Chase Bliss Audio + ZVEX Bliss Factory Fuzz

The Chase Bliss Audio + ZVEX Bliss Factory Fuzz is a collaboration between Chase Bliss Audio and ZVEX Effects, first released in 2020¹. It is built on the circuitry of the ZVEX Fuzz Factory, the fuzz pedal Zachary Vex first released in 1995¹²³, and wraps that circuit in Chase Bliss's digital control system. Delicious Audio described it as "a souped-up Fuzz Factory with digital control and a resonant lowpass filter"³.

For a player, that means the classic Fuzz Factory sound, from thick fuzz to gated velcro-ripping to pitch oscillation, is here with the added ability to save presets, ramp between settings, and control everything over MIDI, an expression pedal or control voltage. It was a limited edition: 1,000 units were made, sold exclusively through Reverb.com, and both runs sold out quickly⁴¹.

A Fuzz Factory with a resonant low pass filter

The Fuzz Factory itself is a fuzz pedal that, as Aion FX puts it, covers "everything from a really thick-yet-musical fuzz, to gated velcro-ripping, to some pretty crazy pitch-oscillation"⁶. MusicRadar's reviewer characterized its design philosophy as creating "inspiration from serendipity, from noises, squeaks and oscillation"⁷. The Bliss Factory keeps that character and adds a filter stage on top.

The main controls match the original: Volume, Drive, Gate, Comp and Stab, with the LPF added as knob number six¹. Delicious Audio notes that all the classic Fuzz Factory controls are present, plus the new resonant low pass filter knob and two three-way toggles, one for fattening up the tone and one for setting auxiliary knob functions⁵.

Guitar World reported that the pedal is a five-knob, two germanium transistor fuzz with a digital control and a Korte-designed low pass filter for extra harmonics and texture². Delicious Audio described the knobs as "controls for various operating levels and biases, shaping you a personalized fuzz"³.

MIDI, expression and control voltage

The digital control layer is what separates the Bliss Factory from a standard Fuzz Factory. Pedal of the Day's review lists the control options⁴³²:

• Presets, so settings can be stored and recalled¹
• MIDI control, with a MIDI/AUX jack that can be used to interface with a Chase Bliss Midibox¹
• Expression pedal compatibility, with settings that can be ramped or controlled via expression pedal¹³
• 0-5V control voltage input on the other side of the pedal¹

The 16 DIP switches on the back panel, a recurring feature of Chase Bliss pedals, configure how these control inputs behave, covering ramping, expression pedal functionality and bypassing³¹. Players comparing this against the original can read more about fuzz pedals generally, or about the Fuzz Factory Vexter, the current version of the standard pedal.

Where it comes from: the Fuzz Factory and a documentary tie-in

The Fuzz Factory dates to 1995, when Zachary Vex built the first version⁶. Twenty-five years on, Guitar World reported that the original remains current and is available alongside the Bliss Factory⁴. The collaboration was a first for the two founders: Joel Korte of Chase Bliss Audio and Zachary Vex of Z.Vex had not worked together before².

The Bliss Factory was not a regular catalog release. It was created in support of Reverb.com's first feature-length documentary, "The Pedal Movie," on the history and culture of effects pedals¹. Guitar World reported that a purchase also included priority access to the documentary upon its release the following year². Guitar.com spotted the project early, noting in November 2020 that teasers pointed to "a fresh take on the revered Zvex Fuzz Factory"⁸, and Gearnews reported that the pedal combines elements from both boutique brands⁹.

A limited run that sold out twice

The Bliss Factory came out in 2020 as a collaboration between ZVEX and Chase Bliss Audio, described as an uber-tweakable take on the fuzz platform⁵³¹.

That verdict captures the trade-off the pedal presents: the digital control adds presets, MIDI, expression and CV, but the underlying Fuzz Factory circuit remains an instrument that can behave unpredictably, which is part of its appeal and part of its difficulty¹.

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