The Electric Love Norrsken Northern Lights Fuzz is a fuzz pedal made as a collaboration between Electric Love and EarthQuaker Devices, released in October 2024. It evolves the 1970 Swedish Carlin Compressor Fuzz, a nine-transistor circuit, and was designed by Jamie Stillman and Ben Carlin. Guitar Pedal X describes the result as delivering "warm, richly textured, harmonic, percolating fuzz and lower-gain fuzzy-drive, with EQ adding air, harmonics" and balance1.
Controls
The pedal carries six controls, an unusual spread for a fuzz and the reason it can be shaped well beyond a one-knob design1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Output volume |
| Fuzz | Fuzz amount |
| Compression / Sustain | Compression and sustain, the compressor fuzz character inherited from the Carlin circuit |
| Active Bass | Active low EQ |
| Active Middle | Active mid EQ |
| Active Treble | Active high EQ |
Guitar Pedal X's suggested starting settings are Level at 3 o'clock, Fuzz at maximum, Compression/Sustain at 2 o'clock, Bass at 2 o'clock, Middle at 3 o'clock and Treble at 2 o'clock1.
From the Carlin Compressor Fuzz to the Norrsken
The original Carlin Compressor Fuzz came out of Sweden in 1970 as a nine-transistor design. The Norrsken keeps nine BC548B-style transistor stages and adds a tenth transistor, Q10, onboard, which Guitar Pedal X says "refines the output further"1. Construction is a hybrid mix of SMD and full-sized through-hole (THT) parts1.
The pedal was a collaboration between Electric Love and EarthQuaker Devices, built around an evolution of the 1970 Swedish Carlin Compressor Fuzz circuit1.
What reviewers said
Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson reviewed the pedal at release in October 2024, calling it "for sure a beautifully richly textured fuzz with a high degree of versatility", and judged the collaboration "every bit as good as the Brian Wampler Aquatone Collaboration", Electric Love's earlier partnership pedal, which sold at the same $199 price1.
Videos
R.J. Ronquillo
Buddy Blues
Pedal of the Day and EarthQuakerDevices
Questions
Who makes the Norrsken Northern Lights Fuzz?
The Norrsken Northern Lights Fuzz is a collaboration between Electric Love and EarthQuaker Devices, designed by Jamie Stillman of EarthQuaker Devices together with Ben Carlin. It was released in October 2024 as Electric Love's third annual charity pedal, with all profits going to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
What is the Norrsken based on?
The circuit evolves the 1970 Swedish Carlin Compressor Fuzz, a nine-transistor design. The Norrsken keeps nine BC548B-style transistor stages and adds a tenth transistor, Q10, onboard to refine the output further. Construction is a hybrid mix of SMD and full-sized through-hole parts.
How much does the Norrsken Northern Lights Fuzz cost?
The Norrsken Northern Lights Fuzz was priced at $199 at its October 2024 release, the same price as Electric Love's Aquatone collaboration with Brian Wampler, and was sold through the Electric Love Reverb.com store.
Does the Norrsken have a compression control?
Yes. Alongside Level, Fuzz and active Bass, Middle and Treble controls, the Norrsken has a Compression/Sustain knob, reflecting the compressor fuzz character of the 1970 Carlin circuit it is based on.
Sources (1)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-10-24
