The Eastwood VALCO BloodBuzz Fuzz Overdrive is an analog pedal that houses two separate effects, a fuzz and an overdrive, in a single enclosure. It was made by Eastwood Guitars under the Valco name, and it is a tribute to the Lovetone Cheese Source, a rare pedal from the 90s that stacked gated fuzz with a warm, dynamic overdrive and distortion1. GuitarPlayer describes it as the first pedal in the Valco series2.
Because the two sides are effectively two complete pedals sharing a box, the BloodBuzz can be routed in whatever order a player wants: fuzz into drive, drive into fuzz, or fuzz sent out to other pedals and then back into the drive side3. For players weighing fuzz against other dirt pedals, overdrive as an effect type is covered on Overdrive Pedals.
Fuzz and overdrive in one pedal
Pedal of the Day sums up the layout plainly: "The BloodBuzz is basically two completely separate FX pedals housed together in one enclosure"3. The fuzz side stacks a gated, sputtery character against the drive side's warmer, dynamic overdrive, in the manner of the Cheese Source it honors1.
The two sides are independent enough that the input and output options let a player run them in any configuration, including sending the fuzz output to other pedals entirely before returning the signal to the drive stage3.
Controls and the Voice switches
Each side has its own 4-way Voice switch, and the two work differently13.
| Side | Control | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Fuzz | 4-way Voice Selector | Four distinct fuzz sounds3 |
| Fuzz | Voice OFF (Tone Bypass) | Acts as a 2-knob fuzz, using the FUZZ and LEVEL controls only3 |
| Fuzz | Voice positions | Tone bypass for a classic two-knob 60s psych sound, a muffy 1kHz mid scoop, or a familiar gated, sputtery sound1 |
| Drive | 4-Way Voice switch | Works in tandem with the Tone control1 |
| Drive | Voice with tone bypassed | Full range drive or boost; with tone engaged, adjusts highs in Voice 1 and applies low end shelving in Voices 2 and 31 |
"The powerful 4-way Voice switch gives the Fuzz side a tone bypass for classic two-knob 60s pych sound, a muffy 1kHz mid scoop or familiar gated, sputtery sound."
Circuit and construction
The drive side uses a transistor emitter-follower at its input and a variable feedback JFET op-amp providing up to 40dB of gain with symmetric clipping3. The circuit runs the fuzz and drive sections in parallel1.
Construction is modern surface-mount throughout: all active components are surface mounted, with PCBs and ribbon cables used throughout, in lead and cadmium-free (RoHS) construction3. The analog circuitry includes a fully regulated analog ground, which Pedal of the Day says gives the pedal maximum immunity from hum, power supply variations and battery aging3.
Where it sits in Eastwood's pedal lines
The BloodBuzz opened the Valco series2. It belongs to that earlier Valco series, which Eastwood released under the Valco name rather than its own32.
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Questions
What is the Eastwood VALCO BloodBuzz based on?
The BloodBuzz is a tribute to the Lovetone Cheese Source, a rare pedal from the 90s that stacked gated fuzz with a warm, dynamic overdrive or distortion. GuitarPlayer describes the BloodBuzz as inspired by that pedal, combining fuzz and overdrive in one enclosure, and it was the first pedal released in the Valco series.
Is the BloodBuzz analog or digital?
It is analog. Pedal of the Day notes that the analog circuitry includes a fully regulated analog ground, which the publication says gives the pedal maximum immunity from hum, power supply variations and battery aging.
What does the Tone Bypass do on the BloodBuzz?
On the fuzz side, setting the Voice Selector to OFF engages the Tone Bypass, which turns the BloodBuzz into a two-knob fuzz that uses only the FUZZ and LEVEL controls. On the drive side, the Voice switch works with the Tone control and allows a full range drive or boost with the tone bypassed.
How many fuzz sounds does the BloodBuzz have?
The fuzz side has a 4-way Voice Selector with four distinct fuzz sounds: a tone bypass mode for a classic two-knob 60s psych sound, a muffy 1kHz mid scoop, and a familiar gated, sputtery sound, among the four positions.
Which Eastwood pedal series does the BloodBuzz belong to?
The BloodBuzz was the first pedal in the Valco series, according to GuitarPlayer.
Sources (3)
- Valco BloodBuzz, Delicious Audio, 2020-10-14
- Valco KGB Fuzz Review, GuitarPlayer, 2021-12-17
- Eastwood VALCO BloodBuzz Fuzz Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2020-05-02
