The Benson Amps Deep Sea Diver Fuzz-Echo puts a fuzz and an echo in one box, developed with Jessica Dobson, guitarist with the Seattle indie-rock band Deep Sea Diver, who has also performed with Beck and The Shins1. Dobson asked Benson to smash together her favorite fuzz tones and vintage echo sounds, and the result covers splatty gated fuzz, wooly straightforward fuzz, treble boost, and a self-oscillating landscape of textures12.
The fuzz side is a three-transistor silicon circuit that Benson calls "a deranged mashup of mk1.5 and mk2" Tone Benders12. The echo side is built around a tweaked PT2399, the same analog-flavored delay chip Benson used in its own PT2399 delay, tuned here to the fuzz31.
Fuzz and echo in one box
The pedal takes Dobson's signature sound, fuzz and delay, and puts it into one box3. Guitar World describes it as a gated fuzz that can be placed before or after the delay "for everything from classic sounds to unheard-of textures and skronk"1.
Dobson's own description of what she wanted from the fuzz:
"Beyond the splatty gated sounds, I wanted a fuzz that could get wooly and straight forward, or shake hands with my favorite shoegazey My Bloody Valentine textures."1
MusicRadar's rundown of the same range of tones lists gated skronk, wooly fuzz, gauzy My Bloody Valentine textures, a fuzz that cleans up nice, treble booster duty, and that landscape of oscillation2. Benson says the pedal works with guitar, bass or synth, does not care where it sits in the signal chain, and will have a small amount of hiss even on cleaner settings3.
The controls: Gate, Bias, Volume and echo
The fuzz side has two interactive knobs, Gate and Bias, which Benson says cover everything from treble boost to thick fuzz and gated skronky tones1. Delicious Audio describes the Bias control as sculpting the pedal's tonal character, from a deep, rumbling low end to a sharp, cutting treble4. An overall Volume knob rounds out the fuzz side1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gate | Interactive fuzz control, from treble boost to gated skronk1 |
| Bias | Tonal character, from deep rumbling low end to sharp cutting treble4 |
| Volume | Overall output level1 |
| Delay Time | Echo time31 |
| Feedback | Echo repeats31 |
| Echo | Echo level31 |
The echo side has the standard time, feedback and level controls31.
Swapping the fuzz and echo order
One unique feature is the ability to change the fuzz and echo order. You do this by powering the pedal on while the footswitch is depressed32. The LED tells you which routing is active: green means fuzz is before echo, orange means echo is before fuzz3.
Benson recommends the echo into fuzz setting, in which the LED illuminates in orange2. Delicious Audio notes that echo into fuzz is also Jessica's favorite routing4.
Oscillation and other tricks
Hold the footswitch down and the pedal will oscillate on command, according to MusicRadar2. That is the gateway to the "foreign landscape of oscillation and interrupting textures" Dobson describes12.
Power: 9V, 100mA
This pedal is for use only with a 9V DC Boss-style center negative power supply. Benson warns that more than 9V DC could destroy the pedal or the power supply3.
Benson says the pedal draws less than 100mA and will work well with most supplies3. MusicRadar gives the figure as 100mA from a 9V DC pedalboard power supply2. There is no mention of battery operation, so plan on a pedalboard supply.
Circuit and design with Jessica Dobson
The Fuzz-Echo was born from a collaboration with Jessica Dobson, the multi-talented force behind Seattle's Deep Sea Diver4. Dobson recalls the starting point:
"When Benson first asked me what I wanted out of a pedal, I asked if he could smash together my favorite fuzz tones and vintage echos,"1
The fuzz is a three-transistor silicon circuit inspired by the mk1.5 and mk2 Tone Benders2. The echo is a tweaked data-sheet PT2399 that Benson says is perfectly tuned to the fuzz side3. Guitar World notes the PT2399 is a popular analog chip also seen in boutique delays like the Skreddy Echo and Wampler Faux Tape Echo1.
Although the PT2399 is a digital chip, MusicRadar notes it can be put to work on a delay with an old-school analog quality, which is what Benson did here2. Delicious Audio likewise describes the pedal as combining vintage-inspired fuzz tones with rich, warm analog-style delay4.
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Questions
Can the fuzz go before or after the echo on the Deep Sea Diver pedal?
Yes. Hold the footswitch down while powering the pedal on to swap the order. The LED shows which routing is active: green means fuzz into echo, orange means echo into fuzz. Benson recommends the echo into fuzz setting, which is also Jessica Dobson's favorite.
Is the Benson Deep Sea Diver Fuzz-Echo analog or digital?
Both, in a way. The fuzz is a three-transistor silicon analog circuit inspired by mk1.5 and mk2 Tone Benders. The echo is built around the PT2399, a digital delay chip that MusicRadar notes can be put to work on a delay with an old-school analogue quality.
How much does the Benson Deep Sea Diver Fuzz-Echo cost?
The list price is $249.00 USD, as listed by Benson Amps. MusicRadar priced it at £259/$249 when it launched in March 2025, and Guitar World reported it available now at $249.
How do I make the Deep Sea Diver pedal oscillate?
Hold the footswitch down and the pedal will oscillate on command, according to MusicRadar. Dobson describes the pedal as offering a foreign landscape of oscillation and interrupting textures beyond its gated and wooly fuzz settings.
Does the Benson Deep Sea Diver Fuzz-Echo work as a treble booster?
Yes. With the two interactive Gate and Bias knobs, Benson says you can cover everything from treble boost to thick fuzz and gated skronky tones. Dobson herself wanted a fuzz that could shake hands with a treble booster for solos.
What current does the Deep Sea Diver Fuzz-Echo draw?
Benson says the pedal draws less than 100mA and will work well with most supplies. MusicRadar gives the figure as 100mA from a 9V DC pedalboard power supply. It requires a 9V DC center negative supply only.
Sources (4)
- Benson Amps and Deep Sea Diver launch Fuzz-Echo pedal, Guitar World, 2025-03-25
- “To call this simply a 'gated fuzz pedal with an echo feature' would be an injustice to its essence!”: Benson Amps teams up with Jessica Dobson for the awesome and unorthodox Deep Sea Diver Fuzz-Echo, MusicRadar, 2025-03-14
- Deep Sea Diver Fuzz-Echo, Benson Amps
- Benson Deep Sea Diver Fuzz Echo, Delicious Audio, 2025-10-03
