The Wee Beaver is a hand-crafted analog fuzz pedal from El Músico Loco, announced in 2013 and since discontinued. Its defining trait, as the maker put it through Premier Guitar, is that the full-on fuzz stays on tap all the time and the guitar's volume knob does the shaping: rolling back tames and varies the ferocity while the circuit keeps responding to the touch.1
Guitar Pedal X identified the circuit as an extreme variation of the Silicon Fuzz Face known as the Os Mutantes Regulus VII, and noted that this Wee Beaver variety is also the fuzz that powered the Chase Bliss / Abracadabra Audio Ayahuasca Trem Fuzz.2 For more on the type, see Fuzz Pedals.
Controls and sound
The pedal carries two control knobs, Volume and Contour.1
Premier Guitar's announcement described the range of the sound in detail: "The tone starts off in the region of ZZ Top, fat and bluesy, backing off on the guitars volume mellows the whole thing." With the Contour dial, midway the treble is full and the fuzz is fizzy, and further up a midrange nasal growl comes back as the highs tighten up. The release said the pedal works with humbuckers and single coils.1
"the Wee Beaver's explosive, full-on fuzz is on tap all the time -- so the guitarist can tame down and vary the ferocity"
Versions and power
The Wee Beaver was offered in two size configurations: a mini-footprint version for use on a pedalboard, and a larger version that can house a 9-volt battery.1 The enclosure on both is polished and acid etched.1
Only the larger version takes a 9-volt battery. The mini version has no battery option and runs on external power.1
On external power, the pedal can run at up to 12 volts, which Premier Guitar's release described as "an even hairier Beaver".1
Price and availability
Premier Guitar gave a retail price of $149 for both versions of the Wee Beaver when the pedal was announced in 2013.1 Guitar Pedal X, covering the pedal in its 2022 mini fuzz roundup, listed it as discontinued and put the price at $160 when new, noting it appeared "very occasionally on Reverb.com".2 The two figures differ slightly; each is given as its publication stated it.
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Questions
Is the El Músico Loco Wee Beaver still made?
No. Guitar Pedal X listed the Wee Beaver as discontinued in its 2022 roundup of mini fuzz pedals, noting that units turned up only very occasionally on Reverb.com. When new, the pedal listed at $149 for both versions in 2013, and Guitar Pedal X gave a figure of $160 when new. Anyone looking for one now is searching the secondhand market.
Does the Wee Beaver take a 9V battery?
Only the larger version does. When the pedal was announced in 2013, Premier Guitar reported that it came in two size configurations: a mini-footprint version for pedalboards and a larger version that can house a 9-volt battery. The mini version has no battery option, so it needs external power.
Can the Wee Beaver run at 12 volts?
Yes. Premier Guitar's announcement states that using external power supplies, the Wee Beaver can run at up to 12 volts, which the maker described as producing an even hairier sound. At the standard 9 volts it behaves as a conventional fuzz.
How much did the Wee Beaver cost?
Premier Guitar's 2013 announcement gave a retail price of $149 for both versions of the Wee Beaver. Guitar Pedal X, writing in 2022 after the pedal was discontinued, put it at $160 when new. The two figures differ slightly, and both are given here as stated by each publication.
Is the Wee Beaver an analog fuzz?
Yes. Premier Guitar described the Wee Beaver at its launch as a hand-crafted analog fuzz pedal. Guitar Pedal X identified the circuit as an extreme variation of the Silicon Fuzz Face known as the Os Mutantes Regulus VII, and noted that this variety of the Wee Beaver also powered the Chase Bliss / Abracadabra Audio Ayahuasca Trem Fuzz.
Sources (2)
- El Musico Loco Releases Wee Beaver Fuzz Editions, Premier Guitar, 2013-10-28
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2022-04-26