The BLAMMO! Electronics Fuzz Detonator is a fuzz pedal built around two ideas at once: a fuzz voice the maker describes as a "SUPER CONTROLLABLE OSCILLATING FUZZ TONE", and a separate oscillating feedback circuit you bring in with its own footswitch. BLAMMO! describes the circuit as "a unique circuit inspired by vintage fuzz tones and Saturday morning cartoons", which gives a fair idea of where it sits between classic fuzz and something more unruly. It belongs to the wider family of fuzz pedals, but the feedback section sets it apart from a straightforward vintage-style unit1.
How it works and how it is controlled
The pedal splits its job in two. One half is the fuzz itself. The other half, engaged by the leftmost footswitch and controlled, as BLAMMO! puts it, "sort of" by the feedback knob, is a wild, ill-tempered oscillating feedback circuit. Stepping on that switch sends the pedal into self-oscillation, and the feedback knob shapes it, though the maker's own wording suggests it does not behave with the precision of a normal control1.
The feedback footswitch can be set to work two ways:
- Momentary: the feedback circuit sounds only while you hold the switch down, for stabs of oscillation under your playing1.
- Latching: the feedback circuit stays engaged until you step on the switch again1.
That arrangement means the oscillation is a performance tool rather than a setting you dial in and leave on, which is the main thing that separates the Fuzz Detonator from a conventional fuzz1.
Cleanup and playing dynamics
Unlike many fuzz circuits that stay saturated no matter what, the Fuzz Detonator responds to the guitar's volume control. BLAMMO! says you can "Roll back your guitar's volume knob for less saturated, cleaner fuzz tones that can still jangle." For a player, that means one pedal can cover everything from full, saturated fuzz to cleaner, chime-adjacent textures without touching the pedal itself1.
Power, bypass and build
The Fuzz Detonator runs on a 9 volt, center negative supply with a 2.1mm barrel connector, the Boss style standard, so it works with ordinary pedalboard power supplies1. Switching is true bypass using a relay, so the audio path is broken electronically rather than with a mechanical switch1. The pedal lives in a gray 1590bb enclosure measuring 4.67 by 3.68 by 1.18 inches, and each unit is hand crafted in Portland, Oregon1.
BLAMMO! Electronics does not list a battery option or a current draw figure for the Fuzz Detonator, so plan your power supply around a standard 9V center negative output.
Where it sits in the BLAMMO! range
BLAMMO! Electronics builds a wide run of fuzzes in Portland, and the Fuzz Detonator's oscillating character is one of the more unusual takes in the lineup. Other pedals from the maker include the Fuzz Banger, a reimagining of the Sam Ash Fuzz-Stainer MK II, the Jordan Bosstone, a recreation of the 1966 Jordan Boss Tone, and the Tomb Sender. Players who want the vintage side of the Detonator's inspiration without the feedback circuit may find those closer to a traditional fuzz voice1.
Videos
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Questions
Is the BLAMMO! Fuzz Detonator true bypass?
Yes. BLAMMO! Electronics lists the Fuzz Detonator as true bypass, and the switching is relay based rather than a conventional mechanical footswitch arrangement. That means the pedal's circuit is removed from your signal path entirely when it is off, so it sits cleanly on a larger board alongside other effects.
What does the feedback footswitch do on the Fuzz Detonator?
The leftmost footswitch engages the pedal's oscillating feedback circuit, which is controlled, as the maker puts it, sort of, by the feedback knob. The switch can be set to work momentary, so the feedback only sounds while you hold it down, or latching, so it stays on until you step on it again.
What power supply does the Fuzz Detonator need?
The Fuzz Detonator runs on a 9 volt, center negative power supply with a 2.1mm barrel connector, the same Boss style standard used by most pedalboard power supplies. BLAMMO! Electronics does not list a battery option or a current draw figure for the pedal.
Where is the Fuzz Detonator made?
BLAMMO! Electronics states that the Fuzz Detonator is hand crafted in Portland, Oregon. The company builds its range of fuzz and related pedals there, including the Fuzz Banger and the Jordan Bosstone.
Does the Fuzz Detonator clean up with the guitar volume knob?
Yes. According to BLAMMO! Electronics, rolling back your guitar's volume knob produces less saturated, cleaner fuzz tones that can still jangle. That makes the pedal responsive to playing dynamics in a way many fuzz circuits are not.
Sources (1)
- Fuzz Detonator, BLAMMO! Electronics
