The Catalinbread Merkin Fuzz is an analog fuzz pedal built around silicon transistors, adapted from the Mosrite Fuzzrite. RockBoard describes it as a fuzz inspired by the Mosrite Fuzzrite with a typical 60's fuzz sound, and Aion FX identifies it as an adaptation of the Fuzzrite's silicon version: "Catalinbread released an adaptation in 2010 called the Merkin Fuzz."12
Power and setup
Catalinbread states that "The Merkin Fuzz accepts anything between 9V and 18V with a center-negative DC power supply."3 RockBoard lists the pedal at 9V DC, center negative, with a current draw of 3mA, which is light enough for almost any supply.1
Catalinbread warns that using an incorrect power supply means you "run the risk of voiding your warranty."3 Stick to a center-negative DC supply within the 9V to 18V range.
Controls
The Merkin keeps things to two knobs, but the Texture control does more work than a plain tone or fuzz amount knob3.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Texture | "essentially functions as a mixer control between the first stage and the first and second stages combined"3 |
| Volume | "More turn makes more loud."3 |
Catalinbread explains the circuit behind it: "The Merkin is composed of three gain stages, and only the first two are governed by the Texture knob," with the final stage saturated by the chosen configuration.3 At the halfway position, Catalinbread notes that "some mild phase cancellation can be heard (or not heard, as the case may may be), delivering some extra vintage character."3
Where it came from: the Mosrite Fuzzrite
The Fuzzrite dates to the mid-1960s. Premier Guitar reports that "From the years of 1966 to 1968, Mosrite produced two distinct fuzz circuits," one with silicon transistors and one with germanium.4 Delicious Audio calls it "based on an obscure early fuzz circuit."5
The two versions differ in the parts that shape the fuzz character:
- Earlier Fuzzrites used germanium transistors; fuzzboxes.org notes they "were built with a set of 2N2613 & 2N408 germanium transistors."6
- Later versions "used silicon transistors, across a variety of different construction methods."6
The Merkin follows the silicon branch of that family.2 If you want the germanium side of the same circuit, Catalinbread has also made dedicated Fuzzrite pedals, including the Catalinbread Fuzzrite, the Catalinbread Germanium Fuzzrite and the Catalinbread Silicon Fuzzrite Mini.
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Questions
What is the Catalinbread Merkin based on?
The Merkin Fuzz is an adaptation of the Mosrite Fuzzrite, the silicon-transistor version of that circuit. Aion FX describes it as an adaptation Catalinbread released in 2010 called the Merkin Fuzz, and RockBoard lists the pedal as a fuzz inspired by the Mosrite Fuzzrite. The Fuzzrite itself was an obscure early fuzz circuit that Mosrite built in both germanium and silicon versions during the late 1960s.
What does the Texture knob do on the Merkin?
Catalinbread describes the Texture knob as essentially a mixer control between the first gain stage and the first and second stages combined. The Merkin has three gain stages, and only the first two are governed by the Texture knob, with the final stage saturated by the chosen configuration. Catalinbread notes that when the knob is set halfway, some mild phase cancellation can be heard, delivering extra vintage character.
What polarity does the Merkin use?
The Merkin Fuzz uses a center-negative DC power supply. Catalinbread says it accepts anything between 9V and 18V with a center-negative supply, and RockBoard lists it at 9V DC, center negative, drawing 3mA.
Will the wrong power supply void the Merkin warranty?
Yes, it can. Catalinbread warns that using an incorrect power supply runs the risk of voiding your warranty. The pedal takes a center-negative DC supply between 9V and 18V, so a supply outside that specification, or one with the wrong polarity, is the risk Catalinbread is pointing to.
Is the Merkin a silicon fuzz?
Yes. RockBoard lists the Merkin as using a silicon transistor, and Aion FX identifies it as an adaptation of the silicon version of the Mosrite Fuzzrite. That distinguishes it from the germanium Fuzzrite versions, which used germanium transistors such as the 2N2613 and 2N408 in the earlier builds.
Sources (6)
- Merkin by Catalinbread, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Orpheus Silicon Fuzz / Mosrite Fuzzrite, Aion FX, 2024-07-04
- Merkin Fuzz (Reissue), Catalinbread Effects
- Catalinbread Releases the Fuzzrite Germanium, Premier Guitar, 2022-08-11
- Best Fuzzrite Clones And Evolutions In 2023, Delicious Audio, 2022-08-10
- Mosrite Fuzzrite: A detailed history • Fuzzboxes, Fuzzboxes (fuzzboxes.org), 2023-07-20
