The Cusack Music Screamer Fuzz Germanium is a limited production overdrive and fuzz pedal that puts both effects in a single circuit. Cusack describes it as a new take on the classic Screamer Fuzz, built around germanium overdrive clipping and the maker's original LED fuzz circuit design. The two sides are not separate effects in series: Cusack notes that the fuzz and overdrive are in the same circuit and are inter-dependent, so each shapes the other as you turn the controls1.
The controls
The pedal carries four knobs and a clip switch. Guitar Pedal X, covering the Screamer Fuzz Germanium Original Limited Edition, lists the layout as "Level, Drive, Tone, Fuzz, Clip : Si / LED / Ge"2, and the maker's own descriptions fill in what the knobs do: Level sets the output volume1, while Drive, Tone and Fuzz shape the overdrive and fuzz sides of the shared circuit.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Sets the output volume1 |
| Drive | Sets the overdrive side of the circuit2 |
| Tone | Tone circuit added on the Germanium version1 |
| Fuzz | Sets the fuzz side of the circuit2 |
| Clip | Selects the clipping device: Silicon, LED or Germanium positions2 |
Guitar Pedal X characterized the original limited edition as "essentially a Tube Screamer and Fuzz Face in the same box - where you blend those voicings together to your own preference"2. Cusack's own pitch for the Germanium version is aimed at players after something less conventional: "If you are looking for a unique overdrive/fuzz that has a variety of personalities and some added sonic quirks, you've come to the right place"1.
The Germanium version is a limited production model, so availability is tied to the runs Cusack builds1.
Power and higher voltage supply
The pedal runs on a standard center negative 9V DC supply or a 9V battery, which is not included, and draws approximately 6mA1. Cusack also states that the Germanium version has been made compatible with higher voltage power supplies, along with an added tone circuit and other refinements1. With a draw of about 6mA, the pedal is an easy load for either a battery or a standard supply output.
Screamer Fuzz versions and limited editions
The Screamer Fuzz Germanium sits in a family of related pedals. Cusack's page for the Screamer Fuzz V3 lists the versions as the Screamer Fuzz V2, the Screamer Fuzz Germanium, the Screamer Fuzz Bass, the Screamer Fuzz Selenium and the Scruzz3, and the maker's V2 page shows the Scream control acting as the gain stage on that version4.
| Version | Notes |
|---|---|
| Screamer Fuzz | The pedal the Germanium version is based on; Delicious Audio called it "a versatile germanium fuzz pedal"5 |
| Screamer Fuzz V2 | Scream control serves as gain4 |
| Screamer Fuzz V3 | Current mainline version3 |
| Screamer Fuzz Germanium | Limited production model with germanium overdrive clipping and the LED fuzz circuit1 |
| Scruzz Bass | Bass-oriented family member3 |
Videos
James Thain Music
The Armchair Guitarist
The Armchair Guitarist
Questions
Does the Cusack Screamer Fuzz Germanium run on a battery?
Yes. Cusack Music lists the Screamer Fuzz Germanium as running on a standard center negative 9V DC supply or a 9V battery, though the battery is not included with the pedal. The pedal draws only about 6mA, so a battery is a practical option for players who do not want to dedicate a power supply output to it.
How much current does the Cusack Screamer Fuzz Germanium draw?
Cusack Music specifies a current draw of approximately 6mA. That is a light load by pedal standards, so the pedal is easy on a battery and on any standard center negative 9V DC supply.
What does the clip switch do on the Screamer Fuzz?
The clip switch selects the clipping device that shapes the overdrive side of the circuit. On the Screamer Fuzz Germanium Original Limited Edition it offers Silicon, LED and Germanium positions, each giving a different clipping character. On the Germanium version itself, the design centers on germanium overdrive clipping together with Cusack's original LED fuzz circuit.
Can the Cusack Screamer Fuzz Germanium run on higher voltage?
Yes. Cusack Music states that the Screamer Fuzz Germanium has been made compatible with higher voltage power supplies, alongside other changes such as an added tone circuit. It still runs on a standard center negative 9V DC supply or a 9V battery.
What is the difference between the Screamer Fuzz Germanium and the Selenium version?
The Selenium version is a modified Screamer Fuzz built around vintage selenium rectifiers, released in 2022 as a limited run, and Cusack Music now lists it as discontinued. The Germanium version is a separate limited production model built around germanium overdrive clipping and Cusack's original LED fuzz circuit. Both share custom milled aluminum knobs, which Cusack notes are also found on its Germanium Fuzz.
Sources (5)
- Screamer Fuzz Germanium Overdrive and Fuzz, Cusack Music
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2021-08-23
- Screamer Fuzz V3 Overdrive and Fuzz Pedal, Cusack Music
- Screamer Fuzz V2 Overdrive and Fuzz Pedal, Cusack Music
- Cusack Screamer Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2019-01-26
