The Center Street Electronics God Hates Fuzz is a fuzz oscillator pedal: a fuzz that can also generate its own oscillating tones and feedback. Reviewing it for Pedal of the Day in March 2015, Mike B described it as "their weird, awesome fuzz oscillator pedal, appropriately named God Hates Fuzz"1. It is not a conventional fuzz pedal: as the reviewer put it, "An ordinary fuzz pedal this is not; an extremely fun piece of musical equipment, it is"1.
Controls
The pedal's controls do not work independently. Mike B found that "Basically, all the controls MUST work together to make up this pedal's individualistic sound," describing the design as having overall interactivity1. In practice that means turning one knob changes how the others behave, so the pedal is shaped by combinations of settings rather than by any single control.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Standard volume control1 |
| Tone | Standard tone control1 |
| Fuzz | Standard fuzz control1 |
| Starve | Controls how much power is actually going to the pedal's circuit1 |
| Oscillation | At full clockwise it is the "Normal" setting with a straight fuzz sound; turning counter-clockwise creates oscillating wild tones and feedback while notes and partial chords still sneak through1 |
| Stutter (soft switch) | Acts as a signal kill switch when the Oscillation knob is cranked or normal, and creates additional crazy tones and feedback sounds when the Oscillation knob is turned counter-clockwise1 |
The Volume, Tone and Fuzz knobs behave conventionally. As the reviewer put it, "You know what a Volume, Tone and Fuzz knob should do, right? Well, that's exactly what they do on the God Hates Fuzz"1. The Starve knob is where the pedal departs from a standard fuzz: "The Starve knob controls how much power is actually going to the pedal's circuit"1, starving the circuit of voltage to change its character.
The Oscillation knob and Stutter switch
The Oscillation knob is the pedal's main departure from a normal fuzz. At full clockwise it is the "Normal" setting, where, in the reviewer's words, "you just have a kick-ass fuzz pedal, minus the wackiness"1. Turned counter-clockwise, it creates oscillating wild tones and feedback, while notes and partial chords still sneak through1.
The Stutter soft switch changes behavior depending on that setting. When the Oscillation knob is cranked or normal, the Stutter becomes a signal kill switch, which the reviewer called fun for stop-start jams. With the Oscillation knob turned counter-clockwise, it instead creates additional crazy tones and feedback sounds1.
What it sounds like
At its wildest, the pedal does not turn into pure noise. Mike B described it as "a true terror of a pedal, a totally chaotic jumble of sound that still lets some notes and partial chords be perceptible"1. That balance, chaos with fragments of the played part still audible, is what separates it from a straight fuzz or a dedicated noise generator.
Context in Center Street Electronics' range
Videos
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Questions
What does the Starve knob do on the God Hates Fuzz?
The Starve knob controls how much power is actually going to the pedal's circuit. By limiting the voltage reaching the circuit, it changes how the fuzz behaves, which is one of the ways the God Hates Fuzz goes beyond a standard fuzz design. It works alongside the Oscillation knob and Stutter switch, which the reviewer found needed to be adjusted together to shape the pedal's sound.
What does the Stutter switch do?
The Stutter soft switch does two different jobs depending on where the Oscillation knob is set. When the Oscillation knob is cranked or at its normal setting, the Stutter acts as a signal kill switch, which the reviewer called fun for stop-start jams. When the Oscillation knob is turned counter-clockwise, it instead creates additional crazy tones and feedback sounds.
Is the God Hates Fuzz a regular fuzz pedal?
No. Reviewing the pedal for Pedal of the Day, Mike B wrote that an ordinary fuzz pedal it is not, calling it an extremely fun piece of musical equipment. It is a fuzz oscillator pedal whose controls interact with one another, and it can produce chaotic sounds while still letting some notes and partial chords be heard.
What does the Oscillation knob do when turned counter-clockwise?
At full clockwise the Oscillation knob is the Normal setting, where the pedal is simply a straight fuzz. Turning it counter-clockwise creates oscillating wild tones and feedback, while notes and partial chords still sneak through. The Stutter switch behaves differently in this mode, adding further crazy tones and feedback sounds.
Can you still hear chords through the God Hates Fuzz?
Yes, partly. In its wildest state the reviewer described the pedal as a true terror, producing a totally chaotic jumble of sound that still lets some notes and partial chords be perceptible. So the sound stays chaotic, but individual notes and partial chords can still come through.
Sources (1)
- Center Street Electronics God Hates Fuzz, Pedal of the Day, 2015-03-30