The Analog Man Peppermint Fuzz is a germanium fuzz pedal hand made in the USA by Analog Man1. It came about after Analog Man's Mike found a stock of high gain germanium transistors in late 2006 that could be tuned to produce the mid and late 1960s nasty, buzzy fuzz sounds the pedal is built around2. MusicRadar's Guitarist review describes it as "a Germanium transistor-based fuzz in the spirit of nasty, buzzy mid-60s fuzzboxes"3.
The name is a tribute: Analog Man named the pedal after the song "Incense and Peppermints," which features this very sound2.
A germanium fuzz tuned for 1960s buzz
The Peppermint Fuzz sits in the family of mid and late 1960s fuzzes such as the Mosrite Fuzzrite, Maestro Fuzz Tone and Jordan Bosstone, but with Analog Man's own tweaks to make it more flexible and, in the maker's words, "sound crazier"2. Delicious Audio notes it was "not solely inspired by the Fuzzrite, but by buzzy, sputtery 60s garage rock fuzzes in general"5.
MusicRadar's review summed up its appeal in three points: authentic 60s germanium fuzz sounds, a versatile range of tones, and compact size3. The same review notes that Analog Man pedals are available only by mail order from the USA and are highly regarded3.
The controls
The pedal carries three knobs plus an internal trimmer, and the knobs interact with each other and with temperature2.
| Control | Position | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | Left | Gets nice and loud to kick up your amp; gets louder at higher BUZZ settings2 |
| BUZZ | Center | Controls the fuzz sound from weak to hard edged; interacts with the trim pot and temperature2 |
| Fuzz | Right | Best all the way up for the craziest sounds; turn down for more normal Fuzz Face tones2 |
| Internal trim pot | Inside | Sets the best sounds at various temperatures, and more normal or more buzzy sounds2 |
The internal trim pot is a blue square with a white center and a screwdriver slot2. Because it interacts with the BUZZ knob, dialing in the pedal is a matter of adjusting the two together.
MusicRadar found the same character from the outside: with the fuzz knob at maximum "you'll be treated to some pretty wild full-on fuzz," while backing it off moves into more familiar Fuzz Face territory3.
The sitar sound
The Peppermint's signature trick is a faux sitar effect. Analog Man's recipe:
- Set the FUZZ knob up full.
- Adjust the BUZZ knob by ear.
- Turn the guitar down just until it stops sustaining.2
MusicRadar found that with fuzz and buzz full up, backing off the guitar volume "creates some cool faux sitar sounds" and what the reviewer called "sick battery" sputtering fuzz3.
Power: battery only, positive ground
The Peppermint Fuzz has no power jack and no LED. Analog Man states these are "detrimental to the ultimate fuzz sound and battery life"4. It is a positive ground pedal: sharing a power supply with a normal negative ground pedal will destroy the power supply4.
The battery is disconnected when the input cord is removed, and the input jack is on the right side of the pedal4. Since there is no power jack, the pedal cannot be connected to a supply at all, which sidesteps the polarity issue but means battery changes are part of ownership. MusicRadar consoled battery users with the observation that "batteries will last ages in a pedal like this"3.
For pedalboard users, Analog Man offers an optional on/off FUZZ knob mod, which turns battery power on and off with the fuzz knob rather than forcing you to pull the input jack23.
From Fuzzrite-style circuits to the Dark Peppermint
The Peppermint Fuzz was offered in limited numbers: Analog Man described being able to offer "a few hundred of these pedals" from the transistor stock found in 20064.
A sibling pedal, the Dark Peppermint Fuzz, used the same transistor model as the Peppermint but from a different brand, giving a darker, not-quite-as-bright basic sound1. It was fatter, not as sitar-like, and could produce a sort of trumpet sound when backing off the volume control1. Its pricing and options were the same as the standard Peppermint1. The Dark Peppermint is discontinued: Analog Man ran out of its transistors in late January 2013 and no more could be found1. It also had a distinctive look, a light fluorescent blue coating that glowed slightly under fluorescent lights1.
Analog Man's product page hosts sound samples of both pedals, including a Strat played through the Peppermint and Dark Peppermint into a clean Fender Twin Reverb, and another sample recorded with a Boss DD3 delay into a 1970 Marshall 20W amp, miked with an SM57 through a Neve preamp1.
Players interested in Analog Man's other fuzzes can compare the Sun Face and Astro Tone.
Videos
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Rabea Massaad
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Questions
Does the Analog Man Peppermint Fuzz have a power jack?
No. Analog Man fits no power jack and no LED, on the grounds that both are detrimental to the ultimate fuzz sound and to battery life. The pedal runs on an internal battery, which is disconnected when you pull the input cord from the jack on the right side of the pedal.
Can I run the Peppermint Fuzz from a pedalboard power supply?
No. The Peppermint Fuzz is a positive ground pedal, and Analog Man warns that sharing a power supply with a normal negative ground pedal will destroy the power supply. It is battery only, and since there is no power jack there is no way to connect a supply. Batteries last a long time in a pedal like this.
Is the Peppermint Fuzz true bypass?
Yes. The pedal uses a true bypass on/off switch, which Analog Man describes as giving no loss of tone when the pedal is off. An optional on/off FUZZ knob mod is available for pedalboard users who want to switch the effect with the knob instead.
What does the internal trim pot do on the Peppermint Fuzz?
The internal trim pot, a blue square with a white center and a screwdriver slot, lets you set the best sound at various temperatures and bias the pedal toward more normal or more buzzy fuzz. It interacts with the BUZZ knob, so the two are adjusted together to find the sweet spot for your room and taste.
How do you get the sitar sound from the Peppermint Fuzz?
Analog Man's recipe: set the FUZZ knob up full, adjust the BUZZ knob by ear, then turn your guitar's volume down just until it stops sustaining. Backing off the guitar volume with fuzz and buzz full up also produces what MusicRadar called sick battery sputtering fuzz.
What is the difference between the Peppermint Fuzz and the Dark Peppermint Fuzz?
The Dark Peppermint used the same transistor model as the Peppermint but from a different brand, giving a darker, fatter sound that is not as sitar-like and can produce a sort of trumpet sound when you back off the volume. Analog Man ran out of those transistors in late January 2013 and could find no more, so the Dark Peppermint is discontinued.
Sources (5)
- Analog Man Peppermint Fuzz Pedal, Analog Man (analogman.com), 2020
- PeppermintFuzzManual2020.pdf, Analog Man (analogman.com), 2020-11
- Analogman Peppermint Fuzz review, MusicRadar, 2007-10-31
- Peppermint Fuzz manual (older PDF), Analog Man
- Best Fuzzrite Clones And Evolutions In 2023, Delicious Audio, 2022-08-10
