The Fjord Fuzz Odin is an analog octave fuzz pedal from Norwegian boutique builder Fjord Fuzz, designed by company owner Daniel Thornill1. It is really two fuzzes in one box: a regular fuzz and an octave-up fuzz, switchable from the left footswitch, and the two are entirely discrete designs inside the enclosure rather than one circuit with an octave tacked on1. The pedal is a current product, listed at $229.00 on the Fjord Fuzz site, usually shipping in about 2 to 6 weeks2.
The circuit's story starts with the builder himself. Fjord Fuzz says the Odin was born the day after Ruban Nielson showed the builder an octave fuzz he had built: "He showed me the octave fuzz he had built. It was a revelation. The next day ODIN was born."2
What it does: fuzz with an upper-octave mode
The Odin delivers two separate, non-stackable fuzzes: one with an octave-up and one without1. Fjord Fuzz describes the regular fuzz mode as sitting somewhere midway between classic fuzzes, with great volume knob cleanup, deep bass and lots of output2. The octave mode, in the maker's words, is "louder, stronger, more astringent, with enormous differential note dive bomb ability, squeaky clean, precise octave doubling and endless character and force"2.
The octave side has engineering behind that force. Delicious Audio notes the octave mode comes stock with 10x higher output gain to make up for the lossiness in the octave rectifier, the part of the circuit that generates the upper octave1. The maker also describes the pedal's overall character as something that "pushes and pulls very quickly, allowing for a very unique combination of depth and roar and speed and articulation"2.
Delicious Audio's write-up characterized the result as "a wonderful, saggy, yet open and carefully compressed fuzztone," louder, more mids-forward and less compressed than old fuzz boxes sound1.
The controls and footswitches
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Master Level | Overall output volume |
| Octave Gain | Gain for the octave-up fuzz channel |
| Fuzz Gain | Gain for the regular fuzz channel |
| Fuzz / Octave Fuzz footswitch | Toggles between the two fuzzes |
| Engage / Bypass footswitch | Turns the pedal on and off |
The left footswitch toggles between octave up and regular fuzz1, and the two fuzzes being entirely discrete designs inside the box makes switching between them seamless1.
The V4 also carries two internal dip switches, which Guitar Pedal X calls Internal Dippers: one for Level Boost and one for Schottky Clipping4. The Level Boost raises the output; the Schottky Clipping switch changes the clipping character of the circuit.
Powering and placement: the Odin runs on 9V DC, center negative, drawing 120mA3, a high draw for an analog fuzz, so budget a proper power supply output for it. On pedal order, Pedal of the Day reports that "buffers are OK in front of the ODIN V2, but Wahs require a buffer between them and ODIN"5. If you run a wah into it, put a buffer in between.
A heavily modified Foxx Tone Machine
The Odin's circuit is a heavily modified take on the Foxx Tone Machine, the fuzz pedal originally made by Steve Ridinger Associates67. The original Tone Machine was a fuzz with a mode switch that went from standard fuzz to an octave-up fuzz7, and Guitar Player's Dave Hunter described its core sound as "a thick, textured, gnarly fuzz," with the Mellow-Brite control taking it from warm and gooey to bright and razor-like8.
Fjord Fuzz did not copy it straight. Delicious Audio explains the changes: starting with the Foxx Tone Machine as a blueprint, the Odin removes the tone and clipping stages6. In more detail, both fuzzes drop the EQ system of the original fOXX for more mids and remove the entire limiter system, swapping in the output gain stage from Fjord Fuzz's EMBLA1. The non-octave side also drops half of the rectifier system responsible for the octaving and the low pass filter on the preamp1. The result, in Delicious Audio's assessment, is a much louder and more controlled fuzz than the original design1.
For players comparing octave fuzzes, the Beetronics Octahive v2 High Octave Buzz takes a similar two-mode approach, with a BUZZZ mode for high-gain fuzz and an OCTAVE mode for a psychedelic octave sound910.
Versions and what reviewers said
Ten years on from its birth, the Odin has been through dozens of tiny updates and upgrades, but the circuit remains the same, according to Fjord Fuzz2. The major iterations tell a clearer story:
| Version | What changed |
|---|---|
| V1 | A single huge volume out control1 |
| V2 (Autumn 2021) | Individual gain controls for fuzz and octave; 10x higher output gain on the octave mode1 |
| V4 (January 2026) | Master Level, Octave Gain and Fuzz Gain controls, plus internal Level Boost and Schottky Clipping dip switches4 |
Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson reviewed the V4 alongside the Frøy Resly-Vibe in January 2026, both priced at $229 / £2294. His verdict on the pedal's staying power:
"The Odin has always been one of my favourite Octave Fuzzes - it is simple but really potent - and wonderfully harmonically searing."
Karlsson noted he owns three different iterations of the Odin, with a variety of variant editions over the years besides the major versions4, which tracks with the maker's account of a decade of small updates2.
Videos
Fjord Fuzz AS
Fjord Fuzz AS
Pedal of the Day
Questions
Can you put a wah before the Fjord Fuzz Odin?
Not directly. Pedal of the Day notes that buffers are fine in front of the Odin, but a wah needs a buffer placed between the wah and the Odin for the pairing to work. Without that buffer in between, the wah and the fuzz circuit will not interact the way you want.
Does the Odin clean up with the guitar volume knob?
Yes. Fjord Fuzz says the regular fuzz mode has great volume knob cleanup, and Pedal of the Day notes the Odin uses an input stage that shares the cleanup and loading behavior of smiley-faced fuzzes, the classic fuzzes known for rolling back the guitar volume to clean tones.
What do the internal dip switches on the Odin V4 do?
The V4 carries two internal dip switches, which Guitar Pedal X calls Internal Dippers: one for Level Boost and one for Schottky Clipping. The Level Boost raises the output, while the Schottky Clipping switch changes the clipping character of the circuit using Schottky diodes.
How much current does the Fjord Fuzz Odin draw?
The Odin draws 120mA at 9V DC, center negative, according to RockBoard's PedalPedia listing. That is a fairly high draw for an analog fuzz, so plan an isolated power supply output rather than a small battery-style supply.
What changed in the Odin V2?
V2, new for Autumn 2021, added individual gain controls for the fuzz and octave channels, where version 1 had only a huge volume control. The octave mode also came stock with 10x higher output gain to make up for the lossiness of the octave rectifier.
Sources (10)
- Fjord Fuzz Odin V2, Delicious Audio, 2023-07-19
- Fjord Fuzz ODIN, fjordfuzz.no
- Odin by Fjord Fuzz, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2026-01-21
- Fjord Fuzz ODIN V2 Octave Fuzz, Pedal of the Day, 2021-10-20
- Best Foxx Tone Machine Fuzz Clones And Evolutions In 2025, Delicious Audio, 2024-12-31
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME - the World of Vintage Guitar Effect Pedals
- The Foxx Tone Machine Was the Fuzz of Choice for Peter Frampton, Billy Gibbons, and Adrian Belew, GuitarPlayer (www.guitarplayer.com), 2021-11-15
- [Octahive v2 High Octave Buzz Limited Edition Babee Blue
- [Octahive v2 High Octave Buzz • Limited Edition • Red Reign
