Cathouse Pedals The Bender Fuzz is a fuzz pedal built around three matched and biased germanium transistors. Pedal of the Day reviewed it in October 2016 and described it as loosely based on the Three-Knob Tone Bender, the classic three-knob fuzz design, with its Fuzz, Tone and Volume controls set up to mimic the sounds of that famous pedal1.
"The key to achieving these tones is a set of three matched and biased germanium transistors"
What it does
As a fuzz, The Bender piles gain on the front of your amp's signal to produce what Pedal of the Day called "a wall of fuzz sound, ranging from a slightly overdriven fuzz to an all-out fuzz festival, all while staying warm and smooth"1. That range matters in practice: at the lower end of the Fuzz control it sits closer to an overdriven texture, and turned up it becomes a full fuzz wash, so one pedal can cover both jobs depending on where the knobs are set.
The review also noted that the pedal "has some internal secrets and bold tones abound," suggesting there is more going on inside than the three external knobs alone show1.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Fuzz | Sets the fuzz amount, from a slightly overdriven fuzz to an all-out fuzz festival1 |
| Tone | Shapes the voice, as part of the Three-Knob Tone Bender style control layout1 |
| Volume | Sets the output level1 |
How it compares
The Bender sits in a crowded field of Tone Bender inspired fuzzes. The JHS Legends of Fuzz Bender is another take on the design that was demonstrated on That Pedal Show in 20202, and Cathouse also makes the Fuzzy Tongue elsewhere in its range. What Pedal of the Day said sets The Bender apart from the originals it draws on is that it offers "a touch of modern tones and more reliability than the originals"1, a common concern with vintage-spec germanium circuits.
Power
Pedal of the Day described the pedal as "9V ready and pedalboard-friendly," so it runs from a standard 9V supply and is built to sit on a board1.
Videos
Pedal of the Day
Sources (2)
- Cathouse Pedals The Bender Fuzz, Pedal of the Day, 2016-10-06
- The Four Pillars Of Fuzz Guitar Tones JHS Legends vs Our Current Faves, That Pedal Show, 2020-06-05
