The Damnation Audio Ugly Twin is a fuzz pedal that packs three effects into one box: a dirty analog octave up, a transistor boost, and a germanium/silicon hybrid fuzz with a three-band tone stack. Damnation Audio calls it a Boosted Octave Fuzz, and the circuits are stacked in series, octave into boost into fuzz, but each can be switched on and off at will1. Premier Guitar counted seven possible combinations from the three dedicated footswitches, and called it three effects in one, four counting the EQ2.
The pedal was announced in September 2018 at a list price of $249.00 USD31, and it is currently listed as sold out on the maker's product page1.
Octave, boost and fuzz in one pedal
Each of the three circuits has its own character, and each can run alone or stacked with the others1.
| Circuit | What it is | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Octave | Classic dirty analog octave up | Based on Dan Armstrong's Green Ringer; "ugly" switch adds a preset boost in front of it14 |
| Boost | Classic discrete transistor boost | Reminiscent of EHX's LPB-1; good for pushing an amp into overdrive or setting gain into the fuzz12 |
| Fuzz | Vintage style hybrid fuzz with Silicon and Germanium transistors | Three-band passive tone stack based on a Marshall JMP14 |
Damnation Audio describes the octave circuit as "dirty and mean and a little messy in all the right places," made to turn your dirtiest guitar fantasies up to 111. The boost sits between the other two circuits, and Guitar.com reported Damnation's own description of it as mediating any disputes the octave and fuzz circuits may, and will, have5. The fuzz section offers tone and level controls only, with no fuzz knob: you get more grit by driving the section harder, and the maker says you can get a ton of great amp-like tones or simply dime all the knobs and stand back14.
The controls and the Ugly switch
The control set is deliberately sparse. Guitar.com listed the controls as Level, a three-band EQ, Boost, and the Twin-Ugly switch5. Delicious Audio found the boost stays pretty clean until about the halfway point, where it starts to break up4.
- Level: sets the output volume5
- Three-band EQ: passive tone stack on the fuzz section, based on a Marshall JMP45
- Boost knob: single control for the boost circuit; clean until about halfway, then it breaks up4
- Ugly / Twin-Ugly switch: a toggle that engages a preset boost in front of the octave circuit145
The pedal also includes an active buffer4.
Power: 9V DC, center negative
The Ugly Twin runs on a 9V DC power supply only. Damnation Audio specifies a 2.1mm center negative (Boss-style) adapter1, and the launch press release confirmed a standard center negative 2.1mm 9V DC jack3.
No battery option. Damnation Audio states its pedals do not accept 9V batteries, and warns that going above 9V DC will damage the pedal and void any warranties1.
History: built for Brad Fry of Pissed Jeans
The Ugly Twin was developed with Brad Fry, guitarist of Pissed Jeans, through experimentation with him before it went into production. According to Damnation Audio, Fry messaged the builder one night and asked if he could build him a Tone Bender, and the project grew from there1. The pedal is named after a song of the same name on Pissed Jeans' album "Shallow"13. It was announced in September 2018 as an all-analog design in a hot pink finish, priced at $249531.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar reviewed the Ugly Twin in August 2021 and found a wide range of sounds on offer2:
"Depending on your settings, tones range from metallic chunk to piercing octaves to sick, swollen fuzz2."
Premier Guitar, 20212
The reviewer also found its tone controls make it a chameleon, capable of mimicking Fuzz Faces, Tone Benders, and Big Muffs2. On the downside, the review's cons list led with "Abandon subtlety, all ye who enter here," and noted the circuit is not dynamic in the sense of cleaning up when you roll back your guitar's volume knob2. Its pros were a huge collection of cool fuzz flavors, well made, and fair price, and the reviewer judged $249 a nice price for three effects in one, four counting the EQ2. Delicious Audio described the octave fuzz as giving "the gnarliest, grainiest blown out sounds imaginable"4.
Videos
Premier Guitar
collector//emitter
MrExcane
Questions
Does the Damnation Audio Ugly Twin take a battery?
No. Damnation Audio states that its pedals do not accept 9V batteries. The Ugly Twin runs only on a 9V DC power supply with a 2.1mm center negative (Boss-style) plug, and the maker warns that going above 9V DC will damage the pedal and void any warranties.
Can you use the Ugly Twin's octave, boost and fuzz separately?
Yes. The three circuits are stacked in series, octave into boost into fuzz, but each has its own footswitch, giving seven possible combinations: each effect alone, octave plus boost, octave plus fuzz, boost plus fuzz, or all three at once. You can also use the boost on its own to push an amp into overdrive.
Does the Ugly Twin clean up with the guitar volume?
Not really. Premier Guitar's reviewer found the circuit is not dynamic in the sense of getting clean tones by rolling back the guitar's volume knob, and described it as hard to scrub the dirt off these sounds. It is built to stay dirty rather than respond like a low-gain overdrive.
What circuit is the Ugly Twin octave based on?
The octave section is a classic dirty analog octave up circuit that Delicious Audio describes as a take on Dan Armstrong's Green Ringer. Its only control is a toggle switch, called the Ugly or Twin-Ugly switch, which engages a preset boost in front of the octave circuit when selected.
Why is the Ugly Twin fuzz section without a fuzz knob?
The fuzz section is adjustable only through its tone and level controls, with no fuzz knob. You get more grit by driving the section harder, for example with the boost circuit in front of it. Its three-band passive tone stack is based on a Marshall JMP.
Sources (5)
- Ugly Twin, Damnation Audio
- Damnation Audio Ugly Twin Review, Premier Guitar, 2019-02-11
- Ugly Twin Boosted Octave Fuzz: Damnation Audio Launch, Premier Guitar, 2018-09-11
- Damnation Audio Ugly Twin Octave Fuzz + Boost, Delicious Audio, 2019-02-21
- Damnation Audio presents the Ugly Twin, Guitar.com, 2018-09-13