The Echopark F-2 Dual Stage Fuzz is a hand-wired fuzz pedal built as a chunk of battlefield green-painted steel with two giant knobs, the maker's name on a metal plate as its only other ornamentation. Guitar.com's reviewer, Richard Purvis, describes it as inspired by the very first 60s fuzzes, "this one's all about snarl"1. It sits in Echopark's early fuzz line alongside the F-1 Dual Germanium and the later F3 Chronic1.
How the two stages work
The "Dual" in the name refers to the two separate transistors, both silicon, which create two different flavors of fuzz1. The blend knob decides how they meet:
- Below 12 o'clock: the two fuzzes operate in parallel
- Beyond 12 o'clock: the first fuzz is pushed into the second, for a richer, heavier distortion
There is also a toggle switch for boost1. Alongside blend, the pedal carries a Level control and a bypass footswitch1.
Sound and what reviewers found
Guitar.com's 2017 review came in expecting 60s character and found it: "we're expecting something pert and brassy here, and that's just what the F-2 delivers," in the manner of a Maestro Fuzz-Tone on the Satisfaction riff1. The same review notes limits worth knowing: the reviewer found sustain limited, and the separation between the two fuzzes disconcerting when the boost switch was off1.
"Inspired by the very first 60s fuzzes, this one's all about snarl."
Build and power
The enclosure is a chunk of battlefield green-painted steel with two giant knobs, and no further ornamentation beyond the maker's name on a metal plate1. Inside, the reviewer found the wiring immaculate1.
No battery is supplied with the pedal. It runs on a 9V mains supply or a battery you fit yourself1.
The F-2 name elsewhere
A pedal called the F-2 also exists under another maker's name: the PedalFarm F-2 Professional Fuzz, a hand-built fuzz using silicon transistors and a bias control for a wide range of fuzzy textures, with an extended Level control that ensures full volume capability at lower bias settings and allows boosting the amp2. The two are separate products from separate makers; the shared model number is coincidence of naming, not a shared circuit described in any review.
For more on this family of effects, see Fuzz Pedals, and for the germanium sibling in Echopark's own range, see the F-1 Dual Germanium.
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Questions
Is the Echopark F-2 true bypass?
Yes. Guitar.com's review lists true bypass among the F-2's features, alongside its 9V power options. That means the pedal takes itself fully out of the signal chain when off, which matters on a board with other fuzzes, buffers or long cable runs.
Does the Echopark F-2 Dual Stage Fuzz take a battery?
It can run on a battery, but none is supplied with the pedal. Guitar.com's review describes it as powered by a 9V mains supply or battery, not supplied, so plan on fitting your own battery or using a 9V DC adapter.
Where is the Echopark F-2 made?
The F-2 is made in the USA. Guitar.com's 2017 review lists it as a fuzz pedal made in USA, and describes the unit reviewed as immaculately hand-wired.
What does the blend knob do on the F-2?
The blend knob changes how the pedal's two silicon fuzz stages interact. Below 12 o'clock the two fuzzes operate in parallel; beyond that point the first fuzz is pushed into the second, producing a richer, heavier distortion blend, according to Guitar.com's review.
Is the Echopark F-2 hand-wired?
Yes. Guitar.com's reviewer describes the F-2 as immaculately hand-wired, and notes the maker's name appears on a metal plate on its steel enclosure. No individual builder is named in the review.
Sources (2)
- Echopark F-2 Dual Stage Fuzz Review, guitar.com, 2017-07-04
- PedalFarm F-2 Professional Fuzz, Pedal of the Day, 2021-02-13
