The Smilodon Fuzz is a guitar effects pedal from Aethan Electronics, a maker of fuzz pedals. Pedal of the Day's reviewer, Mike B, described it in his September 2014 review as "an all-out, buzzsaw, balls-to-the-wall, ass-kicking fuzz pedal"1. It is not a pedal with a wide range of shades: the reviewer was clear that there is no clean sound to be had from it, though rolling back the guitar's volume knob backs off the fuzz tones1.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day reviewed the Smilodon Fuzz on 30 September 2014. The reviewer's verdict on the sound was that the pedal stays aggressive at all settings, with the guitar's volume control as the main way to back the fuzz off1. On the practical side, he noted the enclosure is not much bigger than a standard Boss enclosure, which he called useful if you want to mount it vertically and save pedalboard space1. The Volume knob increases the output1.
"Overall, this is one great fuzz pedal, not for the faint of heart, but something everyone should hear at least once."
Availability
The Smilodon Fuzz was a limited-production pedal, and by the time of the September 2014 review it was nearly gone.
Pedal of the Day reported that the pedal was sold through Reverb.com, where a demo video was available, and that at the time of the review only one more unit was left for sale there. The reviewer added that this was "likely the last one" Aethan Electronics would produce1. Players looking for a Smilodon Fuzz today would be looking at secondhand listings rather than new stock.
Videos
Pedal of the Day
Questions
Can the Smilodon Fuzz do clean sounds?
No. Pedal of the Day's reviewer, Mike B, wrote that there is nothing clean about the pedal, but that rolling back the guitar's volume knob backs off the fuzz tones. So while the pedal itself stays firmly in fuzz territory, the guitar's own volume control is the way to tame it between full-on settings.
Is the Aethan Smilodon Fuzz still being made?
As of the September 2014 review, it was a rare, limited-production pedal. Pedal of the Day reported that only one more unit was left for sale on Reverb.com, and that this was likely the last one Aethan Electronics would produce. Anyone looking for one today would be searching the secondhand market.
How big is the Smilodon Fuzz enclosure?
Pedal of the Day described it as not much bigger than a standard Boss enclosure, and noted that its size is useful if you want to mount it vertically to save pedalboard space.
Where was the Smilodon Fuzz sold?
According to Pedal of the Day, the pedal was purchased through Reverb.com, where a demo video was also available.
Sources (2)
- Aethan Electronics Smilodon Fuzz, Pedal of the Day (pedal-of-the-day.com), 2014-09-30
- Aethan Electronics Smilodon Fuzz, Pedal of the Day, 2014-09-15