Danelectro releases Nichols 1966 fuzz, completing vintage fuzz trifecta

January 1, 2024 · 5 sources

Danelectro released the Nichols 1966 Fuzz / Drive in early 2024, the third pedal in its relic'd vintage fuzz series¹². The pedal is a modern re-creation of the Liverpool Fuzz-Tone, the first fuzz designed by Foxx pedals founder and current Danelectro owner Steve Ridinger³⁴. It is named after Nichols Canyon, where Ridinger lived with his parents in the mid-1960s⁵.

The Nichols 1966 houses a three-transistor circuit³⁴. It has Fuzz, Drive, Tone and Volume knobs, plus a Stock/Mid Cut toggle switch²⁵. The Fuzz and Drive knobs are interactive, and the sound is described as falling somewhere between a fuzz and a distortion, reacting to the guitar's volume knob³⁴. Guitar Pedal X described the two gain controls as combining "to delivery all manner of Overdrive, Fuzzy-Drive and full-on Fuzz Sounds"¹.

The series began with the Eisenhower Fuzz in spring 2019, based on the 1968 Univox Super Fuzz, followed by the 3699 Octave Fuzz in 2020, based on the 1972 Foxx Tone Machine¹. Guitar Pedal X lists the Eisenhower at $149 and the 3699 and Nichols 1966 at $199 each¹. A January 2024 report gave the Nichols 1966 a US price of $199². A February 2024 report listed a $136.00 price at Thomann and said the pedal could be preordered there⁵.

Guitar Pedal X reported that Danelectro refers orders to the Sweetwater webstore¹. The three pedals share a faux-relic'd finish, top-mounted jacks and custom knobs¹. See Danelectro and Fuzz Pedals.