The Big Joe Stomp Box Freakshow Silicon Fuzz, sold as the B-312 Freakshow Fuzz (Silicon), is a fuzz pedal from Big Joe Stomp Box Company. It is one of two versions of the same fuzz design: this one built around silicon transistors, the other, the B-313 Freakshow Fuzz (Germanium), around germanium12.
Big Joe describes the Silicon version as the choice for players who want a totally freaked out fuzz: brighter, more modern sounding, and with more gain than its Germanium sibling1. Guitar.com, covering the pedals' announcement, summed up the split: the Silicon version is modern sounding with more gain, suited to more aggressive styles of rock3.
What it does to your sound
The Silicon Freakshow is the brighter, more aggressive of the two Freakshow fuzzes. Big Joe's own description: "It's brighter, has a modern sound, and more gain, so it's sure to deliver that high-gain ferocity you've always been after"1. Pedal of the Day's reviewer heard the same character, calling it "a more modern, brighter sound" than the Germanium model, with "that signature bite only silicon transistors can provide"54.
For a player choosing between fuzz flavors, the practical difference is gain and bite versus warmth. The Germanium B-313 is, in Big Joe's words, "highly responsive, fat sounding, and harmonically-rich"2, and Pedal of the Day found it "a bit warmer, without quite as much gain and bite" than the Silicon5. If your reference point is aggressive, high-gain rock fuzz, the Silicon version is the one aimed at that territory3.
Controls and how to use them
The top row of knobs covers the basics: Tone, Fuzz and Output, which Pedal of the Day found offer "just what you need to get an excellent base fuzz sound"41. Below those sit the controls that set the Freakshow apart from a basic three-knob fuzz.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Fuzz | Sets the amount of fuzz43 |
| Tone | Shapes the brightness43 |
| Output | Sets the level43 |
| Bias | External control offering flexibility with symmetry, gain structure and clipping14 |
| Trim | External control offering flexibility with symmetry, gain structure and clipping14 |
| Buffer | Switch engaging a selectable input impedance buffer circuit14 |
Bias and Trim
Bias and Trim are the deep-shaping controls. Big Joe says both pedals have external Bias and Trim controls "offering flexibility with symmetry, gain structure, and clipping"1. Guitar.com put it in player terms: "The latter two open up the tonal textures of the pedals by offering latitude in clipping, gain structure and symmetry"3. In practice, these let you push the fuzz circuit toward asymmetric or symmetric clipping and change how hard the transistors are driven, rather than just setting brightness and level.
The Buffer switch
The Buffer switch addresses a classic fuzz problem: vintage-style fuzz circuits often lose top end or oscillate when something else feeds them. Big Joe says the selectable input impedance Buffer circuit "gives you a brighter sound, but also helps remove high-end roll off and oscillation when the fuzz is not first in the signal chain"1. Guitar.com described it as a switch "that can be activated to eliminate high-end roll-off when the pedal is placed after other effects"3. If you run this fuzz after a tuner, compressor or overdrive rather than first in line, the buffer is what keeps it sounding right.
The Temp control found on the Germanium version is not available on the Silicon version5. Germanium transistors drift with temperature, which is why that version carries the control; the silicon circuit does not need it.
Silicon versus Germanium
The two Freakshow fuzzes share the same control set except for Temp, and differ mainly in transistor type and voicing153.
| B-312 Silicon | B-313 Germanium | |
|---|---|---|
| Transistors | Silicon14 | Germanium25 |
| Sound | Brighter, modern, more gain15 | Warmer, fat, harmonically rich, less gain and bite25 |
| Temp control | No5 | Yes5 |
| List price | $149.9513 | $189.953 |
Pedal of the Day called the Silicon B-312 "a completely different animal than its big brother, the B-313 Germanium Freakshow Fuzz"4, which is worth taking literally: same maker, same layout, noticeably different fuzz character.
Where it came from
Big Joe announced the two Freakshow fuzzes together in July 2018, with availability set for Halloween 20183. Guitar.com reported the launch pricing at that time: $189.95 for the Germanium and $149.95 for the Silicon3. Big Joe's current product page still lists the Silicon version at $149.951.
What reviewers said
Pedal of Day reviewed the Silicon B-312 in October 2019 and came away impressed by both the sound and the control set4:
"they have provided a killer pedal for you today"
Pedal of the Day, on the B-312 Freakshow Fuzz (Silicon)4
The reviewer found it offers "ample fuzz sounds and a wide array of controls with many options and combinations," and credited the pedal with Big Joe's usual "rugged good looks and hard-as-nails builds"4. On the sound itself, the review described "this powerhouse pedal in action, ripping through amps and crushing eardrums as it lays waste to anything in its path"4.
Videos
Pedal of the Day
Questions
What is the difference between the Freakshow Silicon and Germanium fuzz?
The Silicon version (B-312) is brighter and more modern sounding with more gain and bite, while the Germanium version (B-313) is warmer and more harmonically rich but with less gain. The Germanium also adds a Temp control the Silicon lacks. Both share Tone, Fuzz, Output, Bias, Trim and a Buffer switch.
What does the buffer switch do on the Freakshow Fuzz?
The Buffer switch engages a selectable input impedance buffer circuit. It gives a brighter sound and helps remove high-end roll off and oscillation when the fuzz is not first in the signal chain, so you can run it after other effects without losing top end.
What do the Bias and Trim controls do?
Bias and Trim are external controls that offer flexibility with symmetry, gain structure and clipping. Big Joe says they open up the tonal textures of the pedal, letting you dial in how the fuzz clips rather than just how loud or bright it is.
Does the silicon Freakshow have a Temp control?
No. The Temp control is found on the Germanium version only, where it compensates for temperature. The Silicon version instead has Tone, Fuzz, Output, Bias and Trim controls plus a Buffer switch.
How much does the Big Joe Freakshow Silicon Fuzz cost?
The B-312 Freakshow Fuzz (Silicon) lists for $149.95, per Big Joe's product page. When the pedal was announced in 2018, Guitar.com reported the same $149.95 list price, against $189.95 for the Germanium version.
Sources (5)
- B-312 FREAKSHOW FUZZ (SILICON), Big Joe Stomp Box Company
- B-313 FREAKSHOW FUZZ (GERMANIUM), Big Joe Stomp Box Company
- Big Joe Stomp Box unveils two Freakshow Fuzz pedals, Guitar.com, 2018-07-30
- Big Joe Stomp Box Co. B-312 Freakshow Fuzz (Silicon), Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2019-10-12
- Big Joe Stomp Box Co. B-313 Freakshow Fuzz (Germanium), Pedal of the Day, 2019-11-19
