BAE Hot Fuzz

The BAE Hot Fuzz is a two-in-one fuzz and boost pedal from BAE Audio, a pro audio manufacturer better known for studio gear. One side is a high-frequency boost in the Rangemaster vein of treble boosters; the other is a four-transistor fuzz with Tone Bender DNA that BAE describes as an "English 1970s style fuzz box"¹². Each section has its own true bypass footswitch and its own gain control, and the two can be used independently or together in series³.

It was BAE's first guitar stompbox, and it is built the way the company builds its rack gear: an all solid state design with four bipolar low-noise transistors, hand built with a handpicked selection of components³⁴.

What each side does

The high-frequency boost side is a single-stage treble boost³. On its own it adds subtle-to-robust volume and treble, which Premier Guitar's reviewer found works well with tube amps verging on breakup². MusicRadar's Trevor Curwen described its main thrust as a snarky presence, noting it rolls off some low end and has plenty in the tank to drive an amp harder¹.

The fuzz side is a triple-stage circuit³ with controls for Juice (fuzz amount), Gain (output volume), Bass, and Treble¹³. MusicRadar found the Juice and Gain knobs together offer quite a range, from gritty drive to full-range fuzz¹, and Premier Guitar credited a responsive tone stack with a gain range that moves from mellow to mean².

The two footswitches are deliberately placed close enough that you can engage both sections with one clout of your boot, yet far enough apart for individual operation¹. Performer Magazine's Chris Devine found them a little too close together for his taste⁵, and Premier Guitar listed the switch spacing among its cons as well².

How it compares with a standard fuzz

Performer Magazine's reviewer found it a lot more controllable than a standard fuzz, thanks to the on-board bass and treble EQ settings⁵. Premier Guitar's reviewer described the sound as crackling hot, singing at high gain settings, with tones running from scooped and nasal to stinging depending on the guitar and volume and tone settings².

On circuit lineage, BAE says the design has Colorsound Overdriver origins², and Premier Guitar notes its basic voice bears many sonic similarities to the Tone Bender family². The Overdriver itself was a 1974-era Colorsound fuzz box made for the American market⁶, a follow-up to Colorsound's Power Boost⁷. The treble boost side, meanwhile, follows the Dallas Rangemaster tradition of treble boosters¹.

Power and battery

The Hot Fuzz runs off a single 9V battery or a standard center-negative power supply through a 2.5mm jack³⁵. The battery does not need to be removed when using external power³. Total maximum current draw is under 6 mA³, low enough that a battery lasts a long time and a daisy chain is not heavily loaded.

History and build

The Hot Fuzz began with a personal quest for a long-lost tone by BAE Audio CEO Mark Loughman⁴. It debuted at NAMM in 2017⁸ and was announced as available in November 2016⁸. It is entirely handbuilt in the USA³, with all discrete components hand-wired in California⁴ and a handpicked selection of components including four low-noise transistors⁵. BAE claims a transistor noise figure under 2 dB across the entire audio band³.

What reviewers said

Reviews were positive on sound and build, with the footswitch spacing the main complaint²¹.

• Premier Guitar (2026): "Super-solid build quality" and "beautifully balanced between vintage character and modern malleability" among the pros; "footswitches are situated too close together" among the cons. Street price $225².
• MusicRadar (Trevor Curwen): "Sound-wise, we can't fault this," calling it a sublime combination of fuzz and treble boost for the money¹.
• Performer Magazine (Chris Devine, 2019): praised the controllable classic fuzz tone and low noise, though noted that at a $225 street price "it's not cheap"⁵.

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