The Dunlop Limited Edition Hybrid Fuzz Face is a fuzz pedal from Dunlop, created in a partnership with the marketplace Reverb. It is a variation of the classic Fuzz Face circuit, the design originally produced by Arbiter and associated with Jimi Hendrix, built in a full-sized chassis finished in Army Green1.
What sets it apart is how rare it is and how it was made. Only 10 units were built, each hand-built by Jeorge Tripps, Dunlop's revered pedal builder, and the run was limited by the scarcity of the materials used12.
The hybrid circuit
The Fuzz Face circuit has historically been built with either germanium or silicon transistors, and players often compare the two for their different characters. The Hybrid Fuzz Face takes a middle path: it uses one Russian GT308B germanium transistor and one American 2N5087 silicon transistor to produce what Guitar World calls a full-throttle fuzz effect1.
Guitar.com describes the result as "a rich, cascading fuzz sound"2.
"The variation of the legendary circuit inside is a Hybrid Fuzz Face"
Ten hand-built pedals by Jeorge Tripps
Each of the 10 pedals was built by Tripps himself, using germanium transistors and other high-quality components12. The scarcity of those materials is what capped the run at 10 units1.
The pedals were also tied in with Reverb's documentary The Pedal Movie, which was upcoming at the time of the announcement2.
How it was sold
The Dunlop Limited Hybrid Fuzz Face went up for sale on January 19, 2021, through Reverb, on a first-come, first-served basis12. With only 10 units available, the run sold as a one-time event rather than an ongoing product line.
This was a one-time limited run of 10 pedals sold in January 2021. It is not an ongoing production model, so units only appear on the secondhand market.
Where it sits among Fuzz Face pedals
Dunlop makes a wide range of Fuzz Face variations, from full-sized signature models like the Dunlop JHF1 and the Dunlop Eric Johnson Signature Fuzz Face to mini formats such as the Dunlop Fuzz Face Mini Germanium FFM2 and the Dunlop Silicon Fuzz Face Mini. The Limited Hybrid Fuzz Face differs from these in its details: it is housed in a full-sized chassis finished in Army Green, and Dunlop describes it as delivering a rich, cascading fuzz sound2. Its sale launched on Tuesday, January 1912.
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Reverb
Questions
How many Dunlop Limited Edition Hybrid Fuzz Faces were made?
Only 10 were made. The run was limited to 10 pedals because of the scarcity of the materials, and they were sold on a first-come, first-served basis through Reverb when the sale launched on January 19, 2021.
Who built the Dunlop Hybrid Fuzz Face?
Jeorge Tripps, Dunlop's pedal builder, built each of the 10 pedals by hand using germanium transistors and other high-quality components. Tripps is also known as the designer behind Way Huge circuits.
What transistors are in the Hybrid Fuzz Face?
The circuit uses one Russian GT308B germanium transistor and one American 2N5087 silicon transistor. That pairing of a germanium and a silicon transistor is what makes it a hybrid Fuzz Face.
What is a hybrid Fuzz Face?
A hybrid Fuzz Face is a variation of the classic Fuzz Face fuzz circuit that mixes transistor types, here one germanium and one silicon transistor, instead of using two of the same kind. The combination is described as producing a rich, cascading fuzz sound.
How was the Hybrid Fuzz Face sold?
It was sold through Reverb on a first-come, first-served basis, with the sale launching on Tuesday, January 19, 2021. The pedals were tied in with Reverb's documentary The Pedal Movie.
What is a Hybrid Fuzz Face?
It is a limited edition fuzz pedal from Dunlop: a hand-built variation of the Fuzz Face circuit using one germanium and one silicon transistor, housed in a full-sized Army Green chassis. Only 10 were made.
Sources (2)
- Jeorge Tripps teams up with Reverb for a super-limited 10-unit run of hand-built Fuzz Face pedals, Guitar World, 2021-01-15
- Reverb and Jeorge Tripps announce ultra-limited run of 10 Fuzz Face pedals, Guitar.com, 2021-01-15
