The Fjord Fuzz Berserk V2 is a fuzz pedal from the Norwegian pedal manufacturer Fjord Fuzz, released on 7 December 2022 as a complete redesign of the original Berserk. It is an original circuit inspired by the two central fuzz circuits of the 1960s, the Tone Bender and the Fuzz Face, and the second version achieves similar sounds to the first with fewer controls: three knobs instead of the original's five controls and internal trim pots1.
Where a traditional Fuzz Face-style circuit compresses the low end, Delicious Audio describes the Berserk V2 as offering "reduced low-end compression compared to a traditional Fuzz Face style circuit, but much higher output as well as more pronounced top-end fidelity"2. The builder's own framing, as reported by Delicious Audio, is that the pedal takes the two vintage circuits and "turns them into one amazing little unit, solving a bunch of 50+ year old problems"1.
A Tone Bender and Fuzz Face blend with more output
The original Berserk placed a simple, oddly biased single-transistor gain stage preamp in front of the original circuit3. That preamp is the feature the V2 builds on, and the builder says the result solves 50+ year old problems of the two central fuzz circuits while wrapping them into one unit1.
The V2 keeps that lineage but streamlines it. Delicious Audio's 2024 fuzz buying guide describes it as "a complete redesign of the Tone Bender and the Fuzz Face-inspired original," reduced to three knobs: Gain, Thickness and Volume2. Compared with other pedals that draw on the same two circuits, the Berserk V2's stated character is its higher output and its less compressed low end, where a straight Fuzz Face clone leans the other way2.
For context, other builders have taken similar hybrid approaches: the Poison Noises Glut Cheeks Fuzz V2 conjures "your favorite Fuzz Face and Tone Bender tones in seconds," and JPTR FX's Silvermachine Fuzz V2 sits "between Benders and Faces, but infinitely less compressed and deliberately open in character"45. The Berserk V2's answer to the same idea is its own circuit rather than a switchable emulation of either vintage pedal.
The controls
The V2 has three knobs, a big reduction from the original Berserk's five main controls: three knobs for Gain, Thickness and Volume plus two push buttons for Impedance and Output Fix1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | The big knob. Controls gain the same way turning down the guitar's volume knob would1 |
| Thickness | More bass or more clarity; also affects how the Gain and Volume controls respond3 |
| Volume | Sets the output level3 |
The Gain knob working like the guitar's own volume control is the key to the pedal's dynamic behavior: rolling it back cleans the fuzz up, the same interaction vintage Fuzz Face players use at the instrument1. On the original Berserk, Pedal of the Day noted the Thickness control (spelled "Thiccness" there) "gives you either more bass or more clarity, while also impacting the Gain and Volume controls," so the three controls interact rather than working in isolation3.
The two push buttons from the original are gone in the V2. On the first Berserk, the left button was an Output Fix control that raised volume and presence while correcting the output impedance, and the second engaged two space echo preamp gain stages in series to set the impedance, with an internal trimpot for fine adjustment3. The V2's redesign achieves its sound without those switches1.
Bias and bypass
Inside, the Berserk V2 is biased to 6.66V, which the builder says is how most of his pedals are biased, and it can be changed: the PCB carries marked instructions for going to 3V or to 4.5 to 5V1. For a player, that internal bias adjustment is the deep tweak on an otherwise simple three-knob pedal.
The bias is set internally on the PCB. Changing it from the stock 6.66V to 3V or 4.5 to 5V means opening the pedal and following the markings on the board1.
Like all Fjord Fuzz pedals, the Berserk V2 uses Steve Demedash's Incandenza all-analog true bypass relay switching, so the pedal is out of the signal path when disengaged1.
Where it sits in a chain, and in the lineup
The builder encourages placing the Berserk V2 first in the pedal chain and using the guitar's volume and tone controls to expand its tonal palette1. That is consistent with how impedance-sensitive vintage-style fuzz circuits behave: they respond best to the guitar plugged straight in, before buffers and other pedals.
The Berserk arrived after earlier Fjord Fuzz pedals including the BJØRN, BIFROST and Odin3, and the builder has since expanded the range with pedals like the Thor gated fuzz and the Midnattssol fuzz and vibe workstation. A compact version, the Berserk V2 Compact, adds a fourth control: Volume, Gain/Fuzz, Thickness and Mids, in a circuit the reviewer at Guitar Pedal X describes as very loosely based on the Colorsound Supa Tonebender6.
Videos
Reverb
Sasha Ivantic
R.J. Ronquillo
Questions
Is the Fjord Fuzz Berserk V2 true bypass?
Yes. Like all Fjord Fuzz pedals, the Berserk V2 uses Steve Demedash's Incandenza all-analogue true bypass relay switching, so the signal path is bypassed with a relay rather than a simple mechanical switch.
What is the Berserk V2 biased to, and can it be changed?
It ships biased to 6.66V, which is how most of the builder's pedals are biased. Inside, PCB-marked instructions let you change the bias to 3V or to 4.5 to 5V if you want a different character from the transistors.
Where should the Berserk V2 go in a pedal chain?
The builder encourages placing it first in the chain and using the guitar's volume and tone controls to expand its tonal palette. Like most vintage-style fuzz circuits, it responds directly to what the instrument feeds it.
What does the Thickness knob do on the Berserk?
On the original Berserk, the knob (spelled Thiccness there) gives you either more bass or more clarity, and it also affects how the Gain and Volume controls respond. The V2 keeps the knob as part of its three-control layout.
Is the Berserk V2 based on a Fuzz Face or a Tone Bender?
Both. Fjord Fuzz describes it as an original circuit inspired by the two legendary fuzz circuits of the '60s, the Tone Bender and the Fuzz Face, with the V2 being a complete redesign of the earlier Berserk.
Sources (6)
- Fjord Fuzz Berserk V2, Delicious Audio, 2022-12-07
- Best Fuzz Face Clones And Evolutions In 2024, Delicious Audio, 2024-04-17
- Fjord Fuzz BERSERK Fuzz, Pedal of the Day, 2021-11-22
- Poison Noises Glut Cheeks Fuzz V2, Pedal of the Day, 2022-09-03
- JPTR FX Silvermachine Fuzz V2, Delicious Audio, 2022-10-05
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2020-12-18
