The Eisenhower Fuzz is an octave fuzz pedal from Danelectro, released in the spring of 2019 as the first pedal in the company's "vintage" series1. It arrived alongside the Breakdown overdrive, its twin release in the same line12. Where a plain fuzz pedal thickens and saturates your tone, an octave fuzz also generates an upper octave that sits on top of the note, and Danelectro describes the Eisenhower as "over the top Fuzz with super hot Octave effect"3.
The circuit is a take on a vintage design. Guitar Pedal X identifies it as based on the 1968 Univox Super Fuzz1, while Danelectro's own copy says only that it is based on "one of the greatest octave fuzz pedals ever" and that a mint example of the 50 year old original "will cost you plenty"34. The company says it "amped the gain and added EQ" to that circuit, for what Premier Guitar's announcement called "a pronounced, 'out front' octave effect and sweeter harmonics, with plenty of gain and much more precise" shaping34.
An octave fuzz with extra gain and EQ
The vintage octave fuzz the Eisenhower draws on is a 50 year old design whose collectible originals now sell for serious money3. Pedal of the Day made the value case directly: the Eisenhower is "hundreds of dollars easier on your wallet, both in initial purchase price AND upkeep" than an original2. Danelectro's pitch is blunt on the same point: "A mint example will cost you plenty. But it still will not sound half as good as this"3.
What the company says it changed is gain and EQ. The added gain pushes the octave harder, and the added EQ, a Treble and Bass pair plus a voicing toggle, gives the player control the original never had35. Delicious Audio's buying guide on Octavia-style pedals describes the Treble and Bass knobs and the Flat-Sculpt toggle as the flexibility the Eisenhower "adds to the original" circuit5.
The pedal sits in a series with a sense of humor about its own age. Delicious Audio noted that the case "comes already scratched up for that invaluable vintage-y feel"8, and the same writer observed that Danelectro "certainly enjoys doing things in quirky ways and we like that"8.
The controls and the Flat-Sculpt toggle
The control set is four knobs and one toggle1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Output level6 |
| Fuzz | Gain and fuzz amount6 |
| Treble | High-frequency EQ, added over the original circuit65 |
| Bass | Low-frequency EQ, added over the original circuit65 |
| Flat-Sculpt toggle | Two-position EQ voicing switch1 |
The toggle is the tonal heart of the pedal. In Flat, the pedal keeps the original circuit's mid hump and controlled lows5. In Sculpt, it scoops the mids and boosts the bass, which Danelectro calls an outrageous "in your face" tone3. MusicRadar summarized the same switch as adding bass and dropping mids "for a more cutting tone"4.
"Sculpt setting scoops mids and boosts bass for outrageous 'in your face' tone."
For a player, the practical difference is between two classic fuzz voicings: Flat gives the mid-forward, nasal bark associated with the vintage Japanese octave fuzzes, while Sculpt gives a modern scooped sound that cuts through a band with more low-end weight. There is no separate boost control; the Volume knob is the only level control6.
Where it came from
The Eisenhower Fuzz draws on a much older design: Danelectro's own copy describes it as based on "the greatest octave fuzz pedals ever," without naming the original, and reviewers have been left to guess, with a Roger Mayer Octavia suggested as one possibility1. The pedal is part of a vintage-inspired line rather than a vintage piece itself, with its sources of inspiration left unstated in the product description1. Danelectro leans into the vintage theme in the presentation, shipping the case already scratched up for a worn-in feel1. The Eisenhower is listed for $149 on the Danelectro website9.
Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson reviewed the Eisenhower as part of that trilogy and placed it in its lineage: "A great full-flavour take on that classic Japanese 60's Harmonic Upper Octave Fuzz," noting the circuit "has been tweaked a little" from the original1.
What reviewers said
Pete Thorn demoed the pedal on his YouTube channel in March 2019 and was positive about both its sound and its feel10:
"just a great sounding fuzz"
He added, "I really enjoyed playing through it, I love fuzz"10. His demo covers the range of the pedal's sounds, from the octave effect at high gain to the more conventional fuzz settings.
Pedal of the Day's 2020 review described the pedal's range as running "from low-octave punch to searing, vintage distortion fuzz, and a whole lot in between," saying the Eisenhower "brings the past and present together"2. Delicious Audio added the pedal to its roundup of the best Octavia-style pedals and clones5, and the Eisenhower also appeared in a That Pedal Show Pick'N'Mix episode in May 2019, with its segment starting at 3:3011.
Videos
Danelectro Official
Brett Kingman
Questions
How much does the Danelectro Eisenhower Fuzz cost?
The Eisenhower Fuzz carried $149 street pricing when it launched in 2019, and Guitar Pedal X still listed it at $149 on the Danelectro website in late 2024. Pedal of the Day noted it costs hundreds of dollars less than a vintage example of the pedal it is based on, both to buy and to maintain.
Is the Danelectro Eisenhower Fuzz true bypass?
Yes. Premier Guitar's announcement and MusicRadar both describe silent true bypass switching, and the pedal comes in a die cast case. Guitar World confirmed the same switching when reporting the pedals as available.
What does the sculpt switch do on the Eisenhower Fuzz?
The Sculpt setting scoops the mids and boosts the bass, which Danelectro describes as an outrageous, in your face tone. The Flat setting keeps the original circuit's mid hump and controlled lows, so the toggle lets you choose between a mid-forward vintage voicing and a more scooped, cutting one.
Does the Eisenhower Fuzz have a boost?
No. Its controls are Volume, Fuzz, Treble and Bass, plus the Flat-Sculpt EQ toggle. There is no separate boost control or switch in any published description of the pedal.
When did the Danelectro Eisenhower Fuzz come out?
It came out in the spring of 2019 as the first pedal in Danelectro's vintage series, arriving alongside the Breakdown overdrive. Both were available at launch for $149 each.
What is the Flat-Sculpt switch on the Eisenhower Fuzz?
It is a two-position EQ toggle. Flat keeps the original circuit's mid hump and controlled low end, while Sculpt adds bass and cuts mids for a more cutting, in your face tone. Delicious Audio's buying guide describes it as the main flexibility the pedal adds over the vintage original.
Sources (11)
- My Danelectro Legacy: Vintage Fuzz Trifecta is Finally Complete, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-11-12
- Danelectro The Eisenhower Fuzz, Pedal of the Day, 2020-05-11
- Danelectro The Eisenhower Fuzz product page, Danelectro, 2026-10-25
- Danelectro unveils new vintage pedals: the Eisenhower Fuzz and the Breakdown overdrive, MusicRadar, 2019-03-21
- Best Octavia Fuzz Pedals: Clones and Evolutions, Delicious Audio, 2023-03-09
- Danelectro Announces the Eisenhower Fuzz and the Breakdown, Premier Guitar, 2019-03-20
- Danelectro completes its vintage fuzz trifecta with the Nichols 1966, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-01-30
- New Pedals: Danelectro Eisenhower Octave Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2024-05-13
- Watch Paul Riario demo the Danelectro Eisenhower Fuzz and Breakdown pedals, Guitar World, 2019-04-30
- Pete Thorn demos the Eisenhower Fuzz, Pete Thorn, 2019-03-27
- Danelectro Eisenhower, Snake Oil Marvellous Engine, Supro Delay, Meris Mercury 7: TPS Pick'N'Mix, That Pedal Show, 2019-05-06
