The Catalinbread StarCrash is a fuzz pedal from Catalinbread, built as a take on the silicon Fuzz Face1. Where a classic Fuzz Face has a fuzz knob, the StarCrash drops it entirely and gives you three controls instead: Volume, Bias and Low-Cut1. It launched in April 2024 as one of two new pedals in Catalinbread's StarCrash '70s Collection, a six-pedal range chasing 1970s gain tones234.
The circuit reimagines what Catalinbread sees as the original Fuzz Face's key move: the swap from germanium to silicon5. Arbiter Electronics made the first Fuzz Face in 1966 as a 2-transistor pedal, and the StarCrash is inspired by that design1.
A silicon Fuzz Face without a fuzz knob
The most unusual thing about the StarCrash is what it leaves out. Catalinbread's own explanation, quoted by Premier Guitar1:
"We got rid of that goofy fuzz knob. We know that 95 percent of all players run it dimed, and the remaining 5 percent use" their guitar's volume knob1
That is the traditional Fuzz Face way of working: the fuzz runs at full intensity, and you control the amount of grit with the guitar's volume control. The StarCrash commits to that approach and spends its control budget elsewhere, on bias and low-end shaping instead147.
The silicon construction matters for how the pedal behaves. Silicon Fuzz Face variants are generally more consistent and less temperature-sensitive than germanium ones, and the StarCrash follows the silicon branch of the family tree15.
The controls: Volume, Bias and Low-Cut
The StarCrash has three knobs, described by Catalinbread as follows41:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| VOL | Sets the output volume level of the pedal7 |
| BIAS | Changes the fuzz character from "distortion-esque" to "Velcro fuzz"7 |
| LOW-CUT | Engages a high-pass filter, cutting from about 30Hz (minimum) to about 500Hz (maximum), a 3dB cut per octave7 |
The Bias knob is the heart of the pedal. All the way down, the fuzz is full and throaty; at noon it sits at the normal Fuzz Face bias point, about 8K2 on the Q2 collector; all the way up it turns sputtery and Velcro-esque7. Gearnews described the bias control as giving "that dying battery tone" and providing the fuzz with a chewy sag, great for adding extra feel or getting a harmonically rich fuzz tone4.
The Low-Cut control is effectively out of the circuit when turned all the way down, and its effect is most notable past noon7. Gearnews reported the filter as cutting bass frequencies from 40Hz to 500Hz, letting players tighten up mud in the low end4. Because the Bias and Low-Cut controls introduce a slight volume drop, Catalinbread increased the pedal's overall volume to compensate4.
Premier Guitar's reviewer confirmed Catalinbread's claims about the volume control, finding it "gets very loud without losing the essence of the notes"1.
History: the '70s Collection and the Fuzz Face bias point
The StarCrash arrived on 18 April 2024, alongside the SideArm Overdrive, a Tube Screamer-inspired pedal, both priced at $1492. The two new pedals rounded out the StarCrash '70s Collection, which also re-skinned four existing Catalinbread pedals, the Adineko, Katzenkönig, SFT and Valcoder, with new finishes38. Guitar Pedal X reported the enclosures come in an apple-green sparkle3.
Catalinbread's own framing of the collection:
"Introducing the StarCrash '70s Collection, where we invite you to bring your vintage tonal dreams into the present from the time when the majority of rock 'n' roll's most iconic and sought-after tones were forged, the 1970s"8
The collection was available from the Catalinbread Webstore and also seen on Reverb.com3.
The StarCrash's bias design ties directly back to the original circuit. By putting the Fuzz Face's normal bias point, about 8K2 on the Q2 collector, at the noon position of the knob, Catalinbread lets you dial in the stock Fuzz Face sound and then push beyond it in either direction7.
Power and warranty
The StarCrash supports a standard DC power supply of 9 volts7. There is one hard rule from Catalinbread:
Do not give the StarCrash AC or a center-positive power supply. Doing so voids the warranty7.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar reviewed the StarCrash in October 2024 and was positive about both its build and sound, noting the sturdy enclosure, smooth on/off switch and easy-to-manipulate dials1. On the core tone:
"the core fuzz sound here is excellent, bristly and snarling, with a far girthier tone than my reissue Fuzz Face"1
The reviewer concluded the pedal "can compete with any Fuzz Face variant in both price and performance, scoring high points on the latter count"1.
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Questions
Why does the Catalinbread StarCrash have no fuzz knob?
Catalinbread says 95 percent of players run a fuzz knob dimed and the remaining 5 percent use the guitar's volume knob, so the company removed it. The StarCrash instead has Volume, Bias and Low-Cut controls, with the fuzz character set by the Bias knob.
Does the StarCrash clean up with the guitar volume knob?
Yes. The design assumes players use the guitar's volume knob to control the fuzz level, which is the traditional Fuzz Face approach. Rolling back the guitar volume backs the fuzz off while keeping the essence of the notes.
What does the Bias knob on the StarCrash do?
It changes the character of the fuzz from distortion-esque to Velcro fuzz. All the way down is full and throaty, noon is the normal Fuzz Face bias point of about 8K2 on the Q2 collector, and all the way up is sputtery and Velcro-esque.
Can I use a center-positive power supply with the StarCrash?
No. Catalinbread warns not to give the StarCrash AC or a center-positive supply, because doing so voids the warranty. Use a standard 9V DC center-negative power supply.
Is the StarCrash germanium or silicon?
It is silicon. The StarCrash is a take on the silicon Fuzz Face, built with silicon transistors, and it reimagines the original Fuzz Face's swap from germanium to silicon.
Sources (8)
- Catalinbread StarCrash Fuzz: A Fuzz Face Evolution, Premier Guitar, 2024-10-08
- “We invite you to bring your vintage tonal dreams into the present”: Catalinbread promises modern twists on golden-era tones from the '70s StarCrash Fuzz and SideArm Overdrive, MusicRadar, 2024-04-18
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-04-19
- Catalinbread StarCrash Fuzz & SideArm Overdrive, gearnews.com, 2024-04-25
- New Pedal: Catalinbread StarCrash Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2024-04-17
- “A multi-effects pedal on steroids”: Catalinbread's Bitters reimagines Alesis' cult sound-mangling DJ effects unit as a guitar pedal, Guitar World, 2024-07-17
- StarCrash Fuzz, Catalinbread Effects
- “Whichever type of rock you associate with the '70s, the StarCrash Collection has you covered”: Catalinbread's StarCrash Fuzz and SideArm Overdrive give olden-era gain tones a fresh twist, Guitar World, 2024-04-19
