The PigPile Harmonic Percolating Fuzz is a fuzz pedal from Electrofoods Ultd. that works in the Harmonic Percolator format, the fuzz style Guitar Pedal X credits recording legend Steve Albini with helping popularise1. It is an extended take on that circuit: alongside the core percolator fuzz, it adds a preamp section with its own voicing switch, selectable germanium diodes, a Blend control and a second footswitch called Hog Wild1.
Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson, writing in May 2024, was emphatic about where it sits in the field1:
Stefan Karlsson, Guitar Pedal X1
He also noted it remains high on his own acquisition list, and that it is frequently unavailable: "Every time I check they seem to be out of stock"1.
Controls
The PigPile carries an unusually deep control set for a fuzz, including switches that revoice the circuit rather than simple knobs1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Output volume |
| Hi-Cut | Trims top end |
| Brutality | Drive character |
| Harmonics | Percolator harmonics |
| Blend | Blends the fuzz with the preamp path |
| Germanium Diodes | Three-way switch: Q2C / Off / Alt |
| Pre Amp | Three-way voicing: Bright / Norm / Boost |
| Hog Wild footswitch | Second footswitch |
| On/Off footswitch | Bypass switching |
The germanium diode switch and the Pre Amp voicing switch are the distinguishing features here: they let the player move between different clipping and preamp characters without leaving the pedal, which is what marks the PigPile out as an extended take on the fuzz format rather than a straight percolator clone1.
Availability is the practical hurdle with this pedal. Guitar Pedal X reported in May 2024 that it seemed to be out of stock on every check, so anyone wanting one should expect to wait for a restock1.
Videos
collector//emitter
Noise Generator
Demos In The Dark
Questions
What is the Electrofoods Ultd. PigPile Harmonic Percolating Fuzz?
It is a fuzz pedal from Electrofoods Ultd. built on the Harmonic Percolator format, a circuit style that Guitar Pedal X credits Steve Albini with helping popularise. It pairs the core percolator fuzz with a preamp section, germanium diode voicing options and a Blend control, and Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson called it one of the very best extended takes on the format.
How much does the PigPile cost?
Guitar Pedal X listed the PigPile at $225 USD in May 2024. The same review noted that every time the author checked, the pedal seemed to be out of stock, so it can take patience to acquire one.
Sources (1)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-05-13