The idea is simple: instead of choosing between a smooth fuzz and a wild one, you get both on one box and jump between them with a footswitch. The first voice is the softer of the two and carries a switchable octave-up for synth-like tones; the second is much more aggressive and pairs with an interactive noise gate1.
Two fuzz voices in one pedal
The Trapper's two voices are deliberately different characters. Fuzz 1, which has its own Fuzz and Level controls, is what Guitar World's reviewer Trevor Curwen called "a smooth everyday silicon fuzz," with an octave function that opens up quasi-synth overtones3. The second fuzz is the opposite temperament:
"The second fuzz is more full-on hooligan"
Fuzz 2 only has a Level control, but it carries an integrated noise gate that interacts with your instrument's volume and tone controls34. Guitar World's reviewer found you can use your guitar's volume and tone to bring out its variations, backing off the volume for sputter and glitch3. On Sweetwater's demo video, Don Carr described the two sides as "an op-amp style fuzz" octave side and a gated side, calling the gated one "this really crazy gated thing"5.
| Voice | Character | Own controls | Extra feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuzz 1 | Soft, smooth silicon fuzz | Fuzz, Level | Switchable octave-up for synth-like tones13 |
| Fuzz 2 | Aggressive, gritty | Level | Interactive noise gate13 |
Both voices are shaped by the same global Tone and Contour controls, which Fender says makes it easy to sculpt the sound across both circuits14.
The controls and footswitches
Guitar World's review lists the full control set3:
- Tone: rolls off treble, acts globally on both voices34
- Contour: global shaping control for both circuits14
- Fuzz 1 and Level 1: gain and volume for the first voice3
- Level 2: volume for the second voice3
- Octave switch: toggles the high octave on Fuzz 134
- LED kill switch: turns off the illuminated control LEDs3
- Select footswitch: alternates between the two fuzz channels34
- Bypass footswitch: engages and bypasses the pedal3
The Select footswitch is the pedal's party trick: pressing it jumps you from the smooth octave fuzz to the gated aggressive fuzz without bending down4. The enclosure is a super-lightweight housing made of sturdy anodized aluminum, with LED-illuminated controls that can be switched off with the LED kill switch if you prefer a dark stage14.
Power and connections
The Trapper runs on 9V DC, center negative, drawing 80mA1. Because it uses the standard center-negative 9VDC connection, it works with most pedalboards and power supplies4. It also takes a 9V battery, with a pull-down flap at the end of the pedal that Guitar World called "probably the easiest access of any pedal we've seen"3. Connections are a standard input and standard output3.
The 80mA current draw is modest by modern standards, but the pedal ships without a power supply, so you will need your own 9V DC center-negative adapter or a charged battery13.
What reviewers said
Guitar World's Trevor Curwen summed up the pedal as a dynamic, versatile fuzz with two discrete core flavors, one a little more feral than the other, and a lot of fun overall3:
"The Trapper is a dynamic, versatile fuzz, with two discrete core flavours – one a little more feral than the other"
Delicious Audio described it as "a modern, flexible dual fuzz with an octave-up switch," noting that the two channels can be alternated by pressing the Select footswitch4. At its 2019 launch, MusicRadar highlighted the same two-voice format, with the first voice offering a switchable high octave and the second including a noise gate2.
Sweetwater's demo video walks through both sides of the pedal, with Don Carr and Stan Cody showing the octave fuzz voice and the gated fuzz voice and footswitching between them5.
Where it sits in Fender's fuzz line
The Trapper arrived in the same Summer NAMM 2019 batch of six Fender pedals, and it followed earlier Fender fuzzes like the Pelt Fuzz and The Pelt from 2018. Fender's later fuzz releases include the 2022 Hammertone Fuzz line and the limited-edition Kevin Shields Blender signature pedal of 2023, based on the vintage Fender Blender circuit. The Trapper stands apart from those as the company's two-voice take on the format.
Videos
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Jackson Brooksby
Gear4music Guitars
Questions
Can Fender The Trapper run on a battery?
Yes. The Trapper runs on a 9V battery as well as a 9V adapter, and Guitar World's reviewer noted the battery compartment has a pull-down flap at the end of the pedal, calling it probably the easiest battery access of any pedal they had seen.
Is The Trapper true bypass?
Yes. Guitar World lists true bypass among the pedal's features, alongside its two fuzz voices and the selectable octave on the first voice.
How do you switch between the two fuzzes on The Trapper?
A dedicated Select footswitch alternates between the two fuzz channels, so you can jump from the softer first voice to the more aggressive gated second voice with your foot mid-song. A separate Bypass footswitch turns the whole pedal on and off.
Where is Fender The Trapper made?
Guitar World lists the Trapper's origin as China. Like other pedals in Fender's effects line, it is an all-original Fender circuit designed by the company's in-house team.
Does The Trapper have an octave fuzz?
Yes. The first, softer fuzz voice has a switchable octave-up that adds a high octave for synth-like tones. The second voice is the more aggressive one, with an interactive noise gate instead.
Sources (5)
- The Trapper by Fender, RockBoard (rockboard.de PedalPedia), 2026
- Summer NAMM 2019: Fender grows effects line with 6 wide-reaching new pedals, MusicRadar, 2019-07-18
- Fender The Trapper Fuzz review, Guitar World, 2020-07-17
- Fender The Trapper Dual Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2021-09-02
- 6 New Fender Pedals at Summer NAMM 2019, Sweetwater, 2019-07-23
