British Pedal Company Buzzaround Fuzz

The British Pedal Company Buzzaround Fuzz is a fuzz pedal built as a detailed replica of the original Baldwin-Burns Buzzaround, a 1960s fuzz that has become one of the most sought after and rarest pedals of its era. The original was designed by Gary Hurst in 1966 for the Baldwin-Burns company, and the British Pedal Company version keeps the original's rather bulky wedge-shaped casing, with the controls and connections on the back panel rather than on top. Delicious Audio listed it at $379 as of February 2023¹².

What it does

The Buzzaround is a vintage fuzz design from the '60s. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio describes it as a pedal "not too dissimilar from the Tone Bender (but heavier-sounding), and that has become a collector's" piece⁴. Where a Tone Bender style circuit is the more familiar British fuzz of the period, the Buzzaround sits alongside it as a heavier-voiced alternative from the same era⁴.

The original and its rarity

The 1960s original, the Baldwin Burns Buzzaround, is described by TONEHOME as "among the most sought after and insanely rare fuzz pedals"². The original was a wedge shaped pedal officially named the Buzzaround, built by hand on tag board⁵. Because originals are so rare, a number of builders have taken on the circuit: British Pedal Company with the replica on this page, JMI with a limited series of 50 faithful reproductions commissioned as the Burns Buzzaround reissue², and BLAMMO! Electronics with its own Buzzaround, announced as coming soon in June 2022⁶.

Robert Fripp and the Buzzaround

The original Buzzaround has a documented place on stage with Robert Fripp of King Crimson. In 1974, Fripp described his setup to British Pedal Company³:

The quote is given by British Pedal Company as part of the Buzzaround's history, with Fripp using the Buzzaround as the fuzz-tone in that three-pedal board alongside a volume pedal and a wah-wah⁷. Players interested in that side of the signal chain can read more about wah-wah pedals and volume pedals.

Where it sits among British fuzzes

British Pedal Company builds a range of replicas of British fuzz classics, and the Buzzaround is the company's take on the Baldwin-Burns design rather than the Tone Bender family that the company is also known for¹⁴. For a player comparing the two, the distinction given by Delicious Audio is tone: the Buzzaround is similar in kind to a Tone Bender but heavier-sounding⁴.

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