The Black Arts Toneworks Priestess is a fuzz pedal built from four gain stages, each borrowed from a different circuit, plus a mids control and two toggle switches for the clipping diodes. The maker describes it as "Loud. Raw. Thick. Incredible tone shaping," and says it covers tones from dynamic and open fuzz to compressed singing sustain1. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio, writing in November 2021, called it "a dual gain stage fuzz pedal with two EQ knobs" and summed it up this way:
"Loud. Raw. Thick. Incredible tone shaping. The Priestess takes the best of the various versions of the BMP and combines them into a singular sonic assault."
The four gain stages
The Priestess stacks four stages, each based on a circuit players will recognize. Black Arts Toneworks lays them out like this1:
| Stage | Based on | What the maker says it brings |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Pharaoh | Higher headroom input, great stacking possibilities |
| 2nd | Green Russian | Solid attack and bottom end |
| 3rd | NYC Reissue with Creamy Dreamer Mod | High gain with a bit of squish |
| 4th | LSTR | High output |
The first stage draws on the Pharaoh, another Black Arts Toneworks fuzz, and its higher headroom input is aimed at players who stack pedals into their fuzz12. The tone controls take their cue from the Violet Ram's Head circuit, which the maker says gives a pleasant vocal midrange1.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Tone | Full range tone control: left for low end emphasis, right for high end emphasis1 |
| Mids | Left for supa-scooped sounds, right for mid presence1 |
| Left toggle | Controls clipping diodes on the 2nd stage: OFF bypasses the diodes for a Supa Tonebender-style clipping arrangement, Clip 1 for standard silicon clipping1 |
The two clipping diodes can be turned on or off with two separate toggle switches. When a set is on, you get standard silicon clipping; when off, Delicious Audio notes "you get a different kind of distortion," and describes the off position as Supa Tonebender-style2. The Supa Tonebender is a vintage fuzz design, so bypassing the diodes moves the second stage toward that older style of clipping rather than the usual silicon sound12.
Scooped to mid-forward
The Tone and Mids knobs work together to reshape the fuzz's midrange. Black Arts Toneworks says that with the Tone full left and the Mids full right, "you can achieve the mid forward boost settings," while pointing the two knobs towards each other produces scooped tones1. That range, from a deep scoop to slightly boosted mids, is the core of the pedal's tone shaping1.
Finishes and price
The Priestess is listed in two finishes on the maker's page: a Standard Black at $189.99 and a Limited Copper/Gold Foil Graphic at $214.991.
Videos
BlackArtsToneworks
BlackArtsToneworks
Doctor Fuzz'z Dirt Box
Questions
What does each clipping diode toggle do on the Priestess?
The left toggle controls the clipping diodes on the second gain stage. Switched on, it gives standard silicon clipping. Switched off, it bypasses the diodes for a Supa Tonebender-style clipping arrangement, which Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio described as a different kind of distortion. The pedal has two separate toggle switches that turn the two clipping diode sets on or off.
What is a Supa Tonebender-style clipping arrangement?
It is what you get when the left toggle bypasses the second stage's clipping diodes. The Supa Tonebender is a vintage fuzz circuit, and the maker says removing the diodes from the clipping path gives the Priestess that style of clipping instead of the standard silicon clipping you hear when the toggle is on.
Can the Priestess go from scooped to mid-forward?
Yes. Black Arts Toneworks says that with the Tone knob full left and the Mids knob full right you get mid-forward boost settings, while pointing the Tone and Mids knobs towards each other produces scooped tones. The Mids knob itself turns left for supa-scooped sounds and right for mid presence.
What is the Pharaoh circuit?
The Pharaoh is a fuzz pedal by Black Arts Toneworks, and its circuit forms the first gain stage of the Priestess. The maker says the Pharaoh-based stage has a higher headroom input, which results in great stacking possibilities with other pedals.
Does the Priestess come in more than one finish?
Yes. The maker's page lists a Standard Black finish at $189.99 and a Limited Copper/Gold Foil Graphic finish at $214.99.
Sources (2)
- Priestess, Black Arts Toneworks
- Black Arts Toneworks Priestess Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2021-11-10
