonebender
Roger Mayer
Voodoo Axe
CONTACT: JMI PHONE: 0113 243 8165 WEB: www.jmiamplification.com CONTACT: Roger Mayer PHONE: 0208 330 4700 WEB: www.roger-mayer.co.uk
A re-issue of the first great British fuzz The Hendrix fuzz tone, but tweaked
Spec
PriCe: £275
OriGin: UK
Fe atUres: One OC75 and two Texas
Instruments 2G381 Germanium
transistors
COntrOls: Level, attack
COnneCtiOns: Input, output
POWer: 9V battery
diMensiOns: 207 (l) x 105 (w)
x 77mm (h)
ranGe OPtiOns: Mk II Tonebender
(£195), Supafuzz (£195)
Spec
PriCe: £200
OriGin: UK
Fe atUres: Silicon transistors, Hard
Wire and Dual Buffered outputs, LED
COntrOls: Drive, fatness, output
COnneCtiOns: Input, HW out1, BF
out2, BF out3
POWer: 9V DC adaptor or 9V battery
diMensiOns: 112 (l) x 170 (w) x 57 (h)
ranGe OPtiOns: Classic-X, Stone-X,
Mongoose-X, Axis Fuzz, Classic Fuzz,
Mongoose, Stone (all £200)
GIT322.rev_fuzz 121 8/10/09 15:50:00