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Black Cat

15 pedals on Tonebox

Black Cat Pedals is a small American effects company based in Foxon, Connecticut, that builds hand-wired fuzz pedals, overdrives and other effects in the USA12. The company's product line descends from an earlier line of pedals created by Fred Bonte, and Black Cat has continued to release new versions of those designs alongside its own circuits1.

The range by type

Fuzz 10

All fuzz
Black Cat Bass Octave Fuzz
Black Cat · Fuzz
$189.99 list price
Black Cat Bee Buzz
Black Cat · Fuzz
Black Cat Custom MKI Americano
Black Cat · Fuzz
Black Cat Custom Professional MKII
Black Cat · Fuzz
Black Cat N-Fuzz
Black Cat · Fuzz
$165 list price
Black Cat OD-1
Black Cat · Fuzz
Black Cat Pedals OD-Fuzz
Black Cat · Fuzz
Black Cat Superfuzz
Black Cat · Fuzz

Boost 1

All boost
Black Cat Pedals OD-Boost
Black Cat · Boost

Chorus 1

All chorus
Black Cat Pedals Vibe Chorus Vibrato
Black Cat · Chorus

Octave and pitch 1

All octave and pitch
Black Cat pedals Black Cat Monster K-Fuzz
Black Cat · Octave and pitch
$195 list price

All 15 Black Cat pedals

The brand is best known for its fuzz pedals, above all the Black Cat Superfuzz, and for the Black Cat Vibe, a hand-wired vibe pedal the company brought back in 201234.

The story: Fred Bonte's legacy line

The original Black Cat product line was created by Fred Bonte. When Black Cat Pedals announced the N-Fuzz in June 2015, the company described it as "the latest legacy product from the original line created by Fred Bonte," with the original design modified by Black Cat1. That phrasing frames the current company's catalog as a continuation of Bonte's work rather than a clean break from it.

The pattern of reviving and extending earlier designs runs through the brand's releases:

  • The Bee Buzz, announced in May 2011, is a dual channel fuzz/boost pedal based on an original design. It began as a limited Custom Shop run of 50 pedals that sold out quickly, so Black Cat made it a permanent part of the line6.
  • The Black Cat Vibe, resurrected in 2012, is a hand-wired pedal made in the US, a new version of the original Black Cat Vibe3.
  • The OD-Fuzz Deluxe, reviewed by gearnews.com in December 2016, is a hand-wired boutique pedal built in the USA2.

Known for: the Superfuzz and the Black Cat Vibe

The Superfuzz is a fuzz pedal credited to Black Cat Products in Analog Man's Black Cat documentation4. Fuzz is the effect most closely tied to the brand: alongside the Superfuzz, the line has included the Bee Buzz fuzz/boost6, the N-Fuzz1 and the OD-Fuzz Deluxe, which combines an overdrive circuit and a fuzz circuit in one pedal, based around a JFET OP2752.

The Black Cat Vibe is the other pedal the brand is known for. Vintage Guitar reported in August 2012 that Black Cat Pedals had resurrected it as a hand-wired pedal made in the US3.

The range has reached beyond dirt and vibe. The Mini Trem, reviewed by Guitar World in December 2012, is a dual-speed tremolo pedal that can also function as a boost, with a Boost control that reviewer Billy Voight singled out57:

"I feel it's unsung hero of the Mini Trem. There are plenty of great tremolo pedals already on the market, but they have one problem; a slight volume drop when switched on."
Billy Voight, Guitar World5

Support

A 2012 Guitar World review of the Mini Trem lists blackcatpedals.com as the company's website, which is the contact point for product information and support5.

The range (15)

TypePedals
BoostBlack Cat Pedals OD-Boost
ChorusBlack Cat Pedals Vibe Chorus Vibrato
FuzzBlack Cat Bass Octave Fuzz, Black Cat Bee Buzz, Black Cat Custom MKI Americano, Black Cat Custom Professional MKII, Black Cat N-Fuzz, Black Cat OD-1, Black Cat OD-Fuzz Deluxe, Black Cat Pedals OD-Fuzz, Black Cat Superfuzz, Black Cat Wee Buzz
Octave and pitchBlack Cat pedals Black Cat Monster K-Fuzz
TremoloBlack Cat Mini Trem
WahBlack Cat Pedals Black Cat Mona Wah

Questions

Who makes Black Cat pedals?

Black Cat pedals are made by Black Cat Pedals, a small effects company. The Superfuzz manual credits Black Cat Products as the maker, and press coverage of the N-Fuzz, Bee Buzz, OD-Fuzz Deluxe, Mini Trem and Black Cat Vibe all names Black Cat Pedals as the builder541.

Where is Black Cat Pedals based?

The company is based in Foxon, Connecticut, according to a 2015 Premier Guitar press release announcing the N-Fuzz. Its pedals are hand-wired and built in the USA, as stated in press coverage of the OD-Fuzz Deluxe and the Black Cat Vibe123.

Who was Fred Bonte?

Fred Bonte created the original Black Cat product line. When Black Cat Pedals announced the N-Fuzz in 2015, it described the pedal as a legacy product from that original line, with the original design modified by Black Cat1.

What kind of pedal is the Black Cat Superfuzz?

The Superfuzz is a fuzz pedal. It appears in Analog Man's Black Cat documentation, which credits Black Cat Products as its maker. Black Cat Pedals also makes the Black Cat Vibe, a Univibe-style effect pedal483.

Where can I get support for a Black Cat pedal?

A 2012 Guitar World review of the Mini Trem lists blackcatpedals.com as the company's website, which is the starting point for support and product information5.

Sources (8)
  1. Black Cat Pedals Announces the N-Fuzz, Premier Guitar, 2015-06-16
  2. Black Cat OD-Fuzz Deluxe: Two for the price of one!, gearnews.com, 2016-12-14
  3. Black Cat Pedals Resurrects Black Cat Vibe, Vintage Guitar magazine, 2012-08-13
  4. Black Cat Superfuzz documentation, Analog Man, 2015
  5. Review: Black Cat Mini Trem Pedal, Guitar World, 2012-12-06
  6. Black Cat Pedals Introduces Bee Buzz Pedal, Premier Guitar, 2011-05-22
  7. Black Cat Mini Trem Pedal Review - Premier Guitar, Premier Guitar, 2011-07-06
  8. NAMM 2017: Black Cat Pedals Announces New Stereo Black Cat Vibe | Guitar World, Guitar World, 2017-01-10