The Cusack Music Tap-A-Fuzz is a fuzz pedal built around tap tempo. Cusack describes it as the newest pedal in its "Tap-A" Series, combining "all the gain and grit of a Screamer Fuzz" with the tap tempo and rhythmic patterns of the other Tap-A pedals, and calls it "the first and only fuzz on the market with tap tempo."1
Cusack Music lists the Tap-A-Fuzz as DISCONTINUED on its product page.1
What it does
The idea behind the Tap-A-Fuzz is a fuzz that follows a tempo. You tap in a speed, and the pedal's LFO (low-frequency oscillator, a repeating modulation wave) runs in time with it, shaping the fuzz in rhythmic patterns. Cusack positions it alongside the Tap-A-Scream concept: the same tap-driven approach applied to fuzz rather than overdrive.1
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Volume |
| Scream | Gain / LFO speed |
| Wave | Selects the waveform, in combination with the Bank switch |
| Option | Determines fade-in time, brake speed, and tap divide |
The pedal has two footswitches, which are pressed together for some functions.2
Programmable waveforms
The Wave knob and Bank switch together select the modulation waveform, and each waveform carries its own settings. According to the owner's manual, "The Fade-in, Brake Speed, Tap Divide and Tempo are all programmable for each waveform independently."2
In practice that means you can set up one waveform with a slow fade-in and a divided tap tempo, and another with a fast brake, and the pedal remembers each one separately. When the Brake function is engaged, the Option knob controls the brake speed.2
Where Cusack's delay line went
The Tap-A-Fuzz is discontinued3. While it was in the lineup, its two footswitches ran the tap and brake functions, and when the Brake Function was engaged the Option Knob controlled the Brake Speed3.
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Questions
Is the Cusack Music Tap-A-Fuzz still in production?
No. Cusack Music lists the Tap-A-Fuzz as discontinued on its product page. The pedal was part of the company's Tap-A Series, which combined fuzz or overdrive gain with tap tempo and rhythmic patterns. Players looking for the company's current delay designs can find newer models such as the Rebound and Prototype Delay elsewhere on the site.
What does the Option knob do on the Tap-A-Fuzz?
The Option knob's job depends on the function in use. It determines fade-in time, brake speed, and tap divide. When the Brake function is engaged, the Option knob controls the brake speed. According to the owner's manual, fade-in, brake speed, tap divide, and tempo are all programmable for each waveform independently.
Sources (3)
- Tap-a-Fuzz Tap Tempo Fuzz, Cusack Music
- Tap-A-Fuzz.pdf, Cusack Music, 2022
- New At NAMM: Cusack Music Rebound, Delicious Audio, 2024-01-28
